Introduction
As part of this Windows 10 to Windows 11 migration series, my aim is to delve into the steps taken to facilitate the transition in a moderately large enterprise of >10,000 devices; looking into what has changed between the two operating systems, how these changes can be introduced, and what hurdles have been experienced along the way.
To kick us off in Part 1 of this series, I’d like to run through some of what we’re doing to scope out various requirements. The intention is to understand all aspects of what’s required to make the transition in a typical organisation, and foresee where possible areas which may delay the project. I won’t be going into detail on technical items here; we’re simply scoping elements we may need to consider.
As with any project, requirements can change throughout, and factors which weren’t previously considered may come into play. So, for transparency I’ve included the modified date under the title of this post. I aim to update this material as and when relevant considerations come to light.
Resource Material
You’ve got to start somewhere. In this case it’s useful to read through documentation to begin scoping out your solution. I prefer to dive into to vendors official documentation to begin with (Microsoft in this case), then branch out to Tech Community sites and forums if required. I’ll list some of the primary references I’m working from below.
References
Windows client documentation – Windows for IT Pros | Microsoft Learn
Windows 11 overview for administrators – What’s new in Windows | Microsoft Learn
Software and Hardware Readiness
Desktops, Laptops, and other Form Factors…
- Hardware Requirements – Are your endpoints compatible with Windows 11? Link
- Model
- TPM
- UEFI
- RAM
- Storage
- Processor
- Model
- How will you determine if your endpoints are compatible? Link
VDI (Virtual Desktop Infrastructure)
- Understand your Platform Requirements. Does your Citrix/VMWare/AWS platform require a version upgrade to support Windows 11?
- Non-Persistent VDI – Consider what steps need to be taken to update or recreate your Gold Image.
- Persistent VDI – Consider your upgrade options. Config Manager, Intune. What device management platform do you use to facilitate this?
Active Directory/Azure Active Directory
- On-Premise Active Directory Infrastructure Supports Windows 11. Consider if any updates or changes are required in your environment. Your Active Directory Functional Level for example. Link
- Azure Active Directory Supports Windows 11.
Group Policy/Intune Compliance Policies
- Are your current Group Policy Settings compatible with Windows 11? Link
- Windows 11 introduces a new UI. How does this affect your current Group Policies?
- Intune Compliance Policies. Are any changes required to support Windows 11? Link
Physical Device Management Platforms (Configuration Manager, UMS)
- Do your Physical Device Management platforms support Windows 11?
- If using Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager, consider what features you use and if they need to be changed to support Windows 11:
- Software Update Deployment Rules (ADR)
- Configuration Baselines
- Operating System Task Sequence Deployments
- Drivers
- Applications
- Configuration Manager Version
- If using IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS) for thin client devices, do you need to amend your UMS policies to support Windows 11?
Organisational Requirements
Application Support
- Are your organisations supported Win32 Applications compatible with Windows 11? Consider what updates/changes need to take place. Link
- Are your Packaging Solutions compatible with Windows 11? Consider SCCM, App-V and MSIX packages and their deployment solutions as an example. Link
Change Control
- What organisational Change Control policies might you need to apply if any? Consider areas throughout the project where this may be required.
User Impact and Communications
- Will any Apps and Features be removed to support Windows 11?
- Establish a method of communications for the changes being made. Windows 11 presents some UI and functionality changes which users should be aware of.
- Do formal training sessions need to be arranged to communicate any changes?
Part 2
In Part 2, we’ll be looking at recommendations for building a test environment. We’ll consider methods to build a test environment and how it can be useful.
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