Enabling preOS desktop management

Desktop management is probably the most resource-consuming task for the typical operations and support team, regardless of being frequently overlooked as not as complex or specialized as core network operations and management. Nowadays this scenario is even worse, since the increasing number and complexity of desktop systems was not matched by satisfactory management solutions - despite the relative success of products such as Intel's Landesk or Microsoft's SMS. In order to address this problem, we are exploring a different approach to desktop management, through the design and implementation of the openDMS management framework. This open source framework differs from available products in several points, such as earlier remote management mechanisms (prior to operating system load), incorporation of existing open standards, a network-centric architecture, operating system neutrality and tighter integration between traditional PC, thin clients and network PC. In this paper we discuss the current status of desktop management solutions and we present an overview of the OpenDMS approach, including its most relevant technical foundations and an application scenario.