Application Compatibility Resources for IT Professionals and Developers

Better Together Application compatibility is a key factor in the experience customers enjoy on Windows Server 2008 R2. Microsoft offers free, downloadable test tools that help enterprise IT professionals, custom application developers and independent software vendors test third-party and custom in-house applications for compatibility with Windows Server 2008 R2.

Announcements

Enterprise IT professionals can now test any server application for compatibility with Windows Server 2008 R2 using free, downloadable test tools. Learn more about the free tools, how to get them and what test scenarios they cover.
Developer resources can help you build and test custom applications for compatibility with Windows Server 2008 R2. Learn more about compatibility for custom applications.
Third-party applications may require changes to be compatible with Windows Server 2008 R2. Learn more about sharing compatibility tools and information with independent software vendors to help make sure their applications deliver a technically superior experience.
Starting July 15, the Windows Server Catalog will start publishing information on third-party applications that are certified for Windows Server 2008 R2 or plan to support customers deploying solutions on the new platform. Learn more about how Microsoft can help ISVs issue public support statements to customers.

Test Custom and Third-Party Applications for Yourself

Enterprise IT professionals can use free, downloadable test tools to evaluate any custom or commercial application in a Windows Server 2008 R2 environment. Originally designed for ISVs preparing to certify applications, you can download and use these test tools to help your team:

Determine an application’s impact on the server environment.
Predict how applications will behave under load.
Systematically detect security vulnerabilities.
Assess an application’s basic compatibility with the OS.
Troubleshoot an application’s unpredictable behavior while awaiting support.
Guide custom application developers toward a technical bar.
Augment in-house evaluation before a software purchase decision.
Gain familiarity with tests performed on applications that are Certified for Windows Server 2008 R2.

The Enterprise IT Guide to Windows Server Software Certification offers a thorough review of the Software Certification Toolkit components and usage suggestions for IT professionals.

Download the Software Certification Toolkit x64

Download the Software Certification Toolkit x86

Test Scenarios

The Software Certification Toolkit contains tools covering nearly 100 test cases that help you assess whether an application complies with Microsoft-recommended practices for security, stability, reliability, availability and basic compatibility.

Full details on the test scenarios are available in the Windows Server 2008 R2 Software Test Framework. Here’s a summary of what the tools will help you test.

Chapter 1: Windows Fundamentals

Chapter 2: Install/Remove

Chapter 3: Security

Chapter 4: Reliability and High Availability

Chapter 5: Client Components

Chapter 6: Hyper-V Virtual Machine Compatibility

The Enterprise IT Guide to Windows Server Software Certification offers a thorough review of these test scenarios and their relevance to enterprise IT professionals. The Windows Server Catalog is a directory of applications that have passed these test cases in extensive testing by an independent third-party test lab.

Microsoft is interested in your feedback on the test tools and scenarios. Please visit the MSDN Developer Forum for Windows Server 2008 R2 and join the conversation about Windows Server software certification testing.

Get Custom Applications Ready for Windows Server 2008 R2

Build and Test for Compatibility

Custom applications should be tested for compatibility with Windows Server 2008 R2 prior to deployment. If you’ve already tested your applications on Windows Server 2008, you’ll find fewer compatibility issues when testing your applications on R2.

The R2 release includes changes to the kernel and APIs to support virtualization, scalability, performance and networking enhancements. As a result, your application may require a hotfix or a more specific update, particularly if the application has kernel drivers.

Microsoft provides free, downloadable test tools and resources to help you:

Empower your build/test teams with more comprehensive test scenarios in a clear, intuitive Software Certification Toolkit.
Test your application’s security, stability, compatibility, reliability and availability in a Windows Server 2008 R2 environment.
Improve supportability by ensuring applications meet the rigorous technical standards of certification before releasing to market.

Learn more:

Help Third-Party Applications Get Compatible

By sharing the following information with your software vendors, you can show ISVs that you are counting on a technically superior experience deploying their applications on Windows Server 2008 R2.

Encourage independent software vendors to issue a public statement pledging to support customers on Windows Server 2008 R2 by a specific date.
Make sure ISVs know they can develop and build using the Software Certification Toolkit. You can even ask about specific issues you find using tools, and their timeline for resolving the issues.
Include Windows Server 2008 R2 software certification in your purchase decisions so that you can focus limited resources on environment-specific test scenarios before you deploy.
Help ISVs see the business value of compatibility and certification by sharing the Enterprise IT Guide to Windows Server Software Certification and the ISVs Guide to Windows Server Software Certification.

For more information about specific applications that are already certified for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2, please visit the Windows Server Catalog.