RIS - Tips for beginners

[GrumbleDook]

for security you must authenticate when running RIS when you start the machine up.

Not bad though ... the only thing you have to do once you have the machine out the box is note the GUID and enter it into AD and then logon and walk away ...

[Dos_Box]

Yes. You never get anything for free Here is a scenario for you.

1 .You take delivery of a new suite of computers.

2. Set them in place on their desktops.

3. Power them up and run the RIS installer.

4. Once you get to the last screen before the installer begins the RIS client will show you the GUID ID number.

5. Take a note of this number and repeat for the rest of the room.

6. Goto your Dc or workstation with admin tools installed.

7. Create managed accounts for all of your new PC's using the GUIDs' you have previously noted.

8. Go back to your new suite and startup one computer booting into the RIS client. Once you get to the last screen before installing it will show you the computer name you have just set it up with in AD. This tells you things are working as they should.

9. If the name does not appear then you have proberbly entered the GUID incorrectly.

10. Run RIS and install a CD based image.

11. The script found in \\%servername%\setup\english\images\%cdimagename% (in my case it is WINDOWSXPSP2) \i386\templates\ristndrd.sif contains all of the details you need to setup a basic image. If unconfigured you will have to fill in some setup details one your PC reboots.

12. To get a better idea of how to configure your scripts please view this topic. http://www.edugeek.net/index.php?nam...c&t=54&start=0

[webman]

I prefer the RM CC3 method of using a boot disk, entering the workstation name, admin user and password and entering the AD location

Or, once they're already built, use the Local Support Tools to re-build workstations remotely. In bulk. Over remote access. While on holiday in New Zealand. Ok, so the New Zealand bit was a fantasy

[GrumbleDook]

Yep ... once again it shows that RM works for some ...

We try and get one extra machine per room as a spare, for our fat clients (heehee ... not that we actually have thin clients running yet ... but getting there) which we get in a week or two before a holiday and we use this to build a full image, including all software.

This is then loaded on the RIS box and when the real boxes come in away we go ... loads less hassle.

But we have the staff and time to do it ... and time to play with things.

Where possible we don't use MSIs pushed over GPOs, we load it from a RIS image. We have just found this to be more stable and is quicker when getting machines back onto desks.

[tarquel]

Originally Posted by ChrisH

Prestage your computers in AD according to their GUId or mac address that way each PC has its own name and you wont have to faff around when you reinstall it. Its a bit of work but you combine this effort making reserved IPs which will make controlling the internet and other stuff easier.

Sorry for the delay - knew this might be a popular topic to start lol

I already have reserved IP addresses at the moment - not completely finished all the pc's yet - but its pretty much there.

So am I right in thinking that if you create a computer object [named how you want the computer name to be] in the AD - tell it its MAC or GUID - and tick the managed computer bit, then for that particular machine, its just a matter of installing etc?

The link I made on the first page touches upon it tho - but not to the depths that we need it for.

From what that article says, its a case of providing RIS with the XP Pro installation files, deploying it to a machine - installing stuff and "sending it back" to be there as a deployable image [for use of a better term(s)]

Am I right?

Cheers
Nath

[tarquel]

Originally Posted by GrumbleDook

We try and get one extra machine per room as a spare, for our fat clients (heehee ... not that we actually have thin clients running yet ... but getting there) which we get in a week or two before a holiday and we use this to build a full image, including all software.

This is then loaded on the RIS box and when the real boxes come in away we go ... loads less hassle.

But we have the staff and time to do it ... and time to play with things.

Where possible we don't use MSIs pushed over GPOs, we load it from a RIS image. We have just found this to be more stable and is quicker when getting machines back onto desks.

Sounds like a holiday every day in your workplace.

Did i tell you that you really need another member of staff?

lol

/digress

Nath.

[Dos_Box]

From what that article says, its a case of providing RIS with the XP Pro installation files, deploying it to a machine - installing stuff and "sending it back" to be there as a deployable image [for use of a better term(s)] Wink

Yes. RIS will ask for you to insert a CD (or provide the CD files) for any new OS you wish to deploy over RIS. Once these have been uploaded to the server you can then deloy that basic CD to a client (Beware, there may be network card driver faffage to contend with)
Once you have deployed it to your client, installed all of the drivers, software etc you may the 'RIPPREP' the image, which then copies the image back to the server is a custom folder you have designated.
When the RIPPREP is complete it will create a folder called 'TEMPLATES'. In this foler you will find a fil woth a .SIF suffix. This is the file that you can edit to make your RIS operations for this image hands free.
Whn the RIPPREP image is created you will find that not all files are copied back. This is because RIS uses a space saving scavenger service whereby it does not copy files which were present from the CD image back to the server, as they already exist. It simply refernces them.

[E1uSiV3]

Personally i dont bother prestaging, i jus build the RIS image, log in as admin and readd it to the domain, it uses the existing account but renames it. I then move it in AD and jobs a good'un

No prestage and no need to give it a name on every build, it picks up the managed account and is faser than running round writing down GUIDs, hell you can even get RIS to log u on as admin first time round if you wanna be lazy lol

[tarquel]

winnt.sif by any chance DB? or something along those same lines I'd wager. Better check the ref help thingy of the deploy tools for info on that - cool.

Examples would be welcome [to everyone] tho if anyone cares to share

Cheers
Nath

[ChrisH]

The SIF file can be called anything in ris as long as it has an .sif ext . You will find a winnt.sif file in your i386 folder which can be handy to stick in defaults for all installs as it is read from as well.

[tarquel]

ahhh interesting to know - thanks.

In line with that - my latest UA XP CD is fully auto except for in the middle of it when it comes to installing the latest Media player 10 build [MP10setup.exe] it asks whether you want to continue to install it because System Restore is off [its off because windows hasnt finished installing I'd guess].

Any idea whether this would affect the RIS client install and as a side point, any ideas on making it "not" ask that generally when using a UA CD? lol

Cheers
Nath

[ChrisH]

I use the MP10 package for RyanVMs integrator and it doesnt ask any questions.

[tarquel]

Do you use a slipstreamed source which you then add to RIS then Chris?

Thats what I'm working on now quickly - well, updating it a bit since the new updates last Tues, and trying to figure the Media Player bit too.

The trouble i would imagine is that if I install it after the hotfixes are installed, the hotfixes wont install as there is no Media player 10 installed.

But I might test that theory tho.

I use XPCREATE [http://xpcreate.com] to slipstream - works great - and recently tried BTS's DriverPacks [http://www.driverpacks.net] which is awesome.

If anyone is interested on this, PM me ad I'll start a new thread and a make a little FAQ up The writer of XPCREATE is probably a guy like us, and in the past year hasnt had a chance to update it or respond on the forum - as he was nice to me in letting me have the comercial version for nothing [when he was doing that side of things] I like to help with it where i can - support wise

EDIT: but in the meantime, I've done a nice post here: http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?...dpost&p=466404

anyway, sorry to digress [slaps his own hands yet again].

Nath

[ChrisH]

I use A slipstream XP sp2 source. I then Use the Ryan VM integrator to put in the windows updates + the MP 10 pack. I use BTs driver packs but have found I needed to add some drivers as well myself. I also use Nlite to chop out all the extra languages and stuff to make the source smaller.
I use Rogue Spears Autoris script to help me do all this as well.

[tarquel]

Gotcha

anyhow....

Next RIS question please

Nath