What is FreshStart™?
VSi's FreshStart™ enables a single machine or an entire environment of an enterprise to rebuild itself instantly and bring it back to its desired, pre-determined state.

What is an Environment?
The environment is defined as the area of the hard disk drive that contains the operating system, applications and settings.

What is Optimized Drive structure (ODS)?
ODS is VSi's smart mechanism of segmenting the drive in which the environment is separated from user data. VSi's ODS technique also creates multiple redundant environmental partitions that increase system reliability.

What is an Image? The image is a snapshot of the environment (O/S, applications and settings) created during FreshStart™'s installation and duplication process.

What do you mean by "Hardening the O/S"?
When an operating system is installed, by default it contains a great deal of security holes that can easily be exploited to damage the system. One of the tasks that FreshStart™ performs is to close these holes and at the same time fine-tune the system in such a way that it is secure from intentional and unintentional damage. This process of securing and fine-tuning is called "Hardening the O/S".

How long does it take to restore the environment?
If there is a soft crash or system malfunction, the environment is restored instantaneously. The user simply depresses the power button for few seconds and the system reboots and restores immediately. Any unauthorized changes made to the environment will be completed eliminated.

What standard user / security levels does FreshStart™ utilize?
FreshStart™ uses the same security group levels as Microsoft Windows O/S. VSi recommends using the followings group levels:

1. Admin: Has the authority to add and remove applications, change global settings, update image with new changes, etc.

2. User: For regular use of system. Any changes that user makes, aside from personal settings will be wiped out by FreshStart™ at reboot.

Does FreshStart™ allow users to make few personal changes but not effect global changes?
Yes. FreshStart™ technology defines environmental settings as global, corporate, or personal. Users can make personal changes, such as desktop background, and FreshStart™ will not delete these changes. Any changes to the corporate or global settings will be restored back to their original state once the system reboots. Only the administrator can make these global and corporate changes permanent.

How does FreshStart™ restore the environment?
At the core of FreshStart™ is VSi's patent pending technology called InstantRebuild™, which works in the background restoring any changes made to the system, and reliable boot process.

What does the installation process entail?
FreshStart™'s installation process is extremely simple. Prior to installing the O/S, the user inserts the FreshStart™ CD. FreshStart™ then prepares the system for O/S and application install. Once O/S and applications are installed, the user runs the FreshStart™ utility and follows the simple instructions to secure the system.

Once the admin creates a master system can it be cloned?
Yes. The cloning process is divided into two steps:

1) Capturing/Exporting the image from the master environment into a CD or a network drive.

2) Cloning the image onto one or more 'clone' system.

What operating systems does FreshStart Support?
Currently FreshStart™ supports Microsoft Windows NT, Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows XP. How does FreshStart™ function with existing MS Windows/ applications? FreshStart™ works seamlessly in the background without affecting any O/S or applications' functionality.

Toll-free Customer Support • 866-VSI-4440 (866-874-4440)