5.5 Migrating Applications

To migrate applications from eDirectory to Configuration Management:

NOTE:On migrating applications, all the registry entries that start with HKEY_CURRENT_USER are migrated to Run as User and other entries such as HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE are migrated to Run as System.Consequently, some of the user related macros such as %CN% and %OU% defined within HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE will not be resolved on the managed device after migration.

  1. Click Migration Tool Settings icon (the Migration Tool Settings icon), then do the following:

    1. To overwrite existing Application objects in the ZENworks database, click General, then select the Overwrite objects that already exist option.

      WARNING:This overwrites any existing Application objects in the database, including those that were previously migrated.

      If you choose to remigrate an application to ZENworks Configuration Management with the Overwrite objects that already exist option enabled, you must ensure that the version of the application you want to remigrate is higher by one than the version of the existing ZENworks Configuration Management bundle. This is required to avoid inconsistent results on the managed device when the bundle is assigned to it.

      The Skip saving/loading history option allows you to dramatically improve performance on large migrations by not storing the local history.

      The Migrate applications or policies as sandbox option enables you to migrate objects (applications or policies) as Sandbox. This option is selected by default.

      The Migrate dependent applications as sandbox option enables you to migrate the dependent bundles also as Sandbox.

    2. To access the options available for migrating applications, click Applications, then configure the desired settings.

      Setting

      Description

      Migrate failed MSI builds

      The Migrate failed MSI builds option forces application migration when the utility fails to migrate one or more attributes to the MSI.

      An MSI bundle is considered failed when a warning is produced while converting an AOT Application object to an MSI. These MSI builds can often be migrated successfully in spite of the warning. For example, the warning might be produced because a Windows shortcut link contained in the AOT is no longer valid.

      If you enable this option, the warning messages are not presented. You can review the migration log for information on which attributes were not migrated.

      Preserve created MSI and temporary files

      The Preserve created MSI and temporary files option means the application is created and migrated, but the directory holding the temporary files and new MSI file is not automatically deleted. This allows you to have access to the newly created MSI before it is incorporated into the content service in Configuration Management.

      Upload applications to content server

      The Upload applications to content server option lets you upload content to the content server. This option is selected by default.

      The applications are migrated as Install MSI action to the ZENworks Configuration Management server and also uploaded to the content server if the Upload applications to content server option is selected and the source path of the file is resolved to a local path or UNC path at the time of migration.

      The applications are migrated as bundles with Install Network MSI action to the ZENworks Configuration Management server and are not uploaded to the content server in the following scenarios:

      • The Upload applications to content server option is deselected.

      • The Upload applications to content server option is selected but the source path of the file is not resolved to a local path or UNC path at the time of migration, or the file is not found.

      Migrate distribution options as individual actions

      The Migrate distribution options as individual actions option lets you migrate the distribution options in applications as individual actions such as Edit INI action, Registry Edit action, or Run Script action that can be edited. By default, it is selected. Deselect the Migrate distribution options as individual actions option to migrate the distribution options in applications as MSI.

      If the Migrate distribution options as individual actions option is enabled, then the applications are migrated as bundles with specific actions:

      • An application having Registry changes is migrated as a bundle with Registry Edit action.

      • An application having INI settings is migrated as a bundle with Edit INI File action.

      • An application having Text file changes is migrated as a bundle with an Edit Text File action.

      • An application having icons or shortcuts is migrated as a Windows bundle with a Run Script action or File Removal action.

      • An application having application files changes are migrated as bundles with the following actions:

        • Files as Copy Files or Install Files action.

        • Directory as a Copy Directory, Install Directory, or Create/Delete Directory action.

        • Deletion of files as a File Removal action

        • Deletion of directory as a Create/ Delete Directory action.

      If the Migrate distribution options as individual actions option is disabled, then the application is migrated as bundle with as Install MSI action. But, the Edit Text File action, Copy Directory, Install Directory, File Removal are not a part of this Install MSI action.

      Working Directory

      The Working Directory option allows you to place the temporary migration files in a different location than the default users %TEMP% directory. If you migrate an application with a very deep path (greater than 256 characters), this option enables you to make the temporary path short, such as c:\temp.

    3. Click Save Settings to exit the dialog box.

  2. Click Step 1: Applications in the Migration Tasks field.

    NOTE:The migration utility now supports migration of all complex combinations of Distribution Rules.The Distibution Rules including the New Group in traditional ZENworks, are migrated as a combination of filters and filter sets in ZENworks Configuration Management.

  3. To model the migration, do the following:

    1. In the Source eDir Tree panel, navigate the eDirectory contexts to locate the Application objects to be queued for migration. To stop listing of the objects in the Source eDir Tree, click stop listing the objects in the source zone icon.

      The eDirectory information that is displayed is filtered according to the type of information that you are migrating. Therefore, you only need to browse through the contexts and objects that can be migrated for the selected type.

    2. If necessary, right-click anywhere in the Destination Zone panel to create a folder for the objects to be queued for migration, then select New folder.

      You can create as many folders as needed, including nesting them. This structure is created in the ZENworks database and is viewable as folders in ZENworks Control Center; however, the folders are not created until you click the Migrate Now button.

      You might want to determine the folder structure for your Application objects, and create and migrate those folders before queueing Application objects to them.

      You can also migrate existing eDirectory containers and all of their Application objects (including subcontainers). The containers are converted into folders containing all of the Application objects that exist in eDirectory under them. If you select a container in the Source eDir Tree panel and drag it to the Destination Zone panel, all subcontainers and their Application objects are also placed in the Destination Zone panel in their respective folders.

      After queueing a container in the Destination Zone panel, you can individually delete queued items that you don’t want to migrate by selecting the items, right-clicking them, then selecting Delete selected items. You are asked to confirm the deletion.

    3. In the Source eDir Tree panel, select the Application objects or containers to be migrated and drag them into the Destination Zone panel.

      This queues the items for migration.

      You can use the Ctrl and the arrow keys or Shift and the arrow keys to select multiple items.

      (Conditional) To migrate an application that has the same application GUID as an already migrated application, see Section 5.11, Migrating Applications That Have the Same Application GUID.

      As you drag items from one panel to the other, the items listed in the Destination Zone panel are automatically sorted.

      If you drag an item multiple times, it is only queued once.

      If you drag a site listed application that has a duplicate already queued, you are asked to resolve them during queueing by selecting which one to migrate. You can right-click an item and select View attributes for information that might help you in determining which item to migrate.

      If you migrate incrementally, you should queue only the objects that you want to migrate at this time because all items that are queued in the Destination Zone panel are migrated when you click the Migrate Now button.

      On the Items to Migrate tab, the number of items you are migrating (copied to the Destination Zone panel) is represented in parentheses on the tab’s label.

      The Migration Status field on the Items to Migrate tab displays information related to the items selected for migration. For example, the ZENworks Migration Utility might adjust the object name in Configuration Management because of characters in the eDirectory name that cannot be used in Configuration Management, such as a colon (:), which is replaced with an underscore (_) character.

  4. Repeat Step 3 as necessary to locate and queue all of the Application objects that you want to model for migration at this time.

    IMPORTANT:Every Application object that you queue in the Destination Zone panel is migrated when you click the Migrate Now button.

  5. Review your selections in the Destination Zone panel.

    You can navigate the folders to view the Application objects that are queued for migration.

    In the Items to Migrate tab, chained applications are listed individually, but in the Destination Zone panel on the Select tab they are listed hierarchically under their parent application.

  6. To delete items from the migration queue before migrating, do one of the following:

    • Select the items and click the Delete Selected Object icon icon.

    • Right-click the selected items and click Delete selected items

      This can be done from both the Items to Migrate tab and the Destination Zone panel on the Select tab

    You can use the Ctrl and the arrow keys or Shift and the arrow keys to select multiple items for deletion.This selection includes the folders and their contents.

    Items queued for migration have their icons and texts dimmed. If you select dimmed items for deletion, they are only deleted from the queue.

    WARNING:If you select colored items (with teal or black text), they are deleted from the Configuration Management database and are no longer available in ZENworks Control Center.

  7. To migrate all of the dimmed items displayed in the Destination Zone panel, including all dimmed items contained in subfolders, click the Migrate Now button.

    The following information applies to the Migration Utility during or after the migration process:

    • Focus is immediately moved to the Items to Migrate tab, where you can view the sequential progress of the migration.

    • The Step column displays a progress bar for each item being migrated. The overall progress bar is located at the bottom of the Migration Utility.

    • If you drag a site listed application that has a duplicate already queued for migration in the destination zone panel, you are prompted to choose which one to migrate. You can right-click an item and select View attributes for information that might help you in determining which item to migrate.

    • The Migration History tab displays all of the items that were migrated. This list is updated dynamically as the items are migrated. You can click back and forth between the Items to Migrate and Migration History tabs during the migration process. You can also right-click anywhere in the tab’s panel and select Refresh to refresh the view with items that might not yet be displayed, but are migrated.

    • The Select tab displays all of the migrated objects, with their texts in teal color after being migrated, in both the Source eDir Tree and Destination Zone panels.

      The teal color persists, so the next time you open the Migration Utility and navigate the Source eDir Tree contexts and Destination Zone folders, you can see what you have previously migrated.

    • Objects that failed migration continue to be displayed with their icons dimmed.

      Instructions for handling failed migration items are covered in Step 8.

    • Chained applications are displayed individually on the Migration History tab, but the Migration Log column displays a GUID rather than a log for them. Only the main Application object to which the others are chained displays a View Log button in that column.

    • During migration, a temporary working folder is created on the workstation for each application being migrated. These folders are deleted as each application is successfully migrated.

    While migrating INI settings, the distribution options for the INI settings in traditional ZENworks are mapped to the nearest available options in ZENworks Configuration Management. The following table illustrates the mapping:

    Distibution Option for the INI Setting in Traditional ZENworks

    Mapped Options In ZENworks Configuration Management

    Create Always

    Add keys

    Create If Does Not Exist

    Add a key if not found

    Create or Add to Existing Section

    Add a key even if key exists

    Create If Exists

    Replace value of a key

    Delete

    Delete keys

    Create or Append to Existing Value

    Add or append value

    Delete or Remove from Existing Value

    Delete or remove value

  8. After the migration has completed, do the following as needed:

    1. Review the teal-colored items in both of the Select panels to determine whether you need to queue any other items for migration or delete any previously migrated items from the Destination Zone panel.

      You can also use the Migration History tab to discover this information.

      • If you discover other items to migrate, repeat Step 3 through Step 7.

      • To delete any items listed in the Destination Zone panel, select them and click Delete Selected Object icon.

        WARNING:The Destination Zone panel displays both previously migrated data with teal-colored text and items with black-colored text that were either created in ZENworks Control Center or migrated from a different workstation. The delete option (Delete Selected Object icon) can be used on both. Therefore, it is possible to delete previously existing items from Configuration Management that were never migrated. This includes folders in ZENworks Control Center and all data contained under them.

    2. On the Items to Migrate tab, click the Failed - View Log button for each item that failed to migrate, and determine the best course of action. You can either fix the problem and migrate the item, or you can delete it from the Items to Migrate tab, which also deletes it from the queue in the Destination Zone panel.

      To view only those items that failed, right-click anywhere in the panel and select Delete successful to filter the listed items. This listing is maintained only for the current task.

    3. If you have failed items that you do not want to migrate, you can delete only those that are queued (still dimmed) from the queue in the Destination Zone panel. Right-click anywhere on the Items to Migrate tab and select Delete all items.

      This empties the Items to Migrate tab listing. It also deletes only the queued items not yet migrated from the Destination Zone panel listing.

      WARNING:If you select Delete all items in the Destination Zone panel instead, this deletes all listed items from both the Destination Zone panel and the Migration History tab, as well as from the ZENworks database, effectively removing them from ZENworks Control Center. To delete only the queued (not yet migrated) items by using Delete all items, it is safest to do so from the Items to Migrate tab.

      While migrating applications, the following system requirements conditions are not migrated:

      • The processor is a Pentium Pro, Pentium 1, Pentium 2, Pentium 3, or Pentium 4.

      • The processor rule in traditional ZENworks is set to <, >,<=, or >=.

      • The operating system is not Windows XP or Windows 2000.

      • The operating system version is set to less than 5.

      • Remote Access

      • Terminal Server

      NOTE:After a Windows bundle is migrated to ZENworks Configuration Management, if you assign the bundle to a managed device, the bundle is reinstalled on the managed device.

  9. When you are satisfied with the migration results, continue with one of the following: