After downloading and installing the release I was able to use the command line to connect to an openwsman server and AMT 3.0 system. I am still exploring the features and the new things in this release.

Since MDC, the ruby bindings have evolved and currently provide an easy way to write WS-management client scripts and applications using Ruby. Recently a Ruby on Rails application has been added to the openwsman source repository tree. This application has been used to demonstrate WS-Management and Interoperability between Windows Vista and Novell SLES at Brainshare in Salt Lake City.

Klaus continued working on the ruby bindings and recently published an article on his blog describing the demo in details and even posted a video with the demo.

With the addition of WS-Management support in recent vPro platforms the Ruby bindings will make it possible and especially easy to write management applications or scripts using Ruby in no time. Give it a try...

This is still a beta release and only supports systems with AMT 3.0 due to some changes in the protocol. The tools that have been release are the following:

• User Notification Service (UNS):UNS receives messages from Intel AMT and writes them to the local OS event log for the purpose of notifying end users of predefined events such as when critical System Defense policies are applied by the ME Firmware.
• AMT MEStatus: MEStatus is a graphical user interface application used to monitor Intel® AMT state.
• ZTC Local Agent: This sample application demonstrates how to set up an Intel AMT device for Zero Touch Configuration (ZTC) and trigger it to initiate the configuration process.

You can find the new driver and additional information about it, here: http://www.openamt.org/

The current open-source release has 2 major components, the HECI Linux kernel driver and LMS (Local Manageability Service). At the moment only the HECI driver is available for download, LMS will follow shortly.

If you have been using the AMT Software Development Kit to manage Linux systems remotely, now you will be able to do the same from locally using LMS.

Within the new driver package are sources which we plan to submit for kernel inclusion as well as scripts for creating the required devices. The README document and the information on the web site can walk you through the installation steps pretty quickly.

The technology preview provides an initial look at the features and capabilities of Intel® AMT, and is intended for testing and feedback only.

If you have not noticed, one of the key elements of the recent Microsoft/Novell deal was collaboration on standards-based solutions for managing heterogeneous environments and especially WS-Management. Microsoft is pushing Novell to support WS-Management in their next generation Linux distribution and system management applications.

WS-Management is also showing presence in the open-source community: Intel's Open-Source Technology Center is maintaining Openwsman, an open-source implementation of the WS-Management protocol. Openwsman already now lets developers write applications for managing both Linux and Windows systems and soon Intel desktop platforms as well.

You can join the changing environment of system management already now, using open-source tools, both on Linux and on Windows.