Intel vPro Expert Center Blog

Join the Centrino 2 Chat Now

communityadmin@intel.com — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 20:02:37 GMT

UPDATE (1:00 PM PST): The Chat session is officially over. Please check back here soon for more updates including a log from the chat.

Join Intel experts in our live chat session happening right now!

To join the chat visit the vPro Community Homepage and click on the chat banner.

We want to hear your favorite story? PEBKAC anybody?

josh.hilliker@intel.com — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 17:19:04 GMT

We have all heard of PEBKAC (Problem Exists Between the Keyboard and Chair) and we've heard the stories, seen the video's.

So.. Wendy (vPro Comms) and I were talking today about wanting to hear your favorite PEBKAC stories within the vPro community, please take a moment and share your favorite one out.

Looking forward to getting a good laugh.. LOL..

Centrino2 with vPro - Finally more Screens to share out

josh.hilliker@intel.com — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:19:48 GMT

After a longer wait than I planned here are the key screens that your end users may see if they click on the Icon in the Centrino 2 Platform with Intel vPro Technology. They show the different tabs and the difference between Unprovisioned & Provisioned.

What's next.. Testing them in the lab and sharing those video's out.. stay tuned for more.

What are you thoughts on vPro? Oh and you get something for it! [Officially closed!! Sorry!]

stallsd@gmail.com — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:23:18 GMT

This is officially closed on both Survey Monkey and this site.

Just go to Survey Monkey and take the survey that is shown below.

I have been saying so much on what I love about vPro and the cool features that it presents to the public, so now I want to know your perspective. Since you are going to be so nice to put your point of view up here, I am going to give something back to the best answers: a 16GB USB key!! So post what you like best about vPro and I will send you a 16GB USB key All I need to know is:

What I think is cool about vPro:

Company Name:

Number of vPro/Centrino Pro systems:

Understanding vPro Chapter 6: It’s virtual world.

stallsd@gmail.com — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 22:46:16 GMT

Ah...I love talking about virtualization. Virtualization feels like some non-reality spectrum. It is as if you can manipulate it to do anything with it. The topic just seems endless; technology is starting to run with the idea of that. With vPro, virtualization will be able to go farther. Remote manageability aids in the virtualization area. The thought of two different versions of a program being on the same client and the computer not being able to have them up is a thing of the past. They wouldn't even know that each other were there.

With the real world in mind, big companies with many different offices could stream private information to each other with vPro. This would prevent sensitive information from leaking out to the wrong hands. Hospitals would benefit from this because when their patients' files are in their data base they can just stream the whole data from their server to the client computer where the doctor is, again security would help aid against any tampering of sensitive documents.

Besides sending out vital and sensitive information, there are also necessary items that people would need that they could stream. School is a great area for that. They are implementing it in a few schools(St. Agnes Prep School Use emerge Compute Models With video). I know there are plenty of times where I have to carry three books and my back felt as if it was going to break. Also, I hated switching the books around depending on what day it was. I could have all my information on the laptop that I was carrying anyways would do me a lot more good.

With vPro, the universities will be able to have a few servers that will check on the laptops that are given out to the students. If there are any problems with the software (it wouldn't have to be just with the books, it could be with software that the university has rights to) that was being streamed the server computer can detect it and fix them remotely. As a college student, I would love to have all my information just through my computer. I wouldn't have to worry about trucking all my stuff everywhere and it's all centrally located in one area. For a company, it ensures that all information needed is gathered in one area that can be obtained by the employees and it can be relayed back and forth.

How many times have you gone to the ATM and it says that it's out of service? For the financial intuitions, how about all of those remote ATM that is difficult to go out and service the computer? With vPro the sever will be anywhere and it can service the client away from the machine, saving the financial institutes plenty because the service guy does not have to go out at all hours. They can check if there is anything wrong with it's software or hardware away from the computers within minutes.

vPro is able to extend the possibilities of virtualization. It has helped to be able communicate two (or more) computers together and talk to each other. knowing that we could go farther and farther with the technology of vPro and having Centrino2 coming out, it's only going to be even more endless. The excuse that the dog ate my homework will not work anymore. (I think I am going to try to find a virtual dog!)

Understanding vPro- Chapter 5: Enhanced Maintenance (I just want to wrap a big hug around AMT!!)

Understanding vPro: Chapter 4 vPro: What is with this trusted environment?

Understanding vPro: Chapter 3- Proactive Security- did Intel put a tiny guard dog in my computer???

“The Intern’s” Understanding vPro: Chapter 2-What is it used for/ why should I use it?

Centrino 2 – Thank you for catching up!

josh.hilliker@intel.com — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:49:13 GMT

Centrino 2 with Intel vPro Technology

has arrived and one of the big changes to the platform is that it supports OOB Power management with AC power. This is a welcome addition to the platform, however let's go back to what does each power state mean and the delta between Centrino Pro vs. Centrino 2 with vPro..

Let’s start by first describing the power states – check out the following blog by Ajay Mungara http://softwareblogs.intel.com/2007/01/10/all-about-system-power-states-s0-s5/ Ajay goes into detail what each power state means and how it applies to the vPro technology.

The next thing is that we look at the centrino pro platform (code name: Santa Rosa) that was our first notebook with Intel vPro Technology. In Gael’s post she explains with the Santa Rosa platform what the power settings mean. http://softwareblogs.intel.com/2007/07/11/centrinopro-platforms-and-power-packages-what-are-these/

However the journey is not over yet.. you have to look to the new generation of Centrino Platform with vPro Technology to see the new changes to the power settings. Here are a few screen shots that Gael put together that showcase in the ME the configuration changes. Thank you Gael

If you are asking yourself what does this all mean? Well, it means you can have OOB Wireless SX States, basically Power control in wireless mode when the platform has AC (yes, it’s finally here).

Screen Shots of the ME with the new power settings

The Intern’s Understanding Centrino 2- Oh new and shiny!

stallsd@gmail.com — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:17:00 GMT

Now that Centrino2 with vPro is coming out, amongst the new features that it will carry is Client Initiated Remote Access (CIRA). I thought to myself "what is this?" My internet digging, tells me that it is a way for the server to communicate to the client via AMT, offsite through a Management Presence Server (MPS). When a user initiates a CIRA request to their MPS, then the MPS is able to reach the client, passing through Virtual Private Networks (VPN). Then it will be able to go through the same AMT communication channels as any Pro system that is on the local network. On the laptop that is wireless that notebook can be anywhere as long as it's plugged in to power, and can connect to the VPN.

Josh Hilliker did a blog about a month ago, and it has a great diagram showing everything I have said. Centrino 2 - Digging in deeper into CIRA

Another great video to look at is the Intel Centrino2: C.T. Phone Home video.

Sleep state manageability is another feature that Centrino2 will carry. It will be able to turn on and off the notebook remotely without it being turned on but it does still need to be in the VPN. The device needs to be plugged in; it can't be running on the battery for this to work. You wouldn't want to try to turn on your computer and find out it's dead because all of the battery power is taken up trying to update your licenses or fixing any problems. The Centrino2 has energy saving features the notebook is using less energy with this new feature, and it is enabled at the times that make sense to your battery.

One feature that people will notice is the clear video technology so items like Hulu.com will look so much better. In addition, it will have more of graphics usage so you wouldn't have to purchase more graphics cards. It will look so good you will want to put your hands all over it!

Now I will not have to look like this when my laptop is on freak out mode. I can just call up IT and they can take care of it!

And if you want to know more go to the Intel Developer Forum Aug 19-21, 2008 in San Francisco. I will be there with my blogging skills!!

Centrino 2 - Highlights

josh.hilliker@intel.com — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:25:41 GMT

Highlights of the new Centrino 2 platform and the impact to the IT shops.

Centrino 2 - Digging in deeper into CIRA

josh.hilliker@intel.com — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:07:23 GMT

In prior posts I shared out the CIRA (Client Initiated Remote Access) technology. Since the release is coming closer it's time to start talking about what this means for the IT shop and what the exact touch points are. here is a quick flow that shows the touch points, whic highlights this new MPS (Management Presence Server), which sits in your DMZ and acts like a proxy between the client and the management console. this is that final mile of connecting your notebooks when they are out of your corporate enterprise. I listed out the limitations in my last post that I reference below.

(note: Thanks to Kyle in Brand Promise Validation for this great flow..)

Here are the prior posts on CIRA

Client Initaitied Remote Access - vPro in 2008 - IDF

Here is the Centrino2 one stop shop wiki

Centrino 2 vPro - One Stop Shop Wiki

I'm working on posting a video to showcase CIRA and also will be looking to post who supports this capability in their console.

Montevina, CIRA - vPro 2008 - Platform Users Guide

josh.hilliker@intel.com — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:31:32 GMT

Community Members,

I can't tell you how excited I am to share this with you as I have been waiting awhile to showcase more about CIRA & what is coming in Montevina from a vPro stand point. I remember awhile back I was asked by a group of students if this capability would exist like this in the future & finally I can showcase more of the pieces of the puzzle to the world. For the folks out there that asked me about this & I just smiled.. well.. here's more of the puzzle..

Here is the AMT 4.0 (Cira, Montevina) Platform User Guide that explains the MEBx settings in detailed screen views.

Intel(R) Management Engine User Guide (Intel(R) AMT 4.0)

Also here is my first post on CIRA about what it does in picture format.

Client Initaitied Remote Access - vPro in 2008 - IDF

If you have any questions let me know & hopefully soon to follow will be a youtube video to show off these new capabilites of the new mobile platform.

Please watch out for this new platform to hit the news wire in the near future.....

Client Initaitied Remote Access - vPro in 2008 - IDF

josh.hilliker@intel.com — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 18:21:39 GMT

Here's a single picture view from IDF On Code name: "CIRA". There's more info to come.. but check out the latest on vPro.. I'm looking forward to showcasing this technology & putting video's on youtube, etc.. stay tuned for more and start your questions..