app-dna - effort calculator user guide

App-DNA AppTitude

Effort Calculator

User Guide

©2011 App-DNA | www.app-dna.com of 52

Table of Contents

Getting Started ................................................................................................................................. 3

Logging into AppTitude ..................................................................................................................... 3

AppTitude Effort Calculator .............................................................................................................. 5

Step 1: Select Applications ............................................................................................................... 7

Step 2: Select Report ......................................................................................................................... 8

Step 3: Remediations ......................................................................................................................... 9

Step 3: Remediations Example ....................................................................................................... 17

Step 3: Adding New Actions and Action Details ............................................................................ 18

Step 4: Application Complexity ....................................................................................................... 22

Step 5: Results ................................................................................................................................. 24

Step 5: Summary .............................................................................................................................. 25

Step 5: Variables .............................................................................................................................. 27

Step 5: Results Worksheet .............................................................................................................. 33

Step 5: Results Worksheet Walkthrough ........................................................................................ 34

Step 5: Effort Estimation with AppTitude ....................................................................................... 35

Step 5: Effort Estimation without AppTitude .................................................................................. 37

Step 6: Exporting the Report ........................................................................................................... 39

Step 7: Exporting Customized Settings .......................................................................................... 40

Which AppTitude Guide Do I Need? .............................................................................................. 41

Basic User Guide ............................................................................................................................. 43

Self Provisioning User Guide ........................................................................................................... 44

Web Application Capture User Guide ............................................................................................. 45

Advanced Feature and Configuration Guide .................................................................................. 46

Administration Guide ....................................................................................................................... 48

Effort Calculator Guide .................................................................................................................... 49

Enterprise Setup and Optimization Best Practices Guide ............................................................. 50

Installation Guide ............................................................................................................................ 51

Getting More Help .......................................................................................................................... 52


Getting Started

Logging into AppTitude

Launch AppTitude by running the AppTitude shortcut on the Start Menu.

When prompted, enter your user name and password. By default, AppTitude comes with an administrator

account that can be used to log in and set up additional accounts:

Username: administrator Password: apps3cur3

If you need to change the AppTitude web server that the client is pointing to, run the AppTitude Configuration

shortcut from the Start Menu and select the ‘Completing Configuration’ tab to configure the client.

If you are managing multiple databases, you will have an option to select the database you want to use from

the Instance drop-down list.


Turn on ‘Auto Login’ to automatically login to AppTitude with the username and password entered

when AppTitude is launched. Place a checkmark in the ‘Remember Username’ checkbox so that AppTitude

remembers your username the next time it is launched.

Administrator account details:

Username: administrator Password: apps3cur3

Each user of the machine where the AppTitude client is installed will need to have their own corresponding AppTitude account, otherwise problems will occur with the saved profiles and any other persistent data in AppTitude.


AppTitude Effort Calculator

The Effort Calculator can be used to report on the time, cost and effort associated with migrating a portfolio to

a new platform. This is accomplished by configuring the algorithms, and their associated fixes, and

determining the application complexity based on file and registry thresholds.

This data is combined with the AppTitude report for a selected module, and with a few additional user

supplied variables such as cost of testing, number of hours in the day, time to test medium complexity

application, etc. it produces a detailed breakdown of the cost and how much time it will take to remediate the

applications as well as the potential savings AppTitude can provide.

A Quick Start license is the default required for the Effort Calculator functionality.

The Effort Calculator screen can be accessed through Report -> Effort Calculator located on the side bar.


The Effort Calculator consists of the following steps:

Select the applications to be used

Select the report to base the estimations on

Set the remediation

Determine the applications complexity level

Produce the Effort Calculator results

Export the results


Step 1: Select Applications

The first step in using the Effort Calculator is to select the applications to be included in the estimate.

A list of all the applications available in the portfolio will be displayed and can be selected or deselected for

inclusion in the Effort Calculator estimates. Use the Group drop down list to select a group containing a list of

applications.

When the desired applications have been selected and you are ready to proceed to the next step, click ‘Next’

to continue to the Select Report screen.


Step 2: Select Report

The next step involves selecting the report to use for the Effort Calculator.

Select the desired module from the ‘Report Selection’ section. On the right hand-side under ‘Report Summary’

the selected modules report summary of all the applications is displayed, in this example we have the

Windows 7 Standard Summary.

Click ‘Next’ to proceed to the Remediations step.


Step 3: Remediations

The Remediations screen displays a list of all the algorithms that make up the Windows 7 module, enabling

you to assign the action that will be carried out to remediate the issues identified. This is used to report on the

time, cost and effort associated with migrating a portfolio to a new platform.

To assign an action to an algorithm, click on the drop-down box in the ‘Action’ column.


Save the selections made by clicking on the ‘Save’ button located at the top.

The following actions can be assigned to an algorithm. Each Action is given a complexity and a RAG that will

take affect when the action is carried out and the issue is remediated, think of it as an ‘After Remediation’

RAG.

Action Complexity Action RAG Description

Undefined Not defined Undefined No action is defined for remediation.

Shim Medium Green A shim will be applied to the application to remediate the issue.

Change OS Medium Green A change will be made to the OS build to remediate the issue.

Auto Easy Green An automatically generated MST will be applied to the MSI to remediate the issue.

Redevelopment Required

Hard Red The application must be redeveloped to remediate the issue.

Edit OSD File Easy Green OSD file requires editing

Sequence Easy Green Sequencing steps need to be followed.

App-V Management Console

Easy Green Modifications required in the App-v Management Console

XenApp Easy Green XenApp steps need to be followed

XenApp Streaming Easy Green XenApp App Streaming steps need to be followed

Exception Hard Red <Exception Description>

Repackage Easy Green The application will be repackaged or the MSI edited to remediate the issue.

Additional Testing Required

Hard Amber The application will need to go through manual testing efforts to determine if remediation is applicable.

No Remediation Required

Easy Green No remediation is required.

Desktop Virtualization Easy Green Deploy using a Desktop Virtualization technology

App-V 4.6 Easy Green Use App-V 4.6


When an Action has been selected, the remediation required can be further defined by selecting one of the

options available in the Action Detail drop down list.

The suggested actions for the issues identified by the algorithm are marked with a grey check mark in the ‘Sug’

column. The action that gets selected will have a green check mark in the ‘Sel’ column.


The tables below outline the Action Details available or each of the Actions.

Undefined

Action Detail Description

Undefined Not Defined Not Defined

Shim


Shim Apply WRPMitigationLayer Shim The application needs the WRPMitigation Shim applied.

Shim Apply WRPDllRegister Shim The application needs the WRPDllRegister Shim applied.

Shim Apply WRPRegDeleteKey Shim The application needs the WRPRegDeleteKey shim applied.

Shim Apply CorrectFilePaths Shim The application needs the CorrectFilePaths shim applied.

Shim Apply SessionShim Shim The application needs the SessionShim applied.

Shim Apply HideCursor Shim The application needs the HideCursor shim applied.

Shim Apply RunAsAdmin Shim The application needs the HideCursor shim applied.

Shim Apply RunAsInvoker Shim The application needs the RunAsInvoker shim applied.

Shim Apply DisableNX Shim The application needs the DisableNX shim applied.

Shim Apply VirtualRegistry Shim The application needs the VirtualRegistry applied.

Change OS


Change OS Enable only IP v4 Enable only IP v4 on the build for the installed network adapter.

Change OS Run Interactive Service Detection Service

The Interactive Server Detection Service will need to be enabled on the OS build.

Change OS Add redistributable to OS OS build should include this dependency, a redistributable may be available.

Change OS Relax permission on the local intranet zone

Relax permission on the local intranet zone.

Change OS Disable Dep NX protection on the OS

Disable Dep NX protection on the OS.

Change OS Change the registry keys on the build

Change registry keys on the build.


Change OS

Change OS Add nonsupported component to OS

Add nonsupported component to OS.

Change OS Deploy core applications to OS Deploy core applications to OS.

Change OS Deploy applications unsuitable for virtualisation to OS

Deploy applications unsuitable for virtualisation to OS.

Change OS Open the port to allow communication.

Open the port to allow communication.

Auto


Auto Use the automatic fix provided by AppTitude

The application needs the automatic fix provided by AppTitude.

Redevelopment Required


Redevelopment Required The application needs to be redeveloped to solve this issue.

The application needs to be redeveloped to solve this issue.

Exception


Exception Remediation not possible. There is no remediation available for this application.

Repackage


Repackage Rename the setup to Setup.EXE Rename the setup to Setup.EXE

Repackage Condition out the components Condition out the components that install these resources.

Repackage Transform the MSI values Change the values in the MSI to be the new correct paths.

Repackage Disable DEP using MSI Disable DEP using the MSI.

Repackage Relax permissions on the resource Relax permissions on the resource using the Lock Permissions table.

Repackage Provide a substitute technology Provide a substitute technology.

Repackage Install this pre-requisite Install this pre-requisite.

Repackage Remove this condition Remove this condition.

Repackage Remove the Lock Permissions Remove the Lock Permissions.

Repackage Provide the missing resource Provide the missing resource or install a redistributable.

Repackage Elevate the custom action Elevate the custom action.

Repackage Add the necessary customizations. Add the necessary customizations.

Repackage Transform the MSI to change ALLUSERS.

Transform the MSI to change ALLUSERS.


Repackage

Repackage Suppress the reboot. Suppress the reboot.

Repackage Create a Merge Module for shared resource.

Create a Merge Module for shared resource.

Repackage Sync component GUIDs. Sync component GUIDs.

Repackage Package application using Windows Installer for deployment to desktop.

Package application using Windows Installer for deployment to desktop.

Repackage Edit the MSI. Edit the MSI.

Edit OSD File


OSD file requires editing Enable LOCAL_INTERACTION_ALLOWED policy.

Driver compatibility test required.

OSD file requires editing Edit FTA section. Edit FTA section.

OSD file requires editing Use DSC to create inter-package dependencies.

Use DSC to create inter-package dependencies.

OSD file requires editing Split the application into pieces and use DSC to create inter-package dependencies.

Split the application into pieces and use DSC to create inter-package dependencies.

Sequence


Sequence Publish shortcuts in the Start Menu''s startup folder.

Publish shortcuts in the Start Menu''s startup folder.

Sequence Isolate assemblies in the sequence. Isolate assemblies in the sequence.

Sequence Manually create shortcut to correct executable.

Manually create shortcut to correct executable.

Sequence Sequence with applications that depend on it.

Sequence with applications that depend on it.

Sequence Sequence application with its required service.

Sequence application with its required service.

Sequence Include missing files in the sequence.

Include missing files in the sequence.

Sequence Add relationship link in the sequence.

Add relationship link in the sequence.

Sequence Create dummy ODBC entries on the sequencer workstation.

Create dummy ODBC entries on the sequencer workstation.

Sequence Configure user specific data to be installed within the sequence without using Active Setup.

Configure user specific data to be installed within the sequence without using Active Setup.

Sequence Configure environment variable changes.

Configure environment variable changes.

Sequence Add placeholders in INI files. Add placeholders in INI files.

Sequence Slit application into pieces. Slit application into pieces.

Sequence Compress the SFT file. Compress the SFT file.


App-v Management Console Modifications


App-v Management Console Modifications

Create global FTAs. Create global FTAs.

XenApp


XenApp Enable virtual IP for published applications.

Enable virtual IP for published applications.

XenApp Use Universal Printer Driver to manage printing.

Use Universal Printer Driver to manage printing.

XenApp Ensure Password Manager Agent is last GINA installed on the system.

Ensure Password Manager Agent is last GINA installed on the system.

XenApp Isolate/redirect data written to local machine registry keys.

Isolate/redirect data written to local machine registry keys.

XenApp Develop a silo plan. Develop a silo plan.

XenApp App Streaming


XenApp App Streaming Elevate the users permissions to launch the application.

Elevate the users permissions to launch the application.

XenApp App Streaming Create a profile on the 64 bit OS. Create a profile on the 64 bit OS.

XenApp App Streaming Configure user specific data within the sequence without using Active Setup.

Configure user specific data within the sequence without using Active Setup.

XenApp App Streaming Preinstall the files on the client machine.

Preinstall the files on the client machine.

XenApp App Streaming Manually create shortcut to correct executable.

Manually create shortcut to correct executable.

XenApp App Streaming Stream application with its required service.

Stream application with its required service.

XenApp App Streaming Stream with applications that depend on it.

Stream with applications that depend on it.

XenApp App Streaming Split application into pieces. Split application into pieces.

XenApp App Streaming Stream with missing files. Stream with missing files.

Additional Testing Required


Additional Testing Required Driver compatibility test required Driver compatibility test required.

Additional Testing Required Driver component requires further testing

Driver component requires further testing.

Additional Testing Required Application requires functionality testing.

Application requires functionality testing.


No Remediation Required


No Remediation Required No Remediation Required No Remediation Required.

Desktop Virtualization


Desktop Virtualization Deploy application using a desktop virtualization technology. such as Med-V.

Deploy application using a desktop virtualization technology. such as Med-V.

App-V 4.6


App-V 4.6 Use App-V 4.6. Use App-V 4.6.

All the algorithms have been given a Standard RAG and each of the algorithms RAG status can be modified to

give you a Customized RAG to ensure that the statuses represent the environment accurately.

The Effort Calculator goes a step further by giving you an Action RAG which is the RAG that would be

applicable ‘After Remediation’ and it is based on the Action that is selected to remediate the issue identified

by the algorithm.

An algorithm that has a RAG status of Amber will be changed to Green if one of the Actions listed above can be

used to remediate the issues identified by the algorithm giving you an ‘After Remediation’ RAG. Algorithms

that only have the option for Redevelopment or Exceptions will remain with a Red status.

This enables AppTitude to quickly identify the percentage of applications that can be fixed in-house with a

medium to low level of complexity, and those that will require more complex development and/or

replacement.

The next section provides an example of how applying an Action changes the Action RAG for an algorithm. To

proceed to the App Complexity step click ‘Next’.


Step 3: Remediations Example

Let’s take a look at an example of how applying an Action changes the Action RAG for an algorithm. The

algorithm W7_SOI_001 identifies services that interact with Session 0 which attempt to present a GUI to the

user requesting input. As this functionality is blocked within Windows 7 through the use of these APIs, the user

will not see the GUI and the application will hang.

There are a few solutions available to address this issue depending on what is desired in the environment. The

standard RAG which is set by default for this algorithm is Amber, however, by making a change to the OS build

or by applying shims to the application that triggers this algorithm the RAG will change to Green giving the

‘After Remediation’ RAG. However, if neither of these remediation actions is possible, the application will have

to be redeveloped and the Action RAG is changed to Red.

Action Action Detail Custom RAG Action RAG

*Change OS Run Interactive Service Detection Service on the OS build

Amber Green

Shim Apply SessionShim Apply HideCursor

Amber Green

Redevelopment Required The application needs to be redeveloped to solve this issue.

Amber Red

*Suggested Action

The next section provides an example of how applying an Action changes the Action RAG for an algorithm. To

proceed to the Application Complexity step click ‘Next’.


Step 3: Adding New Actions and Action Details

The AppTitude Effort Calculator already is supplied with a list of default actions and action details which apply

to various rules, however the ability to create a custom one is also provided in order to make the results as

applicable to the project as possible.

To add an action, click the button marked with a plus sign on the top of the action drop-down.

Once this button has been clicked, a pop-up dialogue box will be shown, as below. To add a new action, click

the blue plus sign to the right of action.


Once the button has been selected, the following popup box will be displayed.

Enter in the name and description for the new action, set the complexity of the action, and the action RAG – an

indication of the application’s status ‘after remediation’.

Click OK to continue.

Before the newly created action can be utilized, at least one action detail must be defined so that it can be

selected. To do this, click the blue plus sign next to ‘Action Detail’.


A second popup window will appear.

Fill out the details into this box and click OK to continue.

Once the action detail has been created, associate it with all modules, one or more modules, one or more

reports, or one or more specific rules within a report for AppTitude.


To do this, select the checkboxes in the tree view as required. Click OK to complete the process.

To save the changes, click the save button in the Effort Calculator’s navigation bar.


Step 4: Application Complexity

The App Complexity screen is used to define a count threshold of the file and registry keys within the

applications which is used to determine the applications complexity. The complexity measure is used later as a

modifier to calculate effort associated with remediation activity.

Application complexity is defined as follows:

Simple – Green

Normal – Amber

Complex – Red


To determine an applications complexity, it will be necessary to define the File and Registry Count of

applications as a measure of the applications complexity. The more files and registry keys an application has,

the more complex it is to remediate.

The default values set for the Complexity Threshold are less than 100 files and less than 200 registry keys for a

Simple application. A Normal application is one that has less than 400 files and 5000 registry keys.

To change the Complexity Threshold values, input the File and Registry Count that would denote a Simple

application as well as a Normal application. These values need to be entered into the appropriate field in the

Complexity Threshold section. If an application has less files and registry keys than the number listed in the

Simple File and Registry Count fields it will be considered simple. The same is true for an application that

comes in under the count specified for Normal applications. An application that has a higher File Count and

Registry Count than what is listed for Normal applications will be considered Complex.

The summary chart displayed with the RAG values is determined by the values that have been entered into the

Complexity Threshold. Additionally, the applications selected for the Effort Calculator are listed along with the

number of files and registry keys present in the application, along with a Complexity which is defined by the

Complexity Threshold.

Click ‘Next’ to proceed to the Results step.


Step 5: Results

The AppTitude report data and application complexity metrics are combined with supplied variables to

produce an estimation of the effort required to remediate applications in the portfolio for which there are

known resolutions while highlighting applications requiring further testing or to be treated as exceptions.

Using the reporting data and remediation information provided by this report can significantly reduce the time

taken to discover and remediate issues.


Step 5: Summary

The Summary section of the Results screen is made up of a combination of AppTitude report data and

application complexity matrix, combined with supplied variables. An estimation of the effort required to

remediate applications in the portfolio for which there are known resolutions is provided while highlighting the

applications requiring further testing or that will be treated as exceptions. Using all this data, a Return On

Investment (ROI) is provided.

Results are displayed for the Sample of applications selected in the Select Apps stage and also for all the

applications that are in the portfolio. In this example, 18 out of 20 applications were selected for the Effort

Calculator.

The number of months and cost associated with and without AppTitude are given along with the cost savings

that are expected when using AppTitude.

Using the applications selected for the sample, it would take approximately 2.1 days at a cost of $5,260 using

AppTitude versus 4.2 days at a cost of $13,180 when not using AppTitude. The cost savings when using

AppTitude is $7920.

The entire portfolio would take approximately 4.2 days at a cost of $6480 using AppTitude versus 6.3 days at a

cost of $15,118 when not using AppTitude.


Summary charts show the RAG status of the application portfolio ‘Before Remediation’ and the RAG status of

the application portfolio ‘After Remediation’ providing a quick synopsis of the remediation that can be

accomplished without the need for redevelopment or testing to determine further action.


Step 5: Variables

Scroll down to access the Variables section of the Results screen. This section is used to input the values which

will be needed to determine the cost and number of months it will take to remediate and test the application

portfolio and also to generate the Return on Investment (ROI).

The General Variables section customizes the report at a high level by defining project specific information.

Name Client Name

Description

This variable is used in the creation of the document which can be exported from the Effort

Calculator

Name Currency

Description

This variable can be used to change the currency that is displayed on the report generated

by the Effort Calculator

Name Working Hours Per Day

Description

This variable allows a typical number of working hours per day to be defined. This will

thereby have an effect on all calculations relating to time, and can help improve the

accuracy of time estimations


Name Average Working Days in a month

Description

This variable allows for further refining of the time estimations by providing an average

value for the number of working days in a month

The Variables used for calculations ‘with AppTitude’ section assists the Effort Calculator in better estimating

time and cost for the portfolio.

Name Number of Applications in MSI format

Description

This value is given as a percentage value of the entire portfolio, and improves the accuracy

of the estimation of the amount of time AppTitude will take to process the applications

Name AppTitude license cost

Description

This variable can be optionally used to provide a more accurate cost breakdown in the

results

The Variables used for calculation ‘without AppTitude’section assists in the accuracy of the project estimation

where AppTitude is not being used.


Note: The tables below specify the default values alongside some suggested alternative settings with

justification as to why these alternative options may be more appropriate for the project.

Name Amount of time allocated to initial install/run testing

Description

This variable is for entering how much time is usually expected to be taken in performing

an initial install and run test, commonly known as ‘Smoke Testing’. This test is not usually

an in-depth test.

Default Value 8

Average time to complete initial test phase with zero dependencies on

external parties or processes

Alternate 1 24

Other enterprise-specific processes are to be taken into account. Time allotments

for application owner expertise for installation, documentation, initial application

to OS testing then this value may become a more substantial portion of the

application certification process

Alternate 2 4

Light smoke-test process with automated installation and an execution script to

test functionality at a very high level only

Name Percentage of applications that are expected to have issues

Description

This variable can be used to define an estimate for the number of applications that are

expected to have issues.

Default Value 30%

This value represents a compiled view from various market data points ranging

from analysts to technical engagement feedback. This will vary from organization

to organization based on enterprise specific processes tied to application

readiness.


Name Percentage of applications that are expected to be treated as exceptions

Description

This variable is used to define the percentage of applications that cannot be remediated, or

where a decision has been made not to remediate. This variable can change dramatically

based on the application portfolio age. An older portfolio will have a greater percentage of

incompatible applications than a new portfolio.

Default Value 10%

Based on empirical application rationalization data, organizations will ‘end of life’

anywhere between 10%-30% depending on enterprise initiatives. Application

incompatibility is often a key driver in the retirement decision.

If variables such as the portfolio age are unknown, the default value should be

used.

Alternate 1 35%

Enterprise-specific mandates around application lifecycle management can

stipulate an aggressive application retirement initiatives tied to desktop

migrations and refreshes

Alternate 2 5%

Enterprise-specific mandates can also be driven around ensuring that all

applications are migrated, regardless of the mixtures of platforms necessary to

support them

Name Number of hours required to identify a failure’s cause and resolve it

Description

This is a per-application estimation for how long, without AppTitude, it generally takes to

identify a failure and fix it.

Default Value 24

Average time associated with a typical manual processes around application

testing and remediation with no external dependencies. Single point of testing

and remediation.

Alternate 1 60

Other enterprise-specific processes are to be taken into account. Time allotments

for application owner expertise for installation, in depth application to application

testing, application to OS image testing from baseline to gold images with all

permutations in between.


The last set of variables, ‘Common Variables’, affect both the calculations with and without AppTitude.

Name Staging

Description

This is a per-application variable which is an estimate of the amount of time staging is likely

to take on a per-application basis.

Default Value 2 hr

Average time to ensure an application is installed and running in the desired

virtual environment

Name Size of remediation team

Description

This variable is used to define the number of staff that are in the remediation team for the

project.

Default Value 3

This value will depend on the size of the application portfolio. Typically, there will

be 1 remediation specialist for every 250 applications

Name Size of testing / Staging team

Description

This variable is used to define the number of staff that are in the testing and/or staging

team for the project.

Default Value 5

This value will depend on the size of the application portfolio. Typically, there will

be 1 remediation specialist for every 100 applications

Name Cost per day per Remediator

Description

This variable is used to define the number of staff that are in the testing and/or staging

team for the project.

Name Cost per day per Tester/Stager

Description

This variable assists in the accuracy of the estimation of the costs relating to testing and

staging


Name Cost per day per Project Manager

Description This variable is used to improve the accuracy in the total cost estimation for the project.

Below the variables section are two tables which are used to establish the amount of time each application will

take to remediate and test, dependent on the complexity.

Remediation Effort is the amount of hours assigned to remediate applications based on how complex the

issues are and the complexity of the application based on the number of files and registry entries it contains.

The first column running down the left-hand side represents the complexity of the application based on its

number of files and registry keys, while the row across the top represents the complexity of the issues

Testing Time is the amount of hours assigned to test applications which is measured by the complexity of the

amount of files and registry keys in the application.

When the ‘variables’ section has been completed; click on the ‘save’ button at the top of the screen to save

the changes.


Step 5: Results Worksheet

The Results Worksheet displays the number of applications that require remediation based on the Complexity

of the remediation (Easy, Medium, Hard) as set in the Remediations screen and the Complexity Threshold

(number of files and registry keys) as set in the App Complexity screen. Additionally, the number of

applications that do not require remediation get displayed based on no issues detected (No Issues), need to be

tested (To test), and exceptions (Exceptions).

The data from the results of the applications that require remediation gets fed into the worksheet to give a

breakdown of remediation and testing hours required. While the data from the results of the applications that

do not require remediation gets fed into the worksheet to give a breakdown of the number of testing hours

required.


Step 5: Results Worksheet Walkthrough

In the Results Worksheet above, take a look at the applications which have issues that require a medium level

of remediation. Based on the number of files and registry keys there are 2 Simple applications, 1 Normal

application, and 3 Complex applications.

Now take a look at the variables entered into the Variables worksheet for Remediation Effort Hours (located at

the bottom of the worksheet). For Medium complexity applications, remediation effort for Simple applications

is 2 hours, Normal applications are 6 hours, and Complex applications are 8 hours.

Using the all the data combined with the variables defined for remediation effort in the Variables worksheet

gives AppTitude the total number of remediation hours. 2 Simple applications will take 4 hours (2 apps x 2

hours) to remediate, 1 Normal application will take 6 hours (1 app x 6 hours) to remediate, and 3 Complex

applications will take 24 hours (3 apps x 8 hours) to remediate.

Looking at the Results Worksheet, there are 5 Complex applications that need to be remediated. Based on the

variables defined for Testing in the Variables worksheet it will take 20 hours (5 apps x 4 hours) to test the

applications.


Step 5: Effort Estimation with AppTitude

The Effort Estimation with AppTitude worksheet gives the total cost of the project using AppTitude, a

breakdown of the cost per application, and the remediation/testing duration per application. Results are

displayed for the Sample of applications selected in the Select Apps stage and also extrapolated results for all

the applications that are in the portfolio. In this example, 18 out of 20 applications were selected for the Effort

Calculator.

This worksheet pulls the applications that were Green before remediation (no remediation required), Amber

after remediation (issues which require testing), and Green after remediation (apps with issues for

remediation). Applications marked as Red are not included as they will require redevelopment or replacement

and fall outside the scope of remediation that can easily be resolved.

The first column Apps (#), represents the number of applications falling to each of the Remediation categories

(Green Before, Green After, and Amber After). The second column Staging (hr) represents the amount of time

in hours it takes to stage the application for testing. The third column Testing (hr) represents the amount of

time in hours it will take to test the application. And the forth column Remediation (hr) represents the amount

of time in hours it will take to remediate the issues. Notice that the rows Green Before and Amber After do not

have data available for the Remediation hours. This is because Green Before requires no remediation and

Amber After requires testing.

The total hours and total man days are then provided along with the Cost and the elapsed days to execute the

project which is dependent on the number of people entered in the variable worksheet for ‘Size of

remediation team’ and ‘Size of staging / testing team’.


AppTitude processing time, Time to execute project, and Project Manager cost are added up with the cost of

Staging, Testing, and Remediation which in our example is $400, $1000, and $2000 respectively. This gives the

total cost, for example $5260, cost per application $292.23 and the duration of staging, testing, and

remediation per application .67 days.


Step 5: Effort Estimation without AppTitude

The Effort Estimation without AppTitude worksheet gives the total cost of the project without using AppTitude,

a breakdown of the cost per application, and the remediation/testing duration per application. Results are

displayed for the Sample of applications selected in the Select Apps stage and also for all the applications that

are in the portfolio. In this example, 18 out of 20 applications were selected for the Effort Calculator.

The first column % represents the percentage of applications that will require Staging, Testing, and Identify

and Fix. The second column Apps represents the number of applications selected. The third column hr

represents the amount of time in hours. These values are determined by the numbers that were inputted into

the variable worksheet. For instance, the percentage for ‘Identify and Fix’ comes from the number listed in the

Variable worksheet for ‘What percentage of applications are expected to have issues?’ Another Variable that

affects the numbers is the question ‘How many hours does it take to identify the cause of a failure and then

resolve it (without AppTitude)?.

The second set of tables shows the Man Days it will take for Staging, Testing, and Fix and Identify along with

the cost of each stage.

The Time to execute the project is calculated in elapsed days which is dependent on the number of people

entered in the variable worksheet for ‘Size of remediation team’ and ‘Size of staging / testing team’.


AppTitude processing time, Time to execute project, and Project Manager cost are added up with the cost of

Staging, Testing, and Identify and Fix which in our example is $460, $1800, and $7200 respectively. This gives

total cost, for example $5260, cost per application $292.23 and the duration of staging, testing, and

remediation per application .67 days.


Step 6: Exporting the Report

All of the information from the results page can be exported to a word document, which provides a

breakdown and an expanded explanation of the information that is provided by the Effort Calculator. To

export this report, click on the Export button, shown below.

Note: This action requires Microsoft Word installed on the same computer as the AppTitude client.

Microsoft Word will then open, displaying the exported report.

Following the steps listed above, a report has been created that contains both time and cost information

regarding the remediation project, including data from AppTitude and outside information provided in the

process.


Step 7: Exporting Customized Settings

The customized settings from the Effort Calculator – Rule/Action /Action Detail settings and the variables from

the Results screen – can be exported as an XML file for later retrieval. This allows easy comparison of various

scenarios and combinations.

To export this data open the ‘Action Admin’ screen, accessible on the AppTitude sidebar under the

‘Administration’ section.

Click the ‘Export Action Settings’ button. A prompt will be displayed to save the settings in the form of an XML

file.

To import the settings, simply click the ‘Import Action Settings’ button, select the relevant XML file and open it.


Which AppTitude Guide Do I Need?

The features available in AppTitude are documented in separate user guides so that the information is tailored

to specific tasks being performed by different levels of users in AppTitude.

User guides are available for download from the App-DNA portal, https://portal.app-dna.com, which requires a

user account and password for access. The following guides are available:

AppTitude Basic User Guide

Basic features used within AppTitude to import, analyze, and generate reports for your application

portfolio.

App-DNA Self Provisioning User Guide

This user guide walks your expert users through the process of using App-DNA’s Self Provisioning tool to

capture applications independently from AppTitude. In the end you will be given an MSI for the

application and screenshots of the installation process.

App-DNA Web Application Capture User Guide

App-DNA’s Web Application Capture user guide shows users how to capture user interactions with a

functional web application, which can then be converted into an MSI for import into AppTitude. Two

options are discussed, the standalone web application capture which can be performed independently of

AppTitude and the web application capture available in AppTitude.

AppTitude Advanced Configuration Guide

The advanced features available in AppTitude enable you to manage your application portfolio and

customize AppTitude for your environment needs.

AppTitude Administration Guide

Administration features available within AppTitude to manage accounts, roles, tasks, external data

sources, and database connections.

AppTitude Effort Calculator Guide

A guide for using AppTitude’s Effort Calculator feature which reports on the time, cost and effort

associated with migrating a portfolio to a new platform.

AppTitude Enterprise Setup and Optimization Best Practices Guide

A comprehensive guide on the pre-requisites required to use AppTitude, enterprise setup requirements

and the optimizations that can be made, not only in terms of the configuration of AppTitude itself, but

also in terms of the configuration and set up of Microsoft SQL Server, IIS and other environmental aspects.

AppTitude Installation Guide

The installation guide walks you through installing AppTitude on the server or client machine. It also walks

you through the AppTitude Configuration Wizard which installs and configures the AppTitude web site,

AppTitude SQL database, licensing of AppTitude, client configuration settings, and system check.

https://portal.app-dna.com/


The pages that follow outline the features discussed in each of these documents and give a brief description of

what the feature is used to accomplish.


Basic User Guide

Basic features used within AppTitude to import, analyze, and generate reports for your application portfolio

are covered in the AppTitude Basic User Guide available for download from the App-DNA portal. The table

below outlines the basic features this guide covers.

Feature Feature Description

Import/Analyze

Applications Import your applications into AppTitude, analyze data against the selected applications and modules, and generate reports for the analyzed data. Use Install Capture to import applications not already in an MSI format, and further automate your processes by creating usable App-V sequences, MSIs, and documentation outlining the installation/configuration.

Applications

List View a list of the applications in your portfolio. From here you can select applications to analyze against selected modules, and view reports of the analyzed data.

Report

OS/Platform View detailed and summary report results. Export Word, Excel, PDF, HTML, and MHT reports and print directly from the report screen.


Self Provisioning User Guide

The process of using App-DNA’s Self Provisioning tool to capture applications by your expert users

independently from AppTitude are covered in the App-DNA Self Provisioning User Guide available for

download from the App-DNA portal. The table below outlines the self provision topics this guide covers.


Self Provisioning Application Capture Wizard Instructions for launching the application capture wizard, browsing to the supplied manifest file, and proceeding through the wizard steps to capture the application.


Web Application Capture User Guide

The methods available to capture user interactions with a functional web application, which can then be

converted into an MSI for import into AppTitude are covered in the Web Application Capture User Guide

available for download from the App-DNA portal. The table below outlines the web application capture

features this guide covers.


Standalone Web Application Capture The standalone Web Application Capture can be used independently of AppTitude to capture your web applications and generate an MSI from the captured data.

AppTitude Web Application Capture AppTitude’s Web Application Capture can be used inside AppTitude to capture your web applications and generate an MSI from the captured data.


Advanced Feature and Configuration Guide

The advanced features available in AppTitude enable you to manage your application portfolio. The table

below outlines the advanced features covered in the AppTitude Advanced Feature and Configuration Guide.

Advanced Feature Feature Description

Applications

Groups Create multi-level groups to organize your applications into logical units, enabling you to have groups within groups and applications at any level. This will allow you to more directly map your internal application deployment structure in AppTitude which will allow more easily managed phased migrations.

Journal Customise the compatibility settings for applications based on known testing results and keep track of any issues that arise when testing or remediating the application.

Fingerprints View/delete the high level details of all the applications that have been imported into the system.

Apply Licenses Select the applications you want to use a remediation license against. This is for mixed licenses, for example where a license allows for 50 applications to be imported and assessed, but only allows a remediation report for 10 out of the 50 applications.

Search and Browse Search for files, registry keys, etc. that make up the applications in your application portfolio. Individual applications can also be selected so that the tables and entries that make up an applications installation can be viewed.


Advanced Feature (Continued) Feature Description

Import

Applications (Direct Import and Install Capture Configuration)

Configure AppTitude for Direct Import and Install Capture. Instructions on setting up a virtual machine for use with Install Capture are given for Microsoft Virtual Server and VMWare Server.

Operating System Import your own OS image using a Snapshot MSI or by using AppTitude’s Install Capture feature to take a snapshot of the OS being used by your virtual machine. Enables AppTitude to compare the algorithms against your own OS that is used in your environment.

Modules

OS/Platform Contains information about the modules that have been purchased which contain all the algorithms that the application DNA gets analyzed against. The Modules screen can be used to manage or customize the modules and/or algorithms for your environment.

Site Switcher

Configuration Allows you to switch between AppTitude databases if multiple databases are being used in your environment. Additionally, you can configure AppTitude for a new database, as well as the ability to export the database configuration for import to another client.


Administration Guide

Administration features available within AppTitude to manage accounts, roles, tasks, external data sources,

and database connections are covered in the AppTitude Administration Guide available for download from the

App-DNA portal. The table below outlines the Administration features this guide covers.


Administration

Users Enables you to create and modify users for AppTitude.

Roles Enables you to create and modify user roles for AppTitude.

Tasks Gives a status of all the tasks being processed by AppTitude and enables you to remove locks if required.

External Data Enables you to change the RAG status of your applications based on data provided outside of AppTitude. Currently, AppTitude includes data sources provided by Microsoft which includes a list of applications that work on Windows Vista and higher, in addition to information from the shim database.

Action Admin Enables you to manage the actions associated with the algorithms in AppTitude.

Database Gives you the ability to configure AppTitude for a new database, as well as the ability to export the database configuration for import to another client.


Effort Calculator Guide

AppTitude’s Effort Calculator feature which reports on the time, cost and effort associated with migrating a

portfolio to a new platform is covered in the AppTitude Effort Calculator User Guide available for download

from the App-DNA portal. The table below outlines the Administration features this guide covers.

Effort Calculator

Select Applications Select applications to include in the Effort Calculator report.

Select Report Select the report that will be used for the Effort Calculator results.

Assign Remediation Action Assign the remediation actions to the individual modules.

Application Complexity Determine the complexity of the applications in your portfolio.

Effort Calculator Worksheet Fill out the Effort Calculator worksheet with the variables to create the report.

Reports Generate the report to determine the time, cost, and effort it will take to carry out the project.


Enterprise Setup and Optimization Best Practices Guide

The pre-requisites required to use AppTitude, enterprise setup requirements and the optimizations that can be

made, not only in terms of the configuration of AppTitude itself, but also in terms of the configuration and set

up of Microsoft SQL Server, IIS and other environmental aspects are covered in the AppTitude Enterprise Setup

and Optimization Best Practices Guide available for download from the App-DNA portal. The table below

outlines the Administration features this guide covers.

Setup and Optimization Best Practices

Enterprise Setup Requirements Complete Server Installation Server Installation with Remote Clients Server Installation with Remote SQL Database

and Clients

AppTitude Platform Requirements Supported Oss Pre-requisites

SQL Server Optimizations RAM Amount and Configuration Hard Disk Considerations AppTitude Database Settings

AppTitude Configuration Optimization Web.config Settings

Windows Internet Information Services (IIS) Settings Maximum Allowed Content Length IIS Timeouts and Recycle Settings

Anti-Virus Configuration Setting exclusions to prevent anti-virus software from interfering with AppTitude.

AppTitude Import Optimizations Recommendations for optimizing imports.

AppTitude Performance and Scalability Testing Performance Monitor Configuration AppTitude Import and Analysis Testing


Installation Guide

The installation guide walks you through installing AppTitude on the server or client machine. The AppTitude

Configuration Wizard which installs and configures the AppTitude web site, AppTitude SQL database, licensing

of AppTitude, client configuration settings, and system check are covered in the AppTitude Installation Guide

available for download from the App-DNA portal. The table below outlines the areas covered by this guide.

Installation/Configuration Options Description

AppTitude Installation Types

Complete Walks you through the installation of the AppTitude Web Services and client files.

Client Walks you through the installation of the AppTitude client which enables a connection to the AppTitude Web Services and SQL database.

Server Walks you through the installation of the AppTitude Web Services.

AppTitude Configuration Wizard

Install/Upgrade Database Install or upgrade the AppTitude SQL database.

Backup Database Make a backup of the AppTitude SQL database so that it can be restored on another machine.

Restore Database Restore a backup of the AppTitude SQL database.

Change Web Services User Change the account used to give the Web Services User access to the SQL database.

Configure AppTitude Web Site Configure the AppTitude Web Site.

License AppTitude Active, download, and apply the license to the AppTitude database.

Configure Client Connection Settings Configure the client to connect to the AppTitude Web Site and AppTitude SQL database.

System Check Perform a system check to determine if a successful connection can be made.


Getting More Help

For more assistance with setting up AppTitude please log into the App-DNA portal: https://portal.app-

dna.com/. Click on the ‘Help’ link in the menu bar. In this section you can access the knowledge base to help

resolve any issues you might encounter, read the FAQ's, get in touch with a support engineer or raise a

support ticket and we will ensure you get the assistance you need.



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