Abstract: Applications can be selectively offloaded to ensure that thin clients will have sufficient disk space to install an update. To enable this offloading, a service can be employed to track how long each application is used on the thin client during a particular time period. Based on this usage of each application, the service can assign a rank to each application. The service can also monitor the amount of free space on the disk to determine whether it has fallen below a threshold. If so, the service can employ the ranks to identify applications to be offloaded them by copying an install location folder for each application to a remote repository and then deleting each copied install location folder. When the thin client includes a write filter, the service can commit the deletes of the install location folders so that the applications will remain offloaded after reboot.

Abstract: Applications can be selectively offloaded to ensure that thin clients will have sufficient disk space to install an update. To enable this offloading, a service can be employed to track how long each application is used on the thin client during a particular time period. Based on this usage of each application, the service can assign a rank to each application. The service can also monitor the amount of free space on the disk to determine whether it has fallen below a threshold. If so, the service can employ the ranks to identify applications to be offloaded them by copying an install location folder for each application to a remote repository and then deleting each copied install location folder. When the thin client includes a write filter, the service can commit the deletes of the install location folders so that the applications will remain offloaded after reboot.

Abstract: Cloud based Wake-on-LAN (WoL) for thin clients can be performed to allow a cloud based management server to wake up a thin client prior to an update command (or other communication) being transmitted to the thin client to ensure that the thin client will receive the update command. Cloud based WoL can therefore facilitate the deployment of updates to thin clients by providing a way for the administrator to wake up the thin clients from the cloud.

Abstract: Peer assisted updates can be provided in a device management environment. When it is desired to deploy an update to a group of managed devices, an update command can be sent to a first set of managed devices in the group instructing these managed devices to download the update. Once these managed devices have downloaded and installed the update, they will notify the management server. In response, the management server can instruct these managed devices to remain awake so that they may each function as a master device or repository for deploying the update to other managed devices in the group. The management server can then send update commands to the other managed devices instructing them to download the update from one of the managed devices that is now acting as a master device. This process can be repeated until all managed devices in the group have been updated.

Abstract: Manual discovery of devices in a device management environment can be performed from a management server. The manual discovery process can enable the discovery process to be initiated at the management server and can be performed without requiring an administrator or other user to manually configure each device to initiate and perform the discovery process. To discover devices to be managed, the management server, which can be a cloud based server or Software as a Service based server, can send a registration request to an on-premise server. The on-premise server can then relay this registration request to all devices on the same network infrastructure. The agent on each device can be configured to listen for such registration requests, and in response to receiving a registration request, can automatically register with the management server using information contained in the registration request. In this way, the management server can manually discover devices.

Abstract: A diagnostic service can be provided for devices that include a device agent for allowing the devices to be managed. The diagnostic service can operate on a managed device to monitor and manage the device agent. To facilitate communication between the management server and the diagnostic service, the diagnostic service can obtain connection information and an authentication code from the device agent after the device agent has registered with the management server. The diagnostic service can then employ the connection information and authentication code to register with the management server. Once the diagnostic service is registered, the management server can employ the diagnostic service to monitor and manage the device agent.

Abstract: Cloud based Wake-on-LAN (WoL) for thin clients can be performed to allow a cloud based management server to wake up a thin client prior to an update command (or other communication) being transmitted to the thin client to ensure that the thin client will receive the update command. Cloud based WoL can therefore facilitate the deployment of updates to thin clients by providing a way for the administrator to wake up the thin clients from the cloud.

Abstract: Peer assisted updates can be provided in a device management environment. When it is desired to deploy an update to a group of managed devices, an update command can be sent to a first set of managed devices in the group instructing these managed devices to download the update. Once these managed devices have downloaded and installed the update, they will notify the management server. In response, the management server can instruct these managed devices to remain awake so that they may each function as a master device or repository for deploying the update to other managed devices in the group. The management server can then send update commands to the other managed devices instructing them to download the update from one of the managed devices that is now acting as a master device. This process can be repeated until all managed devices in the group have been updated.

Abstract: Manual discovery of devices in a device management environment can be performed from a management server. The manual discovery process can enable the discovery process to be initiated at the management server and can be performed without requiring an administrator or other user to manually configure each device to initiate and perform the discovery process. To discover devices to be managed, the management server, which can be a cloud based server or Software as a Service based server, can send a registration request to an on-premise server. The on-premise server can then relay this registration request to all devices on the same network infrastructure. The agent on each device can be configured to listen for such registration requests, and in response to receiving a registration request, can automatically register with the management server using information contained in the registration request. In this way, the management server can manually discover devices.

Abstract: A diagnostic service can be provided for devices that include a device agent for allowing the devices to be managed. The diagnostic service can operate on a managed device to monitor and manage the device agent. To facilitate communication between the management server and the diagnostic service, the diagnostic service can obtain connection information and an authentication code from the device agent after the device agent has registered with the management server. The diagnostic service can then employ the connection information and authentication code to register with the management server. Once the diagnostic service is registered, the management server can employ the diagnostic service to monitor and manage the device agent.