Windows 8 Integration at CERN Sebastien 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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring 20143

Overview Snapshot of the Windows environment Total of 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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring 20145

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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring 20146

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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring 20147

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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring 20148

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 : IE11 websites compatibility issues 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring 20149

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! 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

Start Screen 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

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! 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

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) 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

WIC Project How is WIC working? 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring 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. 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

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.) 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

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 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring

References How to customize Windows 8 Start Screen Windows 8.1 Start Screen, the ultimate admin guide the-windows-8-1-start-screen/ the-windows-8-1-start-screen/ Service a Windows image using DISM 5/2/2015 HEPiX Spring