creating a deployment system on a server

[Andiwindsoruk]

Hi I was a computer technician at a school and we had a CC4 Network, what is the system used to rebuild pcs and install software to different pcs? We have a small network and different software is required on different pcs and Licences keep being misplaced. I want to have the ability to rebuild any of the pcs with their operating system and have the software that the user uses installed from the server is there any way to do this but without RM?

 

Thank you.

 

Andrew.

[Oaktech]

If you are only a small network I would stay away from SCCM as it is a big beasty thing...

 

You could look at FOG, you could look at MDT or you could look at WDS

 

You could do it by having an image for each type of machine that contained all the required software for that machine, or you could look to deploy things via group policy MSI and only targetting the GPO to the organisational units of the machines you want a piece of software installed on

 

Personally at the moment I use WDS as I find it simple to use and it suits my needs.

[TechieWils]

WDS, SCCM or FOG. There's a few out there but there the ones I've used before. Fog is free and will run on pretty much anything as it is Linux based. I made it a virtual server the once as a temporary measure and it did all right.

 

----------------EDIT

 

@Oaktech beat me buy seconds. He's right on the SCCM part been a beast, WDS is free with Windows Server and just needs setting up. I have an old FOG guide somewhere that explains how to build a hardware independent image.

Edited November 4, 2015 by TechieWils

[mikeyd101]

I used to use MDT but i got annoyed with keeping winpe updated with all net drivers to install, It doesn't tell you until a ways through the process that it cant access the deployment location. I moved to FOG which is much simpler as just copies the partition images, it also has a basic machine inventory too. I think FOG also has a bit to do remote installs / remote control but not looked into it.

 

I install a few main apps through GPO/MSI.

 

I'd like to move to SCCM as i'd like more inventory control / auditing over all our machines. But still trying to convince my boss.

[dhicks]

I want to have the ability to rebuild any of the pcs with their operating system and have the software that the user uses installed from the server is there any way to do this but without RM?

 

We use Serva, a free BINL server capable of serving PXE-bootable Windows installer images - you can run a Windows unattended install via the network, no user interaction required. After the unattended install has run (which includes steps to rename the machine according to MAC address and join the domain) we have Windows hand over to a script that then installs various packages, but that is quite clunky - better to deploy packaged MSIs via GPO if you can.