Which imaging software do you use?

[mikeglover]

We're currently using FOG, and finding it great. We are going to try out WDS this summer to compare the two however.

 

Havn't heard of WDS. Link?

Regarding FOG, have you used any of the AD features yet?

We have used the Snapin package deployment part of FOG and it works great! Nothing bad to say about it... so far.

[GrumbleDook]

Havn't heard of WDS. Link?

Regarding FOG, have you used any of the AD features yet?

We have used the Snapin package deployment part of FOG and it works great! Nothing bad to say about it... so far.

 

WDS - The replacement to RIS Windows Deployment Services Getting Started Guide

[sparkeh]

Havn't heard of WDS. Link?

Regarding FOG, have you used any of the AD features yet?

 

Yeah, was a bit fiddly to set up and get working but now it joins a machine to the domain after imaging. Puts it in the right container so the all the correct software is installed via gpo

[mikeglover]

Yeah, was a bit fiddly to set up and get working but now it joins a machine to the domain after imaging. Puts it in the right container so the all the correct software is installed via gpo

 

Cool! Do you still need Sysprep on the machine or is it a complete replacement of Sysprep?

[sparkeh]

Cool! Do you still need Sysprep on the machine or is it a complete replacement of Sysprep?

 

Oh you still need to sysprep to generate new SIDs and the like. After the target machine has imaged, mini-setup runs to configure all the options you specified in the answer file.

 

Easiest way I found is to have a virtual machine saved just before sysprep is run, every time you need an updated image (eg new drivers) just load it up, make your changes and sysprep.

[Tony_Mc]

Sysprep then snapshot with bartPE.

 

fast and very easy.

[klop]

I was looking at WDS but having browsed here a bit FOG looks interesting too.

 

What are the advantages of each?

 

I've 4 or 5 images i need i guess, all XP Pro

 

Fog suggests being installed on a dhcp server and linux.

I have server 2008 for dhcp (and all else), can i use a vurtual ubuntu install to run FOG?

What would the best virtual to use, what are peoples experiences?

Will FOG effect my AD at all?

 

Also, is it sysprep that sets machine names, can i simply reinstall a client with a working (or not) xp pro os using either quickly and remotely? How does the client naming work, all our PCs have set machine names (pupils then know which to use), is that sysprep? Would that be the case on both WDS and FOG?

 

I guess i'd like an imaging solution that will let me deploy a custom os quickly to repair any unreliable/faulty clients preferably unattended too.

 

Another thing, never tried PXE booting, will this have any other effects on the network? Is there anything i need to put in place before turning on? (i don't want all my clients suddenly not booting correctly!)

 

Cheers, and sorry to be so vague!

[philterx]

I have some mates working on FOG atm FOG - A Free Cloning Solution | Get FOG - A Free Cloning Solution at SourceForge.net

 

I used altiris here but ghost was wasn't to bad.

 

If I hear of any problems I'll post some updates on FOG.

 

Cheers,

 

Phil

[bio]

Ghost Solution Suite 2.5 here

[andy_nic]

Ghost Solution Suite 2.5 here but since the upgrade I can no longer auto or manual ghost PC's with a sis900 nic card:( has caused a big problems since there are 76+ of them

[mac_shinobi]

Cool! Do you still need Sysprep on the machine or is it a complete replacement of Sysprep?

 

Not sure if its a good way of doing it but can't you use New SID ?

 

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897418.aspx

 

What about clone zilla - saw FOG mentioned but I did skip from the first 2 pages to page 6 so missed out about 3 or 4 pages.

[featured_spectre]

Install the machine to our exact spec, then sysprep the machine and then we use acronis to blitz it across. Might take a while compared to ghost, ris and fog, but this is the prefferred method as we can see what is going on, plus if a HDD gets corrupted in any which way, we can take it out of the machine and put a spare one in without any hassle.

[sted]

Ghost Solution Suite 2.5 here but since the upgrade I can no longer auto or manual ghost PC's with a sis900 nic card:( has caused a big problems since there are 76+ of them

 

in a lot of ways i feel that ss2.5 is actually a backwards step. Its annoying when creating a task i have to add every ai package manually i cant just tick appropriate boxes quickly. A lot of teh time the default of booting into pe is more hastle than pc dos. I also find it more hit and miss configing pcs than ss2