2.2.2  High number of migratable applications

An application is termed 

migratable

 when there is a direct way to migrate the 

application to a Linux client, either by using a Linux version of the application or 

using a Linux based alternative.

As described in more detail in 4.7,  Unmigratable applications  on page 81, 

applications that do not migrate well to Linux complicate the migration to a large 

extent. This also means that more migratable applications will lead to easier 

migration.

Before performing a migration and handling the unmigratables, some 

organizations will try to move away from applications that do not migrate easily. 

The best way to do this is to move the application to a portal based application. 

This will not only facilitate moving to a Linux client, but then the application will 

also not be a problem in any future migrations.

2.2.3  Organizational readiness

Even if all other factors in the migration are favorable, an organization that is not 

ready for a migration will still be unsuccessful. An organization that is ready can 

be defined as:

Having end users that are ready and able to move to another client

Having administrators and support staff that are enthusiastic about the 

migration and knowledgeable about the technology you are migrating to

Having procedures in place that will streamline the handling of problems 

during and after the migration

These factors are discussed further in Chapter 3,  Organizational and human 

factors planning  on page 27.

One of the most important factors is that the migration has to be carried by the 

administrators. The people who have to manage the clients and infrastructure 

after the move can make or break the migration. Getting system administrators 

and support staff behind the migration is one factor that can become very 

important in the decision process.

2.3  Migration goals

Not all migrations are the same. While eventually migrations will have a goal of 

replacing all desktop clients in an organization with Linux clients, most early 

migrations will serve as pilot projects and only migrate a part of the desktops.

 Chapter 2. The case for migration 

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