However, once built, the boot image can be simply copied onto devices, patched within reasonable limits, and remains disposable in case of any problems (viruses in particular).
By definition a pure boot image contains no data that cannot be reproduced from configurations or off-the-shelf executables.
By keeping the boot image entirely separate and disposable, and mandating boot image control, organizations seek to keep their total cost of operations (including its total cost of ownership component) low.
It includes at least: Many organizations use thin clients for applications which require high security, involve unreliable users or repurpose older machines for continued use.
A cascading strategy involves re-imaging older, off-spec machines to thin client boot images so that they may continue in use for some less demanding or more access-controlled applications.