Windows Client

General Information

Technologies must be operated and maintained in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. More information on the proper use of the TRM can be found on the TRM Proper Use Tab/Section.

Website:	Go to site
Description:	Microsoft Windows is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, laptops and other end-user devices. Microsoft Windows is an industry standard desktop operating system, which is mature, stable and proven. Remote Server Administration Tools, also known as Windows AdminPack, and BitLocker are included as components of this entry.
Technology/Standard Usage Requirements:	Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.
Section 508 Information:	This technology has not been assessed by the Section 508 Office. The Implementer of this technology has the responsibility to ensure the version deployed is 508-compliant. Section 508 compliance may be reviewed by the Section 508 Office and appropriate remedial action required if necessary. For additional information or assistance regarding Section 508, please contact the Section 508 Office at Section508@va.gov.
Decision:	View Decisions
Decision Constraints:	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities. Product must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. Configuration and deployment standards for Windows Client (desktop) images which are defined and maintained by the Endpoint Engineering organization within VA Solution Delivery must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted by the STAT Board. The Windows Virtual PC component of Windows 7 is approved for use, but all older named editions of this component (Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, Microsoft Virtual PC 2004, and Connectix Virtual PC) are prohibited from use. The use of Windows BitLocker disc encryption that is integrated into the Windows Client versions can only be used when configured with the required enterprise settings and centralized management per the Windows configuration baseline. See the reference section for more information on Windows baselines. No new installs of Deprecated Versions are allowed. The installation of Windows Vista and Windows 8 is currently prohibited. Windows 10 is in Evaluation and only Solution Delivery may use the technology at this time for evaluation purposes. Windows 8.1 is being removed from the VA environment because Windows 10 will be the next Windows Client standard. No production deployment date for Windows 10 has been set as of this writing.

Decision Source:	TRM Mgmt Group
Decision Process:	One-VA TRM v18.6
Decision Date:	06/20/2018
Aliases:	Windows 7; Windows 8; Windows 10; Windows Vista; Windows XP; Windows Client; Remote Server Administration Tools; Windows AdminPack
Introduced By:	Enterprise Program Management Office (EPMO) TRM Team
Vendor Name:	Microsoft

Vendor Release Information

The Vendor Release table provides the known releases for the TRM Technology, obtained from the vendor (or from the release source).

Version	Release Date	Vendor End of Life Date	Vendor Desupport Date
XP Pro SP2	09/17/2004	06/13/2010	06/13/2010
XP Pro SP3	05/06/2008	04/08/2014	04/08/2014
Vista	01/25/2007	04/13/2010	04/13/2010
Vista SP1	04/25/2008	05/25/2011	07/12/2011
Vista SP2	05/25/2009	04/10/2012	04/11/2017
Windows 7	10/22/2009	02/22/2013	04/09/2013
Windows 7 SP1	02/22/2011	01/13/2015	01/14/2020
Windows 8	10/30/2012	11/13/2015	11/13/2015
Windows 8.1	10/17/2013	01/09/2018	01/10/2023
Windows 10.x	07/29/2015	10/13/2020	10/14/2025

Current Decision Matrix (06/19/2018)

Users must ensure their use of this technology/standard is consistent with VA policies and standards, including, but not limited to, VA Handbooks 6102 and 6500; VA Directives 6004, 6513, and 6517; and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards, including Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS). Users must ensure sensitive data is properly protected in compliance with all VA regulations. Prior to use of this technology, users should check with their supervisor, Information Security Officer (ISO), Facility Chief Information Officer (CIO), or local Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) representative to ensure that all actions are consistent with current VA policies and procedures prior to implementation.

The VA Decision Matrix displays the current and future VA IT position regarding different releases of a TRM entry. These decisions are based upon the best information available as of the most current date. The consumer of this information has the responsibility to consult the organizations responsible for the desktop, testing, and/or production environments to ensure that the target version of the technology will be supported. Any major.minor version that is not listed in the VA Decision Matrix is considered unapproved for use.

Legend:

White	Approved: The technology/standard has been approved for use.
Yellow	Approved w/Constraints: The technology/standard can be used within the specified constraints located below the decision matrix in the footnote[1] and on the General tab.
Gray	Unapproved: The technology/standard has not been approved for use. It may only be used if a waiver signed by the Deputy CIO of ASD or desginee based upon a recommendation from the AERB has been granted to a project.
Orange	Divest: VA has decided to divest itself on the use of the technology/standard. As a result, all projects currently utilizing the technology/standard must plan to eliminate their use of the technology/standard. Additional information on when the entry is projected to become unapproved may be found on the Decision tab for the specific entry.
Black	Prohibited: The technology/standard is not (currently) permitted to be used under any circumstances.
Blue	Planning/Evaluation Constraint:The period of time this technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population. If a customer would like to use this technology, please work with your local or Regional OI&T office and contact the appropriate evaluation office displayed in the notes below the decision matrix. The Local or Regional OI&T office should submit an inquiry to the TRM if they require further assistance or if the evaluating office is not listed in the notes below.

<Past

CY2017

CY2018

CY2019

Future>

Release

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

Q1

Q2

Q3

Q4

XP Pro SP2

Unapproved

XP Pro SP3

Unapproved

Vista

Prohibited

Vista SP1

Prohibited

Vista SP2

Prohibited

Windows 7

Unapproved

Windows 7 SP1

Approved w/Constraints
[6]

Approved w/Constraints
[6, 7]

Approved w/Constraints
[7, 8]

Windows 8

Prohibited

Windows 8.1

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 6]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 6, 7]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 7, 8]

Unapproved

Prohibited

Windows 10.x

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 6]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 6, 7]

Approved w/Constraints
[1, 7, 8]

Decision Constraints


[1]	This Technology is currently being evaluated, reviewed, and tested in controlled environments. Use of this technology is strictly controlled and not available for use within the general population.

[2]	Product must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. Configuration and deployment standards for Windows desktop images which are defined and maintained by the Client Services organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted by Client Services or the Architecture Engineering Review Board (AERB). The use of Windows BitLocker disc encryption that is integrated into the Windows Operating System is not allowed without a waiver from the Client Services organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering or the AERB.

[3]	Product must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. Configuration and deployment standards for Windows Client (desktop) images which are defined and maintained by the Client Services organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted by the Architecture Engineering Review Board (AERB). No new installs of deprecated versions are allowed. The installation of Windows Vista is currently prohibited. Windows 8 and 8.1 are currently not approved for production except as part of an official Enterprise System Engineering (ESE) production pilot or production test of the these versions as approved by ESE Client Services or an AERB waiver while under evaluation. The use of Windows BitLocker disc encryption that is integrated into the Windows Client versions is not allowed without a waiver from the AERB. The use of Remote Server Administration Tools for approved Windows Client versions is approved for use following the configuration and deployment standards maintained by the ESE Client Services organization.

[4]	Product must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. Configuration and deployment standards for Windows Client (desktop) images which are defined and maintained by the Client Services organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted by the Architecture Engineering Review Board (AERB). The Windows Virtual PC component of Windows 7 is approved for use, but all older named editions of this component (Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, Microsoft Virtual PC 2004, and Connectix Virtual PC) are prohibited from use. The use of Windows BitLocker disc encryption that is integrated into the Windows Client versions is not allowed without an AERB waiver. No new installs of Deprecated Versions are allowed. Windows XP becomes TRM unapproved on 4/8/2015 when VA`s extended support contract expires. The installation of Windows Vista and Windows 8 is currently prohibited. Windows 10 is in planning and only Enterprise System Engineering (ESE) Client Services may use the technology at this time for planning purposes. Windows 8.1 is currently not approved for production except as part of an official ESE production pilot or production test of this version as approved by ESE Client Services or an AERB waiver while under evaluation. No production deployment dates for Windows 8.1 or 10 have been set as of this writing.

[5]	Product must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. Configuration and deployment standards for Windows Client (desktop) images which are defined and maintained by the Client Services organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted by the Architecture Engineering Review Board (AERB). The Windows Virtual PC component of Windows 7 is approved for use, but all older named editions of this component (Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, Microsoft Virtual PC 2004, and Connectix Virtual PC) are prohibited from use. The use of Windows BitLocker disc encryption that is integrated into the Windows Client versions can only be used when configured with the required enterprise settings and centralized management per the Windows configuration baseline. See the reference section for more information on Windows baselines. Contact ESE Client Services (Mail: VA IT Engineering CS Desktop Technologies Team) for more information on the use of BitLocker. No new installs of Deprecated Versions are allowed. The installation of Windows Vista and Windows 8 is currently prohibited. Windows 10 is in planning and only Enterprise System Engineering (ESE) Client Services may use the technology at this time for planning purposes. Windows 8.1 is currently not approved for production except as part of an official ESE production pilot or production test of this version as approved by ESE Client Services or an AERB waiver while under evaluation. No production deployment dates for Windows 8.1 or 10 have been set as of this writing.

[6]	Product must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. Configuration and deployment standards for Windows Client (desktop) images which are defined and maintained by the Client Services organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted by the Architecture Engineering Review Board (AERB). The Windows Virtual PC component of Windows 7 is approved for use, but all older named editions of this component (Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, Microsoft Virtual PC 2004, and Connectix Virtual PC) are prohibited from use. The use of Windows BitLocker disc encryption that is integrated into the Windows Client versions can only be used when configured with the required enterprise settings and centralized management per the Windows configuration baseline. See the reference section for more information on Windows baselines. Contact ESE Client Services (Mail: VA IT Engineering CS Desktop Technologies Team) for more information on the use of BitLocker. No new installs of Deprecated Versions are allowed. The installation of Windows Vista and Windows 8 is currently prohibited. Windows 10 is in Evaluation and only Enterprise System Engineering (ESE) Client Services may use the technology at this time for evaluation purposes. Windows 8.1 is currently not approved for production except as part of an official ESE production pilot or production test of this version as approved by ESE Client Services or an AERB waiver while under evaluation. No production deployment dates for Windows 8.1 or 10 have been set as of this writing.

[7]	Due to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) identified security vulnerabilities, extra vigilance should be applied to ensure the versions remain properly patched to mitigate known and future vulnerabilities. The local ISO can provide assistance in reviewing the NIST vulnerabilities.

[8]	Product must remain patched and operated in accordance with Federal and Department security and privacy policies and guidelines. Configuration and deployment standards for Windows Client (desktop) images which are defined and maintained by the Endpoint Engineering organization within VA Solution Delivery must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted by the STAT Board. The Windows Virtual PC component of Windows 7 is approved for use, but all older named editions of this component (Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, Microsoft Virtual PC 2004, and Connectix Virtual PC) are prohibited from use. The use of Windows BitLocker disc encryption that is integrated into the Windows Client versions can only be used when configured with the required enterprise settings and centralized management per the Windows configuration baseline. See the reference section for more information on Windows baselines. No new installs of Deprecated Versions are allowed. The installation of Windows Vista and Windows 8 is currently prohibited. Windows 10 is in Evaluation and only Solution Delivery may use the technology at this time for evaluation purposes. Windows 8.1 is being removed from the VA environment because Windows 10 will be the next Windows Client standard. No production deployment date for Windows 10 has been set as of this writing.

Note:

This technology has multiple patches and/or minor releases per year. This is denoted by the `x` placeholder. At the time of writing, Windows 10 Version 1709 KB4054517 (OS Build 16299.125) is the most current version released and was last modified on 12/12/2017. Note: No new installs of Deprecated Versions are allowed. The installation of Windows Vista and Windows 8 is currently prohibited. Windows 10 is in Evaluation and may only be used as part of an official Solution Delivery production pilot or production test of this version as approved by Solution Delivery Endpoint Engineering or a STAT waiver while under evaluation. No production deployment dates for Windows 10 have been set as of this writing.

References

The following reference(s) are associated with this entry:
Type	Name	Source	Description
Vendor Provided*	Release Notes		This page provides the release notes for the latest version of Windows Client.
*NOTE: Vendor provided information is subject to the accuracy of the manufacturer.

Technology Components

Note: This list may not be complete. No component, listed or unlisted, may be used outside of the technology in which it is released. The usage decision for a component is found in the Decision and Decision Constraints.
Name	Description
Client Hyper-V	Client Hyper-V the same machine virtualization technology that is part of Windows Server. Hyper-V lets you run more than one 32-bit or 64-bit x86 operating system at the same time on the same PC, by running them inside a virtual machine. Hyper-V replaces Windows Virtual PC in Windows 7, but doesn`t include Windows XP Mode. Client Hyper-V is supported in Windows 8.1 and later and is approved for use only on approved versions of the Windows Client OS on the Version tab of this entry. Configuration and deployment standards for Windows Client (desktop) images which are defined and maintained by the Client Services organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted by the Architecture Engineering Review Board (AERB).
Microsoft Interactive Training application - Unapproved	Microsoft Interactive Training application is pre-installed in Accessories on Windows XP Operating System. This application is unapproved for use because it operates on unapproved OS (Windows XP).
Remote Server Administration Tools / Windows AdminPack	Remote Server Administration Tools, also known as Windows AdminPack, are installed on the Windows Client and enable IT administrators to remotely manage roles and features that are installed on computers that are running Windows Server. These tools are specific to the Windows Client OS version that they are installed on and therefore can only be used with approved versions of Windows Client in this entry. Configuration and deployment standards for Windows Client images and tools, which are defined and maintained by the Client Services organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted.
Windows BitLocker	Windows BitLocker disc encryption is integrated into the Windows Operating System. The use of Windows BitLocker disc encryption that is integrated into the Windows Client versions can only be used when configured with the required enterprise settings and centralized management per the Windows configuration baseline. See the reference section for more information on Windows baselines.
Windows Resource Kit	Originally released as a DVD included with the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit set of books, this software contains utilities and tools for configuring and troubleshooting Windows-based servers and clients. The Resource Kit is also available for download on the Microsoft website.
Windows Search	Windows Search is a standard component of Windows versions Vista and newer, and is enabled by default. Windows Search replaces Windows Desktop Search (WDS), which was available as an add-in for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
Windows Virtual PC	Windows Virtual PC (successor to Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, Microsoft Virtual PC 2004, and Connectix Virtual PC) is a virtualization component for Microsoft Windows that allows another copy of a Windows Operating system to be hosted within the Windows Client. Windows Virtual PC is supported on Windows 7 and is approved for use on Windows 7. Please note that all older named editions of this component (Microsoft Virtual PC 2007, Microsoft Virtual PC 2004, and Connectix Virtual PC) are prohibited from use. Configuration and deployment standards for Windows Client (desktop) images which are defined and maintained by the Client Services organization within VA Enterprise Systems Engineering must be followed and adhered to unless an appropriate waiver is granted by the Architecture Engineering Review Board (AERB).

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Domain Area	Category	Customer Guidance	Category Locked By ELT Date
Platforms and Storage Operating Systems	OS - Desktop/Laptop

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

This entry is an operating system.

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

No runtime dependencies have been identified.

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

This is a mature and well supported technology.
This operating system is part of the VA Gold Image.
There is a comprehensive set of documentation available for this technology.

Adoption Risks

Possible vendor lock - Rich client software is designed, developed and optimized specifically for deployment on Windows. Moving those applications to another operating system in the future could require significant effort and cost.
There are several known security vulnerabilities for this technology.

Architectural Benefits

The Windows client operating system is a critical component of the infrastructure as it provides a standardized client platform for the deployment and execution of application software. Such a standardized client platform stabilizes application development and deployment objectives, simplifies hardware management at the client level, and greatly simplifies the end user operational and training experiences.

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Current Decision Matrix (06/19/2018)

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Technology Components

VA Categories View the VA Categorization Framework

Operating Systems Supported by the Technology

Technologies/Standards Relationships

Runtime Dependencies:

Comparable Technologies:

Companion Technologies/Supported Standards:

General Analysis

Adoption Benefits

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Architectural Benefits

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