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37 Posts authored by: Kelsey Witherow
Kelsey Witherow
1

Pre-OS vPro Provisioning

Accolades to Frank Engelman

 

Problem Statement
Enterprise customers want to be able to “drop ship” a PC to an employee’s desk, direct from the OEM, with no special OS build provided by the OEM… and have the complete customer OS Build take place without a local technician present. This removes the need for taking the employee PC to a service desk or dispatching a technician.


Desired Process
The employee has no special knowledge or tools or software, but is able to un-box the PC, connecting to the LAN and power, turn on the PC.
In addition to the above steps, the employee receives a non-unique CD or UFD (USB Flash drive) containing a program to start Intel vPro Technology provisioning. The employee inserts the CD/UFD and boots off the media. Note, this requires BIOS to have CD/UFD ahead of the hard drive in boot order, or the employee must be given instructions on how to pick the boot device (typically F12 key). The employee was previously emailed a “name” to enter for the system when prompted during this process.

 

 

 

 

vPro based solution

The CD/UFD contains a program that performs the following operations:


  1. Boots the PC from a WinPE image installing WMI support, scripting support and the proper NIC drivers
  2. Reads the MAC address and UUID from the system
  3. Loads the correct version of the Intel vPro HECI drivers
  4. Prompts the employee to enter the system name they were given
  5. Uses Microsoft WMI to contact the Microsoft SCCM Provisioning Server and adds the machine name into the proper collection with the collected information...UUID, MAC and system name
  6. Starts Intel vPro activator to complete vPro provisioning

 

Overview of building the CD/UFD program
This program is based on Microsoft WinPE, which is created using Microsoft Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK). It also utilizes the Intel Automated SCCM Bare-Metal Provisioning tool, ZTCLocalAgent.exe & StatusStrings.dll which are available on the vPro Expert Center. The Intel NIC (Network Interface Controller) drivers and Intel HECI drivers are available on the Intel support site. The steps to create the image and sample code are listed below.

  1. Extract the basic WinPE image using the WAIK
  2. Mount the WinPE image
  3. Add additional packages
  4. Add the Intel NIC drivers
  5. Un-mount the WinPE image
  6. Replace default boot.wim file
  7. Add the Intel vPro HECI drivers
  8. Add the support scripts
    1. Additions to Startnet.cmd
    2. SetupHECI.cmd
    3. GetSystemName.vbs
    4. Pre-OS-Provsioning.vbs
    5. SCCMAUTO.VBS (Bare Metal Provisioning)
    6. ZTCLocalAgent.exe
    7. StatusStrings.dll
  9. Create the CD or UFD from the ISO

 

 

 

Detailed steps in program creation:

 

  1. Install the Microsoft WAIK and open the Deployment Tools Command Prompt
  2. Create a WinPE folder-> CopyPE.cmd X86 c:\winpe_x86
  3. Mount the image-> imagex /mountrw c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim 1 c:\winpe_x86\mount

  4. Add Scripting Package-> peimg /install=WinPE-Scripting-Package c:\winpe_x86\mount\windows

  5. Add WMI Package->  peimg /install=WinPE-WMI-Package c:\winpe_x86\mount\windows

  6. Add NIC drivers-> Intel NIC drivers for systems used in your environment to in this manner:
    peimg /inf=c:\drivers\XXX.inf c:\winpe_x86\mount\windows

  7. c:\winpe_x86\mount\windows\system32\DriverStore\FileRepository

  8. Add Custom Script -> Add Custom Script-> Edit c:\winpe_x86\mount\windows\system32\Startnet.cmd and add the following:f.e1.png

  9. Un-mount the image-> imagex /unmount c:\winpe_x86\mount /commit

  10. Copy c:\winpe_x86\winpe.wim c:\winpe_x86\ISO\sources\boot.wim

  11. Add AMT HECI Drivers-> Create c:\winpe_x86\ISO\AMT and drivers for every version of AMT used in your environment naming the folders AMT2, AMT3, AMT4, AMT5

  12. Create HECI Installer-> Create a c:\winpe_x86\ISO\AMT\SetupHECI.cmd file with the following:

    1. f.e2.pngNote: You only need to include the AMT Versions used in your environment

  13. Create GetSystemName.vbs-> Create a c:\winpe_x86\ISO\AMT\GetSystemName.vbs file with the following:

    1. f.e3.png

  14. Create Pre-OS-Provision.cmd-> Create a c:\winpe_x86\ISO\AMT\Pre-OS-Provision.cmd file with the following:

    1. f.e4.png

  15. Copy SCCMAUTO.VBS-> Copy the sccmauto.vbs from the Intel VPRO Expert Center to c:\winpe_x86\ISO\AMT

  16. Copy ZTCLocalAgent.exe-> Copy the ZTCLocalAgent.exe from the Intel VPRO Expert Center to c:\winpe_x86\ISO\AMT

  17. Copy StatusStrings.dll-> Copy theStatusStrings.dll from the Intel VPRO Expert Center to c:\winpe_x86\ISO\AMT

 

If creating a bootable CD, create the ISO as follows:


Oscdimg –n –bc:\winpe_x86\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_x86\ISO c:\winpe_x86\winpe_x86.iso

If creating a UFD,perform the following steps on a Windows Vista system:

f.e5.png

 

xcopy c:\winpe_x86\ISO\*.* /s /e /f e:\  (Assuming your UFD is drive letter e:  )

 

Program Usage:
Boot the system off the CD or UFD device

 

WinPE is loadingf.e6.png
WinPE is Startingf.e7.png

StarNet.cmd...

Loading HECI Drivers

f.e8.png

Prompt for System Name

 

Employee enters system name and clicks OK

f.e9.png
SCCMAUTO.vbs runningf.e10.png

ZTCLocalAgent.exe running...

 

Note Setup and Configuration is completed

f.e11.png

 

PC has now been vPro Provisioned!

1 Comments Permalink Tags: heci, ufd, provision, bare_metal, vpro
Kelsey Witherow
0

Activate Today! Realize ROI with Intel® vPro Technology and Microsoft System Configuration Manager is now available for on-demand viewing!

 

We are hosting a series of ROI and activation webinars on Tech Republic; each one is focused on a specific management console - Symantec Altiris, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager, and LANDesk.

 

This live TechRepublic Webcast, featuring Q&A, will be hosted by James Hilliard and feature special guest speakers from Intel Corporation, Jeff Marek, Director of End User Platform Engineering, Digital Office, and Jeff Torello, Staff Architect, Digital Office and Jeff Wettlaufer, Sr. Technical Product Manager for System Center, Microsoft Corporation. They will discuss the ROI possible with Intel vPro technology usage models activated, a review of the primary usage models supported by SCCM, and an overview of the activation process using SCCM. Q&A will follow.

 

Have questions that aren't covered here? Please post them in the Ask An Expert forum and we'll get them answered for you.

 

Question

Answer

Could you do the demo of deployment now? We would like to see how SCCM works life, so we can implement this in our environment

Yes, this deployment technology with Intel vPro Technology and Microsoft System Center Configuration can be done today. Videos of showcasing and guides on how to execute the use case can be found on the Intel vPro Expert Center. http://www.intel.com/go/vproexpert

                                        

There are a lot of technologies out - ipmi, dash, smash - does Intel have plans to embrace or create an industry standard for remote desktop management technology as opposed to a proprietary one?

Actually we are built on WS-MAN standards set by the DMTF which covers standards like ASF, DAHS. However, we do add additional capabilities beyond standards to meet customers’ needs for gaps not currently filled by a standard (like Fast Call For Help).

                                       

Do I need a management console to perform vPro use cases?

No. We have a built-in interface referred to as the WebUI, but it does not support all of the vPro features that a management console would such as boot-redirection and a remote Serial-Over-LAN video and keyboard session...so using a management console is much preferred. Besides, wake-and-patch is the key use case, and software distribution is typically handled by a management console anyway. Hope that helps!

How do I get the biggest ROI? What use case?

The answer is similar to what provides a quickest ROI. It depends on company's specific challenges. For example, a highly distributed organization will see large benefits from remote remediation of machines to save cost and time driving between sites. Many other large companies choose remote power on and patching as their first use case due to ease of implementation and high ROI. The two most popular use cases are power management and remote remediation.

What use case provides the quickest ROI?

The answer really depends on company's specific challenges. For example, a highly distributed organization will see large benefits from remote remediation of machines to save cost and time driving between sites. Many other large companies choose remote power on and patching as their first use case due to ease of implementation and high ROI.

Any complications with multiple versions of AMT in the environment when activating?

Depending on how old the AMT versions are there may not be support for certain features (remote configuration is one example).  It is best to plan to update to the latest available AMT firmware version for each platform to ensure the greatest success with activation.

I have the AMT Scan Tool being deployed to my 11,000 client machines and I've modified the MOF files to gather the registry keys created by the AMT Scan Tool. My question is: Is there a pre-made SCCM web report query to view the data gathered?

Not to my knowledge...but that is a very good question. I will bring that to the attention of our team here at Intel that works with MS to see if we could help make that happen!

                    

What % of new computers are coming with vPro?

Almost all major OEMs are currently shipping PCs with Intel vPro technology with strong adoption of vPro by small, medium business and large enterprises. For example, over 40% of Fortune 100 companies are actively purchasing vPro.

I have SCCM R2 and HP laptops with VPro, do I need anything else to install or can I start using the vPro abilities with SCCM?

You need SCCM SP1 to begin taking advantage of vPro systems. SP1 will allow you to natively support vPro systems with firmware versions of 3.2.1 and greater. For firmware versions less than 3.2.1, you can install a free download from Intel to communicate with older systems. http://software.intel.com/en-us/articles/intel-ws-management-translator/

Will there be an archive of this Webcast? If so where can we find it?

Is VPro supported on I7 processors?

Yes, the recorded webcast will be available on-demand. You can find using the event's registration url.

Intel does have plans to support vPro on the i7 processor with specific chipsets/firmware to give you AMT capabilities.

If vPro is activated on a machine, but then not utilized, is there any functionality hit the machine will see vs. not having vPro activated?

There is no impact on functionality if vPro is activated and not utilized. Depending on the configurable vPro Management Engineer Power State, there may be a minimal electricity draw.

                                                                          

In order to activate vPro is it necessary we have Microsoft SCCM 2007?

No. vPro can be activated either without a management console in SmallMediumBusiness (SMB) mode or with another management console such as Symantec' Altiris. SMB mode involves configuring each computer individually however, so it is not recommended for organizations with a large number of client PC's. Hope that helps.

Is SCCM the only available management console that can tap into the vPro hardware?

While Configuration Manager integration with Intel  vPro technology has been a successful, industry leading joint venture there are more management console’s that take advantage of Intel vPro. (For example Altiris, LANDesk, HP OpenView, etc.)

We are a global organization. How is performance in a larger geographical area? Are there any limitations or degradation of service?

Based on the SCCM architecture design will determine the performance for Out-of-band management. For each of your site servers that manage SCCM clients/system, you would add the OOB service point to the site server. This will allow you to use OOB manage to those systems managed by that site server.

                                      

Windows XP support for Config Manager and VPro?

Yes, Windows XP is supported on both Microsoft ConfigMgr Clients and on Intel vPro Technology enabled clients.

Will the Webcast be available for view after the fact?

Yes. recording and will get emails out with links to ondemand after the event.--James

I saw an INTEL driven presentation of ATM/VPRO management integrated with SCCM SP1 and to me was impressive. One question is, can I use this integration in SCCM to see the remote console while machine is being powered on similar to the HP Proliant ILO? I do not remember seeing the piece of the demo then.

Once the system begins to boot to the OS, you will no longer see the remote session. You would switch to a standard software based remote control solution. vPro helps you get to a working OS.

Using SCCM, you could not see the remote machine boot up process. However, do you have an alternative ATM/VPRO console to see the remote machine boot up for a BIOS modification, or network boot so we could reimage the machine using SCCM? Thanks Ramon Martinez Toronto, Canada

Microsoft Configuration Manager SP1 does have the ability to perform an AMT / vPro Serial Over LAN (SOL) session to interact with the BIOS and watch the initial boot process.

Can you do more than view the BIOS screen, can you edit it?

Yes, you have full control of the BIOS to view, change, save, etc although it is presented in a text-based interface rather than a graphical one. Hope that helps!

Is there a web address on Intel's site that lists manufacturers and models that have this capability?

Yes, please see the following: http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-2033

We currently purchase the latitude e6500 and the optiplex 960. What is the key piece of hardware to look for in an inventory to see that these systems are capable?

Once you enable your infrastructure and ConfigurationManager OutOfBand ServicePoint to support vPro, you can do a discovery to detect the AMT Status of any machine. It will return either "Not Support", "Detected", "Not Provisioned", or "Provisioned". We also have a tool called AMTScan that can scan clients on your network to report back the AMT firmware level, driver versions, etc. too.

The previous speaker mentioned Green Savings, Power Savings. Is there anything that you know of out there that I could come up with an ROI presentation showing the possible savings in energy?

We have our ROI presentation available on the web. The power savings for power on/off are pretty consistent. There Intel Activation Assessment can help solidify the numbers and offer case study options.

Jeff Wettlaufer, We have older hardware at my job and am wondering how to convince management to get newer hardware in order to make use of this technology? Any brand of PCs recommended?

From a System Center perspective, there a range of industry leading hardware vendors that provide vPro enabled systems, and we work with all of them.  Some of the obvious larger names (Dell and HP) have been increasing their range of systems and price points where vPro chipset technology is available, and System Center can help reduce the cost to plan, build, deploy and manage  those (and others).  From a System Center with vPro perspective, we work with all of them.

Can I utilize vPro features without purchasing additional software?

Joseph, There is a built-in capability to use some of the vPro features with just a web-browser. However, there are some features that require some sort of ISV program. There are some free, open source tools available as well from Intel (Manageability Developer Toolkit and Commander specifically). You can find them on the Tools page of the vPro Expert Center (located here: http://communities.intel.com/openport/docs/DOC-1171/). There are also additional tools on that page, and many useful documents/whitepapers on the overall website itself (located at: http://www.intel.com/go/vproexpert). I hope that helps.

                                   

How does a system have to be connected to be manageable by VPro? Can it be hooked up to a home LAN or wireless network?

vPro supports connectivity on the LAN via both wired and wireless connections. MS will provide native support for wireless in the upcoming SP2 release of ConfigurationManager. For remote users at home over a VPN, you can manage them w/ vPro as long as the OS is functional. In the event it is not, we have another feature (not yet supported by MS) call "Fast Call For Help" that lets the user initiate a support call back to the enterprise over a wired internet connection...even if the OS will not load.

Can you perform remote wipe on stolen equipment with VPro?

vPro itself will not perform a remote wipe, but there is ISV software available that will provide this capability and works in conjunction with vPro.

Can configmgr handle mixed vPro and non vPro environments?

Yes, SCCM can handle both environments, but of course the non-vPro systems will not have OOB capabilities. Within ConfigMgr, they provide native capability to discover and distinguish between vPro and non-vPro systems.

I noticed that Intel vPro AMT comes with our newer Dell systems. However, is there a way to get the vPro functionality on older Dell Systems where it doesn't come standard?

Intel vPro Technology is a component of the Chipset and added during the manufacturing process. If you have clients that are not vPro / AMT enabled, you are will not be able to add Intel vPro technology to the client after the fact.

So Config Manager replaces SMS?

Yes, SMS was replaced approximately 3 years ago with System Center Configuration Manager 2007.  System Center Configuration Manager has made significant advancements across a number of areas since the days of SMS, you can find out more on our product pages here.

0 Comments Permalink
Kelsey Witherow
0

Activate Today! Realize ROI with Intel® vPro™ Technology and LANDesk is now available for viewing and download

 

We are hosting a series of ROI and activation webinars on Tech Republic; each one is focused on a specific management console - Symantec Altiris, Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager, and LANDesk.

 

Join the team from the Intel vPro Expert Center for an informative Webcast on the ROI savings and activation process for PCs with Intel® vPro™ technology and LANDesk.

 

This live TechRepublic Webcast, featuring Q&A, will be hosted by James Hilliard and feature special guest speakers from Intel Corporation, Jeff Marek, Director of End User Platform Engineering, Digital Office, and Jeff Torello, Staff Architect, Digital Office and Rich Williams, Director of Strategic Alliances, LANDesk. They will discuss the ROI possible with Intel vPro technology usage models activated, a review of the primary usage models supported by LANDesk, and an overview of the activation process using LANDesk.

 

 

 

Have questions that aren't covered here? Please post them in the Ask An Expert forum and we'll get them answered for you.

 

Question                                                        

Response

Is there savings report that can be provided to management on using power save option? How can we prove to them that we used this many KW of power before and this is the usage after the changes and this is the saving in dollars.....is it possible through Intel/LANDesk combo....

LANDesk has a power savings estimation tool you can use to predict power savings. (http://pmdb.cadmusdev.com/powermanagement/quickCalc.html) There is a product that is part of the LANDesk management suite called LANDesk Power Manager that can assist with this.

Does LANDesk works on windows 7

Not currently, but it will when Windows 7 ships or shortly thereafter

Can we have Jessie's email address - I am in the planning stage of implementing vPro and it would help if I can get some advice from him....

Sure! jesse.fournier@mortenson.com 763-287-5490

Can the test lab be in VM

The server side can be VM, absolutely. The client machines need to be physical hardware. :)

What if I convert a vPro machine to virtual - will it still not work in vm environment...

You cannot virtualize the vPro client as the vPro functionality is inside the chipset of the machine, not in the Operating System software. For a lab, there would be no benefit to virtualizing the client systems as you need physical machines in order to test the vPro features.

Is there a step by step guide to configuring LD for vPro

Yes, there is a quick start guide available on the Intel vPro Expert Center: http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-1381

Is this guide specific to vPro and LANDesk?

Yes, that is correct. If you're looking for additional information on vPro, please see: http://www.intel.com/go/vproexpert

Is there a specific vPro client recommended when using LANDesk

LANDesk supports all current versions of vPro. There are several manufacturers that provide vPro systems. We do not recommend one over another. It is best if you make the choice as to which manufacturer best meets your needs. The vPro implementation is similar across all.

Are all AMT type computers considered vPro and how can I tell the management engine is enabled

There are a few generations of AMT and the latest versions will qualify for the vPro logo. The latest versions are AMT 4 & 5. If you don't need the additional features that were added in these versions, you can buy a version referred to as Intel Standard Manageability. So there are two versions to look for. The 2nd question about the management engine state. I'd suggest looking for a utility on the vPro Expert Center called iAMT Scan. This runs an application at the client called MEINFO and puts the info into the registry. You can then query the registry to see what version of the Management Engine (ME), its state - enabled or not, as well as versions of supporting software on the client.

What difference for at least power management would there be with using vPro to do it or the built in LANDesk functionality to control machines for example to power on a machine, patch it and then shut it back down?

Previously at any given time, there were usually 20% of the machines turned off and on weekends even higher. With 'green' initiatives, many companies are requiring most PCs to be turned off. However, to patch machines, LANDesk needs the PCs turned on. So they either have to be left on or be turned on remotely. The savings comes from being able to turn machines on to patch them and turn them back off. If they are on, LANDesk can patch them and then turn them off if the corporate policy allows this. I hope that addresses your question.

Where is that inventory script to identify vPro capable computers?

You can visit this site: click here

LANDesk with 8.8 sp2 using wol has power management features(setting policy, waking machines up and patch for example) so we are looking at that and I was wondering what benefit using vPro for that functionality would provide if any.

In the LANDesk console when you check the wake up box as part of patch management or software distribution, LANDesk will automatically wake up a system via vPro first. Since vPro works over TCP/IP it is more reliable than Wake On LAN. After LD tries to wake up systems via vPro, it then automatically sends out a WOL packet. There are not separated check boxes inside LANDesk to send out vPro and WOL packets, the software does this automatically.

How can we tell what machines are vPro capable in the ld console?

LANDesk uses its Unmanaged Device Discovery to find vPro machines. After a discovery of devices, vPro enabled systems will show up in the vPro system field and then you can drop an agent onto these machines. There are also reports and database queries you can run to show all vPro systems.

You need to provision the VPro config on the PC's. Is there an easy way to do this for PC's that are already in company?

Yes, PCs that are deployed in your environment can be provisioned via the LANDesk agent once you configure the infrastructure to support the remote provisioning (no physical touch). See the quick start guide for details.

Is LANDesk as vPro provisioning server able to work without TLS or only with TLS? Regarding vPro manageability, not speaking about provisioning. Thanks. Otto.

Yes, in fact you can change from TLS to non TLS mode inside the LANDesk console

Is LANDesk agent able to provision vPro Bios?

Yes, the LANDesk solution supports Zero Touch Provisioning and other methods of provisioning clients for Enterprise and Small Business mode with or without TLS.  In addition you can update BIOS versions through the LANDesk console.  We use the OEMs flash tools and can schedule a job to remotely flash BIOS.

Is LANDesk capable to overtake text boot screen and also keyboard remotely. Like press "F1","F2" etc... remotely

Yes.  However, some key sequences do not work on certain systems due to BIOS issues.  Note:  As part of vPro Remote Boot Manager in LANDesk, you can enter a client’s BIOS during restart by checking a box and then remotely change settings  in the BIOS via the LANDesk console

Is LANDesk capable to activate vPro bios inside of common MB Bios? Especially HP notebooks have vPro Bios configuration disabled, and you have to do motherboard Bios change to enable "CTRL-P". Can LANDesk do it remotely on "branded" PC??”

HP would need to have a utility that allows you to change BIOS configurations remotely.  Once vPro is enabled, you can use LANDesk to enter the BIOS remotely on reboot and edit BIOS settings.  I know Lenovo has a tool that allows remote BIOS changes and this utility can be used with LANDesk technology to change BIOS settings remotely like enabling vPro ME in the BIOS.

We have LANDesk and vPro. What do we have to do to start using these features?

The best thing to do is go to the vPro Expert Center and look for the vPro LANDesk Quick Start Guide. That shows you what to do. You can also find demos on both the Intel and LANDesk websites. http://communities.intel.com/community/openportit/vproexpert/activation?view=all&tagSet=1025

What do you define as new PC configuration? What takes 5 minutes that used to take 90?

We have customers who are using Intel vPro and LANDesk to image new machines. With certain hardware, these customers are using LANDesk to image those machines which used to take 90 minutes for the various steps, to just 5 to 10 minutes when the steps are automated.

0 Comments Permalink
Kelsey Witherow
1

See Josh Hilliker and Ryan Ettl show a demonstration of Remote Management with Fast Call for Help at a local coffee shop in Folsom. See the video below or at this link on YouTube..

 

 

1 Comments Permalink Tags: vpro, remote_management, cira, josh_hilliker
Kelsey Witherow
2

TriActive, Inc., founded in 1997, has recently added AMT (vPro) capabilities to their software. This product is called Systems Management On Demand and you can read more about it here. In their own words, "TriActive was a pioneer of delivering Systems Management solutions using a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) model to organizations of all sizes for laptops, desktops, servers, and network devices." (from their website) Below we have provided some screen shots of their newly acquired AMT capabilities...

 

  • Systems Management Overview Video
    • LAN and Web-based remote control & diagnostics
    • Intel vPro with AMT support when Microsoft Windows is not running
    • Asset hardware, software, security inventory with change history
    • Fully integrated SW delivery, Patch mgmt, License Compliance
  • Case Studies - From Newsweek to the YMCA, they've aquired a pretty good range of customers.
    • "We were very keen on getting full infrastructure coverage almost instantaneously. TriActive's hosted service got us up and running within days. We did not have to install any software, and we have no software to maintain. TriActive promised us a solution that worked immediately, and that's what we got, without any of the hassles of typical software installations," says the CTO of Newsweek.

 

TriActive - Systems Management On Demand - Screen Shots

 

AMT Remote Options

1-AMTRemoteOptions.jpg

 

 

 

AMT Status

2-AMTStatus.jpg

 

AMT Event Log

3-AMTEventLog.jpg

Initiate SOL

4-InitiateSOL.jpg

SOL Boot to BIOS

5-SOL-BootToBIOS.jpg

AMT PowerOn

6-AMTPowerOn.jpg

AMT PowerOff

7-AMTPowerOff.jpg

2 Comments Permalink Tags: manageability, client_management, kelsey_witherow, case_study, isv, amt, triactive
Kelsey Witherow
5

Windows 7 Coming out October 2009…
What are we getting ourselves into this time?
Read this fresh young perspective on my experience with Windows 7*…
*Note that this is from the use of Build Version 7077

With the release of Win7 coming soon, I thought that I’d have to give it a go and see, firsthand, if Win7 is what we’ve all been waiting for. At first glance I began to ooh and ahh over the pretty features and slightly more sleek appearance. Windows Vista had, in general, not done so hot when it came to public opinion. This was clearly stated in an article by InfoWorld, if you care to read that here. The transition from Windows 95 and 98 on up to Windows XP had been a little bit difficult; however, consumers saw that the upgrade outweighed the hassle. That was not the case with Vista, and so now we are coming to a new OS, Windows 7. And while I am no computer connoisseur, I am just about as typical of a user as it gets. I’m heading off to college this fall and use typical applications and apply a fair workload to my PC. After these past months experimenting with Windows7, you can bet I’ll be upgrading this October on my college laptop. It’s faster, smoother, and has a better appearance that all older versions of the Windows OS.

The first thing that caught my eye, was the awesome taskbar. No longer are your items jammed so tightly on the taskbar that, when you have many apps open, you can only see a measly 3 letters of each window. Instead, Win7 has so wisely grouped all of your windows by simply what application they’re running from. Instead of 8 individual windows for all of the e-mails you have open, you have one Microsoft Outlook icon. And when you hover your mouse over this icon, all the outlook windows you have open conveniently display right there in little boxes. This works for all your programs. As you can see below I was on my desktop and had my cursor over the MSFT icon, and it brought up, in a transparent window, all three Outlook windows that I currently had opened. This sort of gave me the idea of how a Mac has a “dock” with little icons of all your running programs. It’s a neat feature and really provides for a clean smooth transition between windows. Another cool feature is when you hover your mouse over one of the three boxes, it provides a closer look and drops off everything else you have open and just shows that window, one click and it brings back all other windows and places the one you’ve selected on top and ready to be used.

Capture.PNG

When I decided to stop playing with the new exciting taskbar, I moved on to attempt migration of my data from my Windows XP laptop to this new laptop with Win7. I was hesitant to attempt this because I was fearing that all would break loose and I would lose my data or not have everything copy properly. I was so wrong. Windows 7 made it really simple to transfer files. It identified all the data and sorted it accordingly. No folder was left empty and all of it went flush into the right sections. All my pictures, music, and files looked identical to how I had them before on my old laptop. I was rather pleased.

After getting the data I needed, I was surprised and excited to see what other cool features this computer had to offer. Being the girly girl that I am, I went straight to the desktop to search for all the new “Personalize” goodies. I was excited to see that, like Vista, it had the gadgets to place on the desktop. I put up the weather, a calendar, and a clock all adjusted to my time and location. Ok, so that isn’t so exciting for you who are coming from Vista, but if you’ve never had these “gadgets” before, it is cool. Moving on, I got to the personalization section. Windows 7 offers seven awesome “Themes” for your computer to follow, or you can create your own. In a theme, it customizes your desktop, color scheme, everything. Another cool feature is that your desktop background can shuffle pictures. I set it to take pictures from a certain folder, and it changes my desktop to a new picture every day. This adds to the sleek new look of Win7.
captureee.PNG

 

If you are moving from XP or older to Win7 you are going to be blessed with a built in search bar in the start menu. It is fantastic and instantly searches your whole computer for anything containing that keyword. You can find programs, documents, emails, etc that contain what you’re looking for. It’s so simple and is right on the bottom of the start menu. You click the Windows icon and then it says “Search Programs and Files,” type in the words you’re looking for and Ta-da! Magic. Also on the start menu, is the capability to go directly to shutdown. On Vista, you click that mischievous button that looks like it would mean shut down, and then you’re stuck in this annoying black hole where you’ve put it to sleep. On Windows 7, “Shut Down” really means shut down. It’s a glorious thing.

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Normally, on older Windows versions, you have to manually set everything in order to have a monitor and your laptop displaying your OS. However, with Win7 all I had to do was plug in the monitor and it switched over and I have yet to make changes to it. It remembers these settings and displays just on the laptop when I have taken it home, and when at work and plugged into the monitor it goes right back to the correct settings. It’s a good hassle-free feature.


While we’re going over silly features – I thought I’d take us all back to the calculator. Yes, the calculator has been one of my least favorite things on my Windows XP (can’t speak for Vista users, really, cause I’ve had minimal experience with it.) If any of you still use the calculator on your computer, you know how frustrating it is when you can’t remember if you already hit the plus sign, or what the last number you entered was, etc…well, Win7 has us geeky computer-calculator users covered! Not only does it look 10x sleeker and cooler than the only dinky flat gray one, it keeps a line of what you’ve entered and does the math as you enter it without having to hit enter.
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Onto a little bit more commonly used feature…Internet Explorer 8: it totally rocks. The multiple “tabs” in one window has been out for a while I believe, but it still is nice, and IE 8 has added even more features. “Suggested Sites,” for example, has been one of my favorite additions. There’s a button on you I.E. window that says “Suggested Sites” and it shows a drop down window when clicked of some sites that you may like based on your viewing history. You can go further from there and click “See More Suggested Sites.” I’ve shown a screenshot of that below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also really cool is the ability to highlight any words on any website and click on a little blue arrow – it lets you “obtain driving directions, translate and define words, email content to others, search with ease, and more.*” For information about features and the source of that previous quote check out this site. I’ve found just one issue so far with Windows 7. Granted it could be due to the fact that I’m on an evaluation copy, it bothered me nonetheless. It’s when I’m using I.E. 8, the taskbar often beings to flicker out of control. The only way to stop my seizure-like window flashing is to hover or click the task bar enough places until it stops and returns to its normal functioning ways. It’s just a little annoying.

 

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All in all I have been very pleased with Windows 7 and am greatly looking forward to getting it on my college laptop while I’m down at Arizona State. It’s a great new upgrade from Vista and certainly goes leaps and bounds above XP. It’s attracting more of that hip and cool vibe we are all looking for and is easy to use. When deciding on my computer for college, I was stuck in a dilemma that many of us face: the PC I’d always grown up with and could use with my eyes shut, or the Mac with the awesome interface and that oh-so-popular iChat. Well, I think that Win7 sealed the decision for me and has provided a more tech savvy look and an easier smoother transition that what we saw with Windows Vista. Said and done, with only one noticeable glitch, I give Windows7 a total of 4.5 out of 5 stars

5 Comments Permalink Tags: windows, os, upgrade, win7
Kelsey Witherow
0

On behalf of Josh Hilliker with the vPro Expert Center, please take a moment to participate in this survey we have created on the Microsoft Windows 7 upgrade. Thank you in advance! Your responses are appreciated.

Click the link below to take part in this survey!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=Dsbce68_2b0qjcTPTQ0ereRg_3d_3d

0 Comments Permalink Tags: upgrade, survey, microsoft, windows_7
Kelsey Witherow
0

Are you not much of a blogger? Well, have no fear...There are more ways for you to stay updated and get involved with everything vPro! If writing up your best known methods or posting a quick start guide to the Expert Center isn't your idea of fun then here are seven other great options to stay involved with the vPro community...

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Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. The site that millions of users have grown to love also has a page for need-to-know and latest news on Intel vPro Technology. Go to http://www.facebook.com, create a profile, and add "Intel-vPro" as a friend through this link.

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As its website states, "Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?" Curious what vPro is up to? Create an account and follow the tweets of "intelvPro" at http://twitter.com/intelvPro or follow the "Proest of Pro's," Josh Hilliker, at www.twitter.com/joshprostar

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This bi-weekly newsletter includes everything new with Intel vPro Technology. You’ll learn about new white papers, user guides, known issues and more when you receive this newsletter. Click here to sign up!

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Get Intel vPro help/updates/news/BKMs & MORE delievered right to your inbox. Questions and answers are swapped and info distributed through this list. Go to this link and subscribe.

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The leader in online video and perfect destination to watch and share videos on the worldwide web, YouTube has been an awesome outlet for some of our favorite and most helpful vPro videos. You can find tons of vPro videos on http://www.youtube.com/vproexpert and can also watch those that Josh Hilliker has posted at http://www.youtube.com/joshprostar

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Hosted by Josh Hilliker, Russ Pam, and Jeff Torello (and featuring a little bit of myself every now and then) this bi-weekly informal show covered a variety of topics and was a perfect avenue to get your questions answered. On BlogTalkRadio you can listen to all of the shows that we have already recorded! Make sure not to miss out on this awesome opportunity to learn and engage with the vPro experts. Visit the Open Port Radio site to hear previous shows and stay updated as we release our future show topics...

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Another helpful resource that is provided on Intel vPro are the quick start guides that are posted. These guides include the steps to setup Intel AMT devices with LANDesk, Altiris, and Microsoft.

0 Comments Permalink Tags: distribution_list, kelsey_witherow, twitter, you_tube, vpro_radio, vpro, facebook, youtube, vpro_expert_center, quick_start_guide, blogtalkradio
Kelsey Witherow
3

So what are Platform Event Traps and what is its relevance to managed systems? With Intel AMT Remote Management you always recieve readily available access to event logs of these things: PC Sensors, effectors, and other non-volatile data. But, what you might not know is that it can also generate out-of-band alerts (PETs) based on sensor events. Platform Event Trap is a specification defining the format for managed systems to alert a remote console. Intel AMT uses this PET format to send these event alerts. And while ASF does the same, with Intel AMT PETs you can subscribe up to 16 different destinations. With ASF, you have to decide on just one unique destination point for every event/alert.

Interested and want to learn more? Below you can find some blogs that can provide some further insight.

More Technology Distinctions - Intel AMT vs ASF: This is part three from Shmuel Gershon in comparing ASF and Intel AMT features on the Intel Software Network.

Between Intel AMT and ASF: Here you can find part 4 of Shmuel Gershon's comparisons.

What about those PET events?: Gael Holmes covers all you need to know on PETs and links to many other questions, blogs, and documents that will lead you to more information on these Platform Event Traps.

"Happy PETting!"

 

3 Comments Permalink Tags: platform_event_traps, pet, pets, asf, kelsey_witherow, amt
Kelsey Witherow
0

A representative of Microsoft holds a discussion with an Intel manager from Digital Office Platform Division, Mike Ferron-Jones. Find more about what Intel is doing for security, manageability, and energy efficiency with vPro and how Microsoft is helping to deploy some of the vPro solutions with its software. Listen to this clip for an insight on Wake-on-LAN, Microsoft Application Virtualization, and Virtual Desktop Infrastructures. Click the link below to listen.

Listen Here: [Microsoft/Intel Podcast|http://download.microsoft.com/download/e/b/9/eb90c169-6b47-4bae-b6f1-5c0825e1542a/ESGMicrosoftIntelPodcast.mp3]

0 Comments Permalink Tags: vpro, microsoft, manageability, vpro_radio, virtualization, application_virtualization
Kelsey Witherow
0

Intel vPro Radio Returns with McCreary & Montevina!

TOPIC:

Listen in for the scoop of the latest vPro platforms of 2008 (McCreary & Montevina). Find out what's new, what's better, and where you can get your hands on these systems. Featuring your hosts as well as Steve Grobman, Christie Rice, and Clyde Hedrick.

TUNE IN:

You can simply click play on the music player below, Stream this Show Online, or feel free to visit Open Port Radio

 

 

Also, check out this information:

Where to Buy Intel(R) vPro(TM) Technology

 

Order an Intel® vPro™ technology "Activation-Ready" PC



Acer | Dell| FSC | HP | Lenovo | LG | Panasonic | Samsung

0 Comments Permalink Tags: mccreary, montevina, vpro_2008, radio, blogtalkradio
Kelsey Witherow
2

A Customer Preparation Checklist for Intel(R) vPro(TM) Activation with LANDesk

 

The following document was created for customer preparation to ensure the success of activating vPro platforms within the customer's corporate production environment.

 

LANDesk Preparation Checklist for Intel(R) vPro(TM) Activation

2 Comments Permalink Tags: landesk, vpro, activation, provisioning
Kelsey Witherow
0

Check out the Known Issues, Best Practices, and Workarounds wiki page - it has brand new info for Santa Rosa/Weybridge USB Provisioning Results.

 

Known Issues, Best Practices, And Workarounds

 

 

 

USB Key Provisioning: Santa Rosa

USB Key Provisioning: Weybridge

0 Comments Permalink Tags: usb, santa_rosa, weybridge, known_issues
Kelsey Witherow
0

Where to Buy Intel(R) vPro(TM) Technology

Have you been hearing all the news on vPro? Check out this document for the latest update of models available through 8 different Original Equipment Manufacturers.

 

Order an Intel® vPro™ technology "Activation-Ready" PC



[Acer|http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-2033#BP1] | [Dell|http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-2033#BP2]| [FSC|http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-2033#BP3] | [HP|http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-2033#BP4] | [Lenovo|http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-2033#BP5] | [LG|http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-2033#BP6] | [Panasonic|http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-2033#BP7] | [Samsung|http://communities.intel.com/docs/DOC-2033#BP8]

</h3>

0 Comments Permalink Tags: acer, dell, hp, lenovo, fsc, lg, panasonic, samsung, buy, vpro, where_to_buy, kelsey_witherow, purchase
Kelsey Witherow
0

Listen in as your hosts talk with Dave McCray, Intel's IT Program Manager. Intel IT is a leader in the activation and use of AMT. They have activated & provisioned over 10k machines - hear how they did it, why they are doing it & how to make your integration better based on Intel IT's best known methods.

 

Stream from blogtalkradio or click play below to hear it now...

 

0 Comments Permalink Tags: open_port_radio, vpro_radio, vpro_expert_center, josh_hilliker, kelsey_witherow, russ_pam, jeff_torello, it, intel_it, use_cases
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