Features
IntervalZero Device Edition is part of a suite of software-streaming solutions that are changing the device, desktop and server-management environments. Software streaming is a new technology management technique that enables cost reductions and productivity gains by giving IT management centralized control of the operating system (OS) and applications, and by providing devices with better overall speed, flexibility and dependability.
Specifically, in a software-streaming model there is a central repository of “golden” operating system and application images under IT control that contain the configuration required to support various business uses or functions (e.g. Middle-Management Configuration, Point of Care/Sale, Engineering, Marketing, Accounting) that a computer might perform. When the computer is powered up and the boot sequence is initiated, IntervalZero Device Edition simply streams the required image – pre-assigned via an administrative dashboard – to each device from a central pool of images. Each device starts running in the assigned configuration immediately – no waiting to download the entire OS. A given device could take on a personality such as a self-service kiosk in a store and upon reboot could be assigned a different configuration – point of sale for example – and be used during peak periods.
With IntervalZero Device Edition, the OS and associated applications are delivered to each device via software streaming. This is similar to video streaming in that rather than downloading the whole OS to each device, the software-streaming approach sends just enough of the software so that each device can begin to execute. As the system requires more libraries, those elements are delivered as needed, on-demand. Importantly, IntervalZero Device Edition is a software-only solution and can fit into existing hardware infrastructures.
Architecture
IntervalZero's primary value is that it replaces the traditional software-distribution, provisioning, configuration and management model – which assumes a full copy of the operating system will be loaded to each client – with a breakthrough model that delivers the OS by streaming rather than copying.
Streaming rather than copying creates opportunities to streamline IT operations without impacting existing IT infrastructure. Simply put, an OS-streaming solution offers the flexibility to function in both your existing and future architectures. Fundamentally, the IntervalZero solution requires only a small-footprint server to provide the streaming services to dozens and even hundreds of devices. Best of all it can just plug onto an existing network.
IntervalZero can support countless configurations but below are three sample configurations that give a sense of the scope of the capabilities found in the IntervalZero software-streaming solution.