Imaging lots of machines

[Ayaz]

Hi I wonder if I could get some feedback from members imaging XP machines. We have a load of laptops that we install XP on, on a daily basis. A full installation including installing apps could take upto an hour per machine. I have looked around at different ways of getting XP onto a laptop including RIS, ghost, acronis, true image and others. What are peoples views on the quickest, most hassle free way of imaging their machines?

 

Does anyone know of any good guides out there? For each laptop we use the serial on the sticker on the laptop. How can we incorporate that into the image for example if we have 20 laptops to install XP on and thus 20 different serials? And when would we run sysprep? Any comments would be welcome. Cheers.

[Michael]

I can recommend Image for Windows which I use quite often. Normally the procedure I follow is by installing Windows slipstreamed with the latest service pack, plus any additional fixes and as many applications as possible. Once complete and tested, then I run Sysprep which includes an answer file for everything (apart from the serial, unless the site have a corporate license) and the computer name.

 

By placing the Sysprep folder in the root of C:\ with an answer file, this information is deleted automatically once Mini Setup is completed which is useful!

 

Although Sysprep allows you to specify a list of computer names to use, the problem with this method is that there's no way of specifying which machine has which name, so I specify names manually which then automatically joins the domain (if applicable).

 

The whole point of running Sysprep before imaging, means that Windows automatically starts up its Mini Setup, and skips most prompts as these are dealt with the answer file, meaning I just specify the serial (if applicable) and the computer name and that's it, job done. The machine is then automatically added to the domain (if applicable).

 

Image for Windows allows you to create/restore images burned on a bootable CD/DVD or an image stored on an external hard drive. You can also place images on network shares.

[Ayaz]

So if I have you right,

 

You install XP on a machine, add all the apps and service packs you need.

Then you run sysprep and enter details apart from serial and computer name

What files are contained within the sysprep folder other than answer file?

How do you initiate the imaging? Is it a bootable cd?

With the method you talk about is it guaranteed that every machine you image will have a different sid?

[Michael]

If you insert an XP CD-ROM and navigate to \Support\Tools, open and extract the Deploy.cab file to C:\Sysprep. Then you use the Setup Manager tool to create your answer file which you also save within C:\Sysprep

 

Once you've ran Sysprep and shutdown the machine, it's now ready for imaging. You can image in several ways.

Boot up using a Bart PE disc (which you can create with Image for Windows) which loads the basic functions of Windows into memory (RAM). You can then create an image to an external hard drive (for example).

To restore an image, you would again boot off the Bart PE disc and restore the image file you created on the external hard drive. This works really well (and fast) especially over USB 2.0.

 

Alternatively, extract the hard drive and place into another machine as a slave drive. Using Image for Windows, you can create an image of the whole drive onto multiple DVDs which are bootable. The images can also be compressed to save on the number of disks you need. If your images are huge, creating an image to an external hard drive or network share is recommended.

 

Using either method (because you ran Sysprep first) will automatically start Windows Mini Setup when it first boots up and will use the answer file wherever it can. You then just specify the serial and computer name then that's it.

[Ayaz]

and is it possible to do this over the network? for example, create an image of a test machine, store on the server, then connect the target machine to the network, navigate to the image location and start imaging that way?

[Michael]

Speaking of USB 2.0, months ago I re-imaged some old Toshiba laptops which only had USB 1.1 ports and restoring from a DVD was no quicker either.

 

If you're in a similar position, the quickest method I found was to use an external hard drive enclosure for 2.5" notebook drives connected to a USB 2.0 port. Restoring images took about 12 minutes. I then install the hard drive back into the laptop, start it up and Mini Setup begins. Restoring on USB 1.1 or DVD (because the laptops were so slow) took about 1 hr 30 minutes, which is time I just didn't have.

 

A lot of forward thinking can save you hours of work!

[Michael]

and is it possible to do this over the network? for example, create an image of a test machine, store on the server, then connect the target machine to the network, navigate to the image location and start imaging that way?

 

Yes you can create an image to a file, which can be used from an external hard drive or a network share. You will need to do this over Ethernet and not Wireless.

[srochford]

How do you initiate the imaging? Is it a bootable cd?

With the method you talk about is it guaranteed that every machine you image will have a different sid?

 

Can be bootable CD, can be PXE boot off network - you choose whichever works for you (if you have lots to do network booting and using a ghost multicast session is best - that way you get all of them done simultaneously in about the same time as it would take to do 1)

 

Yes to the SID - part of mini-setup gives the machine a new SID

 

You can also do things like partition the laptop hard disc and put the image on a second partition which is normally hidden. You could then boot off a CD (or network, USB stick etc), unhide partition 2, copy the image back to partition 1, rehide partition 2. Ghost includes a program called gdisk which takes a variety of paramters to allow you to hide/unhide partitions all in a batch file.

[ICT_GUY]

How to use the Sysprep tool to automate successful deployment of Windows XP

[Guest blacksheep]

>different sid?

 

Did not think that was a problem since NT4, I have never had to recreate the SID but I did join the domain after the restore. I use Acronis a lot these days,

could do with a nice network solution though. Tend to take an external USB hard disk to the machine and restore (ok for single computer fixes).

[localzuk]

I'd say go with Ghost solution suite. Just create your install, put the client on the machine and then create a new image create task from the console - you set up the sysprep details within that task and away you go.

 

Then to reimage, you can either install the clients on all the machines you wish to install onto and then just run a restore task against them, or you can do it the old fashioned way, setting up either a boot disc or using PXE to boot the machines and then select the image from a ghostcast server session you have set up.

 

Very quick and simple.

[Guest blacksheep]

>Just create your install, put the client on the machine

 

Trouble is the you either got to purchase a ghost license for each box or uninstall it every time you do a machine. Unless you got a site lic. or something?

[conehead]

I like Clonezilla, fast as anything.

 

 

Clonezilla

[Guest blacksheep]

Its been a while since ive looks up a foss based solution, looks like this has all the good stuff combined. About time I setup NFS on my Linux box

 

Will have a look..

[wesleyw]

We use Ghost here but I would like to have Net-Runna better management of images and a heck of a lot quicker than ghost. Images are smaller because of the way it compares them to an existing default images and only saves the differences between them.

 

Wes

[budgester]

We use Unattended, A Windows deployment system: Welcome

[localzuk]

>Just create your install, put the client on the machine

 

Trouble is the you either got to purchase a ghost license for each box or uninstall it every time you do a machine. Unless you got a site lic. or something?

 

Yeah, you need to buy a license for each machine which were about £5 each. So for our entire site it was about a £1000. Not too bad.

[sidewinder]

I'd say go with Ghost solution suite. Just create your install, put the client on the machine and then create a new image create task from the console - you set up the sysprep details within that task and away you go.

 

Then to reimage, you can either install the clients on all the machines you wish to install onto and then just run a restore task against them, or you can do it the old fashioned way, setting up either a boot disc or using PXE to boot the machines and then select the image from a ghostcast server session you have set up.

 

Very quick and simple.

 

I feel embarrased. We have Solution Suite 2, with a licence for every single client, and I didnt even know you could do that!

We still use Ghostcast Server and manually go to the machine, boot into Ghost and then go back to rename it afterwards

 

THANKYOU

[Ayaz]

thanks to all the responses. localzuk can you possibly expand abit on what you exactly do with gss. is there a step by step guide anywhere i could follow?

[maniac]

We use Windows Deployment Services because it's a free addition to Windows Server 2003 and my philosophy being why pay extra when there's a free version that does what we need fine! Once you got it setup, which can be a bit fiddly admitedly, it works really well. Have used this for the last year or so (prior to that we used RIS)

 

Mike.

[djones]

We use Windows Deployment Services because it's a free addition to Windows Server 2003 and my philosophy being why pay extra when there's a free version that does what we need fine! Once you got it setup, which can be a bit fiddly admitedly, it works really well. Have used this for the last year or so (prior to that we used RIS)

 

Mike.

 

My thoughts exactly. With the help of others here and elsewhere, I managed to work through the 'fiddly' setup and have been using it to deploy a single image to multiple hardware configs for about 5 months now. It has worked out fantastically and post deployment, I have machines that are correctly joined to the domain, in the correct OU, with wireless profiles installed and ready to go. All without any human contact (besides hitting F12 at the start of course) or costing anything bar a few days to get going. Well chuffed!

 

Have a read through the "WDS - Tips for beginners" stickied thread if you haven't done so already - loads of useful info. I've also written up a few guides detailing each step. It looks a lot but really isn't that complicated. I wish I'd done it much sooner.

 

Windows Deployment Services - Step by step guides

 

Dave.

[torledo]

Can be bootable CD, can be PXE boot off network - you choose whichever works for you (if you have lots to do network booting and using a ghost multicast session is best - that way you get all of them done simultaneously in about the same time as it would take to do 1)

 

Yes to the SID - part of mini-setup gives the machine a new SID

 

You can also do things like partition the laptop hard disc and put the image on a second partition which is normally hidden. You could then boot off a CD (or network, USB stick etc), unhide partition 2, copy the image back to partition 1, rehide partition 2. Ghost includes a program called gdisk which takes a variety of paramters to allow you to hide/unhide partitions all in a batch file.

 

i've always liked the idea of doing that....with hard disks being the size they are these days it would make a lot of sense to creat in effect you're own recovery parititon to reimage locally...or if possible to initiate the process with a network command sent to the machine

 

don't know how easy or difficult it is to set something like this up....you've mentioned gdisk for hiding paritions but what kind of commands would you need to reimage a machine from hidden partition remotely.....or if there's a way to script the process of re-hiding the partition after imaging.

[djones]

And what about actually getting the image onto the hidden partition? Surely you would need to update it occasionally or am I just being thick? Then again, (starting to ramble now!) I suppose if you install all software via GPOs etc, you wouldn't need to update it.

[Guest Guest]

I just use RIS and GPO installed software/policies/etc.

 

Once you have connected the laptop to the domain and put it in its correct OU for the first time, AD stores the GUID so that next time you come to "image" it it knows which PC it is and puts it in the correct group ready for software to install.

 

Pros- Only 1 image needed for all PCs, whether that be 30 or 3000. No messing about with floppy boot disks and the likes. Absolutely zero learning curve for a techy to come in and install Windows and all its software on a PC (once the system is set up). It doesnt matter if you need to install more software on a live PC as it just goes on top, no need to recreate a new image and deploy it. No extra licencing costs.

 

Cons- You need to know how to create MSIs, which can sometimes be a PITA and take a while but once you get your head round it they are generally easy enough to do. You can only install 1 OS on a PC, well without using extra methods and software.

Edited May 25, 2008 by Guest

[torledo]

And what about actually getting the image onto the hidden partition? Surely you would need to update it occasionally or am I just being thick? Then again, (starting to ramble now!) I suppose if you install all software via GPOs etc, you wouldn't need to update it.

 

that's a good point, hadn't realised the complexity of updating many images vs a single centrally stored image.

 

i think tbh with the tools available with windows server and the deployment vendors i think traditional disk imaging may be a thing of the past...

 

for those that can afford it SMS can do OS, service pack and application deployment. Even without SMS a network based unattended install followed by GPO software delivery or something like softricity for app streaming would work just as well, if not better than ghost. Don't forget ghost solutions suite comes with a license cost - licensed in effect by no. of machines in the org...if it were a SMS vs ghost deicsion i'd prefer to pay the extra for SMS.

 

And eschew traditional imaging. I mean what's the point of disk imagin pxe or boot floppy based if service packs and apps can be deployed through other centrall administered methods - softricity being the current hot product for this. Just put all the settings in an answer file for regional, domain membership etc. then do a centrla unattended install followed by use of the policy based software distribution method you're org prefers to use...softricity, GPO's, SMS/zenworks etc

Edited May 25, 2008 by torledo