Wise Package Studio 8.0 Shipped October 29, 2009

Wise Package Studio provides advanced software packaging functionality including creating and customizing packages, virtualizing software, and identifying and remediating issues that prevent software from properly functioning in a customer’s environment.  Major enhancements include support for additional platforms including Windows 7.

Companies moving to Windows 7 will find Wise Package Studio a key tool for successfully migrating legacy applications to the newest Microsoft OS. Utilizing application repackaging in OS migrations means quicker and more reliable rollouts with fewer errors and helpdesk calls.

Custom Inventory Samples

The KB https://kb.altiris.com/article.asp?article=4237&p=1 has been updated and contains some example scripts for NS6 AND NS7.

There are also some Links to other KB’s on how to use the customer inventory

Scheduled tasks Disabled: Danger of installing additional components and hotfixes

In some cases the Altiris Object Host Service ATRShost.exe is not stopped properly and times out at the beginning or at the end of an installation or upgrade. The reason is not know yet (by me). If it happens it will leave the Scheduled tasks DISABLED even after a reboot.

There is a quick way to fix: delete all (NS) scheduled tasks except the NS.Weekly.GUID.

Enable this task and run it. It will recreate all schedules.

To prevent it I open the Task Manager and the services.msc.

If the services is not stopped after a minute or so during install then I kill it.

Symantec Mobile Management 7.0

Symantec Mobile Management 7.0 is a new product built on the Symantec Management Platform 7.0 SP2 that provides rich management capabilities complimentary with the Altiris Client Management Suite. Symantec Mobile Management also integrates with Symantec Endpoint Protection Mobile Edition thereby providing rich management and security from a single console.

Symantec Workspace Profiles 6.1

Symantec Workspace Profiles (SWP) is a new software product from Symantec’s Endpoint Virtualization Group. SWP separates (virtualizes) the user’s personality (user data, settings and policies) from the underlying operating system allowing users to easily roam from device to device, work on two sessions simultaneously, or access their profile in the context of VDI. SWP give you the benefits of Roaming/Mandatory profiles at the speed of local profiles.

SWP works with other Endpoint Virtualization products such as Symantec Workspace Streaming and Symantec Workspace Virtualization. It is sold both standalone and in the Symantec Endpoint Virtualization Suite.

Symantec Workspace Virtualization 6.1 SP1

Symantec Workspace Virtualization (SWV) virtualizes 6.1 SP1 now supports Microsoft Windows 7, improves streaming performance, and is easier to use with Symantec Workspace Profiles (SWP) through the use of the new Profile Exclude.

Emerson to Acquire Avocent (parent company to LANDesk)

On October 6^th, Emerson (EMR) announced an agreement to acquire Avocent in an all cash tender offer of $25/sh (~22% premium to last closing price of $20.52). Avocent provides technology that “simplifies monitoring, managing and problem solving in any size data center.” EMR believes that the business will be complementary to its Network Power segment’s energy management and cooling solutions. The transaction is expected to close around January 1, 2010.

Symantec Deepsight screensaver

http://www.symantec.com/business/theme.jsp?themeid=deepsight-screensaver

Inventory and Throttling

Inventory is a disk and can be a CPU intensive task and this has nothing to do with full or differential Inventory, both scan the complete disk (is no extra exclusions are made)

There there are some techniques to take off the load.

CPU throttling

For software/file inventory task you can choose between Low, Normal, High and Very High priority under “Set inventory process priority” (Run Options tab of Advanced settings). Priorities correspond to the following settings (“nice” options for UNIX/Linux/Mac):

Priority	Windows	Linux	Unix	Macintosh
Low	25%	10	30	10
Normal	50%	0	20	0
High	75%	-10	10	-10
Very High	100%	-20	0	-20

This can be overridden (Windows only) using the “Override inventory process priority” option

If you select to override a good comparison for Windows would be :

Priority	Files	Wait for (ms)
Low	150	60
Normal	250	50
High	350	40
Very High	450	20

Bandwidth Throttling or Fuzzy Logic (Windows Only)

The AeXRunContol does no longer exist, but there is a setting called “Evenly distribute sending inventory over X hours” (aka fuzzy logic). It is located on Run Options tab of Advanced settings.

How to clone a VDI for Sun VirtualBox using Mac

1) Shut down the virtual machine you would like to copy
2) In File > Virtualdiskmanager, select the virtual machine disk image you would like to copy, and press the Release button
3) In a terminal window, issue following command (see virtualbox user manual):
vboxmanage clonevdi /directory/image1.vdi /directory/image2.vdi
4) In File > Virtualdiskmanager, add the new disk image you've created in step 3.
5) In the main virtualbox window, press the New button to create a new virtual machine, and link it to the new disk image you've created.

Ref : Here