Intel® Upgrade Service enables down-the-wire hardware upgrades after a system's been purchased, providing new levels of platform flexibility to service providers and end users alike. With the purchase of a PC with qualifying CPU and upgradeable chipset, you'll get future-ready flexibility designed to change with your growing needs.

Visit the main web site at: http://www.intel.com/go/intelupgradeservice/   

Currently we have a Level I Manageability Upgrade available which is designed to bring a platform from “Standard Manageability” to “Intel® Active Management Technology (AMT) 5.0”.   

Questions?

What are the minimum system requirements?

Intel® Q45 Express Chipsetbased motherboard with a non-Intel® vPro™ Technology Processor attached. Upgrades will not be supported for platforms based on Intel® Celeron® processors.

Where to buy hardware and/or upgrades?

Click here to learn how to buy hardware and/or upgrades!

Please post any questions/comments to this blog post and we will be happy to assist!

Regards,

CoreySMBPro

All,

Wanted to share a great post by Gael Holmes (Intel) who recently posted in the Intel® vPro™ Expert Center .   See the original post here: http://software.intel.com/en-us/blogs/2009/02/19/intel-amt-what-you-need-to-know-about-solide-r-and-smb/ also a copy provided below...

We recently made available to our Intel AMT Developers the first version of the SCS (Setup and Configuration Server) Lite tool. Eventually this tool will morph into a full blown setup and configuration server that supports all the infrastructure that SCS 5.0 now supports. This "Lite" version, however, is very "Lite" as the name implies. It does not require (or support) SQL database, AD, TLS.  It, instead supports one touch and remote provisioning using the SCS Service, the SCS Console, and the Activator tool. This tool currently provisions an Intel AMT Client in "Enterprise Mode" without TLS.

Many developers, or users, may have been provisioning their systems in what we call SMB (Small to Medium Business) mode manually and then they may decide to try out the new SCS Lite tool and realize suddenly they can no longer do a SOL/IDE-R (Serial Over LAN/IDE-Redirect) operation on the same AMT Client they did this on prior to provisioning with the SCS Lite Tool.

What is going on here is simple. When we provision our AMT systems manually (SMB mode) we enable SOL and IDER options in the MEBx BIOS extentions (otherwise there will be no SOL/IDE-R actions) and the Redirection port gets enabled automatically. This is not the case when provisioning in Enterprise mode (because it is a security issue to enable the port and leave it open.) Software vendors who provision their systems in Enterprise Mode (whether or not they have TLS) know that their software must open the port in order to have a successful SOL/IDER session and then they are expected to close the port when the session is over.

If someone is running a Manageability Application that was designed to work on AMT systems that were provisioned in SMB mode, but now they have been re-provisioned in Enterprise Mode, the Manageability APP may not open the port and so SOL/IDER will not work unless the redirection port is enabled.

This Screen Shot (From the Manageability DTK) shows what is enabled on an AMT Client after provisioning with the SCS Lite, or other Enterprise provisioning tool. Note that "Redirection Port" is Disabled. Simply click on the box next to "Disabled" and this will allow SOL/IDER sessions to occur.

This Screen Shot shows the SOL/IDER settings that occur automatically when the AMT Client is provisioned using SMB Mode - Note that the Redirection Port is automatically enabled and the AMT system is free to perform SOL/IDER sessions.

Note that whether the system is being provisioned in SMB mode or in Enterprise Mode we still must enable SOL and IDER in the MEBx Extensions. If we fail to enable them in the BIOS or in our Profile (for the SCS) then we cannot perform SOL/IDER at all - and this has nothing to do with the enabling or disabling of the Redirection Port.

Moving forward it will be necessary for all Manageability Apps to check the status of the Redirection Port and then open the port prior to initiating the SOL/IDER session (and then close the port when the session is complete.) By putting this flow into your code base, you are covered when communicating with the devices that are configured in either SMB or enterprise mode.

These are the API's of interest in this flow:

• SetEnabledInterfaces - Make sure SOL and IDE-R are set as enabled interfaces
• GetRedirectionListenerState - Gets the current redirection listener status
• SetRedirectionListenerState - Set the redirection listener state to enabled if not already enabled.

Intel® System Defense Utility is an easy to use tool for small and medium businesses to take advantage of valuable proactive security and manageability features of Intel® vPro™ processor technology. Combined with systems built on Intel® Desktop Boards Executive Series, this tool lets you unleash the power of proactive management in your local network.

It enables you to remotely perform security and manageability functions such as setting security policies, BIOS configuration, remote reboot, asset management, event logging, and more.

Click here for a demo!

Intel System Defense Utility may be used with the Intel® Desktop Boards based on:

·       Intel® Q965 Express Chipset

·       Intel® Q45 Express Chipset

·       Intel® Q35 Express Chipset

For more information: http://www.intel.com/design/motherbd/software/isdu/index.htm

As an first MSP in Eastern Europe, I had a dilema which software or solution to use.
I made my decision but still I'm not  sure did I made a good decision.

Before I make my finall decision, I tried couple of software and mostly I'm was looking for a solution that can satisfied all the needs.

I wish to manage vPro platforms and non vPro platforms as well.

Solutions which were more apropriate to vPro platform has a lot of problems with non-vPro machines, SNMP devices etc...

The other one were very good with non-vPro platforms and SNMP devices but were poor with vPro platforms.

Still, I don't have a perfect answer, which solution is the best for MSP bussines and my personal opinion is that combination of few solutions are the only possible winning combination.

Normally, there is no recepies for perfect combination, as well but there is always a "winning" combination for specified situation.

I would be very greatfull if someone share some experiance with me in finding the best combination for MSP bussiness and to find out the best possible way for this kind of bussiness.

From my experiance, vPro is just a "cream of chocolate cake" and lots of "free" software for vPro is only something which should promovate technology in small bussiness companies.

But when we get to some serious bussiness !?!?

Regards,

Sasa Milasinovic

Ever turn on your PC and find out that the NTLDR file is missing? Do not fear, there is a solution! Here is a use case video used with SyAM (System Area Management) to demonstrate how to fix this issue.

There have been many questions around which Intel® boxed products such as Intel® Desktop boards and processors. See below which desktop boards and processors are supported for Intel® vProTM Technology:

Desktop boards supported:

DQ45EK - http://www.intel.com/Products/Desktop/Motherboards/DQ45EK/DQ45EK-overview.htm

DQ45CB - http://www.intel.com/Products/Desktop/Motherboards/DQ45CB/DQ45CB-overview.htm

Processors supported:

Intel® CoreTM2 Quad Processor - http://www.intel.com/products/processor/core2quad/index.htm

Q9650, Q9550, Q9450, Q9400, Q9300

Intel® CoreTM2 Duo Processor - http://www.intel.com/products/processor/core2duo/index.htm

E8600, E8500, E8400, E8300, E8200

For complete list of part numbers – See the following links:

Intel Core2 Quad Processor - http://support.intel.com/support/processors/core2quad/sb/CS-025351.htm

Intel Core2 Duo Processor - http://support.intel.com/support/processors/core2duo/sb/CS-023098.htm

Over the next few posts I would like to describe 3 different scenarios as they apply to the adoption of vPro technology. I will be leveraging 3 categories as it describes to the IT shop (Maintain your baseline, Maximize your potential and Migrate completely to the new technology). These categories also relate directly to the % of vPro machines that are in your IT shop.

First, let’s start with maintaining your baseline. What are the challenges facing the IT shop and support provider of IT services as it relates to the client computers? Manageability and Security of that asset, along with ensuring lower costs for keeping them updated and the highest level of availability as it relates to the usage. However what is missing above is the Energy savings piece of the equation. To date our experience has been that integrating a power management & energy savings profile in your IT environment for vPro machines is an easy way to keep your baseline going and just add one new usage in your environment. I consider this to be maintaining your baseline, but making a small modification to realize benefits. Specifically this means the standard ability with turning Machines off that can reduce the power bills, however it is just a small change in the current IT policies/practices.

Now for the IT shop that is looking to Maximize your potential and have new level’s of service. The opportunity to implement more usages is always possible, for example if you are looking to move beyond the power use case to more of the remote repair to save $$’s in both Tech Time, downtime, productivity of the employees. I would note that the further you look to maximize your potential it will require additional planning, testing and of course effort to do so. I will deep dive deeper into the impact of each additional usage and what you can expect from a change perspective for your IT shop in the coming blogs.

Last case is the Migration path.. full migration of ZERO/Little vPro to all vPro ( here is where it gets fun ).. Must haves are: Good Strategy, Architecture awareness, Manageability/Security Landscape, & Top Pain points. If you have these at your disposal you are in good shape to have immediate value to your migration.

I look forward to deep diving into each of these over the coming weeks.

Josh H

Check out the latest updates to the SMB Activation Cheat Sheet for MSPs. The value and use cases of vPro for MSPs has been added, as well as basic mode (smb mode) configuration guides for various OEM systems.

SMB Activation Cheat Sheet for MSPs