System administrators are increasingly struggling with the management of a complex and numerous machine park, to which they guarantee re important updates to both the operating system and security that ensure proper functioning. Thanks to the technologies implemented in the processors of the AMD PRO family, it is possible to manage the administration of the systems in In-Band mode with the system running, or Out-of-Band with the system off, benefiting from full compatibility with the open market standards. . In this analysis by Dan Ivanciw (Sr. Manager, Technology Enablement Group) and Chris Stoecker (Field Applications Engineer) of AMD we explain how this happens with AMD PRO platforms and with what advantages for system administrators.

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Distribute e to manage a fleet of systems with AMD Ryzen processors ?? PRO helps IT to streamline and speed up operations that would otherwise be complicated and demanding. All of AMD’s PRO processors are designed to offer a powerful set of management features that simplify deployment, imaging and management at scale . Furthermore, thanks to the compatibility with your current infrastructure, IT staff does not need to learn the use of yet another new tool and can immediately guarantee maximum efficiency.

The challenge: more results with less effort

In today’s business and production environments, it is clear how much it is necessary to have an efficient solution for managing PCs . IT teams must build, manage and secure networks that keep pace with ever-growing staff and devices. Unfortunately, due to pressing cost control policies, despite the increase and complexity of workloads, IT staff are not getting the additional resources they need.

This means that new ways of managing the entire hardware lifecycle need to be found . Systems need to be imaged, provisioned, and deployed, then ensure systems are up to date for firmware, applications, antivirus, and other security patches. As the devices are used, IT also needs to make sure they are able to track asset inventory and the proper functioning of the system. All of these activities are complicated enough to manage on one site. Different locations and remote workers can quickly increase the scope of engagement, and when a problem arises, everyone expects it to be resolved promptly.

The solution: client management at scale

clients enable IT organizations to scale their ability to control, monitor and protect distributed devices. Whether it’s managing PCs, laptops, tablets, thin clients or even smartphones, IT staff need solutions that reduce the work required through automated and integrated tools that are simple to use and scale . In this way, technical teams can help their organizations increase device productivity without increasing costs, allowing IT to invest their valuable time on the most important strategic tasks.

Basic management concepts

The basic elements of a solution management are:

• A management console that IT administrators use to monitor and manage client devices.
• One or more agent processes running on managed client systems.
• A central repository for storage of information and reporting of managed clients.

In-Band or Out-of-Band ?

These solutions are divided into two categories: In-Band (IB) and Out-of-Band (OOB).

In the In-Band management, the PC client must be turned on , with a working operating system (OS) and a connection to the company network.

In Out-of-Band management solutions, the PC does not necessarily have to be switched on and the presence of a functioning OS is not required, but it must still be accessible via the network corporate. This allows you to perform basic management tasks, even if the OS does not boot properly or the system is shut down or in suspend or hibernation state.

Effective IB management solutions, which rely on software running on the OS, are perhaps the most important management tools for desktop and mobile client systems. Many organizations already rely on IB client management solutions such as Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), Microsoft Endpoint Manager (MEM), or other similar solutions. These are hardware independent products that allow you to manage AMD or Intel systems with a single solution.

in the best way: In-Band technology

To reduce costs and time, IT organizations need to focus on effective IB management of client systems . Using existing IB management tools and implementing best practices when the client is active with the OS running can lead to operational savings.

Once the organization Adopting a strong IB management foundation, IT can start reaping the benefits by enabling clients that support essential OOB management capabilities. While IB solutions cater for most routine daily tasks, it may sometimes be necessary to manage a system that is shut down or with an OS unavailable. Switch to Out-of-Band technology

In these cases, OOB management proves essential. OOB client management technology allows you to remotely monitor and manage client systems , using an OS-independent hardware-based OOB communication channel that offers the following functionality:

• Remote on / off control
• Accelerated and automated security updates and virus patches
• Remote diagnostic activities
• Inventory of resources

This way IT can achieve greater results with less effort by managing a growing network of devices without increasing costs or personnel.

The benefits of AMD PRO management, at a glance:

AMD PRO management unites i advantages of IB and OOB management in a single solution that allows IT organizations to manage their PC fleet.

AMD Ryzen processors ?? PRO with AMD PRO management are compatible with the DASH standard (Desktop and mobile Architecture for System Hardware). DASH is an open and interoperable web-based management standard for desktop and mobile client systems, enabling secure remote and OOB management in distributed and multi-vendor enterprise environments.

AMD management PRO, integrated with the popular In-Band SCCE and MEM consoles, allows IT organizations to use a single console for IB and OOB management, simplifying the support infrastructure and tooling requirements needed to manage DASH systems.

The power of IB management, combined with an OOB DASH management independent of industry standard platforms and vendors, allows you to greatly simplify IT activity . You no longer need to worry about keeping systems running for out of hours patching. DASH allows you to accelerate patch saturation by powering up all systems before deploying a critical patch. Finally, once all the patches have been applied, the systems can be shut down to save energy. All these activities are carried out through a single console for all DASH systems.

Another common problem for IT is the provision of assistance to end users, which often involves person. DASH allows you to diagnose and solve problems remotely , detecting hardware failures, configuration errors BIOS or operating system problems. If necessary, a system can be reimaged by redirecting the boot to a different image such as a network drive, bootable CD-ROM or DVD, recovery drive, or other boot device without intervention by the local user.

A smarter path towards simplified client management

Management tools and technologies based on open standards reduce general management costs by simplifying management activities . Rather than learning to use an often complex and redundant set of management tools for each manufacturer, IT administrators can use a single set of tools to manage systems from different manufacturers. This allows organizations to reduce the cost and complexity of managing heterogeneous environments without reducing security or IT response times . It also means that IT teams can focus on achieving their most important business goals rather than wasting time using separate tools for managing specific systems.

AMD Ryzen processors ?? and AMD PRO management make all these benefits possible by offering industry-backed OOB management solutions and adopting an open standard that, in addition to working with any existing environment , offers true freedom of choice. In synergy with other AMD PRO technologies, this means that both IT staff and end users can take advantage of cutting-edge performance, security features and simplified management in the most demanding business and technology environments.