Windows Client Product Team
Stella Chernyak
Jeremy Champman
Devrim Iyigun
Ros Chabalin
Paul Cooke

Second day of Tech-Ed and it’s 9 in the morning. I have chosen to start with an hour’s introduction to the next client operating system from Microsoft, Windows 7, as yesterday’s lecture Windows Networking from Windows Vista to Windows 7 was for me the highlight of the day!

The session will be a quick preview/overview of several areas of Windows 7. A deeper view in to areas will be given in other sessions.

MS has spent significant more time with planning before writing the first line of code. They have had an focus on end-to-end business scenarios.

Give their customers and partners a time frame for the release and stick to their plan – 3 years for Windows 7 after Windows Vista. They are still on track to deliver Windows 7 on time.

Engaging with partners earlier and more closely to enable seamless experiences and compatibility across hardware (drivers), software and services.

Windows 7 is still in a Pre-Beta stage. First to stages were Vision and Development & Test.

Windows 7 builts on Windows Vista. Vista had the deep changes: New models for security, drivers, deployment and networking. Service Package 1 only delivered a few important changes: Focus on quality and reliability improvements. Windows 7 is similar to Vista: Most software that runs on Windows Vista will run on Windows 7. Windows 7 doesn’t come with major low-level changes. Exceptions are antivirus, firewall, imaging, etc. Hardware that runs Vista will run Windows 7 well. There is no reason to wait with deploying Vista and instead focus on Windows 7.

Customer feedback have been that it has become harder and harder to support our users, as they have more diverse needs. How do we keep people connected to what they need, when outside office (home or on travel). How can I enable the software and devices my users require and minimize risk? How can I reduce costs and take advantage of new technologies like virtualization?

  1. Make Users Productive Anywhere: At their desk, in a branch and on the road
  2. Enhance Security and Control: Protect data and PCs, Built on Windows Vista foundation
  3. Streamline PC Management: Easy migration, Keep PCs running and Virtualization

 

Jeremy Chapman – Deployment of Windows 7

  1. Imaging: Add / Remove Drivers and Packages. WIM and VHD Image Management
  2. Delivery: Multicast, Multiple Stram Transfer, Dynamic Driver Provisioning
  3. Migration: Hardlink Migration (capture the files from a system, index them and the index is carried over to the OS and the files are migrated to the new folder structure. Used to take an hour and is now done in a matter of minutes), Offline File Gather, Improved user file detection (we don’t have to the XML files to edit them before migrating the user’s files)
  4. Solutions: Application Compatibility Toolkit, Microsoft Assessment and Planning

Compatibility Administrator with shims: the fixes we have done with applications to be able to run them on Vista, will also work be the same that we need to do when migrating them to Windows 7. Software depending on a spesific version of Windows’ kernel, will for instance need the same shim under Windows 7. The deployment is the same.

 

Migration is easy, but is it worth it? Should we migrate to Windows 7?

This is gonna be a short repeat of yesterday’s session from Devrim Iyigun. Situation today is that is difficult for users to access corporate resources from outside the office. It is challenging for IT professionals to manage, update, patch mobile PCs while disconnected from company network. With Windows 7 we will get a new network paradigm that enables the same experience inside and outside the office. Windows 7 will give us seamless access to network resources increace productivity for mobile users. The technology is called DirectAccess.

Another important new technology with Windows 7 is BranchCache. Application and data access over WAN can be slow to branch offices. With Windows 7 we will be able to cach content downloaded from file and web servers. users in the branch can quickly open files stored in the cache. Frees up network bandwidth for other users. These two technologies need IPv6 and IPSec and Windows Server 2008 R2, so big changes in the architecture are needed.

Windows 7 Search

How users can find data in enterprises. A critical task. Accessing the information is not easy as it is rapidly getting bigger. Doubles every second year. Current desktop and enterprise search solutions are good, but not integrated. Windows 7 will give a consistent user experience for finding data from multiple locations, incl. SharePoint. IT can pre-populate links on Start menu and Explorer to preffered sites.

Windows 7 will get a new view called Libraries, with the distinguish of personal documents and shared documents (for the section (for instance marketing) and public documents). Everything is indexed, so the results are appearing really fast. And we get suggestions to do our searches more powerful (for instance types and author: conto type: docx). The results can be arranged. The results can be previewed. The demos are as fast as search are on BeOS and MacOS X! Search is for the first time really working on the Windows platform.

Windows 7 and Security

UAC is here to stay, it is not going away. New in Windows 7 is AppLcoker. There are security improvements in Internet Explorer and Data Recovery. BitLocker is enhanced and Windows 7 will introduce BitLocker To Go for USB pen drives (removable drives). Mandate the use of encryption with Group Policies. Store recovery information in Active Directory for manageability.

AppLocker – Application Control

Eliminate unwanted/unknown applications in your network. Enforce application standardization within your organization. Easily create and manage flexible rules using Group Policy. Will be able shut out Google apps like Google Talk and Chrome, which install as users without needing administrator priviliges. With AppLocker you can define what applications that are allowed to run.

Demo is given on how we add a new rule for letting your users run Adobe. This rule is set in Active Directory. AppLocker is all about white listing.

BitLocker

A demo of how to set it up for an USB drive. For encrypting the devices Windows 7 is needed, but Vista users will be able to read these devices.

 

Windows 7 Manageability

Will come with PowerShell 2.0 (with GUI) with integrated scripting environment. It will also be able to do Group Policy Scripting. You can do changes of a set of GPOs. An impressive demo of this new set of functionality was given.

Windows 7 will reduce help desk calls and keep users productive with Windows Troubleshooting Platform, Remoteable Reliability Data and Problem Steps Recorder.

Flexble Administrative Control with Enhanced Group Policy Scenarios and Group Policy Preferences.

 

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Windows 7 will give richer remote experiences: richer graphics with improved multi-monitor, use of voice for telephony and applications, and improved printing.

 

What to do today

Organizations running Windows XP should deploy Windows Vista SP1 as soon as possible. Organizations running Windows Vista have time and should a date for when to start migrate.