VHD CMS Professional™

VHD CMS Professional™ is an advanced virtual hard disk solution for delivering standard images — OS and Application stacks — on-demand to computers in environments such as school classrooms, libraries and internet cafés. A single image can be centrally configured, managed and streamed to any number of diskless computers; eliminating client software maintenance visits, reducing costs and simplifying management.

Overview

VHD CMS Professional™ edition uses Machine-Based Management to provide each individual computer with a unique boot Menu. The user can choose a Menu Item from this dynamic Menu Delivery — which replaces legacy static booting from local-disk.

What is Machine-Based Management?

For your understanding, we use the following architecture diagram as an example. There are three diskless client computers and a VHD Server. The worksations connect on boot, using PXE to the VHD Server. Each computer has their individual Menu with several Menu Items (Menu Item 1, Menu Item 2, Menu Item 3...) containing various Virtual Hard Disk combinations. The VHD server contains six virtual hard disks — two containing OSs; two containing common programs; and two for specific computers.

When the computer with MAC address 11.11.11.11.11.11 boots up, the user will see a Menu with three selectable Menu Items. Menu Item 1 combines 1.vhd (containing Windows XP), and 3.vhd (which contains a set of applications Programs 1). If the user boots Menu Item 1 they would get a Windows XP boot and see this as their C:, and have a D: containing Programs 1. Menu Item 2 combines 2.vhd (Windows Vista) and 3.vhd (which contains a set of applications Programs 1) and therefore this selection would be a Windows Vista boot, but with the same D: as before (containing 3.vhd, Programs1).

A single vhd can be streamed to several client computers simultaneously and provide a consistent and determined view to all of the computers. Internally a write cache is provided for each computer and any write access is stored on this cache, therefore guaranteeing the provision of an independent operating environment for each computer. If the vhd is set to Refreshed Mode then the Cache is Volatile and disappears when next reboots. If the vhd is set to Persistent Mode then the Cache is Persistent and is kept event when the computer is rebooted.

Benefits

• Simple IT Management



By using a virtual hard disk solution you can eliminate all software maintenance visits your client computers with the knowledge of consistency across all computers.

• Lower Maintenance



Updates, patches and changes can be administered once —to the image on the server—and then deployed instantly to the client computers in the time it takes them to re-boot.

• Ready Access



The system is "ready access" because adding new computers to the system is as simple as connecting them to the network — no individual installations or setup required.

Features

• Ready Access

Adding a new computer to the system is as simple as adding it to the network. Once the computer is able to network boot and has been assigned a menu list on the server – the computer is ready for use. No installations and no setups required on the new computer!


• Always Ready

Once a user has finished with the computer they can simply shutdown. When the next user boots up the computer they are streamed an entirely fresh image — the system is always ready.


• Multi-Server Load Balancing

Using multi-server load balancing, efficient use of the I/O server can be made. At boot time the client computer is assigned an I/O server according to the current load. In the case of an I/O server failure, the client can be connected to one of the remaining active I/O servers – with a simple reboot of the computer!

More: How to Buy | Full Benefits and Features