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XcelleNet's Afaria 5.0: Page 2 of 3

I ran into a bug when deploying software to Windows clients. Inside the software channel, there is an option to automatically begin installation on the client after the software is received. Unfortunately, the end client will go through the install process every time the client connects to the server. To avoid this problem, the administrator must disable this option and make end users responsible for installing the software on their own systems. Afaria is working on a patch to address this issue.

Using a Palm m515, Compaq IPaq and Handspring Visor, I tested the features available to handheld devices and was not disappointed with the results. I remotely configured these mobile devices via the Configuration channel. Common configured settings include assigning push buttons to specific applications, setting owner information, network settings and hot sync options. Employees don't have to worry about configuring their devices, any lost or changed settings will be reset automatically by Afaria on the next connect.

Administrators can publish documents to clients via the document channel. The backup channel is often coupled with the document channel to efficiently back up and restore documents to the Afaria server. The backup channel saves time by utilizing byte-level differencing, only transmitting changes between the files. This was certainly apparent when I used the backup channel to monitor a 10-MB document. I made a few textual changes and watched as the re-transmission took only a few seconds. This is a great way to conserve bandwidth for your enterprise road warriors.

Afaria has a host of options that allow administrators to push content to clients over any network connection, thereby optimizing connectivity. In addition to byte-level differencing, Afaria compresses data on the fly, performs bandwidth throttling, segments delivery and issues checkpoint restart of failed downloads. I tested all these features with ease. Afaria's easy-to-use Web-based interface is excellent for getting up and running in little time.

Good
•Web-based interface is a one-stop shop for administration of the entire system.
•Mobile device support is excellent.