Testing Your Application Mitigation Packages

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Vista

This topic provides details about testing your application mitigation packages, including recommendations about how to report your information and how to resolve any outstanding issues.

Testing Your Application Mitigation Packages

Testing your application mitigation package strategies is an iterative process, whereby the mitigation strategies that prove unsuccessful will need to be revised and retested. The testing process includes a series of tests in the test environment and one or more pilot deployments in the production environment.

To test your mitigation strategies

1. Perform the following steps for each of the applications for which you have developed mitigations.

   1. Test the mitigation strategy in your test environment.

   2. If the mitigation strategy is unsuccessful, revise the mitigation strategy and perform step 1 again.

   At the end of this step, you will have successfully tested all of your mitigation strategies in your test environment and can move to your pilot deployment environment.

2. Perform the following steps in the pilot deployments for each of the applications for which you have developed mitigations.

   1. Test the mitigation strategy in your pilot deployment.

   2. If the mitigation strategy is unsuccessful, revise the mitigation strategy and perform Step 2 again.

   At the end of this step, you will have successfully tested all of your mitigation strategies in your pilot environment.

Reporting the Compatibility Mitigation Status to Stakeholders

After testing your application mitigation package, you must communicate your status to the appropriate stakeholders before deployment begins. We recommend that you perform this communication by using the following status ratings.

• Resolved application compatibility issues. This status indicates that the application compatibility issues are resolved and that these applications represent no risk to your environment.

• Unresolved application compatibility issues. This status indicates that there are unresolved issues for the specifically defined applications. Because these applications are a risk to your environment, more discussion is required before you can resolve the compatibility issues.

• Changes to user experience. This status indicates that the fix will alter the user experience for the defined applications, possibly also requiring your staff to receive further training. More discussion is required before you can resolve the compatibility issues.

• Changes in help desk procedures and processes. This status indicates that the fix will require changes to your help desk's procedures and processes, possibly also requiring your support staff to receive further training. More discussion is required before you can resolve the compatibility issues.

Resolving Outstanding Compatibility Issues

At this point, you probably cannot resolve any unresolved application compatibility issues by automated mitigation methods or by modifying the application. Resolve any outstanding application compatibility issues by using one of the following methods.

• Apply specific compatibility modes, or run the program as an Administrator, by using the Compatibility Administrator.

• Run the application in a virtual environment.

  Run the application in a version of Windows supported by the application in a virtualized environment (such as one that Virtual PC 2004 or Virtual Server 2005 provides). This method ensures application compatibility, because the application is running on a supported operating system.

• Resolve application compatibility by using non-Microsoft tools.

  If the application was developed in an environment other than Microsoft Visual Studio®, you must use non-Microsoft debugging and analysis tools to help resolve the remaining application compatibility issues.

• Outsource the application compatibility mitigation.

  If your developers have insufficient resources to resolve the application compatibility issues, outsource the mitigation effort to another organization within your company.

See Also

Concepts

Managing Application-Compatibility Fixes and Custom Fix Databases
Known Compatibility Fixes, Compatibility Modes, and AppHelp Messages

Other Resources

Testing and Mitigating Issues by Using the Development Tools