VMware ACE allows system administrators to create and distribute virtual PC environment packages--complete with an operating system, designated applications, and data--to individual PCs. Typically such packages would be targeted to remote access PCs, including remote workers and/or guests (contractors, consultants, etc.) but the tool could also be used as a provisioning tool for enterprise PCs, as well.

The platform consists of two primary components: The VMware ACE Manager, and the end-user application to run the virtual machines created by the Manager. System administrators use the VMware ACE manager to create virtual project packages, an isolated PC operating environment complete with operating system, applications, and data known as an "Assured Computing Environment." Such packages are made available to remote users--together with the application that runs the virtual environment on the remote PC and security policies, defined by the administrator, that control the actual usage of the environment--via download or disk distribution.

Once installed on the end user's PC, the virtual environments run on top of the host PC's operating system, with the end user's VMware ACE component automatically mapping the hardware of the end user's PC to the virtual environment itself. While the host operating system--the existing platform on the end-user PC--must be Windows 2000 or later (Linux is supported in the next version, see below), the operating system that is packaged within the virtual environment--the "Guest" operating system--can be one of several possibilities; including Windows, Linux, and NetWare.

The virtual environment is governed by the security policies--known as Virtual Rights Management--as defined by the administrator, and can include such qualifications as how long the virtual environment is authorized to be used, what local hardware components can (or cannot) be accessed while within the virtual environment, who can utilize the virtual environment (authentication), and what data copy protection will be enforced. Rules-based network access controls enable the platform to identify and quarantine expired, unauthorized or out-of-date VMware ACE environments.

Other key features of the VMware ACE platform include:

- Encryption: The ACE files are protected via AES-128 encryption.

- Host Quarantine: Allowing both for restricted (or no) access to local hardware on the host PC and the ability to prevent the host PC from accessing the corporate network while simultaneously allowing the virtual environment to access the network. To accomplish this, the desktop manager must use bridged networking for the virtual machine, which allows the virtual machine to operate using its own IP, separate from the host PC (assuming an additional IP is available from the DHCP server).

- Binding: The ACE virtual machine can be bound to specific client hardware to prevent copying to another PC

The new version of VMware ACE is dubbed VMware ACE Enterprise Edition; new features include:

- Pocket ACE: Facilitating the deployment of virtual machines to portable media devices (USB Flash Driver, portable hard drive, Apple iPod, etc.)

- ACE Management Server: A VMware virtual appliance that facilitates the centralized tracking and management of multiple ("thousands") of ACE desktops and the application of policies from the central console. Features include supports for dynamic policy updates, and the management of virtual machine expiration dates as well as client activation/deactivation

- Extended O/S support; including Windows Vista and Linux (Mandriva, Novell, Red Hat and Ubuntu)

- Support for USB 2 and VMs of up to 8 GB

ACE Enteprise Edition is available in Starter ($999), Standard ($4,999) and Enterprise ($15,999) Kits, which include VMware Workstation 6 with the VMware ACE Option Pack, the VMware ACE 2 Management Server and up to 500 VMware ACE client licenses with the VMware ACE 2 Enterprise Kit.

Visit the VMware Web site for further information.