Thread: vPro and Centrino Pro

Just over a year has passed since the official announcing Intel vPro technology to facilitate business PC users. Since April last year, the business platform vPro desktop acquired a number of modifications to a certain extent than just talk about the development of technology, but also the future generations and indeed, during this time appeared analogue vPro for mobile PCs, Intel Centrino Pro. In our news reportage and technology publications, we are closely following the development stage of the Intel business, but sooner or later there comes a critical moment. The backlog of information which requires an orderly presentation in a unified article. Today's material was conceived precisely with the aim of the study collectively. Perhaps, in presenting the characteristics of some technologies is not sufficient mechanism described in detail the performance of individual components, but, reading material to the end, you will find answers to the main questions: Why all this thought, and realized how both works in practice.
First and foremost is to identify issues and problems giving rise to the emergence of technology and Intel vPro Centrino Pro. Among them, first of all PCs called inadequate security at the hardware level, in some cases leading to the instantaneous dissemination of viruses on a global scale. Another major problem is increasing productivity and reliability of modern PCs, the possibility of a sustainable independent of the system to different applications.

As an additional value issue for any business structure - efficiency of the IT staff on duty who have to upgrade, diagnose, repair and maintenance of all systems business. Sometimes it takes oodles of time and always - a lot of money on ineffective manual labour, the workers had to wait for the enterprise for their turn and then failing to address the problems pending plus, still leaves unresolved security issues, including the protection of critical information at lost or replacement computer.

That is, incidentally, a little nabolevshemu statistics on the matter: last year, an independent research company Coleman Parkes conducted a poll to order Intel IT leaders of a number of countries, including the CIS. Approximately 66% of directors among the critical issues the companies named managing IT infrastructure and improving information security; 50% - consolidation of IT assets; 47% - the integration of multiple IT systems into a single corporate solution. Each second-IT Director noted the lack of tools for IT-focused and systematic approach to tackle its problems, 43% of heads of IT services complained of the absence of the possibility of remote updating systems, and 40% - the difficulties in managing a corporate network and ensuring its smooth operation of a sound in the absence of additional funding. As technologies that directors would like to see in their arsenal, were listed VoIP (34%), as well as tools to work together (30%), remote management of IT infrastructure (26%) and virtualization (10%).

Data research company Garther and does boggle the mind: on average, IT professionals enterprises spend approximately 91% of their time on maintenance systems in working order, and only 9% of their time is spent on improving the system and to give them new qualities!

As you can see, the above issues are not stories, the need to implement an integrated platform for the business came long ago. Eventually, manual labour long ago eliminated from most areas of human activity, it is high time to put an end to it and in the IT industry - where possible.

Desktop PCs with Intel vPro technology, as well as mobile PCs based on Intel Centrino Pro technology designed to remove the problem of the enterprises listed above, along deciding many other important issues of IT companies in the area of manageability and security.

Among the possibilities offered by a PC with support for Intel vPro, with the go can be called an inventory of all the PC companies, even switched off, broken, the "murdered" operating system. At that contain data on the software. Dat-on versions of the files and data on the hardware - settings and BIOS manufacturer's name, model fees, guarantees of disks, memory, expansion cards, etc. However, it allows a diagnosis and find out what systems need to upgrade, repair, improve safety or other services.

Most probably, the most important of these innovations - the possibility of remote diagnosis and correct problems, irrespective of whether the PC, and whether the operating system is loaded. Just as the decline in the number of visits of experts jobs users and increases their return.

Implementing security at the hardware level, in order to protect the system through the three-layered defense by filtering external and internal traffic at the level of network equipment, virtualization, continuous checks for the presence of malicious software, and more.

Hardware base PC technology-based Intel vPro includes modern processors with Intel Core architecture, supporting technologies optimize the management of Intel Active Management Technology (iAMT), the second-generation virtualization Intel Virtualization Technology (iVT). NEWS this set together with a number of other components optimized for energy consumption, is ready to work with Windows Vista, and has significant productivity while lowering operating costs.
All these capabilities are also available in the new, Intel announced in April Intel Centrino Pro technology for laptops. The whole complex tasks IT departments of companies now decide how to desktop, as well as for mobile PCs. In fact, the technology Centrino Pro combines the functionality of vPro together with the possibility of Intel Centrino mobile PCs. Thus, along with vPro capabilities for managing network connected to a laptop and desktop PCs, regardless of the power system and good managers will be able to manage Centrino Pro laptop and protect them through a wireless network standard Wi-Fi with the help of special software.



Technology Centrino Pro will be implemented as part of the new Intel mobile platforms with a new generation dubbed Santa Rosa, which includes dual-processor Intel Core 2 Duo, Q35 chipsets with support for virtualization technologies Intel AMT, Intel Trusted Execution Technology (LaGrande) specifications DMWG 1.0 and WS - Man; wireless adapters Intel Next-Gen Wireless-N to support 802.11n, improved graphics interface with support for Aero operating system Windows Vista and additional Intel Turbo Memory module to increase the speed of the launch frequently used applications and the operating system.

From the general characteristics proceed to a more detailed descriptions of technologies, components and vPro Centrino Pro. "The central figure of" those platforms - technology to optimize the management Intel Active Management - iAMT, integrated in the platform at the hardware level, and allows you to manage computers and to ensure their safety, regardless of the operating system efficiency, in the case of blockage failure, the inability to boot from the hard disk, and even power.

For remote management optimization tasks required two components Intel AMT - communication channel interaction with remote console and nonvolatile memory for the safe storage of information on third-party applications vendors. In iAMT technology is an additional network port and autonomous power source for monitoring network traffic in the background to detect suspicious programs.
PC technology with Intel vPro technology support Trusted Platform Module 1.2, which allows the hardware to encrypt data, which substantially increases the level of information security. The function of data encryption on hard disks Windows BitLocker Hard Drive Encryption in combination with hardware is protecting critical information from unauthorized access in the event of loss, theft or replacement PC.

Embedded remote control can reduce the number of visits by the IT staff through remote boot means IDE interface-R, continuous registration, constantly accessible information on the assets, at the redirection of remote console through protocol Serial over LAN (SOL) and on the testimony Alerts sensor hardware platforms, denials of equipment, operating systems and failed loading platform.


In addition to a textbook example of the use of virtualization technology to run multiple PC operating systems on a single PC, specialists can provide support to users, and Windows XP, and Linux. Software developers will not prevent escorting two versions of applications for the same operating system. Also, the transition to a new operating environment may be accompanied by a need to preserve the old version and the old and new applications. Virtualization allows you to isolate a portion of the resources managed by the PC to update systems or maintenance without interrupting the work of end-users.

Additionally worth emphasizing that the third-party applications may also use the funds virtualization based Intel components. For example, third-party manufacturers integrate VMM lightweight, embedded operating system, application, and Intel - driver virtual network interface cards. Standard memory, storage devices and supports graphics cards with the use of virtualization technology, a PC with support vPro / Centrino Pro can also use ready operating systems and applications without special preferences.