Windows 8 Integration at CERNSebastien Dellabella – Guillaume Metral

HEPiX – Spring 2014 – Annecy-le-vieux

Summary• Overview• Hardware requirements• Software consideration• Customization

• Start Screen• Improving power saving• Windows 8 imaging

• Pilot project• Windows 8 Pilot• Windows 8.1 Pilot

• Conclusion

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Overview• Snapshot of the Windows environment

• Total of 11400 Windows computers on the network• ~ 8500 domain joined Windows machines

• 21% of Windows Servers• 70% of Windows 7• Still 7% of Windows XP but decreasing• <2% of Windows 8.x installation but rising

• ~2900 are not domain members

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Overview• Global integration

• MS Office 2013 is the default on Windows 8 installation• Migration from MS Forefront Client Security infrastructure to MS System Center

Endpoint Protection• Improve system imaging process to save installation time• Improve power saving and become greener • Select and test Windows 8 dedicated hardware

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Hardware requirements• The market was not ready when Windows 8 has been released

• Lack of laptops with touchscreen• No enterprise-class tablet was available on the market• Size, weight, battery life, too much weak points• Windows RT added to the confusion

• This was a troubled period• People were not enthusiast for W8 (modern UI)• Even manufacturer were rolling back to Windows 7

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Hardware requirements• 1 year later, Windows 8.1 fixed the situation

• Plenty of laptops with touchscreen are available• A lot of laptops are hybrid• You can boot to desktop on Desktop machines (!)• 64 bits tablets are available• Form factor and battery life greatly improved

• This is the real launch of Windows 8• People start to consider Modern UI• Same user experience on phone/tablet/desktop

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Hardware requirements

• Selected hardware:• 3 laptops 12”, 14”, 15.6”

• All have 64bits processors• Broadband 3G or 4G on demand• Users can select 500GB SATA or 256GB SSD• Users can select touchscreen for a perfect Windows 8 experience

• 1 desktop• 64 bits, 500GB SATA or 256GB SSD, 8GB Memory

• Currently in test:• 11’’: hybrid tablet with 64bits processor, SSD, 8GB Memory docking + power keyboard

and 4G mobile broadband

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Software consideration• Issues : not exhaustive list

• Classical compatibilities issues (Forefront Client Security, Corel Draw X5, etc.)• Poor Modern UI App integration (The Lync case)• Lack of GPO to boot to desktop, customize start screen, manage modern app, etc.• Network drive mapping issue : http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2795944• IE11 websites compatibility issues

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Software consideration• Case study: The Lync paradigm

• A lot of applications exist in 2 versions• Modern UI (Aka Metro) version• Desktop version

• You can launch both at the same time• Messages arrives on one or the other, or both…

• AND NOTHING IS MANAGEABLE BY GPO!

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Customization• Start Screen

• We needed custom tiles layout to highlight most used applications like MS Office, the CERN Phonebook, etc.

• Group policies and preferences• Initially a lot of settings were put inside the image (regional settings, libraries, power plan,

etc.)

• Improving power saving• Until now, machines were setup in “High Performance” to allow patching and maintenance

outside working hours

• Windows 8 imaging• Automating image creation: WIC Project

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Start Screen

• The CERN method• Design your Start Screen on any

standard machine and export the layout using PowerShell

• Export-StartLayout –As BIN –Path .\AppsFolderLayout.Bin

• Copy this file in the “Default User” profile folder of each machine using a GPP

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Start Screen

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Improving Power Saving• How did we manage to do that?

• We enabled “wake timers” by GPO.• We configured our applications deployment agent to use them• We can wake-up the machine just when we need it!

• Pros:• Same flexibility as before to apply system updates• Save a lot of money• Work only if the machine is plugged in• If the machine is running on battery, we let it sleep.

• Cons:• We can’t do it while on battery to preserve battery life

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Improving Power Saving• Estimation of money saved using sleep mode outside working hours

• Sleeping hours = ~12h / day • A standard desktop computer will pass from approximately 60wh -> 7wh• Will save (120-7) x 365 x 12 = 232Kwh / computer / year• 232Kwh x 0.25chf = 58 chf / computer / year• For 1000 computers -> 58000chf / year!

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Windows 8 imaging• What is WIC ?

• WIC is a CERN project• WIC stands for Windows Image Customization• WIC is a PowerShell set of scripts used to automatize the whole imaging process• WIC is composed by an administrator machine that will execute it, and several virtual

machines running on our CVI infrastructure.

• Why WIC ?• To always install an up-to-date system with latest security updates included• To have all our default software already installed (MS Office 2013, Adobe Reader, etc.)• To save time (a classic installation can take up to 120min, WIC divide this duration by 2 at

least)

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WIC Project• How is WIC working?

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HI! I’m the administrator

machine running WIC

HI! I’m a VM, running a fresh

Windows 8 installation

1. I’m cloning the VM

CLONING

My job is done, so I will

shutdown until next month

Hi, I’m the CLONE!

2. I’m joining the CLONE to the domain

As member of the domain…

I’m receiving :- System Updates

…-MS Office- And other applications

3. When the software installation is over...

… I SYSPREP the CLONE and restart it

on WINPE…

…From there, I can make an image of the system and save it on

our DFS.

WIC Project• To resume WIC online imaging:

• 1. Take a fresh VM installation of Windows 8, clone it and stop it.• 2. Using WIC, join the cloned VM to the CERN domain and wait for GPOs and CMF to finish.• 3. Once the machine is fully installed (system updates, software), SYSPREP it.• 4. Using WIC, start the machine on WinPE and extract the image using imageX.• 5. Save the resulting WIM file to DFS.• 6. this WIM file can now be used to install a machine from PXE.

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Windows 8 Pilot• Started in July 2013• Feedback

• 49 users proactively migrated from Windows XP/7 to 8• Positive feedback:

• Stability• Use less resources than Windows 7 for the same task• Bring a good experience on touchscreen

• Negative feedback:• People were afraid of the new touchscreen optimized interface• Start Menu disappeared• Hardware not ready to take advantages of Modern UI interface (lack of laptop with

touchscreen, MS Surface RT can’t join a domain, etc.)

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Windows 8.1 Pilot• Started in March 2014• Current situation

• As of today 69 machines are running Windows 8.1• Since April 2014, we have deployed the Update 1 for Windows 8.1• Major issues we met have been addressed with 8.1

• Really optimized hardware is available (laptop with touchscreen, 64bits tablets)• Modern UI has been really improved for a mouse/keyboard usage (Windows button, Boot to

desktop…)• With Windows 8.1 update 1 the system is able to detect if a touchscreen is present and boot

to Modern UI rather than the desktop.• Modern app can now be pinned on the desktop and can be easily reduced or closed

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Conclusion• Windows 8 take-off has been difficult

• Lack of hardware• Too many changes at the same time

• Windows 8.1 is a good system that improve with time• A lot of qualities : stability, speed, security, hardware support, etc.• But change is sometime difficult to handle : Modern UI, lack of dedicated hardware• Microsoft is on the good way with the return of the Start Menu in Update 2 or the touch

screen detection in the boot process

• Windows 7 is still the main Windows OS at CERN and will remain for long

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sebastien.dellabella@cern.ch

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References• How to customize Windows 8 Start Screen

• http://technet.microsoft.com/library/jj134269.aspx

• Windows 8.1 Start Screen, the ultimate admin guide• http://deploymentpros.wordpress.com/2013/11/02/management-and-customization-of-

the-windows-8-1-start-screen/

• Service a Windows image using DISM• http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/hh825239.aspx

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