| Login Consultants: Solution4, Control your (Terminal) Server environment and more |
| Written by Administrator |
| Wednesday, 08 July 2009 08:52 |
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At Login Consultants, the company I work for, we have finished the new version of our Solution4 Framework. In this latest version we have moved from a framework without a GUI and command line based to a GUI supported Powershell based framework. With the Solution4 framework version4 you can totally control your (terminal) server environment. As a system administrator this is the solution to make your life easy. With one button deploy and manage servers from a single interface and gain total control over your servers.
The Solution4 Framework is evolved over the years. Heavily extended with all the best-practices we gained over the years as a company with high expertise in terminal server environments, and is now fully created in Powershell. Powershell is the platform with which Microsoft is extending their products and is therefore the most obvious reason to choose Powershell. With the Solution4 framework it is possible to deploy servers once the operating system is installed. OS deployment can be done from other software like SCCM 2007, MDT 2008. The Solution4 Framework has strong integration with these software products and even if you are not using bare-metal deployment or other ways of deploying an operating system, Solution4 will still benefit you in managing your (terminal) server environment. Solution4 gives you instant DTAP (Development/Test/Acceptance/Production) functionality. The ease with which you can deploy servers with applications and components gives you the edge to administer your environment as it should. Of course this article is way too small to show all options and possibilities. But let me show you some of the nice features and their functionality.
Within the component applications we define application packagets to be installed onto target servers. From the GUI it is very easy to create application packages which are needed to be deployed onto servers. All possible action for such a package installation are available and can be added/removed to application packages as you might need them. Think about:
(Example of items for application package)
Each of these action sets are defined per application and later all placed on the terminal server to be deployed. Even pre-defined templates, containing components needed during installation, can be defined. In this way applications can even be created faster by providing a template that will only contain the items you need for a specific application or infrastructure component.
(Example of items for application installation) During installation the following tasks can be used:
As you can see “Application Packages” are well thought trough and is created with most common action to install an application silently onto a target server. As we can now create applications we can think of the same for infrastructure components. Infrastructure components can be:
For infrastructure components the exact same option are available, so a extensive customized installation can be done.
Server Roles Now let’s have a look at how we plan to deploy server by “Server Roles”. From the GUI there is an item called “Roles”. In here we can define certain roles and even subroles. In this scenario it is possible to add application or infrastructure packages to a role in which the parent role will hold installations which are also applied to child roles. How easy can it be??
(example of Parent role) In the parent role some mandatory components are assigned to the role. These mandatory components will also be installed onto a server that will have the child role assigned.
(example of Child role) The child role will, next the components assigned to the parent role, also install other application/infrastructure components.Now that we have defined some roles let’s assign them to some servers.
Computers In the computers part of the GUI we can add computers to any environment part of the Solution4 framework. In this manner any server can be managed. We can import computers from Active Directory just as easy as a few clicks.
(example right click computers item) If you know click “Import Computers from AD” the next screen will make it possible to:
(example import computer and assign environment and role) As you can see the interface is very easy to operate and allows you to easily assign environment and role to a server which is going to be imported.
(example server overview Solution4 manager)
Server Deployment Now that we have a server in the Solution4 Framework environment we can start deploying. Simply right click the server and select “Initialize S4”.
(example right click computers item) Now just click “Prepare” you will be presented with a credentials screen. You will need administrative permissions in the domain to be able to deploy a server.
(example computer prepare screen)
(example computer init screen) Now simply hit the “Init S4” button and the server will deploy into the role defined.
Off-course there are a lot more settings active within the Solution4 framework. To describe of all of these settings would be too much for one article. If you might have become interested in our Solution4 framework then don’t hesitate to Login Consultants or me. Login Consultants is more than happy to come on-site and show all the possibilities of the framework. We have a nice “Quick Demo Kit” available with which we can present you Solution4 Framework. We also have a complete training program to enhance the skills of your system manager to be able to work with the Solution4 Framework.
Login Consultants please visit the website for more info
The Netherlands & International: De Entrée 11-13 1101BH Amsterdam +31 (0)20-3420280
Germany: Westhafenplatz 60327 Frankfurt a.M. +49(0)69710456468
Belgium: Battelsesteenweg 455 e B-2800 Mechelen +3215696900 |
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