Standard Operating Environment
Encyclopedia
A Standard Operating Environment (SOE) is an IT
industry term used to describe a standard implementation of an operating system
and its associated software. Other common names used are :
It is typically implemented as a standard Disk Image
that can be mass deployed to more than one computer in an organisation. It can include the base operating system
, a custom configuration, standard applications
used within an organisation, software updates and service packs. An SOE can apply to servers, desktops, laptops, thin clients, and mobile devices.
The major advantage of having an SOE in a business environment is the reduction in the cost and time to deploy, configure, maintain, support and manage computers. By standardising the hardware and software platforms used within an organisation, the IT department or service provider can deploy new computers and correct problems with existing computers quickly. A standardized, repeatable and automated solution creates a known, expected and supportable environment. A standardized solution ensures known outcomes are maintained, with automation providing the key to speed, repeatability and standardization.
and other vendors. Many businesses endeavor to build their own SOE solutions using the Microsoft Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) solution accelerator or Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
(MDT). However, some do not have the capability to build all features in one single SOE and their processes often include documented manual configuration steps.
SOEs on Mac OS X
, Linux
, and other Unix
/Unix-like
systems can typically be made simply by creating and deploying disk images. This can be achieved using tools such as Disk Utility
and dd
. Whereas deploying a disk image originating from a system with non-identical hardware will often result in boot failure with Windows, the process is generally achievable on Unix systems with the caveat that the systems must be of the same computer architecture
and drivers will need to be installed on the image for all the possible hardware configurations. Since Apple does not have third party computer manufacturers usually only hardware add-ons are a concern with respect to drivers. On Linux most hardware with kernel support can be auto-detected. Boot scripts
can be used for automated post-deployment configuration.
There also a number of vendor specific SOE systems for various Linux/Unix-like distros. For Solaris the use of jumpstart scripts is more frequent to ease the automation of setting specific parameters for each system. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux this is typically done by using kickstart scripts, there are specific products to create and manage an SOE like Red Hat Network Satellite Server
which avoid the disk space usage and maintenance difficulties of managing disk images.
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
industry term used to describe a standard implementation of an operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
and its associated software. Other common names used are :
- MOE - Managed Operating Environment
- COE - Consistent or Common Operating Environment
- MDE - Managed Desktop Environment
- DMS - Desktop Managed Services
- OSP
- SDE - Standard Desktop Environment.
- "Standard Image"
It is typically implemented as a standard Disk Image
Disk image
A disk image is a single file or storage device containing the complete contents and structure representing a data storage medium or device, such as a hard drive, tape drive, floppy disk, CD/DVD/BD, or USB flash drive, although an image of an optical disc may be referred to as an optical disc image...
that can be mass deployed to more than one computer in an organisation. It can include the base operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
, a custom configuration, standard applications
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
used within an organisation, software updates and service packs. An SOE can apply to servers, desktops, laptops, thin clients, and mobile devices.
The major advantage of having an SOE in a business environment is the reduction in the cost and time to deploy, configure, maintain, support and manage computers. By standardising the hardware and software platforms used within an organisation, the IT department or service provider can deploy new computers and correct problems with existing computers quickly. A standardized, repeatable and automated solution creates a known, expected and supportable environment. A standardized solution ensures known outcomes are maintained, with automation providing the key to speed, repeatability and standardization.
Examples
There are many Windows deployment guides and tools available from MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
and other vendors. Many businesses endeavor to build their own SOE solutions using the Microsoft Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) solution accelerator or Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit is a piece of server software that permits network deployment of Microsoft Windows. It can currently distribute Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2...
(MDT). However, some do not have the capability to build all features in one single SOE and their processes often include documented manual configuration steps.
SOEs on Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
, and other Unix
Unix
Unix is a multitasking, multi-user computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie, Brian Kernighan, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna...
/Unix-like
Unix-like
A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
systems can typically be made simply by creating and deploying disk images. This can be achieved using tools such as Disk Utility
Disk Utility
Disk Utility is the name of a utility created by Apple for performing disk-related tasks in Mac OS X. These tasks include:*the creation, conversion, compression and encryption of disk images from a wide range of formats read by Disk Utility to .dmg or—for CD/DVD images—.cdr, which is identical to...
and dd
Dd (Unix)
In computing, dd is a common Unix program whose primary purpose is the low-level copying and conversion of raw data. According to the manual page for Version 7 Unix, it will "convert and copy a file". It is used to copy a specified number of bytes or blocks, performing on-the-fly byte order...
. Whereas deploying a disk image originating from a system with non-identical hardware will often result in boot failure with Windows, the process is generally achievable on Unix systems with the caveat that the systems must be of the same computer architecture
Computer architecture
In computer science and engineering, computer architecture is the practical art of selecting and interconnecting hardware components to create computers that meet functional, performance and cost goals and the formal modelling of those systems....
and drivers will need to be installed on the image for all the possible hardware configurations. Since Apple does not have third party computer manufacturers usually only hardware add-ons are a concern with respect to drivers. On Linux most hardware with kernel support can be auto-detected. Boot scripts
Init
init is a program for Unix-based computer operating systems that spawns all other processes. It runs as a daemon and typically has PID 1. The boot loader starts the kernel and the kernel starts init...
can be used for automated post-deployment configuration.
There also a number of vendor specific SOE systems for various Linux/Unix-like distros. For Solaris the use of jumpstart scripts is more frequent to ease the automation of setting specific parameters for each system. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux this is typically done by using kickstart scripts, there are specific products to create and manage an SOE like Red Hat Network Satellite Server
Red Hat Network
Red Hat Network is a family of systems management services operated by Red Hat that makes updates, patches, and bug fixes of packages included within Red Hat Linux and Red Hat Enterprise Linux available to subscribers...
which avoid the disk space usage and maintenance difficulties of managing disk images.