Application Compatibility for Windows Server

As with all OS updates, new and updated features in Windows Server 2008 R2 require testing to ensure they are compatible with existing applications that will be migrated to the new OS. Some Microsoft applications will require a specific version or service pack that might not yet be available. Consequently, organizations need to plan carefully how to stage deployment of Windows Server 2008 R2 so that they do not get in a situation where a key application is not available. Although Server Core was updated to support the .NET Framework, infrastructure services running on Server Core may be the easiest to verify and deploy first.

What Needs to Be Tested

Applications that will require compatibility testing can typically be divided into three groups:

• Microsoft server applications (by version and service-pack level)
• Third-party applications (such as non-Microsoft database engines, utilities, and security tools)
• In-house or custom line-of-business applications.

Although organizations can leave it to Microsoft and other software vendors to test their own applications, customers will want to verify the status of their vendors’ applications and plan to deploy compatible versions on Windows Server 2008 R2. In addition, customers will want to use the application compatibility and logo testing tools provided by Microsoft to determine whether custom applications will run on Windows Server 2008 R2.