Comprehensive PC management for OS deployment, software distribution, user-state migration, back-up and disaster recovery.

Key Features

• Create base images from a live system using hot imaging.
• Single centralized management console for management of all migration tasks
• Remote deployment of operating systems and applications with Ghost Console.

• Sector-based and file-based disk imaging creates file images of any FAT, NTFS, EXT2, and EXT3 file system.
• Client staging area for storing files and images on the client machines is preserved during a system restore or OS migration.
• Hardware and software inventory for efficiently managing image and software deployments. 

Key Benefits

• Fast and easy deployment of new systems, migration of user data and settings, and system updates.
• Deploy individual files to multiple recipients simultaneously with multicast file transfer.
• Multicast accelerates deployments and reduces overall network traffic.

• Safely retire and dispose of PCs with secure data disposal that meets U.S. Department of Defense standards.
• More effective management of image and software deployments with hardware and software inventory.
• Accelerated imaging compared to standard OS tools using market proven technology. 

New Improved Management Tools For Administrators

Symantec Ghost Solution Suite includes two new tools and several new features designed to provide Administrators with enhanced PC deployment and user management functionality to help manage their enterprise environments:

New Features

• Now supports Windows Vista and 64-bit OS migrations
• Simplified user migration wizards integrated into the console
• Flexible Windows management including enhanced image editing

Use DeployCenter images from the Symantec Ghost Console

• Symantec DeployCenter can deploy DeployCenter images from the Symantec Ghost Console.
• DeployCenter 5.6 now supports Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Integrate with Symantec Client Migration via Client Staging Area

Symantec Client Migration 3.0 features a Web-based front end to allow end-users to perform their own migration and application update tasks without the need to install another client. The desktop settings, personal files, and application settings that make up a user personality are not lost when hardware or software is upgraded. You can fully customize a migration Web page with a logo and unique support details. Uncomplicated implementation, maintenance and user-based operation reduce the cost and risk associated with client migrations.

You can use Symantec Client Migration to help you do the following:

• Reduce the amount of manual work required when rolling out a new operating system.
• Upgrade a set of applications.
• Automate the transfer of desktop settings and personal data from one computing environment to another.

SYMANTEC GHOST SOLUTION SUITE FUNCTIONALITY

Client staging area

• Allows use of files contained on the clients for use in cloning or updating

Hardware and software inventory

• Allows Ghost Administrators to collect hardware and software inventory from Ghost Console clients.
• Advanced filtering, viewing and report options

Dynamic Machine Groups

• Create Dynamic Machine groups for more precise application of updates and service packs to clients.
• Manage and sort client groups by O/S, hardware configuration - or whatever criteria you wish!

Multicast File Transfer

• Distribute 'hot-fixes', service packs or individual files to multiple recipient clients at the same time.

Ensure a well-managed Microsoft Windows and Linux environment

• Design provisioning tasks based on specific client attributes, providing more effective management of image and software deployments.

Ghost Virtual Partition Enables the remote installation of the Ghost client software:

• Removes the need to visit each workstation to install the Ghost boot partition and subsequent "destructive" clone of the PC.
• Removes obstacles to the adoption of the Ghost Console.

Remote Client Installation

• Removes the need to visit a Windows NT/2000/XP PC to install Ghost client software.
• Leverages Windows Network Topology to browse for PCs across the network which enables the "plug and play" console installation. Client PCs are shown and installed with the client software.

GhostCast Server Provides three methods of image and/or package deployment:

• Multicast - The simultaneous deployment of one image to many computers.
• Unicast - The deployment to a single client.
• Subnet Targeted Broadcast - Selective deployment based upon subnet grouping. Significant functionality to reduce Ghost Network Traffic.

GhostCast Throttle Reduces network bandwidth related issues attributed to Multicasting:

• "IV-Drip" method to reduce network bandwidth issues.
• Allows an IT Administrator to throttle down the Multicast speed.

Client Initiated Tasks Provides an optional secure method to perform Console tasks at a workstation:

• Eliminates the need for an IT Administrator to return to the Ghost Server Console to perform a task.
• Enables an enduser to perform cloning, application pull tasks, as well as user settings migrations from the workstation.
• Meets IT "Sneaker-Net" requirements as well as functional workgroup functionality.

Configurable Client Enables an IT Administrator to configure the "ping" rate of the Ghost client:

• Ability to tune and/or turn off the Ghost Win32 client "heartbeat".
• Reduces the network noise associated with the Ghost Client/Console.

Microsoft Terminal Services Support

• Enables the remote control of the Ghost Console via Microsoft Terminal Server.

Enhanced Dynamic-Disk Support

• Provides partition to image support for safe cloning of Dynamic Disks.

GDisk & GDisk32 Advanced disk partitioning and wiping tool:

• GDisk32 - can be run from a command line in Windows NT, Windows 2000, and Windows XP.
• Both meet US Department of Defense (DoD) specifications for secure wiping of disks for 'end of lease' decommissioning of computers.
• GDisk32 - can be used to update Windows Boot.ini file.
• GDisk now allows one to create partitions at the end of free space.

Additional Security Ghost GUI Options

• Password Protection.
• Bios-Lock.
• Spanned file naming convention switches.

Updated Post Configuration Support

• Includes Novell NetWare client information.

"Wake on LAN" Support Across Subnets

• Provides additional Intel Wired for Management functionality.

Section 508 Compliance

• Meets US Government standards for those physically challenged.

Ghost User Migration ("Move the User")

• A Ghost Console Task designed to migrate User Data and settings from one PC to another.
• Captures user files, directories and desktop settings and easily copies them to a new PC.

Microsoft® System Preparation Utility Integration

• Full support for Microsoft’s System Preparation tool that prepares a master computer for Ghost cloning.
• In conjunction with the MS System Preparation tool, IT Administrators can reduce the number of images to be maintained by reducing hardware incompatibilities between images.

Ghost Backup

• A Ghost Console Task designed to take full backup images of client workstations and to also take incremental snapshots (just files that have changed) of the client workstation between full backup images.
• Enables an IT Administrator to capture changes that have occurred since the last Ghost Image.
• Ideal as an asset to an existing Disaster Recovery plan.

Centralized Management

• Allows you to initiate, configure, and manage the cloning of Windows 2000/98/95 and Windows NT workstations across the network from a single location, saving valuable time and resources.
• Provides a graphical topology of your network environment, allowing you to visually group targeted workstations for easier cloning.
• Warns users before a cloning operation begins, giving them time to save and exit their work.

Ghost/AutoInstall Integration

• AutoInstall functionality is now within the Ghost Console.
• Application Packages can now be deployed from within the Ghost Console.

Remote Control

• Allows Administrators or help desk personnel to perform an unattended refresh of a target machine, eliminating the need to travel to the system to manually insert a Symantec Ghost boot disk.

Post-Cloning Utility

• Captures and stores the following critical workstation data in the Symantec Ghost Console, allowing Administrators to quickly reconfigure client settings after a cloning operation. Settings Captured during Remote Client Installation: – Machine name – Workgroup – Domain – Machine description – TCP/IP settings
• Eliminates the need to manually adjust machine-specific settings on each client, saving time and resources.

Task Management

• Includes centralized logging and reporting.
• Provides a log of all cloning operations, allowing you to quickly identify and troubleshoot errors.
• Tasks may be executed from the command line thereby allowing for use with 3rd party program schedulers (for example, Norton AntiVirus Scheduler).

Application Deployment

• Automates the process of software distribution across a networked or mobile environment.
• Includes advanced “Snap-Shot” functionality for automatic creation of silent install packages for any install process.
• Installs software packages and configuration changes to non-connected PCs.
• Uses sophisticated editing tools to customize your application packages.
• Provides network scheduling and reporting functionality.

Task Scheduler

• Lets you schedule Corporate Console tasks for future execution.

Ghost Corporate Console Wizard

• Provides an easy-to-use interface that guides Administrators through common corporate console tasks.

Corporate Console Client Status Reports

• Includes graphical console client status from within the Corporate Console that shows if a PC is ready to be cloned as well as the version of Ghost installed on the PC.

Concurrent Corporate Console Task Execution allows the Corporate Console tasks to occur concurrently. From within the console, you can allow tasks to be executed immediately or scheduled for a later time. Additional enhancements to Task Management include:

• Push an Image—Console clones a client PC remotely.

• Create an Image—Console takes an image from a single client PC.
• Wake on LAN (WoL)—PCs that support a WoL network card can be turned on.
• Shutdown—Console shuts down the client machine at the end of a task

Corporate Console File Transfer

• Enables the ability to transfer a single file from the console to the client using multicasting.

Image Descriptions

• From within the Corporate Console—displays an image description in a unique properties tab for an image.
• From within the DOS Ghost product—includes a description field to show the contents of that image.

Corporate Console Multiple Network Card Support

• Enables a server to communicate to different clients on multiple networks.

Ghost Command Line Builder

• The Multicast Server now has an interactive Command Line Builder which tracks the choices and options selected from within the Windows Server product and creates the DOS command line script. This can be used separately or as part of the task.
• Automates the Client Ghost executable.

Ghost Boot Wizard

• Provides an intuitive graphic interface for creating boot diskettes as well as Microsoft® NetWorking diskettes.
• Ships with IBM® PC-DOS files to make it even easier when working on non-DOS PCs, i.e., Windows NT®, Windows 2000 and XP.
• Includes common CD-ROM drivers by manufacturer to further ease the use of creating images that will be burned to CD or when creating a disaster recovery CD.
• Supports the creation of boot diskettes which have multiple Network Interface Card (NIC) drivers—no more creating separate diskettes for different hardware requirements.

CD-R/W and DVD-R/W Support

• Writes directly to a CD-R, CD-R/W, DVD-R/RW or DVD+R/RW device and has the ability to make the CD/DVD bootable. You no longer need to store the image to another media and use the products software to write to the CD/DVD.
• Click Here >> (Build for this page to do ) to view a list of supported CD and DVD drives. The listed drives have been tested and successfully used with Ghost Solution Suite. If your drive is not listed here it does not necessarily mean it is not supported, just that it has not been tested.

Linux® Support

• Extends Symantec Ghost to provide native support for the Linux EXT2 and EXT3 file systems.
• Now supports GRUB and LILO.

Ghost Walker™ Reassigns a new unique security identifier (SID) for imaging Windows NT and 2000 workstations with compatibility/support for:

• Windows NT Service Pack 4, 5, and 6
• Windows 2000

Ghost Explorer™

• Ghost Administrators can browse an image and restore individual files or directories. Image files can also be recompiled into smaller segments in preparation for burning to CDs or DVDs.