IGEL Universal Management Suite 4
Intelligent and standardized management of physical and logical thin clientsInnovative solutions such as the IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS) refl ect the top priorities in operating today’s thin clients: fast deployment, easy operation, standardization, scalability, reliability and security. The IGEL Universal Management Suite 4 (UMS 4) supports all currently popular technology standards, thin client designs (form factors) and even PCs and nettops converted to logical thin clients. This means that the UMS 4 allows physical desktop environments, even those with mixed hardware, to be remotely managed in a standardized, consistent manner – including the settings for all the software tools and clients contained in the local device fi rmware.
Leading the Way in Open-Solution Expertise
As a leading thin client specialist, IGEL considers convenient thin client management to be a key factor in implementing IT concepts involving remote computing, virtual desktops and cloud comput-ing. For this reason, IGEL includes its Universal Management Suite free of charge along with its thin client hardware and software. To support future-readiness, the IGEL Universal Management Suite is platform independent; it runs on all server operating systems currently available from Microsoft and Linux. In order to leverage existing synergies, it also supports directory services such as Mi-crosoft Active Directory. Furthermore, the universal design of this IGEL management solution is emphasized by its very structure: Its Java-based Universal Management user interface serves as a remote management console and permits system management extending to each and every end-user device by means of Java Runtime Environment. This is supported by one or more Universal Management servers. These servers, in turn, access one or more confi guration and profi le databases. In fact,
they can also access already existing data-bases on other platforms, including Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server 2008/2008 R2, Post-greSQL and Apache Derby 10. By separat-ing the UMS into three parts – the console, the server(s) and database(s) – IGEL is able to ensure high data integrity within its so-lution and, in doing so, to provide a stable, reliable basis for further processing and use of this data.
Effi cient Remote Management
Increased use of centralized management yields greater savings in operating thin client environments. A key requirement of modern management solutions is the capability to perform smooth, seamless remote confi guration of all the fi rmware components installed on thin clients. For instance, when it comes to its LX model series, IGEL has fully achieved this goal. In addition, IGEL
thin clients running Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 7 and Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 2009 can also be remotely managed very comprehensively and conveniently. This ability not only concerns the most common settings, such as for Citrix ICA, Microsoft RDP and browser sessions but also applies to other features such as the VMware View client, integrated media players or security solutions such as smartcard authentication or VPN Client. In fact, even an integrated VoIP client is supported. For larger, distributed infrastructures, criteria such as scalability and allowing access from all locations are particularly important. The IGEL Universal Management Suite allows an unlimited amount of end-user devices to be managed. Shadowing of individual thin client interfaces during user sessions, such as when providing real-time remote support from a help desk, is also possible on local devices by means of the IGEL VNC Viewer.
Easy Operation and Automation
IGEL ensures the high availability and reliability of its management solution by providing a very easily used and clearly designed interface that readily enables intuitive operation. The installation and confi guration of the management software is guided by a setup wizard. This whole process takes only about 20 minutes to complete, including the installation of databases. The GUI for the management console almost completely matches the actual confi guration dialogs at the thin clients themselves. This means that special software training is usually unnecessary. In addition, there are many practical automation features and planning functions that help to cut operating costs. For instance, the following processes can be scheduled to occur at specifi c times:
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switching devices on and off (Wake-on-LAN or Shutdown on-(Wake-on-LAN), restarting of devices and automated installing of updates. Another helpful automated function is asset management. With it, the UMS can detect and acquire all hardware information, licensed features and installed hot fi xes and have this data available for export.
Updates:
Lean and Fail-Safe Processes
For distributed organizations with a large
network of branch offi ces, stores and
other external locations, IGEL offers effi cient update mechanisms that are particularly helpful in conserving the capacity of narrow-bandwidth connections. For instance, with the “buddy update” method an individual IGEL LX thin client at a branch location is updated fi rst. This master thin client then functions as an ad hoc update server for the other thin clients on the local LAN. This means that new fi rmware packages only have to be transmitted once to that location. By using the “partial update” process, IGEL thin clients running Windows Embedded Standard 2009 or Windows Embedded Standard 7 can be provided with only the latest/revised parts of the whole fi rmware package. In short, this means that the need to update an individual protocol client does not also make it necessary to transmit the entire fi rmware package over the network.
Furthermore, IGEL’s fail-safe update mechanism ensures smooth, reliable and error-free updates of thin client fi rmware. Should an update process be interrupted, such as by a power failure or a dropped network connection, the devices concerned will still continue to function properly. The update process is automatically continued and completed the next time the affected devices are started.
Profi le-Based Management
User management is considered to be a key factor in assessing the effi ciency of thin client management software. IGEL also handles this task with its own, internally developed management solution. With it, setting profi les can be easily defi ned and then readily assigned to thin clients by drag-and-drop. It also means that system management can quickly and easily follow individual employees as they move from one department to another. Furthermore, a helpful import/export function permits time-tested, proven-effective confi gurations to be sent to other offi ces or networks (either individually or in groups) in order to be used as models or templates in the new environment. This feature helps to keep confi guration times down to a minimum. Another advantage
of IGEL’s management solution is that it allows access rights to be assigned to system managers. This distinguishing feature is what makes IGEL’s management solution stand out from other ones because it helps larger organizations to create different system management levels with associated access rights. For instance, different sets of access rights for different user groups such as trainees or help-desk staff can be created, stored and managed in the Active Directory.
Setting Up Multi-User Scenarios
For those companies that need to have several different user profi les applying to each thin client, IGEL offers the Shared Workplace feature in its fi rmware. This is particularly useful for shift work and in call centers, where several employees share the same workstation and have different user requirements, which may include different default language or mouse-button settings and the like. Another possible application is in roaming environments, where users frequently switch IT workstations, such as in hospitals, at service/ticket counters, checkouts (POS) and customer-reception areas. The Shared Workplace feature, which can be optionally licensed, is an enhancement of IGEL’s thin client software. It allows user-dependent confi gurations based on setting profi les to be created in the IGEL UMS and linked to the user accounts in the Active Directory. After a user has logged on, a Shared Workplace thin client automatically receives the appropriate confi guration for that user from the UMS server, which itself retrieves it from the UMS database of individual and group profi les. These profi les can be readily assigned to their users in the IGEL Universal Management console simply by drag-and-drop. To provide the greatest-possible fl exibility and cost effi ciency, the IGEL 4.0 also permits management of mixed environments consisting of Shared Workplace thin clients and regular ones. In environments with a larger number of Shared Workplace workstations, IGEL recommends concurrent use of the new High Availability UMS extension.
A screenshot of managed thin clients, each with their respective settings and assigned profiles
Highly Available Management
High availability of thin client management is provided by the “High Availability” UMS Extension, which is optionally deployable at extra cost. This program extension, available starting with the IGEL UMS 4.0, is intended to address the needs of large thin client environments in which new settings need to be rolled out to more than 500 thin clients at once or in which the fail-safe rollout of new settings is mission-critical for the organization concerned. The technical implementation is based on a network of several UMS management servers. An upstream UMS Load Balancer handles load distribution. This method ensures that every thin client can get new settings at any time, even at the start of a workday shift when several thousand devices may essentially be simultaneously logging on to the UMS Server over LANs, WLANs and WANs and searching for new confi guration profi les or fi rmware updates. To ensure maximum process reliability and high availability, IGEL also recommends that the UMS Load Balancer and UMS database be redundantly deployed.
Security and Data Protection
At IGEL, the communication between remote management servers and thin clients is certifi cate-based and SSL-encrypted in order to protect the system against unauthorized or inadvertent, unintentional reconfi guration of the local devices. When a thin client fi rst logs on to the UMS server, the certifi cate is exchanged between both instances. To ensure that remote management is not limited by location, SSL communication by means of HTTP and FTP does not require any reconfi guration of routers and fi rewalls. The profi les and settings stored in the UMS database can be backed up by means of a function that exports them in XML format.
Minimized Rollout Times
The costs involved in deploying server-based computing are directly related to the effi ciency of the system rollout. In fact, companies in certain sectors (such as logistics service providers) or rapidly expanding companies consider this variable to even be a mission-critical factor. In these cases, any unproductive, “off-line” conversion time for a workstation normally used around the clock must only take a few minutes to complete. To meet this need, it’s possible to already preconfi gure the new thin clients even before they make their fi rst contact with the network in which they will be used. This can even be done before the devices are actually physically available, as IGEL thin clients can be pre-assigned to a given group either based on their respective subnet or by means of a list of MAC addresses provided in advance by IGEL. Once this prep work has been done, the actual rollouts only involve physically connecting the thin clients and switching them on. After this process has been completed, the workstations are immediately available for use with their predefi ned settings.
Continuous Improvement
Right now, IGEL offers one of the leading and best management solutions available in the thin client sector. This solution is standardized across all its models and provides a well-balanced combination of high-level functionality, high effi ciency and intuitive user friendliness. Just like the new software clients, tools and protocols that IGEL continuously improves based on its practical experiences with customers, so too is the IGEL Universal Management Suite continuously optimized, extended and then provided free of charge as a standard feature. In this way, when it comes to system management, IGEL offers its customers outstanding inherent future readiness and a faster return on their
UMS LOAD BALANCER (REDUNDANT) UMS DATABASE
UMS SERVER 1
UMS SERVER 2
UMS SERVER 3
5/6 aWhether it is server-based computing, virtual desktops or cloud computing – IGEL’s Universal Desktops
work well together with the greatest variety of centralized IT infrastructures. In particular, their powerful hardware and excellent graphics performance, along with continuously developed firmware, provide future-readiness that safeguards this major investment. Thanks to different device designs, operating systems, alternative firmware features (tools, clients and protocols) and a wide range of hardware options, the selection of a suitable model can be tailored to meet the exact needs of the installation and ensure cost efficiency. Other but no less important considerations are that IGEL Universal Desktops use minimal energy, have long service lives and come standard with the IGEL Universal Management Suite, a proprietary remote management solution.
IGEL’S UNIVERSAL DESKTOP CONCEPT
aIGEL Universal Desktops can be integrated into a vast variety of peripheral-device environments. That is because several USB ports, audio inputs/outputs as well as at least one DVI-I interface all come as standard equipment. With an optional “Y” video cable, all models can even accommodate dualview monitor setups. They also support widescreen formats. Beyond all this, IGEL offers USB serial or parallel adapters, optional mounting bases, integrated smartcard readers and supports external security solutions. The optional bases with their WLAN capability and/or an additional integral serial or parallel port greatly enhance system connectivity. To conserve desktop space, VESA monitor mounting systems are available along with rubber bases allowing horizontal positioning of thin clients for an even smaller device footprint.
FULL SUPPORT OF PERIPHERALS
Front: 2x USB 2.0. USB 2.0 RJ45 Ethernet PS/2 Keyboard Display Port DVI-I Monitor Power PCIe Slot mic in line-out Serial Ports
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