Symantec Ghost Solution Suite
By Broadcom Inc
Symantec Ghost Solution Suite typical implementation process:
Assessment and Planning: IT teams evaluate network infrastructure, endpoint types, imaging needs, and deployment goals to define the implementation scope and strategy.
Server and Console Installation: The Ghost Solution Suite management console and server software are installed on a designated server or virtual machine, forming the central hub for all deployment tasks.
Network Configuration: Configure PXE servers, multicast settings, and network access permissions to enable fast, unattended network-based deployments.
Image Creation: Golden images (master OS configurations) are created from reference systems, capturing required apps, drivers, and settings for mass deployment.
Driver and Task Setup: Driver libraries are uploaded, automated task scripts are created, and relevant deployment jobs are configured in the management console.
Testing Pilot Deployment: A small-scale pilot deployment is performed on selected endpoints to verify image integrity, driver mapping, and task automation.
Full Rollout: With pilot success, the solution is rolled out to all targeted endpoints, applying remote, scheduled, or on-demand imaging and post-configuration tasks.
Symantec Ghost Solution Suite is highly customizable to fit the diverse deployment, management, and security needs of businesses across industries.
The solution allows organizations to create and deploy custom disk images, reflecting their unique operating system configurations, applications, and user settings. Through its centralized management console, administrators can configure bespoke deployment jobs, sequencing tasks for specific endpoint groups, design custom scripting workflows, and automate system rollouts with selectable timing and job criteria. Driver mapping is configurable, allowing the integration of proprietary or industry-specific device drivers into deployment images for compatibility with specialized hardware.
Role-based access controls permit tailored administrator and user permissions, enforcing security and operational boundaries across distributed teams or business units. Integration options with Active Directory and network authentication provide further alignment with enterprise identity management policies. Ghost’s application packaging and migration capabilities let businesses automate the transfer or installation of in-house software, user data, and policies as part of upgrade, refresh, or recovery scenarios.
Ghost Solution Suite also supports both local and network-based deployment architectures, adapts to existing IT infrastructure (PXE, multicast, API-based integrations), and allows task automation for post-install patching, audit logging, and unique compliance requirements. Administrators can develop custom scripts for monitoring, reporting, and diagnostics, as well as control scheduling for rolling out updates, reimaging, and backups according to business priorities.
Symantec Ghost Solution Suite, under Broadcom, offers comprehensive training and support to ensure new users can efficiently deploy, manage, and troubleshoot the platform in enterprise environments. Upon purchase, organizations gain access to official documentation, including detailed installation guides, user manuals, and setup walkthroughs. Broadcom provides on-demand online resources such as technical articles, best practice guides, and troubleshooting FAQs, which help users master disk imaging, deployment strategies, scripting, and remote management features.
For hands-on training, Broadcom offers virtual instructor-led sessions, webinars, and customer success programs tailored to IT teams responsible for planning and executing endpoint management. New users can leverage technical support through ticketing systems, phone, and chat with Broadcom specialists able to address queries around implementation, integration, network configuration, and troubleshooting.
Symantec Ghost Solution Suite implements a comprehensive set of security measures to protect sensitive organizational data throughout the disk imaging, deployment, and endpoint management lifecycle. All disk images can be encrypted, ensuring that system snapshots, configurations, and user profiles remain inaccessible to unauthorized users during creation, transmission, and storage. The platform enforces role-based access controls within its management console, allowing organizations to set specific permissions and limit administrative capabilities to trusted staff members only.
During network-based deployment, Ghost Solution Suite utilizes secure communications protocols for transferring disk images and deployment instructions, mitigating risks from data interception or tampering. Integration with enterprise authentication systems—such as Active Directory—enables centralized user validation and tightens security boundaries for deployment activities.
Symantec Ghost Solution Suite receives regular updates that include security patches, feature enhancements, bug fixes, and compatibility improvements. Broadcom typically releases updates several times per year, with supplemental hotfixes or urgent patches provided as needed to address newly discovered vulnerabilities or maintain compatibility with evolving hardware and operating system versions.
Updates are managed centrally by Broadcom and distributed via official support and product download portals. Administrators are notified of new releases through product documentation, email alerts, and the management console, allowing them to schedule or execute upgrades when best suited for their organizational downtime or change management cycles. Release notes and update guides are published for each version, describing changes and recommended installation procedures to ensure seamless transitions and minimize operational disruption.
Symantec Ghost Solution Suite adheres to a client-controlled data ownership and portability policy, ensuring that all disk images, system configurations, and deployment assets created and managed within the platform remain the property of the customer organization. Administrators have full control over the export, storage, and migration of disk images and related resources, allowing data to be transferred across hardware, locations, or to other systems as business needs evolve.
The solution supports the open storage of image files in industry-standard formats, permitting easy offline backup or migration to alternate management platforms if desired. No proprietary locking mechanisms restrict client access; users can retrieve, extract, and replicate their deployment assets and system images without vendor-imposed barriers.
Symantec Ghost Solution Suite offers flexible terms for scaling up or down as organizational requirements evolve. If an organization needs to increase capacity, such as adding more endpoint licenses or expanding support coverage, additional licenses or support subscriptions can be purchased at any time, typically aligning renewal dates for ease of management and billing. Customers may upgrade from a smaller deployment to an enterprise-wide implementation by acquiring more device licenses or multi-site coverage according to Broadcom’s volume licensing policies.
Conversely, organizations seeking to scale down may adjust the number of supported endpoints during annual renewal cycles, often by reducing license quantity or modifying maintenance/support terms based on real usage. Any changes should be discussed in advance with the Broadcom account team to ensure proper co-termination and avoid active support contract lapses. Unused licenses may not always be refundable, so planning license needs ahead of renewal is recommended for cost efficiency.
Symantec Ghost Solution Suite is typically licensed on a subscription or perpetual license model, with maintenance and support terms managed according to Broadcom’s global enterprise software policies. Contract renewal is generally annual, with multi-year renewals possible if they align with the product’s end-of-life roadmap. Customers are notified 60-90 days in advance of maintenance/support term expiration and are encouraged to renew before the end date to ensure uninterrupted access to updates, technical support, and product enhancements.
Upon expiry, customers lose entitlement to maintenance and support benefits until reinstatement. Reinstatement after a lapse may require back payment or a new purchase and proof of the original license. Maintenance/support quantity must match the number of product licenses held, and co-termination (aligning renewal dates of multiple licenses) is supported under certain licensing programs. Reductions or modifications in support scope are allowed but may require discussion with Broadcom customer care to determine the best approach for unused or surplus licenses.
Symantec Ghost Solution Suite is designed to support compliance with a wide range of industry and government standards relevant to endpoint management, data security, and IT operations. The platform’s core features—including encrypted imaging, audit logs, and integration with enterprise authentication systems—facilitate adherence to data protection mandates such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and various ISO/IEC standards for IT security management (such as ISO/IEC 27001).
Ghost Solution Suite’s audit trails and role-based access controls help organisations meet regulatory requirements for tracking, reporting, and limiting access to sensitive system images and deployment data. The platform is capable of operating in environments that require strict documentation and evidence of endpoint lifecycle management, supporting many internal and external compliance audits.
