New to imaging. Which one? (WDS or FOG)

[sted]

They get them all by DHCP. Is there not something i need to put in the server options of DHCP?

Without vlans it depends if the dhcp server and the wds server are the same box. If they are you need option 60/66 if they arnt then no dhcp options are needed

[newpersn]

Without vlans it depends if the dhcp server and the wds server are the same box. If they are you need option 60/66 if they arnt then no dhcp options are needed

 

Nope. its on its own box. as i said we are vlaned. is worth installing DCHP on the WDS box?

 

Also this box is used for Sophos update aswell

[soveryapt]

Nope. its on its own box. as i said we are vlaned. is worth installing DCHP on the WDS box?

 

Also this box is used for Sophos update aswell

 

Nah, if you're DHCP is working keep it as it is. As @sted said, if they're on the same box set the options, if not, don't.

 

I have my DHCP and WDS on separate servers (the WDS runs on our old "retired" server so that I can work on it, reboot it, to my hearts content when trouble shooting for it whilst the other 2 servers look after the network as is) and it works fine. I guess all should be the same for yours. My advice, set it all up and see if you can get it PXE Booting. If not, start troubleshooting from there.

[newpersn]

Ok. im getting somewhere now.

 

If i plug a laptop in to the network from the same subnet it works.

 

But get this error when i try to allow it.

 

"the name provided is not a properly formed account name"

 

Just need to work all the silly stuff out now.

[ict_support]

I would go with WDS, If you use multiple vlans you need to add the helpers to DHCP options 66 the host name of your deployment server and 67 points to the correct file location for example boot\x86\wdsnbp.com

 

The main issue with WDS are getting the correct nic driver for the boot image(basic windows 7 setup). also people get confused that you need a boot image for x64 and 32bit depending on what hardware version you are deploying but you import this off your windows 7 disks into WDS as the boot image is just the basic windows 7 install off the windows 7 disk with the drivers injected into it. The drivers then need injecting into the boot image. (The driver cache for windows 7 is pretty good and will find a lot of hardware)

 

The most successful image creation is done if you boot the PC that you want to use as your master image into WinPE from a WinPE dvd and then use the built in imagex to create the wim. (This can take a while)

Example

 

imagex /capture D: D:\Win7ULT.wim "windows 7 ultimate x64"

(Sometimes windows PE will use a different drive letter i.e. c or d so if the imagex command is not recognised change drive letter)

 

Then import the wim file you have just created into WDS for deployment (install images)right click in WDS on the install images folder install and point it at the wim file to import

 

This method works every time as long as you have the correct drivers in the boot image on the WDS server.

If you get a batch of new PCs in you can simply add the new drives to the boot image in WDS and deploy your standard image no messing creating another image etc

 

If you deploy a KMS server on site that will register you windows 7 clients and office 2010 (if you do the separate install to enable the office registration)

 

Once its setup correctly you basically just press f12 f12 and select your image and walk away. You could easily deploy a school with 700 PC's with a new image in a week as long as your backbone is quick enough.

Edited June 18, 2012 by ict_support

[newpersn]

All our computer have the own key. (i didnt buy them)

 

Would like to learn how i can upload an image that has all the software installed on it. and upload it stright to wds.

 

i think @ict_support just said about using imagex

[sted]

All our computer have the own key. (i didnt buy them)

 

Would like to learn how i can upload an image that has all the software installed on it. and upload it stright to wds.

 

i think @ict_support just said about using imagex

 

set up pc as you want

 

make sure you add the nic drivers to wds (its not 100% the end of the world if you dont but sooner or later you need them

 

in wds console add boot.wim from a win7 dvd call it something like deploy

add drivers to that (depends on what server os you have as to how you do this r2 is much easier but i cant remember the specifics off top of my head)

right click your updated deploy image click create capture image wait and add thaty top your boot images

create a group in wds for you install image(s)

sysprep your set up pc

pxe boot it to your capture image and follow the prompts. Go get a cup of tea/coke etc

hopefully job done

[newpersn]

thanks. I will tty that tomorrow with a laptop and desktop.

 

I'll make sure I add the network driver. First thing tomorrow before I start playing.

 

I'm doing this on 08 rc2.

[forkies]

I started using FOG at my last workplace, I have now started a new job at a school that was using WDS but it was rubbish, I installed FOG on a old server with 200GB storage, got a small old computer with a big hard drive (250GB) and set up as a fog node as to load balance around buildings when imaging/redudancy on the image.

 

My new boss loves it, we completly killed WDS as it was not what we were looking for, fog is easy, nice webadmin and its free unlike some options out there!

 

+1 FOG

[ict_support]

we completly killed WDS as it was not what we were looking for, fog is easy, nice webadmin and its free unlike some options out there!

 

 

WDS is part of 2008 r2 so there is no extra cost, 2008 licenses are pretty cheap for education.

 

Can FOG do driver injection for different types of hardware like WDS?

[newpersn]

Right. Im stuck again.

 

When trying to capture an image. It get stuck on trying to find the server. I redone the caprture image trying different drivers.

 

I enter the servers name, Then i get a box asking me to log on. i select the image group i want to save to. and it wont let me click next.

[sted]

worst case ditch copying it to the server then just copy the wim file from the local pc to the server and add it manually

[newpersn]

worst case ditch copying it to the server then just copy the wim file from the local pc to the server and add it manually

 

might try that if i cant get it to work. Thing is i got 33 computers on order and the due in soon. and would like to deply them this way aswell.

[newpersn]

Pictures attached.

[mac_shinobi]

Are there any walk through guides that folk on here can suggest or point out to setup / configure WDS and or FOG from scratch ( for dummies guide ) from the first mouse click to the last with screen grabs etc ?

[newpersn]

mac_shinobi

 

Are there any walk through guides that folk on here can suggest or point out to setup / configure WDS and or FOG from scratch ( for dummies guide ) from the first mouse click to the last with screen grabs etc ?

 

 

 

 

There are a couple of stickies at the top of the deployment forum .. one being http://www.edugeek.net/forums/o-s-deployment/56928-complete-guide.html which is very useful ..

 

@mac_shinobi

 

Above

[sted]

eureka

 

even though you are uploading it to teh server you need to fill in the top part as well as it creates the wim file locally then copies. I create a folder called wim on the pcs drive (usully on that screen d: ) and place my image there called something like hp3800-win7x64-july12.wim

[newpersn]

what do i need to add in to DHCP for it to work over Vlans?

[SYNACK]

what do i need to add in to DHCP for it to work over Vlans?

 

A DHCP helper on the switch/router should do the trick.

[newpersn]

A DHCP helper on the switch/router should do the trick.

 

What would i need to add?