Blog Entry

One of the largest resource killers these days is 'image management'. Over the years we have certainly put ourselves into the corner on this one, and forced us to look at better ways of managing our corporate workstation images. I personally know and have spoken with customers who have completely run out of man hours managing their imaging solution(s). This is unacceptable. The image process really provides no value to the company. CxO's don't care how you get it there, they just want you to get it there fast and effectively, getting users productive quickly.

This is where we come in. I highly suggest that if you are experiencing life on the other side (where you are managing dozens of corporate images bloated with corporate applications) you look a little more closely at our imaging strategies. Modularizing the imaging process involves the creation of a "Universal Image", and delivering Core Business Applications as Addon Images, while handling Line of Business Applications the traditional way, through association.

I also suggest that in order to reduce administration and delivery even further you take a close look at ENGL and the Imaging Toolkit.

In the end you too can have an imaging infrastructure that does the following:

1. Deliver a Universal Image to all workstations regardless of the hardware type.
2. Deliver Core Business Applications (those that everyone is licensed to use) as ZENworks Imaging Addon Images (these images are relatives of Application Objects and their source content).
3. Deliver hardware specific drivers during the imaging process as ZENworks Imaging Addon Images (easily done using ENGL's Imaging Toolkit).
4. Deliver language packs during the imaging process as ZENworks Imaging Addon Images (once again done using ENGL's Imaging Toolkit).
5. Deliver Line of Business Applications after the image has been laid down and the user is logged in.

Using this methodology you should be able to reduce the amount of time it takes to create an image, update it, deliver applications, and the image itself.

If you are doing this, or employing another method... I'd like to hear more.

Post here!!

Cheers.

Mark Schouls
ZENworks Product Manager / Product Evangelist
Novell, Inc.