When upgrades leave apps and devices behind

NETWORK WORLD NEWSLETTER: DAVE KEARNS ON WINDOWS NETWORKING TIPS
08/29/05
Today's focus: When upgrades leave apps and devices behind

Dear security.world@gmail.com,

In this issue:

* An operating system upgrade can sometimes render equipment
  obsolete
* Links related to Windows Networking Tips
* Featured reader resource
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This newsletter is sponsored by HP
FROM THE NETWORK CORE TO THE NETWORK EDGE

Traffic management becomes critical as your network
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http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=111717
_______________________________________________________________
SEVEN TIPS FOR MANAGING STORAGE

Considering adding to your storage arsenal or upgrading what you
already have? Follow these seven tips for managing storage in
the new data center and find out what you might need to put on
an RFP, and what you need to do before, during and after a
change in your storage environment. Click here for more:
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=111587
_______________________________________________________________

Today's focus: When upgrades leave apps and devices behind

By Dave Kearns

Sometimes you just overlook the obvious. A couple of weeks ago,
this newsletter responded to a reader's query about the best way
to go about installing Windows Server 2003. One of the questions
asked was, "Should we install SP1 or wait till they fix the bugs
it's going to cause?" My reply was that the question was moot at
this point, since SP1 has been out long enough - you should
install it, and do so before adding any software to the system.

But in concentrating on the bug-fix aspect of the question, I
overlooked a very important point. Quite a few of you picked up
on that point and reminded me about it.

Sometimes, older applications and devices simply no longer work
with the new, or newly patched, system.

I'm a firm advocate of running up new service packs in a lab
environment for testing before introducing them to the
production network. In this way, you discover any problems which
might occur, such as applications (or devices) that no longer
work. This is true not only of service packs, but also of
upgrades, new operating systems, even changes to a single
application - because you can never be sure of the impact of a
change until you make it. And you want to inconvenience as few
people as possible should a problem occur.

But not all of the problems are caused by bugs in the service
pack, upgrade or other new software.

As I've said on more than one occasion, the top reason why
people don't upgrade old systems (e.g., your old NT 4 server) is
that the applications and devices running on it are no longer
supported with newer operating systems.

While it seems over the top to say that the new installation
breaks an older application "by design," that's figuratively
true. I discovered that for myself this past weekend when my
wife tried to install a scanner she hadn't used for a number of
years. While the device (a true serial port connection) had
worked well with Windows 95 and 98, trying to add it to her
Windows XP desktop proved a very frustrating experience. There
were no drivers for XP (or, for that matter, for Windows 2000)
and the older ones no longer worked.

I don't believe that Microsoft - which has always been known for
including backwards compatibility with every operating system it
ever developed - had deliberately left out any needed "hooks" in
Windows XP. My theory relies more on a maturity lifecycle.
What's that mean? Come back next issue and I'll elaborate.

The top 5: Today's most-read stories

1. Windows XP also has plug-and-play vulnerability
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt5955>

2. 2005 salary survey
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt3873>

3. The ROI of VoIP
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt3648>

4. IT staff shortage looming
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt5304>

5. CLECs play a new tune
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt5735>

Today's most-forwarded story:

Police 'futurists' walk fine line between goals and liberties
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt5956>
_______________________________________________________________
To contact: Dave Kearns

Dave Kearns is a writer and consultant in Silicon Valley. He's
written a number of books including the (sadly) now out of print
"Peter Norton's Complete Guide to Networks." His musings can be
found at Virtual Quill <http://www.vquill.com/>.

Kearns is the author of three Network World Newsletters: Windows
Networking Tips, Novell NetWare Tips, and Identity Management.
Comments about these newsletters should be sent to him at these

respective addresses: <mailto:windows@vquill.com>,
<mailto:netware@vquill.com>, <mailto:identity@vquill.com>.

Kearns provides content services to network vendors: books,
manuals, white papers, lectures and seminars, marketing,
technical marketing and support documents. Virtual Quill
provides "words to sell by..." Find out more by e-mail at
<mailto:info@vquill.com>
_______________________________________________________________
This newsletter is sponsored by HP
FROM THE NETWORK CORE TO THE NETWORK EDGE

Traffic management becomes critical as your network
infrastructure expands to support different types of traffic and
users. Most traffic management solutions have serious
limitations: too expensive, difficult to use, and overly taxing
on bandwidth. However ProCurve Networking by HP addresses these
requirements, overcomes the limitations of other solutions, and
gives you valuable insight into LAN performance.
http://www.fattail.com/redir/redirect.asp?CID=111716
_______________________________________________________________
ARCHIVE LINKS

Breaking Windows networking news from Network World, updated
daily: http://www.networkworld.com/topics/windows.html

Operating Systems Research Center:
http://www.networkworld.com/topics/operating-systems.html

Archive of the Windows Networking Tips newsletter:
http://www.networkworld.com/newsletters/nt/index.html
_______________________________________________________________
FEATURED READER RESOURCE
IT STAFF SHORTAGE LOOMING

Outsourcing. Automation. Downsizing. The industry has been awash
in unemployed IT pros. But experts are now predicting an IT
staffing crunch is just around the corner, and the implications
for U.S. technology innovation are sobering. What might be
causing the shortage and what might need to be done to prevent
it? Click here:
<http://www.networkworld.com/nlwnt5737>
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