Symantec Corp. updated its Altiris Deployment and Ghost Solution tools to better enable businesses to deploy, image and manage their operating systems.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company said the operating system tools will address challenges like operating system data security concerns, the rise in virtual systems, and heterogeneous IT environments.
Among the new features, Altiris Deployment Solution version 6.9 provides a single management console for virtual and physical operating system deployment that includes enhanced VMware ESX Server scripted installations. In an effort to minimize human error, the version incorporates role and scope-based security. As well, there’s platform support for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008; VMware ESX Server 3.5; SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10; Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.6 and 5.1; Macintosh OS X 10.5 (Leopard); and Windows CE 6.0 Thin Client.
The Ghost Solution Suite 2.5 features include DeployAnywhere hardware-independent imaging automation, full-disk encryption support, virtual to physical image creation, and secure disk decommission for data wipe and protection.
Symantec’s vice-president of product management and strategy, Steve Morton, said the set of tools aims to counter the fact that software can be complex and costly. “Symantec’s extensive and advanced software management portfolio helps create confidence in software from the operating system foundation to the end user’s unique applications,” he said.
Altiris is currently available, and Ghost will be available the second quarter of 2008.