Why Vista? Because it makes deployment easier
The Windows Vista operating system has many benefits for NHS IT managers. In a new series of articles, Nick Saalfeld and his team explain more: starting with how Vista can make deployment easier.
What’s the TV show Britain’s Next Top Model got to do with healthcare IT? Don’t spend too much time mulling that one over - it’s a tenuous link - but the answer is “image.”
In simplified terms, deploying new hardware today is a process of putting an image file onto each new personal computer (PC). The image includes the operating system and rules as to how the machine should work; for example what connections it should allow, and what add-on hardware can be used.
The idea of an image file was invented to make multiple deployments easier. Before image files, every PC had to be configured by hand - a long and laborious process. IT managers in most businesses are saving hundreds of labour hours per year thanks to image files.
“Across a year and an entire trust’s estate, it can amount to many hundreds of staff-hours saved.”
Healthcare isn’t any other business, though - and the NHS isn’t any company. Microsoft’s Richard Lane says: “For starters, we’re using the word ‘PC’ in its loosest possible sense. The NHS has a huge breadth of processor-enabled hardware; from standard desktop PCs through wireless devices like personal digital assistants (PDAs) and Tablets to mobile phones and the application-specific tools that are found in many wards and theatres.
“When I talk to IT managers in trusts, their top deployment concern is that these different pieces of equipment all have different hardware-dependent images. That means the management overhead goes straight back up: IT departments need to maintain multiple image files and update each piece of kit whenever a new software update is published.”
Have no fear- WIM is here
Microsoft’s answer to this challenge is WIM. It’s a new disk image format (for the technically minded, that means it lives in the same family as BIN and ISO files). But rather than digging around in the murky depths of raw data, WIMs are groups of whole files.
“WIM is a new disk image format that allows you to do amazing things with deployment.”
That means they can help you do amazing things with deployment. WIMs are hardware independent; so your multitude of devices can be installed with whatever files they need, using a single standard image. (Technically, each device will effectively get just the files it needs; but the result is the same; one image sorts out all devices).
Single file storage (write once, use many times) and both hardware and software caching mean that WIM installations are also much faster. Across a year and an entire trust’s estate, this can amount to many hundreds of staff-hours saved.
You can even turn a WIM into a volume by giving it its own drive letter – then you’ll have it on tap in the event that you need to do a wipe-and-replace.
It’s all yours
WIM tools have been built into the deployment regime for Windows Vista; and all NHS organisations are licensed for Windows Vista Enterprise Edition (the “power user” version that includes extras like Bitlocker security).
Lane adds: “WIM is also legacy-compatible, though, so you can streamline deployment of the entire estate- including Windows XP machines, Windows Server 2008, and further back still. An upgrade to Vista - and all its benefits - doesn’t mean you need to replace your older machines; they can benefit from smart deployment management, too.”
The WIM deployment regime, under Windows Vista, makes rolling our new hardware easier, faster, and more reliable. Ongoing management is simple, too, with fewer variants leading to simpler patch management. There’s an NHS-specific deployment toolkit (NHS MDT 2008) now available, plus face-to-face help which will help you to roll out PCs which are secure, fully-updated and ready to go.