Chapter 6. IBM System Management Tools
Manage hundreds of clients from a single server and configure up to 32 simultaneously (assuming
available bandwidth).
Modify a system's CMOS settings (e.g., change boot sequences, enable/disable onboard components,
restore passwords, etc.)
Update or flash a system's BIOS (e.g., use a newer or older level of BIOS for enterprise-wide
consistency or change the BIOS to match the local language).
Assign or change the administrator password on one or more client workstations to protect the BIOS
settings against unauthorized end-user changes.
Power-on client systems by sending a Magic Packet to specific Wake on LAN-enabled systems or
docking stations.
Schedule events to take place unattended on a specific date and at a specified time as a onetime
event, or on a recurring basis (e.g., to execute complete or partial system backups and virus scans, or
simply to power-on a client at specific intervals).
When combined with the other robust management features of IBM PCs, such as Wake on LAN, LCCM
helps make system deployment and configuration as simple as plug-in-and-go. Once the systems are
plugged into a power supply and network, the rest of the client setup can be performed remotely from a
network console. Using LCCM, you can schedule a convenient time to power the systems up, flash their
BIOS to ensure consistency across your organization, download the appropriate software image for each
user, and then power the systems down.
LCCM is also useful throughout a system's life cycle for performing preboot management functions, such
as formatting a hard disk drive over a network. This software complements popular postboot client
management software tools such as Tivoli TME 10, Microsoft's System Management Server, Intel
LANDesk Client Manager, and Computer Associates' TNG Unicenter.
LCCM is made possible, in part, by the IBM/Intel Advanced Manageability Alliance (AMA). The AMA
builds on industry-standard technology to create new, more effective solutions for customers, such as
Wake on LAN. LCCM v2.0 is industry-standard-based, incorporating support for DHCP and the Preboot
eXecution Environment (PXE) defined in the 1997 NetPC Guideline and preliminary Lean Client
specifications, as well as the Remote Program Load (RPL) boot protocol used by the industry since 1986.
LCCM works with IBM systems shipped as early as February 1996 that are equipped with a supported
IBM Token-Ring or Ethernet Wake on LAN network interface adapter.
System Deployment
LCCM can significantly reduce the time and resources required to deploy or redeploy IBM PCs, especially
when installation of a custom software image is needed.
First, LCCM needs to gain control of the client. This can occur automatically the first time the user powers
the system on, or the network administrator can power the system remotely using Wake on LAN. LCCM
can generate the Magic Packet(s) needed to power one or more PCs over the network. The Magic
Packet identifies each specific PC through the unique MAC address assigned to every network interface
device.
LCCM can broadcast a Magic Packet on local area networks made up of hubs, bridges, and switches.
LCCM can also wake a client on the other side of a router if the administrator includes the subnet address
of the router. LCCM wraps the subnet address with the Magic Packet so that it can travel across router(s)
to the local domain where the client resides before the packet is broadcast on the LAN.
As the IBM PC powers on for the first time on the network, it will query the network before booting from its
local hard disk drive. LCCM's Scan (discovery) feature will recognize that a new system has been added
Chapter 6. IBM System Management Tools
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