{"id":3367,"date":"2012-02-18T21:49:18","date_gmt":"2012-02-18T19:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ingmarverheij.com\/?p=3367"},"modified":"2012-02-18T21:50:57","modified_gmt":"2012-02-18T19:50:57","slug":"be-aware-res-is-about-to-unleash-wm2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ingmarverheij.com\/en\/be-aware-res-is-about-to-unleash-wm2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Be aware, RES is about to unleash WM2012!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\"RES software flagship is Workspace Manager, the successor of PowerFuse. Since 2010 RES releases a new version each year, in may 2012 RES Workspace Manager 2012 will be unleashed to the public. <\/p>\n

At the RES PartnerFocus 2012 (on 16th February at the Verkade fabriek) VP Product Management Bob Dekousemaker<\/a> showed us the new features of RES WM2012.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Scalability<\/h4>\n

Scaling of Workspace Manager was always a bit tricky, especially if you have geographic<\/strong> dispersed<\/strong> sites<\/strong>. Since PowerFuse 8 the configuration and metadata was stored in a Microsoft SQL<\/strong> server. If you would need the configuration on different sites<\/strong> all you needed to configure was a SQL database replication<\/strong>. But this has some side effects and adds complexity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Introducing the Relay Server. The Relay Server is a separate component<\/strong> that will cache<\/strong> all configuration data before it\u2019s sent to the SQL database (allowing that SQL database to be temporary offline). Both clients and the management console will communicate<\/strong> with the Relay Server. Configuration<\/strong> of which Relay Server to use can be done globally, per workspace of individually per agent.<\/p>\n

 <\/h4>\n

Interception Applications<\/h4>\n

Since the beginning of RES Workspace Manager (PowerFuse, PowerMenu, etc.) shortcuts where managed using the pwrlaunch<\/em> executable. Each managed application has an ID that was used as an argument for the launcher. This allowed processes that where not launched using pwrlaunch to bypass some of the configuration. Although this was circumvented by configuring file type associations and configuring security, there\u2019s a better way. From WM2012 a new filter driver allows you to intercept<\/strong> processes before they are launched, apply the configuration and security, and continue operation. <\/p>\n

With this new feature it is much easier to migrate<\/strong> an environment to RES Workspace Manager, you can gradually<\/strong> enable more features (and apply configuration to applications) without replacing<\/strong> any shortcut.<\/p>\n

This has a lot of potential<\/strong> and I\u2019m really excited<\/strong> about this feature. But using filter<\/strong> driver<\/strong> has a side effect, it requires additional IOPS<\/strong>. What the impact exactly will be is yet to be determined.<\/p>\n

By default this option is disabled and can be enabled per application. Expect this feature to be enabled by default in the next release.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

System Center Configuration Manager Integration<\/h4>\n

\"\"<\/a>There will be an integration<\/strong> with System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM<\/strong>) to allow customer with SCCM to optimize<\/strong> there environment with RES software. With the integration of SCCM you\u2019re able to trigger<\/strong> SCCM packages to users based on there context (user, location, time, etc.) instead of just the device. And if that isn\u2019t enough (the best has yet to come) there\u2019s a possibility to distribute<\/strong> the package to local<\/strong> agents. When this option is used the SCCM package is installed instant<\/strong><\/em>. <\/p>\n

Configuring the SCCM configuration<\/strong> is done in the (new) setup module. Packages are add in the composition<\/strong> module or per application. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re already using SCCM Distribution<\/strong> Points<\/strong> on different sites I would recommend<\/strong> to add a Relay Server (for database connectivity of clients and management console) on these servers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reporting Server<\/h4>\n

Getting usage<\/strong> or configuration<\/strong> data from the SQL database of RES Workspace Manager was always cumbersome (if not impossible). With the introduction of the Reporting Server, a separate<\/strong> component, this will change dramatically. With this new Reporting Server third<\/strong> parties are able to retrieve data using API\u2019s<\/strong> and track usage or configuration data.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/h4>\n

Scenario Wizard<\/h4>\n

In environments where I don\u2019t have the chance to work with a UEM<\/strong> product like RES Workspace Manager (and therefore am required to use Group Policy Objects to manage the UE) I\u2019m using the Results<\/strong> Set Of Policy (RSOP.msc) to determine the effect<\/strong> \/ impact<\/strong> of a change. From now on you can do the same in Workspace Manager using the Scenario<\/strong> Wizard<\/strong>. The Scenario Wizard can predict<\/strong> the impact of a change for a user in a preset context<\/strong>, which prevents trial-and-error.<\/p>\n

 <\/h4>\n

Console Improvements<\/h4>\n

There are multiple improvements for the management console. Most of them sound are very basic but are on the wish-list for many people for a long (LONG) time. <\/p>\n