Windows cross compatibility chart

Hi,
I do the installation testing at work and am trying to put together a chart for the tests I will be doing on the various operating systems, however I'm trying to work out what is compatible with what, at the moment I just guessed for the sake of our scope document. I tried searching in google to see if such things existed, but not had much luck there.

The Servers I work with (including peer to peer networks)are

• 2000 Server
• 2000 Pro
• 2003 Server (inc R2 and SBS)
• 2003 x64 Server
• XP Pro
• XP Pro x64
• 2008 Server
• 2008 x64 Server
• Vista
• Vista x64

The clients are

• 2000 Pro
• XP Pro
• Vista
• XP x64
• Vista x64

So, are any of the clients not compatible with any of the servers (inclluding in a peer to peer config. For example. I thought that for server 2008 that 2000 pro as a client would not work.
Also for the x64 versions, I imagine the non x64 clients would work with x64 servers, but possibly not all of them (again 2000 pro springs to mind).
Can you set up x86 and x64 machines together in a peer to peer network? so XP Pro with Vista x64... will that work?

It's a bit of a nightmare chart but perhaps someone either knows of such a thing already existing, or could clear up a couple of questions so that I don't have to waste too much time attempting to find out by trial and error as I haven't even got to the part where I had to list which versions of SQL would work, and Office!!

Thanks

 

nothing to do with our software really, just 'will 2000 pro go onto a domain with 2008 as a server or will it complain bitterly and refuse to join the network'

I'm pretty much asking if all the differnet versions of windows that I stated before network together with each other. both to a DHCP server and various workstations, or indeed peer to peer networks.

Basically our software is installed on a server (or a peer machine acting as a server) in the installation a folder is also installed and shared across the network frmo which client workstations can install a client version which talks to a SQL database (also on the server) so workstations/clients must be in contact with the nominated server at all times. Hence why I need to check if all permutations of eg 2003 server with XP Pro, Vista, 2000 Pro clients work.

 

Connection shouldn't be a problem at all. All of those operating systems can use TCP/IP and either NetBIOS or DNS name resolution.

The problem could be permissions.

If your application does its own authentication rather than relying on Windows authentication, then no problem.

If all those system are using a single AD or AD forest, then they should all be able to authenticate, so again no problem. (2000 Pro PC should be able to join a 2008 domain, but you won't get all the facilities (such as all the permissions settings) you'd get with a Vista or XP SP2 client.

Therefore, the only problem should be if you have multiple separate domains and need to use Windows authentication.

 

Thanks,

I will have a lot of testing to do then!!

There won't be multiple domains on a single network as we're just trying to replicate small business setups - so either a single peer to peer network or a single domain normally.

Will the x64 machines work in conjunction with the x86 ok as well do you think?