Activation Blog

6 Posts tagged with the enterprise tag
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Intel® AMT Reflector is a software tool designed to allow local management of Intel® AMT Mangement Engine functionality from the local operating system. Removing the need to reboot to verify and change the Intel® AMT host computer name or un-provision Intel® AMT on the computer. This functionality improves debug and factory operations in activating and building Intel® AMT based client environments. This release completes DOPD SW Engineering's original functionality plan for the tool and is therefore marked as a production level release.

This release has the following updates from the Beta release:

· Added a timestamp to Intel® AMT events in the logs generated by the client-side applications.
· Fixed the XML logfile format so that it will be properly recognized by external applications that support the XML file format.
· Fixed the issue where some commands may not succeed on the first call for some Intel(R) AMT systems.
· Fixed the "Browse" button functionality in the Intel(R) AMT Reflector Server configuration window.
· The Intel® AMT Reflector Server now logs the client FQDN for each event.
· Removed the View Log window from the Intel® AMT Reflector Client application.
· Improved the error handling of the Intel® AMT Reflector Client application.

Download the tool here

Here's a 5 minute video overview of the tool's capabilities (Click here to view video on YouTube) :

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Wondering about the different types of provisioning models? A new matrix was just published that defines the three provisioning models: Basic, Standard, and Advanced.

This naming convention replaces the terms SMB and Enterprise modes. Why? SMB was confusing because it refers to Small-Medium Business - when in actuality, there are enterprise-sized companies that have activated in SMB/Basic mode and SMB-sized companies that have activated in Enterprise/Standard/Advanced mode. :-)

Check it out: Understanding Provisioning Models - Basic, Standard, & Advanced

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http://communities.intel.com/openport/servlet/JiveServlet/downloadImage/102-1430-3-1288/UKPU.jpg

The USB Key Provisioning Utility (UKPU) tool is designed to create a valid USB key for provisioning Intel® AMT Systems. The UKPU tool prepares a USB Flash drive, copies the requested setup.bin to the drive, and also verifies that the setup.bin is saved using the proper procedures necessary to ensure that it is detected by Intel® AMT.

The tool has a 'repair' mode that allows you to take an existing USB Key and reconstruct it to ensure the setup.bin is visible to Intel® AMT. In addition, you can set up a USB Key using any renamed setup.bin file on your computer, and the tool will automatically ensure it is renamed to 'setup.bin' when setting up the key.

Here's a 3 minute video overview of the tool's capabilities (Click here to view video on YouTube):

Both binary only & open source licensed source versions available at the download site.

DOPD SW Engineering Team

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Today we offer the USB Key Provisioning Utility (UKPU) focused on one-touch provisioning and the Intel® AMT Reflector which offers a unique implimentation allowing an Intel® AMT client to access/manage some Intel® AMT functionality locally via the OS without entering the management engine directly (usually via BIOS).

Click here to learn more about Intel® AMT Reflector or here to download directly. ARC.JPG

Click here to learn more about USB Key Provisioning Utility (UKPU) or here to download it directly. UKPU.jpg

Tell us what you think!
DOPD SW Engineering Team

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Available for download and use is the SCS Setup Wizard, a tool designed to automate the installation of the Intel® Setup and Configuration Service (SCS) along with the third party pre-requisite components automatically. This is a pre-release alpha level project that will be updated soon. It requires a fresh install of Windows Server 2003 and un-provisioned Intel® AMT clients.

Background -

The Intel Setup and Configuration Service for Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT) is a free toolset that simplifies the preparation of hardware that supports Intel AMT for remote administration.

Intel SCS automates the process of populating Intel AMT managed platforms with the usernames, passwords, and network parameters that enable the platforms to be administered remotely.

The automation of these activates provide an efficient means of implementing Intel AMT hardware for enterprise customers.

The Intel SCS service works with other services in order to provide a secure setup and configuration infrastructure for Intel AMT devices.

To successfully take advantage of the functionality that the Intel SCS service can provide, all of the other needed services must be correctly installed and configured. These services include:

  • Microsoft SQL* Server
  • Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0
  • Microsoft Certificate Authority
  • Active Directory

Installing and configuring all of the services needed to utilize the Intel SCS can take an experienced user 2+ hours to complete. Using the automation provided by the SCS Setup Wizard, this process can take less than 30 minutes.

SCS setup Wizard Performs the following functions -
  • Install/configure MS SQL Server 2005 Express* Edition and MS SQL Server Management Studio Express
  • Install/configure Internet Information Services (IIS) 6.0
  • Install/configure MS Certificate Authority*
  • Install/configure Active Directory Services
  • Install certificate for IIS
  • Install certificate for Intel AMT Client
  • Install/configure Intel SCS service

Download here:
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/detail_desc.aspx?ProductID=2557&DwnldID=15532&agr=N

DOPD Software Engineering Team

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Define Activation...

Posted by Dave McCray Feb 25, 2008

Depending on your companies requirements (i.e. security, infrastructure, biz process) Activation can mean many things. If your security requirements are such Activation can simply mean enabling AMT in the BIOS in SMB mode. If your requirements are more stringent it can mean enabling AMT to prepare for Remote Configuration (Zero Touch), or, if you are still doing it the "old" way, then you are either manually (YUKE!) applying the PID/PPS combo or using the USB methodology. Great, but is this Activation? What about the other pieces to the device lifecycle i.e. break/fix, reuse, EOL where you have to manage the certificate? Intel IT, along with help from our friends in other Intel orgs are developing a programmatic script to aid in managing the systems as they move through the lifecycle. But is this Activation? How about how you use AMT? What business processes need to be changed to gain the full benefit of the cost savings from AMT?

Activation, as defined by Webster's Dictionary, is to make active or more active, or to set up or formally institute with the necessary personnel and equipment. What this means to AMT is that you need to map out all aspects of the full use of AMT but measure it based on each step of the way to get a clear picture of where you are. In other words, define your total market (system in the environment that are AMT capable); how many have AMT enabled in the BIOS (in prep for RC); how many are fully provisioned; how far have you tested your full lifecycle; do you have your console strategy in place; how have you defined your use cases; are you using it? Each step is making AMT more active. How far have you gone? How do you define Activation?

Note: As the Intel IT and product groups validate the new provisioing script we will post additional information. It effectively removes the ambiguity in provisioing lifecycle; managing from intial provision to break / fix. More to come.

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