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Intel vPro Activation [58:46]

This hands-on step-by-step activation of Intel's vPro technology will show you how to offer your customers additional services, including real-time remote PC trouble-shooting and break-fix. This session also includes the Q&A period that followed the build.

Resources

Drivers/Software:

Additional Links:

www.intel.com/go/activate -- Register your eligible Intel® vPro™ technology-based hardware and software products and earn up to $20 cash and 10 Intel® Flex+ points for each approved activation you submit.
www.Intel.com/go/vpro
http://www.intel.com/content/
www/us/en/remote-support/activation-of-intel-vpro-technology.html
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/processors/vpro/performance-2nd-generation-core-vpro-family-paper.html
http://communities.intel.com/community/openportit/vproexpert

Webcast Q&A

Q: Is this vPro included as part of the motherboard or does it require a separate charged license fee?
A: Intel vPro is included with purchase price of the motherboard, there are no license fees to activate or utilize vPro outside of licensing possibly incurred by a third party management interface.

Q: BIll / Larry - Do you happen to know if there are any other applications that can access the rKVM, or is VNC Viewer Plus still the only thing out there?
A: Intel vPro technology is supported by many of the leading management consoles and other software vendors. For a listing of some of the many software vendors who are supporting Intel vPro technology, click here.

Q: What if there is no user at remote PC, is there a way to bypass code request?
A: There are a couple options here: You may change the way you activate your vPro clients using the provisioning tool, or you may specify the option when connecting to the machine using RealVNC.

Q: Do you just push F2 or have to push another key in combination in order for it to pass through the VNC session?
A: F keys are passed to the host natively via RealVNC.

Q: You mentioned I can boot to network shared PE image. Is it supposed to be an ISO image or just regular share?
A: ISO Image

Q: How does it work remotely (over the Internet)? Do I have to open any firewall port? Is that incorporated in any RMM providers such as Kaseya or N-able?
A: For this scenario I would install the ISDU or other console on a local server, then securely remote into it to manage the clients on the network.

Q: How much extra does vPro add to the cost?
A: Varies by motherboard, but typical price delta for a board is around 15-20% at most when compared to a similarly featured Media Series.

Q: Is vPro or something like it available on non-Intel motherboards?
A: Other 3rd party manufacturers such as Asus offer vPro desktop boards using the Q-series chipsets.

Q: Does the security code on the client side change?
A: yes

Q: Can we send this video to a client?
A: No.

Q: Is it possible to override the client requirement to type in the 6-digit access key to access the KVM session?
A: There are a couple options here: You may change the way you activate your vPro clients using the provisioning tool, or you may specify the option when connecting to the machine using RealVNC.

Q: Will there be a follow-up webinar showing how to deploy in the enterprise environment?
A: Possibly, depending on demand.

Q: Are you going to do a new presentation once Ivy Bridge launches (and with the new SBA provisioning stuff)?
A: Possibly, depending on demand.

Q: Does vPro open up a big security hole for someone who wants to break into an organization?
A: Not at all, vPro is very secure.

Q: Is vPro available for/on i3 processors?
A: No, vPro is only available on select i5 and i7 processors.

Q: I have a large number of AMT 5.x machines deployed. Can I still manage them with the same version of the software as was demo'd today?
A: Yes.

Q: Does vPro use the same LAN port or does it require a separate LAN connection?
A: Same LAN connection as regular Ethernet traffic.

Q: Is there a "poison pill" option that will shut a vPro machine down if lost or stolen?
A: Yes, this option is available for laptop PCs with vPro technology.

Q: When using VPRO via WAN, do we need to specify a port for each computer? Also having a router, we would need to open some ports right?
A: For this scenario I would install the ISDU or other console on a local server, then securely remote into it to manage the clients on the network.

Q: Can you provide an example of vPro appliance?
A: Several MSPs offer something a gateway appliance for the management of vPro clients on a LAN from the WAN. I know Level Platforms offers an SMB-focused appliance.

Q: Where can we get info, especially best practice info, on using vPro?
A: This FAQ is a great place to start and your BKMs may be found here.

Q: We are interested in enterprise vPro deployment and Internet connection as opposed to LAN connection.
A: Click here for more information

Q: We are an MSP and would like to use the vPro for our customers, what steps would you do?
A: I'd begin by familiarizing myself with the various deployment options, as well as management tools available. Once I narrowed the field a bit I'd test a few of them to see which suited me and my customer's best. What management interface you choose will be heavily dependent on your personal preferences and customer type.

Q: Using ISDU as a management console, is it possible to save unique KVM passwords for each machine rather than having a global KVM password on each machine?
A: Certainly.

Q: Is the KVM session SSL encrypted?
A: It may be using RealVNC Pro version (the free Personal edition does not support encryption).

Q: Don't you need one of the pair-for versions of vnc to work with this?
A: Not in the way we demo'd today, no.

Q: Does vPro work with Spiceworks?
A: Absolutely.

Q: Other than getting to the BIOS, on a hosed computer how does one get to the files on the HD (without booting into the hosed Windows installation)?
A: You would need to boot to an image on the network that would allow you to access the filesystem on the machine.

Q: What if my client's PC is running a wireless Internet connection - as the system reboots will I have any issues retaining that connection or is this utility only effective for machines that are hardline connected?
A: Yes, many of the features of Intel vPro technology are available over wireless as well as when the notebook is in sleep states. Wireless operation is not available on desktops.

Q: Do you have any pictures of Bill in a Speedo bathing suit I can use for blackmail purposes?
A: No.

Q: Can the SDU be installed on a server such as SBS to manage the PCs on the LAN?
A: Certainly.

Q: Do the Executive Express chipsets support vPro?
A: They are the only chipsets to support vPro.

Q: Is there any way to activate vPro by rdp'ing to a pc? i.e. so we don't have to out to the customer site to enable it.
A: You would RDP to the server running the provisioning utility, and then utilize it to activate the PCs on its LAN.

Q: Does vPro work with Cisco Onplus?
A: Not seeing Cisco OnPlus on the vPro ISV list

Still Have Questions?

Feel free to contact the Solutions Lab team at: solutionslab@dandh.com or contact Solutions Lab team members individually at their contact information below: