DIS Infrastructure Direction Memo #12, Plans for WRD Deployment of Windows 2000 Operating system

In  Reply Refer To:
Mail Stop 
445                                                                        
                                       February 4, 2000

                                                       
MEMORANDUM                              


TO:		ALL WRD EMPLOYEES	

FROM:	Gloria J. Stiltner
		Chief, Distributed Information System Program Office

SUBJECT:	DIS Infrastructure Direction Memo #12, 
Plans for WRD Deployment of Windows 2000 Operating system

The purpose of this memo is to relay the Water Resources Division (WRD) 
preliminary plans for the deployment of  Windows 2000, the next operating 
system for NT.

Windows NT 4.0 is still fairly new to many within WRD. WRD is now 
preparing for the impending release of Microsoft’s next version of the 
operating system, Windows 2000. This new version of the operating system 
is more stable, powerful, and comprehensive than its predecessors. A 
successful transition to Windows 2000 will require a complete and thorough 
plan.

Windows 2000 is the continuation of the NT family of operating systems and 
is not the replacement for Windows 95 and Windows 98. These versions of 
Windows will be replaced by what Microsoft has code named "Millennium". 
Millennium represents Microsoft's effort to having only one Windows 
operating system for all users, home or office. 

WRD is participating on a bureau wide team that will establish standards 
and guidelines for the transition to Windows 2000. Within WRD the NT 
Technical Advisory Committee (NT TAC) will guide the division's 
transition. There are two aspects to the deployment of Windows 2000; 
desktop and server.

Desktop

As new systems are ordered they will start to ship with Windows 2000 
starting February 17, 2000. 
The Windows 2000 Professional version of the operating system, which is 
the replacement for Windows NT 4.0 Workstation, will blend nicely into an 
existing Windows NT 4.0 environment. 
Implementation of Windows 2000 Professional will be acceptable once the NT 
TAC publishes installation procedures. These procedures will be available 
by the end of February 2000.
Any new system ordered with Windows 2000 Professional pre-loaded should be 
configured per the NT TAC procedures for Windows 2000 Professional. 
Following these procedures will ensure that the system is configured 
properly for our environment and applications.

Server

System Administrator's (SA’s) should NOT deploy any server versions of 
Windows 2000 at this time. 
Should a new system come in with any server version of Windows 2000 please 
reload with Windows NT 4.0. 
The current plan for the division is to be ready for server deployments 
beginning October 1, 2000.

PLANS & ACTIVITIES

Currently NT TAC members are attending training courses and establishing 
test systems for Windows 2000. The NT TAC is working to gain proficiency 
with the operating system over the upcoming months. NT TAC will also be 
establishing test sites in each region with non-TAC members. These test 
sites will review and test the instructions that the NT TAC develops for 
Windows 2000. If your site is interested in being a test site please 
contact Chuck O'Hara, Chair of the NT TAC, cgohara@usgs.gov, 
(601)-933-2923.

As an immediate task, NT TAC will develop instructions and recommendations 
for installing and configuring Windows 2000 Professional on notebook and 
desktop systems.

NT TAC and members of the bureau’s transition team are preparing to 
conduct training sessions this June at the ITEM 2000 conference in 
Chicago. Sessions will cover USGS standards, deployment strategies, UNIX 
integration, and server administration.

The training being offered at ITEM 2000 will supplement, but is not 
intended to replace training received from an outside source. The DIS 
Office and the Regional Computer Specialists strongly recommend that SA’s 
receive additional training in Windows 2000 Server some time after ITEM 
2000. While the integration of Windows 2000 Professional into our current 
networks should be a straight forward task, the migration of our domains 
to Windows 2000 Server will be a complex and challenging task. It is here 
that the SA’s should focus most of their attention and training. The NT 
TAC will make recommendations on suggested vendor courses.

The temptation will be to start using Windows 2000 as soon as it is 
available. The NT TAC is asking for your assistance in making the 
transition a smooth one by working with the NT TAC and by following their 
plan of not implementing any of the server versions of Windows 2000 
Server. The NT TAC will not be able to support such efforts until they 
become proficient in the proper use and management of this new operating 
system. There are many issues regarding how best to deploy the server 
versions of the operating system that need to be resolved. Premature 
implementation of a server version of Windows 2000 will result in a system 
that will need to be reloaded once these issues have been worked out, 
tested and published.

LICENSING

Currently WRD is participating with the other divisions in discussions 
with Microsoft about purchasing an enterprise license for Windows 2000 and 
the Terminal Services (formally WTS). It is anticipated at this time that 
these discussions will not produce a contract until October of 2000. The 
issue of licensing along with establishing procedures for the server 
version both contribute to the October 2000 date we have set for 
deployment of the server version of the operating system.

Additional information about Windows 2000 can be found on the WEB. 

For further information please contact Susan Trapanese, Chief System 
Support Unit, Distributed Information System Program Office at (703) 
648-5632 (smtrapan@usgs.gov). Also, regularly check on the NT TACs web 
site for further updates.