Images

[MattDLEA]

For people that dont use SCCM.

 

How do you image?

Currently I use clonezilla taking an full disk image of a pc that has all the programs on, go to pc that needs imaging and doing a full disk clone.

However I have read that this is bad?

When I first started some one showed me WDS which we used to take an image of a PC again with software on and deploy to all the pc's.

Or is it best to just use MDT?

[snagrat]

MDT is so versatile that we use that.

[MattDLEA]

@snagrat so is that just like a base windows install and thats it?

[ITGuyNW]

I build an image in VMWare then make a backup of that every time before I want to sysprep and upload to WDS. If I need to update an image, I just go to the back up, update it, make a copy then sysprep etc etc

[3s-gtech]

Old school here - FOG with an image for each type of machine/use. Still does what we need.

[caffrey]

WDS / MDT

WDS is just for the PXE boot images, MDT for sysprep, capture and deployment

[6Foot2]

We used to be on Connect 2.4 [way back] We then moved to Viglen, station building was via Symantec Ghost. We then had our own vanilla network building stations with WDS. We now have a LEA supplied vanilla network and we build our stations with SCCM.

[Joanne]

I just use WDS pretty much like executiverocker does... except I use Hyper-V instead for the virtual machines. Install instructions for Hyper V are HERE: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/hyperv_on_windows/quick_start/walkthrough_install

[dhicks]

How do you image?

 

We network boot Windows install images via PXE with Serva, then automate the windows install process with an unattend.xml file. At the end of that unattend.xml file we hand over to a VBS script that installs all of our software.

[edutech4schools]

However I have read that this is bad?

 

don't think this is bad if you are syspreping before deploying

[Sephiroth]

+1 for WDS/MDT

 

I've got our deployment to zero touch using MDT and with a database of PCs and assigned roles. We deploy a standard Windows 7 DVD image then do everything over the top using the task sequence, such as installing applications and updates from WSUS. Also useful (being a 2 site school) that you can link deployment shares, so that one replicates to the other, meaning that we're not pulling all of our install images across the site link.

[ThatBoringBloke]

I build an image in VMWare then make a backup of that every time before I want to sysprep and upload to WDS. If I need to update an image, I just go to the back up, update it, make a copy then sysprep etc etc

 

I just use WDS pretty much like executiverocker does... except I use Hyper-V instead for the virtual machines. Install instructions for Hyper V are HERE: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/hyperv_on_windows/quick_start/walkthrough_install

 

This.

 

Single image with everything installed on Hyper-V. No need to mess around and over complicate things.

Image gets updated annually.

[snagrat]

This.

 

Single image with everything installed on Hyper-V. No need to mess around and over complicate things.

Image gets updated annually.

 

Yep that's what I do. So quick to deploy new machines when purchased

[mbedford]

Another vote for WDS with MDT. I will also +1 for the use of a virtual machine for the base image. Makes the image update process each year to catch up on Windows Updates and other product updates so much easier.

 

Looked at implementing SCCM's management of this but the added value did not justify the work to setup and maintain SCCM. As a side note, SCCM seems to lose in that argument for most of its features IMO, we use it for deployment of End Point Protection and that is because it was a requirement of that solution.

 

I think SCCM demands too much time in setup and maintenance to be useful in any company which doesn't have the staff to be able to dedicate a member of staff to it.

 

Mike

Edited March 21, 2016 by mbedford

[Davit2005]

WDS with MDT at the moment.

 

We were using ghost 3 years back with no PXE boot, very painfull memories .

 

We now have a nice build process, building a VM with all the software which is installed via MSI and EXE with the correct switches which can be time consuming to get right but worth it. The correct drivers are added by quering the BIOS of the motherboard and selection profiles within MDT. At deployment we only have to select wether an ICT build or Standard build and away it goes. Takes about 15-20 mins to deploy the image :-) .

Edited March 21, 2016 by Davit2005