iCommand, which will take the name LiveState Delivery, is a centralized configuration management and process automation system. It uses agents and a typical three-tier architecture to centrally manage geographically distributed environments. The primary management interface is a snap-in to the Microsoft Management Console (MMC). There's also a Java interface and a command line interface and scripting language. While iCommand can be used to adjust parameters on servers and workstations or deliver packaged software to them, ON had positioned the product mostly as an enterprise-wide end-user configuration and software management tool.
ON's approach made a lot of sense. While there's a significant need for provisioning and system configuration management in the data center, the tools typically look different and come from a different set of vendors than end-user system management tools. Provisioning in the data center must take into account more than the security posture of systems, and the process becomes more manual the closer it gets to the unique application end of the stack. By contrast, rolling out patches, OSs, and new applications to users and devices around the globe is a sweet spot where tools such as iCommand truly shine.
ON realized what it was up against in the data center, so rather than compete it included the ability to integrate with systems management frameworks such as IBM's Tivoli, HP's OpenView, and Computer Associates' Unicenter. Symantec plans to carry this practice forward as it releases new versions of LiveState Delivery.
PowerQuest's disk-to-disk backup and recovery technology is a logical compliment to iCommand's functionality. PowerQuest isn't intended to replace offline backup systems; instead, it can be used to rapidly create snapshots, either on a regular basis or before new software is deployed on the system. Renamed LiveState Recovery, PowerQuest's technology also captures system state information so that a recovered system can be ready to run immediately.
PowerQuest's arsenal also featured a number of other tools, including disk partition managers. These will have a home in Symantec's product line as standalone products.
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