DynaCenter can add an image to its library, or capture an image, in two ways: it can create new images directly from installable software packages using a configurable image template, and can then update the image with patches as needed, or DynaCenter can capture images directly from your existing servers in a manner similar to a live backup. This provides easy integration with existing servers and with any automated provisioning tools you may have in place.

An image in the library can then be deployed to a server with dissimilar hardware, so long as it’s a part of the same processor family. DynaCenter can copy the image over the network onto a server’s bootable storage, such as a local hard drive or attached SAN LUN. Using deployment profiles you can deploy copies of the same image to multiple servers, providing each with a unique personality. With DynaCenter’s image mobility, you can deploy your image to a mix of physical and virtual machines or older hardware, reducing overall infrastructure costs.

If your infrastructure supports SAN or NAS boot, you have the option of booting the server directly from the copy of the image that resides within the image library. This eliminates the need to copy the image over the network, providing much faster deployment. If you would like to run multiple servers from the same image, you can quickly clone as many copies as you need using deployment profiles to provide each copy with a unique personality.

Follow these links to read more about DynaCenter Server Images and Moving to Dissimilar Hardware.