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Intel® vPro™ Technology
Preface
Richard Bowles, Publisher
David King, Managing Editor
The wide variety of uses of Intel® vPro™ technology is the scope of this Intel Technology Journal (Vol. 12, Issue 4). Content architect for this issue is John Vicente and he has assembled an excellent sampling of the ways that Intel vPro technology can be deployed to maintain system and data security, to improve manageability, and to support emerging compute models.
Security
The Journal begins with a thorough explanation of the security mechanisms built into the firmware, memory, and chipsets that are components of Intel vPro technology.
This cluster of technologies ensures that Intel's manageability framework is robust to attacks and that only authorized users can access the functions through local or remote management features.
A second article looks at the shifting requirements for the protection of data. In particular, the author explains and evaluates different ways to protect data at rest. Encryption provides the foundation, but should encryption be undertaken by software running on a client machine, by the chipset surrounding the processor, or by technology embedded in the storage device?
Manageability
"Innovating Above and Beyond Standards" is a rich article that puts the evolution of improved system management into an historical context. The authors point out that there is a natural tension between innovation and standardization and, at the same time, the two can and should coexist. The article provides a historical roadmap of related manageability standards and explains their association to current components of Intel® Active Management Technology (Intel® AMT).
While Intel vPro technology is built in, "Configuring Intel Active Management Technology" enumerates the steps in the installation process and shows the ways in which functions and features can be setup and customized to specific user and IT organization needs.
Three additional articles put Intel vPro technology to work. One explores remote repair capabilities, another looks at managing mobile power consumption, and a third examines the use of Intel vPro technology for reducing power consumption.
Emerging compute models and innovative uses
"Building Robust, Dynamic Virtual Clients" provides an introduction to client virtualization. The authors provide an overview of emerging virtual computing usages, associated challenges, and a synopsis of key capabilities to support Dynamic Virtual Client (DVC) computing. They go on to describe the next steps in the maturing of DVC technologies.
The streaming client compute model is the topic of the next article. In this model, operating systems, data storage, and application execution occur on a server and the results are streamed to client systems. The objective is to gain the manageability and business continuity advantages while maintaining the flexibility and mobility of personal computers.
Technology developed for one class of purposes can often be put to other uses. The final article in this Journal demonstrates how innovative software can extend the functionality of Intel vPro technology in a variety of directions. Creating virtual serial ports and virtual storage drives are two examples.
We hope you enjoy this issue of the Intel Technology Journal.