5 Reasons Why Public Libraries Should Use Reboot to Restore Software for their Computers

Reboot to restore solutions promote both unrestricted access to library devices & safe computing usage with a unique & preventive approach to system management.

Internet-backed public endpoints in libraries have become an essential resource for patrons seeking access to virtual databases and information. Often serving as the technology access points for multiple communities, these library devices have to be maintained per stringent reliability and security standards so as to ensure data confidentiality and user privacy.

Even with watchful management and close system monitoring, it is difficult for the system admins to keep library computers working in optimum conditions and free of vulnerabilities arising from both internal and external sources. Hence, IT managers in charge of library systems should leverage the reboot to restore software solutions that can enable them to provide open, affordable, and continuing access to patrons, while ensuring high system availability and integrity.

Here are the top 5 reasons that public libraries should opt for a system restore software having reboot to restore capabilities:

Reason #1: Enhance System Integrity in a Public Environment

Public libraries are naturally open to multiple users, which increases their susceptibility to unwanted changes and other cyber threats. Visitors can, advertently or accidentally, alter elements in system configuration, thus creating configuration gaps. If not tracked and corrected in time, these configuration drifts can negatively impact the system performance, causing them to behave sluggishly or fail all of a sudden. It generally takes hours of strenuous recovery work to bring back systems to an operable state, which is not only expensive but also result in extended downtime.

Software solutions based on reboot to restore technology can help IT managers maintain the configuration integrity of library systems with minimal effort. Such software solutions save the desired state of system configuration as determined by IT admins, and protects them as the baseline. When the library device is rebooted, these solutions completely remove all user-generated inputs and reload the admin-defined configuration. Thus, a reboot to restore software solution can prevent the targeted systems from straying from the baseline, which aids the IT administrators to achieve and sustain a standardized configuration state across all networked library endpoints.

Reason #2: Create Non-Restrictive Computing Experience For Visitors

Patrons and guests visit public libraries for a plethora of requirements. For example, they may download research data from various web resources and connect an external drive to the workstation to save a copy of those. They can also choose to run extensions or download add-ons per their session requirements. Such unregulated user activities can become a convenient entry point for malware intrusion. Besides, unmonitored exchange of stored data can also lead to compromised user privacy.

To cope with this issue, IT managers may need to limit users' ability to access the device, which aids them to temporarily maintain a stable lab environment. However, such user restrictions can curb and narrow down users' computing experience. When reboot to restore based solution is deployed on the computer, users can enjoy unrestricted system access and perform any changes as they deem fit. However, the reboot to restore capabilities of such system restore software can prevent user-induced system changes from leaving any lasting impact on the preserved configuration.

During an active user session, a reboot to restore software solution redirects all files being accessed to a temporary location that is no longer referenced when a system reboot is initiated. All unwanted elements, such as malicious software installations, downloaded files, and configuration drifts, are completely wiped out from the targeted systems, and the original baseline is restored. IT managers can thus keep a free and open computing environment for all users without any concerns over desktop integrity or system security.

Reason #3: Minimize Maintenance Cost

Public libraries are generally run by both the state as well as private donations to deliver their computing services to visitors and patrons. As they do not have a profit-driven approach to service delivery, they mainly focus on creating a sustainable model through which seamless access to systems with high-speed internet connectivity can be offered. With disruptive use, however, performance degradation and malfunctioning become common issues in library systems. This calls for the execution of time-intensive troubleshooting and system recovery processes which add to the IT maintenance costs. Most IT personnel working in public libraries are under constant pressure to keep the targeted endpoints in an ever-accessible state within a very tight budget.

Solutions based on reboot to restore technology can enable the IT managers to achieve a reduced operating cost margin in public libraries without having to compromise on the performance or stability of the system. If a system shows signs of malfunctioning, a quick restart can revert it to its desired functionality. This enables system admins to maximize system availability in public libraries without the need to exceed the allocated budget.

Reason #4: Reduce Dependency on IT Support

Most employees working in public libraries do not have high-end technical know-how or expertise to perform troubleshooting. Consequently, in the event of a sudden system breakdown, they have to go through the lengthy process of raising IT service tickets and await the arrival of the support team to get it fixed. This increases ticket resolution time and causes ample inconvenience to the visitors.

Reboot to restore solutions have such a simple functionality that almost anybody can execute them on targeted systems. Hence, they act as an excellent troubleshooting tool to the librarians who just have to restart the malfunctioning systems to bring them back to their original state. As library staff can take care of the common system issues themselves, IT personnel are left with fewer helpdesk tickets to respond to. This allows the IT department to invest their productive time in resolving complicated system issues.

Reason #5: Adopt A Proactive Approach to System Maintenance

In any multi-user public environment, IT support is generally sought, after the issue has already taken place. The IT team has to check each system individually to monitor its configuration health and perform repairs, if necessary. This being a labor-intensive process, the system administrators can only perform it periodically, leaving the systems open to multiple security risks in between the auditing sessions.

With reboot to restore solutions in place, IT managers can maintain the systems with the desired structural integrity and at the appropriate level of functionality. All they need to do is to run scheduled reboots to sustain the optimal system performance while keeping the security issues at bay. This enables system administrators to anticipate and resolve causes of sudden system failure, even before those can have a devastating impact on the IT infrastructure.

Effective reboot to restore solutions with centralized endpoint management capabilities can aid system administrators to move beyond the conventional patchwork approach for managing library computers. This can enable them to proactively deal with system glitches and security issues so as to keep those devices running at their peak functionality.