Anew version of Qualystem’s Lan-PC software enables diskless workstations to boot from a server instead of a local copy ofWindows.

The update improves performance and adds support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux ES as a host system. Lan-PC 3 version 6 lets a network ofWindows client systems boot from centrally managedWindows images, allowing tighter control over the user environment and eliminating the need to install Windows on each system. Qualystem already supported a range of host platforms, including Windows, Unix and Linux. The company said it was responding to customer requests to port Lan-PC to Red Hat’s Enterprise Linux ES server distribution. It has boosted performance of Lan-PC 3 through improvements such as multi-threaded disk operations.

It also works with another Qualystem tool, Activecloner, to speed up restore operations. Under Lan-PC 3, each computer boots the operating system from a server hard disk using the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) standard.

Individual users can customise their desktop environment and save their configuration, or the system
can be set up so they must boot up each time with the initial configuration. The latter mode is useful for controlling kiosks or classroom scenarios, according to Qualystem. Lan-PC 3 version 6 supports Windows 2000, XP or XP Embedded (XPE) clients and costs from £70 per seat.