Logo
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows Azure
Windows Server
Windows Phone
PREGNANCY
 
 
Windows 7

Evaluating Applications for Windows 7 Compatibility : The Application Compatibility Toolkit (part 2) - Installing ACT

5/3/2013 6:12:35 PM

2. Installing ACT

A simple installation of ACT is not far from a next-next-next operation. The first thing to do is download ACT. ACT 5.6 is the current version as of this writing. You can find it at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/1ibrary/cc722067(WS.10).aspx. Microsoft is always in the process of developing and improving the ACT product, so it's a good idea to do a search for the latest version at the start of any project to ensure that you are up-to-date.

The requirements for ACT are as follows:


Operating Systems

Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1, Windows Vista, or Windows XP Service Pack 3


Database Components

Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Microsoft SQL Server 2005, Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express Edition


Other Software Requirements

Microsoft .NET Framework, version 3.5.0

As we mentioned in the planning section, you'll need to figure out which SQL license to use. A single-machine deployment of ACT that uses the ACT tools only locally can use the free SQL Express 2008. Any project requiring databases more than 4 GB in size or use of the ACT tools on many machines will need a purchased edition of SQL.

SQL Configuration and Recommendations

If you plan on using an existing SQL server for the ACT database, then you will probably not have rights to do any administration on that server. That means you will need to get the server owner or a database administrator to manually create the database. They can do that by running the CreateDB.sql script, which you will find in \ProgramData\Microsoft\Application Compatibility Toolkit. You run the script by using the Query Tool in SQL Server Management Studio. Alternatively, you open the command prompt and run osql -E -S <serverName> -I CreateDB.sql.

When you split SQL Server from the computer where the Log Processing Service will run, then you need to do some further configuration work. Any user and/ or local service account(s) that will be used to run the ACT Log Processing Service must have the db_datareader, db_datawriter, and db_owner roles on the ACT database. If you cannot grant the db_owner role due to security or policy reasons, you must grant each of the following rights to every stored procedure to the user(s) or local service account(s):

  • SELECT

  • INSERT

  • UPDATE

  • DELETE

  • EXECUTE

Any user account that will run ACM must have the db_datareader and db_datawriter database roles on the ACT database.


Let's begin by installing our ACT onto our deployment server called deploysrv.deploy.com. We have previously installed SQL Server 2008 Standard and applied the latest SP and updates. That will support our example project, on which many engineers are concurrently working.

Download the ACT installer and run it. You'll have to go through the usual splash and End User License Agreement screens. Pick the default location for the installation. The product set will install after a few minutes. If you're new to ACT, you get the option to view an introductory video at the end of the installation. As you can see in Figure 5, a number of tools are installed.

You can now work with the compatibility tools to fix your applications. We're not going to do that yet, however. Instead, we'll explore how to use ACM to detect your desktop applications and track your progress through the application compatibility project.

ACM will allow you to create a DCP, which will be installed on your targeted PCs and will gather information about the applications on those PCs. The data is uploaded to a file share, referred to as the ACT log share, that you will specify. The ACT Log Processing Service will then process the data and enter it into the ACT database.

By default, ACM has no configuration. Before you do anything with it, you should create a file share for the ACT logs that are created by the DCP. Ensure that all the computers you target can create files in this file share. In this example, you will create the C:\ACTLogs folder and share it as \\DeploySrv\ACTLogs.

You will see the screen in Figure 6 when you start up the ACM application for the first time.

Figure 5. ACT is installed.

Figure 6. Welcome to the ACT Configuration Wizard.

Figure 7 shows the next screen. Here you configure ACM for this machine. You need to choose between two options:


Enterprise Configuration

You will choose this option if this is the computer that will process the log files. It can also be used to view the reports.


View And Manage Reports Only

You will choose this option if ACM will only be used for admnistration on this computer. This allows you to then select a preexisting and prepopulated ACT database.

We are setting up the initial ACM server, so choose to create an enterprise configuration.

The next screen allows you to configure the SQL database for this ACM installation. You can either create a new database on an existing SQL Server or connect to an existing ACT database. You should read the sidebar "SQL Configuration and Recommendations" if you are using a remote SQL server in case any of the included scenarios and configurations apply to your environment.

In Figure 8 you can see that DeploySrv, the server you are working on, has been selected and the name of the new database has been entered. Clicking Create will create the database and allow you to progress through the wizard.

Figure 7. Select the ACM configuration.

Figure 8. Create an ACT database.

Figure 9 shows the next screen. Here you specify the location on the server where you created the ACT log share. We previously created and shared C:\ACTLogs.

If you are running the ACM Log Processing Service on the same server as the log share and SQL server, then you can run the service as Local System. However, you may need to configure the service to log on as a user account if the log share and SQL database are on different machines.

Figure 10 shows the screen where you can configure the service. Note that you must ensure that the user account has rights to access both the log share and the SQL database.

Figure 9. Select the ACT logs share.

Figure 10. Specify the Log Processing Service credentials.

The final screen in the wizard allows you to join the Community Experience Program (disabled by default) and to automatically check for and download updates (enabled by default). At this point, ACM will launch.

In this example scenario, we used a Windows 7 PC called Admin1 to manage our ACT project. You'll be able to do all the ACM administration from the comfort of your Adminl PC—just make sure your user account has been assigned with the db_datareader and db_datawriter database roles on the ACT database.

Your installation experience is going to be quite similar to what you have just done on DeploySrv. You will configure ACM to use the View And Configure Reports configuration and to use the recently created ACT database on the DeploySrv server.

You are now ready to start gathering information from the PCs on your network.

Other -----------------
- Using COM to Develop UMDF Drivers : Basic Infrastructure Implementation
- Using COM to Develop UMDF Drivers : Using UMDF COM Objects
- Using COM to Develop UMDF Drivers : Getting Started - COM Fundamentals, HRESULT
- Repairing and Removing Programs : Removing Programs, Returning to a Previous Version, Turning Windows Features On and Off
- Repairing and Removing Programs : Changing and Repairing Programs
- Windows 7 Mobility Features : Power Management (part 2) - Power Options Control Panel
- Windows 7 Mobility Features : Power Management (part 1) - Battery Meter, Power Plans
- Windows 7 Mobility Features : Working with the Windows 7 User Interface
- Microsoft Access 2010 : Viewing the Design of a Report
- Microsoft Access 2010 : The AutoReport Feature and the Report Wizard
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 : Finalizing Your Slide Show - Setting Up a Slide Show
- Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 : Finalizing Your Slide Show - Reviewing Your Presentation
- Evaluating Applications for Windows 7 Compatibility : Application Compatibility
- Using Wireless Bluetooth Devices : Adding Bluetooth-Enabled Devices
- Using Wireless Bluetooth Devices : Configuring Your Bluetooth Adapter
- Deploying Applications Using Group Policy and SCCM 2007 : Deploying Applications Using SCCM 2007 (part 2)
- Deploying Applications Using Group Policy and SCCM 2007 : Deploying Applications Using SCCM 2007 (part 1)
- Deploying Applications Using Group Policy and SCCM 2007 : Creating Software Installation Policies
- Deploying Applications Using Group Policy and SCCM 2007 : Deploying Applications Using Group Policy
- Programming Drivers for the User Mode Driver Framework : Using the Skeleton Driver as a Basis for Development
 
 
Most view of day
- Securing the Workstation : Applying the Castle Defense System (part 2) - Hardening the system - Local Security Policy and security configurations
- Windows Phone 8 : Scheduled Tasks - To-Do List Scheduled Task Sample (part 1) - TodoItem,TodoDataContext
- Sharepoint 2013 : Backup and Restore (part 2) - Export and Import - Using PowerShell, STSADM, Central Administration
- Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003 : Security - Accounts and Groups
- Maintaining Desktop Health : Monitoring Reliability and Performance (part 1) - Component Binaries, Opening the Reliability and Performance Monitor, Using Resource Overview
- Creating DVD Movies with Windows DVD Maker (part 1) - Adding Photos and Videos to Your DVD Project
- Exchange Server 2007 : Deploying a Cluster Continuous Replication Mailbox Cluster (part 2)
- Microsoft Excel 2010 : Formatting Subtotals, Applying Multiple Subtotal Function Types (part 1)
- HP ProLiant Servers AIS : Memory and Cache
- Maintaining Desktop Health : Understanding Windows Eventing (part 1) - Windows Eventing Capabilities
Top 10
- Microsoft Project 2010 : Linking Tasks (part 8) - Auditing Task Links,Using the Task Inspector
- Microsoft Project 2010 : Linking Tasks (part 7) - Creating Links by Using the Mouse,Working with Automatic Linking Options
- Microsoft Project 2010 : Linking Tasks (part 6) - Creating Links by Using the Entry Table
- Microsoft Project 2010 : Linking Tasks (part 5) - Creating Links by Using the Task Information Dialog Box
- Microsoft Project 2010 : Linking Tasks (part 4) - Entering Leads and Lags, Creating Links by Using the Menu or Toolbar
- Microsoft Project 2010 : Linking Tasks (part 3) - Using the Start-to-Start Relationship,Using the Finish-to-Finish Relationship
- Microsoft Project 2010 : Linking Tasks (part 2) - Using the Start-to-Start Relationship,Using the Finish-to-Finish Relationship
- Microsoft Project 2010 : Linking Tasks (part 1) - Defining Dependency Links
- Microsoft Project 2010 : Defining Task Logic - Manipulating Your Schedule
- Microsoft Lync Server 2013 : Director Troubleshooting (part 3) - Synthetic Transactions,Telnet
 
 
Windows XP
Windows Vista
Windows 7
Windows Azure
Windows Server
Windows Phone
2015 Camaro