Symantec Hopes Ghost 6.5 Makes Windows 2000 Migration Less Scary

Moving to Windows 2000 is a scary proposition for network managers. With the release of Ghost 6.5, utility software maker Symantec Corp. hopes to alleviate some of that fear.

Ghost 6.5 boasts a slew of new features, including boot and console wizards, support for individual file transfers, and a multicast server that can push and pull system images from multiple PCs, says Thom Bailey, Ghost product manager.

The centerpiece, however, is the auto-install utility, which lets users create templates for different machine configurations, Bailey says. "This is something we couldn't do before. With this feature, users can create one template for PCs in the sales department and another template for differently configured PCs in the finance department. This makes it much easier for users to manage multiple types of systems in complex environments," he says.

The auto-install feature also allows the replication of applications such as Office 2000, Bailey says.

IT managers conducting multiple-system migration will find the multicast server a time-saver because they will be able to deploy Windows 2000 configurations and images to multiple PCs in a network, instead of upgrading one at a time.

Ghost 6.5 is available now. Pricing is based on the number of desktop clients and is $14 for 100 nodes.