Architecture
Standard Operating Environments (SOE)
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What is it?
A standard implementation of an operating system and associated software across standardised hardware. This means that computers in a SOE will run the same OS, software and hardware components. Running a SOE can have many advantages and disadvantages, so it is important to consider these before implementation.
Advantages
The primary purpose of SOEs are the time and cost savings.
Easy to install and maintain software because of the standardised hardware and software
Because all machines are identical, disk images can be flashed onto all machines thus saving time
Average cost of installation is reduced because it can be done efficiently
Software licensing and hardware purchasing can be done in bulk, thus reducing costs
New software can be trialed on a small group of machines before being installed on the rest of the SOE
Disadvantages
The primary disadvantage of a SOE is its standardised nature.
Software upgrades need to be extensively tested before being installed on the SOE thus acting against immediate upgrades
Users are not able to install software they may individually require because it may interfere with the SOE
Network administrators are often required to manage an SOE