[fog] Existing Computer Accounts

[joshd]

Hey guys.

 

Im looking at using FOG to image IT suites at a small primary school. What Id like to know is the best way to handle keeping machine hostnames the same after re-imaging.

 

Obviously FOG does this out of the box, but what I need to know is how this works with the computers account in AD?

 

For example, If i have a machine up and running on the domain and then i decide I want to re-image it, i tell the fog server to image it, then reboot the machine. If my image has been sysprepped as far as i understand it, the SID of the machine will change after the re-image. Do i need to delete the existing computer account in AD, or will the re-imaged machine happily resume its existing name, reconnect to the domain and assume the existing computer account?

 

Thanks in advance!

[ChrisH]

Fog uses netdom to handle all the account problems.

[A5Ben]

Chris, Can you give a little more information? Or are you saying there should be no problems with existing names?

[rh91uk]

@A5Ben, as far as I am aware - back when we were using FOG we needed to delete the computer from AD before reimaging it. Im sure there is a way to get it to do it on auto, but that seemed easier for us!

[ChrisH]

Netdom is part of the windows resource kit it asks you to add to the images (or at least it used to). It takes care of joining the domain etc and will do all the resetting of accounts etc. We never had to do any manual deleting or resetting when we were using FOG. You set something in FOG to allow this.

[A5Ben]

Ah yes, I read that NETDOM is no longer required as of 0.29.

[glennda]

Fog doesn't have a problem with existing names in AD - only gets annoying if you are testing machines as if you rename a machine and restart it - fog restarts it and changes the name back which can be annoying.

 

and if say you have a10-01a as you have previously had a problem with a10-01 then if you reimage and set fog to have a10-01 it puts it back in the computers section as it treats it as a new pc

[morganw]

How the computer object acts under a rebuild will be governed by the permissions that have been delegated to account used to Join Active Directory. If it has permission to create / delete workstations then a workstation rebuild with FOG doesn't require any manual intervention to rejoin the domain with a new SID. If the workstation name has been changed then you can use the OU paramater within FOG to default workstations to somewhere other than the default computer container.