Intel AMT versions
Encyclopedia
Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) is hardware-based technology built into PCs with Intel vPro technology
. AMT is designed to help sys-admins remotely manage and secure PCs out-of-band
when PC power is off, the operating system
(OS) is unavailable (hung, crashed, corrupted, missing), software management agents are missing, or hardware (such as a hard disk drive or memory) has failed.
located on the motherboard
. This OOB
controller has embedded firmware
that runs on the Manageability Engine (ME), a separate small ARC
architecture processor built into the northbridge
(or network card
for AMT 1.0) of the motherboard. The AMT firmware is stored in the same SPI flash memory
component used to store the BIOS
and is generally updated along with the BIOS. FWH (Firmware Hub) or LPC firmware storage is not supported for AMT.
In general, an AMT version can be updated in software to the next minor version. New major releases of Intel AMT are built into a new chipset
, and are updated through new hardware.
Intel vPro
Intel vPro technology is computer hardware technology to allow remote access to the PC independent of the state of the operating system or power state of the PC. It consists of a set of features built into a PC's motherboard and other hardware...
. AMT is designed to help sys-admins remotely manage and secure PCs out-of-band
Out-of-band management
In computing, out-of-band management involves the use of a dedicated management channel for device maintenance...
when PC power is off, the operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
(OS) is unavailable (hung, crashed, corrupted, missing), software management agents are missing, or hardware (such as a hard disk drive or memory) has failed.
Versions
Intel AMT is built into a small secondary processorCentral processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
located on the motherboard
Motherboard
In personal computers, a motherboard is the central printed circuit board in many modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system, providing connectors for other peripherals. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, or, on Apple...
. This OOB
Out-of-band
The term out-of-band has different uses in communications and telecommunication. In case of out-of-band control signaling, signaling bits are sent in special order in a dedicated signaling frame...
controller has embedded firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
that runs on the Manageability Engine (ME), a separate small ARC
ARC International
ARC International plc was a developer of configurable microprocessor technology and is now owned by Synopsys. ARC developed synthesisable IP and licensed it to semiconductor companies....
architecture processor built into the northbridge
Northbridge (computing)
The northbridge has historically been one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a PC motherboard, the other being the southbridge. Increasingly these functions have migrated to the CPU chip itself, beginning with memory and graphics controllers. For Intel Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion...
(or network card
Network card
A network interface controller is a computer hardware component that connects a computer to a computer network....
for AMT 1.0) of the motherboard. The AMT firmware is stored in the same SPI flash memory
Flash memory
Flash memory is a non-volatile computer storage chip that can be electrically erased and reprogrammed. It was developed from EEPROM and must be erased in fairly large blocks before these can be rewritten with new data...
component used to store the BIOS
BIOS
In IBM PC compatible computers, the basic input/output system , also known as the System BIOS or ROM BIOS , is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface....
and is generally updated along with the BIOS. FWH (Firmware Hub) or LPC firmware storage is not supported for AMT.
In general, an AMT version can be updated in software to the next minor version. New major releases of Intel AMT are built into a new chipset
Chipset
A chipset, PC chipset, or chip set refers to a group of integrated circuits, or chips, that are designed to work together. They are usually marketed as a single product.- Computers :...
, and are updated through new hardware.
- Intel AMT 8.0 – Intel 7 Series chipset (Panther Point).
- Intel AMT 7.0 – Intel Q67 Express (Sugar Bay: Cougar Point) chipset, mobile QM67 and QS67 (Calpella: Cougar Point) chipset.
- Intel AMT 6.0 – Intel Core i5/7 vPro desktop platforms based on the Q57 (Piketon: Ibex Peak) chipset, Core i5/7 vPro mobile platforms based on the QM57 and QS57 (Calpella: Ibex Peak) chipset, and Xeon 3400 series/Core i5 vPro entry workstation platforms based on the 3450 chipset.
- Intel AMT 5.0 – Intel Core 2 vPro desktop platforms (launched September 22, 2008) based on the Intel Q45 (McCreary: Eaglelake-Q, ICH10) chipsets.
- Intel AMT 4.1 – Intel AMT 4.0 + Intel Anti-Theft Technology. Supported on same mobile platforms as Intel AMT 4.0, and based on the GM45 (Montevina, ICH9M) chipset.
- Intel AMT 4.0 – Mobile platforms with Intel Centrino 2 with vPro based on the GM45 or 47/PM45 (Montevina: Cantiga, ICH9M) chipsets.
- Intel AMT 3.2 – Intel AMT 3.0 + extra DASH 1.0 (simplified configuration) support and bug fixes (supported on same desktop platforms as Intel AMT 3.1 and Intel AMT 3.0).
- Intel AMT 3.1 – Intel AMT 3.0 + Linux (Red Hat and SUSE) support (supported on same desktop platforms as Intel AMT 3.0; uses same firmware).
- Intel AMT 3.0 – Intel vPro desktop platforms based on the Intel Q35 (Weybridge: Bearlake-Q, ICH9) chipsets, e.g., the Intel DQ35MP motherboard.
- Intel AMT 2.6 – Intel AMT 2.5 + Remote Configuration and bug fixes (supported on same platforms as Intel AMT 2.5).
- Intel AMT 2.5 – Intel Centrino Pro mobile platforms based on the GM965/PM965 (Santa Rosa: Crestline, ICH8M) chipsets.
- Intel AMT 2.2 – Intel AMT 2.1 + Remote Configuration and bug fixes (supported on same platforms as Intel AMT 2.1 and Intel AMT 2.0).
- Intel AMT 2.1 – Intel AMT 2.0 + AMT Power Savings (Intel Management Engine Wake on LAN) and bug fixes (supported on same platforms as Intel AMT 2.0).
- Intel AMT 2.0 – Intel vPro desktop platforms based on the Intel Q963/Q965 (Broadwater-Q, ICH8) chipsets, e.g., the Intel DQ965GF motherboard.
- Intel AMT 1.0 – Intel platforms based on the Intel 82573E (Tekoa; usually 945, ICH7) Gigabit EthernetGigabit EthernetGigabit Ethernet is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet frames at a rate of a gigabit per second , as defined by the IEEE 802.3-2008 standard. It came into use beginning in 1999, gradually supplanting Fast Ethernet in wired local networks where it performed...
Controller, e.g., the Intel D975XBX2 motherboard. This version provides basic NVRAM, hardware asset, event log and other basic features. It does not provide Intel System Defense network filters.
See also
- Intel Active Management TechnologyIntel Active Management TechnologyIntel Active Management Technology is hardware-based technology for remotely managing and securing PCs out-of-band.Currently, Intel AMT is available in desktop PCs with Intel Core 2 processor with Intel vPro technology and available in laptop PCs with Centrino or Centrino 2 platform with vPro...
(Intel AMT) - Relationships between Intel vPro, Intel AMT, Intel Centrino 2, and Intel Core 2
- Intel vProIntel vProIntel vPro technology is computer hardware technology to allow remote access to the PC independent of the state of the operating system or power state of the PC. It consists of a set of features built into a PC's motherboard and other hardware...
- Intel Core 2Intel Core 2Core 2 is a brand encompassing a range of Intel's consumer 64-bit x86-64 single-, dual-, and quad-core microprocessors based on the Core microarchitecture. The single- and dual-core models are single-die, whereas the quad-core models comprise two dies, each containing two cores, packaged in a...
- Intel Centrino 2
- Host Embedded Controller InterfaceHost Embedded Controller InterfaceHost Embedded Controller Interface, abbreviated as HECI, is a recent technology used for Active Management Technology in Intel chipsets that support Core 2 Duo microprocessors.- Details :...
(HECI) - Alert Standard FormatAlert Standard FormatAlert Standard Format is a DMTF standard for remote monitoring, management and control of computer systems in both OS-present and OS-absent environments...
(ASF) - Distributed Management Task ForceDistributed Management Task ForceDistributed Management Task Force is an industry organization that develops, maintains and promotes standards for systems management in enterprise IT environments. These standards allow for building systems management infrastructure components in a platform-independent and technology-neutral way...
(DMTF) - Intelligent Platform Management InterfaceIntelligent Platform Management InterfaceThe Intelligent Platform Management Interface is a standardizedcomputer system interface used by system administrators to manage a computer system and monitor its operation....
(IPMI) - Baseboard management controller (BMC)
- Trusted Platform ModuleTrusted Platform ModuleIn computing, Trusted Platform Module is both the name of a published specification detailing a secure cryptoprocessor that can store cryptographic keys that protect information, as well as the general name of implementations of that specification, often called the "TPM chip" or "TPM Security...
(TPM) - Northbridge (computing)Northbridge (computing)The northbridge has historically been one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a PC motherboard, the other being the southbridge. Increasingly these functions have migrated to the CPU chip itself, beginning with memory and graphics controllers. For Intel Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion...
(NB) - Southbridge (computing)Southbridge (computing)The southbridge is one of the two chips in the core logic chipset on a personal computer motherboard, the other being the northbridge. The southbridge typically implements the slower capabilities of the motherboard in a northbridge/southbridge chipset computer architecture. In Intel chipset...
(SB) - I/O Controller HubI/O Controller HubI/O Controller Hub , also known as Intel 82801, is an Intel southbridge on motherboards with Intel chipsets . As with any other southbridge, the ICH is used to connect and control peripheral devices.- ICH :...
(ICH) - Out-of-band managementOut-of-band managementIn computing, out-of-band management involves the use of a dedicated management channel for device maintenance...
- Lights out management
- HP Integrated Lights-Out (HP/Compaq specific)
External links
- Intel Active Management Technology
- Intel Manageability Developer Community
- Intel vPro Expert Center
- vPro on Intel.com
- PRO TOOL WIKI
- Intel AMT Open Source Drivers and Tools
- Intel 82573E Gigabit Ethernet Controller (Tekoa)
- ARC4 Processor
- Intel vPro Chipset Lures MSPs, System Builders (ChannelWeb, Aug 2007)
- AMT videos (select the desktop channel)
- Intel vPro is everything we said it would be