VMware ACE 2

• Integration with VMware Workstation 6: VMware ACE 2 offers seamless integration with VMware Workstation 6, giving customers access to both products through a single user interface. As a result, administrators can now use Workstation 6 to configure and deploy ACE packages across the extended enterprise.
• ACE 2 Management Server: Use the new ACE 2 Management Server to manage and control ACE clients from a central location. The ACE 2 Management Server has the ability to dynamically update control and security policies, including the ability to activate / deactivate ACE clients.
• Pocket ACE: Administrators can now bundle and deploy ACE packages directly on a portable USB media device such as a flash memory stick, portable hard drive or even an Apple iPod. End users can operate their ACE client machines directly from the USB device for unparalleled mobility and flexibility.
• Enhanced security capabilities: ACE 2 offers enhancements to policy and package settings that make it easier to secure and manage ACE clients. Flexible, granular controls for device and network access enable administrators to specify exactly which machines or subnets an ACE client may access. What’s more, ACE 2 uses a FIPS-validated 128-bit AES algorithm to prevent unauthorized access to data stored on ACE clients.

Centralized Control:

Take command of client PCs across the extended enterprise from a single point of control.

• Centralized policy-based management. Virtual Rights Management (VRM) centralizes management of security policies and access rights applied to VMware ACE running on an end-user PC.
• Secured access. Secure the entire VMware ACE environment, including data and system configuration, with authentication and virtual disk encryption.
• Device control. Lock down PCs by granting or denying access to host PC devices such as printers, USB memory keys, or DVD/CD writers based on device type or ID.
• Expiration control. Configure VMware ACE to expire at a pre-determined time, or after a pre-set period.

Strong Security:

Protect sensitive and proprietary information with robust security features such as full-volume encryption and granular access control over all network and peripheral ports.

• Rules-based network access. Enable endpoint compliance by identifying and quarantining expired, unauthorized or out-of-date VMware ACE environments by port or traffic type.
• Flexible endpoint lockdown. Tighten desktop security policies with granular device and network access control while providing end users the freedom to be productive.
• Secure access. Offer secure, managed access to your standard corporate desktop image from any PC, managed (company-owned PCs) or unmanaged (employee-owned PCs, 3rd party PCs including vendors and contractors).
• Virtual Machine Encryption. FIPS 140-2 compliant 128-bit AES Encryption of ACE virtual machines, including virtual disk and configuration files.

Flexible Deployment:

Deploy ACE instances on portable media devices so that end users to take their computing environments with them wherever they go.

• Provision desktops on portable media. Quickly and securely provide corporate standard desktop access to 3rd parties such as customers, contractors and vendors without the need for expensive additional systems.
• Free the desktop from hardware dependencies. Give mobile employees the freedom to work from wherever they need to.
• Recover with ease. ACE client packages are easy to back up and easy to restore, enabling your organization to include client PCs in your disaster recovery and business continuity solution.

Streamlined Management:

Create and deploy virtual machines for simpler managed desktop environment.

• Design once, deploy anywhere. Create standardized hardware-independent PC environments with virtual machines and deploy them to any PC or portable flash media device for an easy to manage, yet complete desktop experience.
• Leverage a single virtual client platform. Support for a single VMware platform empowers VMware Workstation 6 with ACE Option Pack users to create and securely package VMware ACE virtual machines for deployment to end users.

Rapid Reconfiguration:

Take snapshots of stable system states so that you can move between known desktop image states on endpoint PCs.

• Snapshots. Eliminate the time required to reconfigure systems by leveraging pre-captured snapshots of “known good” desktop states. Rapidly configure demo and training environments with custom snapshots in seconds.
• Quick recovery. Save help desk and support costs by helping users recover quickly on their own. With a snapshot that is taken after the VMware ACE virtual machine is installed on the client, end users can revert to a previous state within seconds.