MichaelDist™

Musically speaking, MichaelDist™ is our Opus 3.5 offering. MichaelDist™ first started in its Opus 3 version back in the fourth quarter of 1999 during the Y2K lock-down which swept the world. Windows 2000 was in beta at that time, and this product managed it much the same way we had been managing OS/2. Well, much has been learned over the years, and with the plans for SysCaster™ under way, the gap just looks enormous from Opus 3 to Opus 4.

MichaelDist™ Opus 3.5 is to be a quickly developed version allowing us to test some of the SysCaster™ ideas without needing to wait through the entire development cycle for that product to see the ideas in action. The target is to manage both Linux and Windows. It will borrow from Opus 3 in terms of overall architecture and style of Electronic Software Distribution, but technology wise it is a completely new product eliminating almost all third party dependencies, clean new code which is GPL licensable, DOS will finally die in Opus 3.5, etc...

Software Deployment: The Linux version will leverage dpkg technology such as is found in Debian and Ubuntu distros. The Windows version will utilize PrismPack technology which may be purchased from New Boundary Technologies. It is also intended to support "native mode" packages on both platforms where MichaelDist™ itself manages the individual resources (files, icons, configuration file values, registry) itself. Thus it is possible that a MichaelDist™ implementation might not end up needing any licensed software... but that remains to be seen.

Computer deployment is initiated by booting the desired OS in a customized format from devices like a CD ROM or PXE boot environment. No third party technology will be required to deploy the operating system to the target computer. Native OS file systems will be supported, such as XFS on Linux and NTFS on Windows.

Since the operating system is managed at this low level, packaging of shared software such as device drivers reduces redundancy and leverages reuse. During the initial deployment of the operating system, MichaelDist™ puts the exact device drivers on the system which are appropriate for that system.

More robust and secure Electronic Software Distribution than previous Opus's. It will execute at elevated privileges allowing the end user operating system to be tightly locked down. It will facilitate both deployment and removal of software. Very granular software / configuration entitlement, off network friendly user profile management, facilities to perform functions when the computer starts up to prepare for application use, logging, logging, logging, and more logging!

Centrally managed from a Linux based server. Multi-Site Replication / Management Capabilities - Operates After Hours Web Based Logging - Know what distributed, what failed, who received, who still needs to receive... No longer administer in the dark! Ability to "Emergency Push" updates to managed computers at a moment's notice

And best of all a knowledge base hosted by LFSF on how to assemble complete IT systems leveraging component solutions which are tested and in use by the MichaelDist™ user community. Desktops, laptops, servers, firewalls, etc... all in a rapid assemble format.