Cool Tools:

Imaging Improvements

Andy Babb and Russ Sharp - Denison University

History

10 staff and ~20 students involved in imaging 4 OS's supported at any time 36 current images (just with XP) cumbersome process

find correct disc

remember DOS commands

ghost.exe -cns -Z9 -rb -fro -fx

find correct place and name image correctly

Goals of the Project

Review and evaluate the old process

“Core” images

Use scripting at each stage of the process

Collaboration Workshops

Friendly boot CD to meet everyone's needs

Set future goals

Collaboration Workshops

Find where colleagues saw room to improve

Share tips and tricks with one another

Get buy-in from all image builders to follow consistent processes and naming schemes

Result – our new “departmentally approved” boot CD

Image development stages

Deployed Image

“CORE”

“CORE + APPS”

Security for lab/classroomSecurity for office

Deployed Image

Boot CD

Menu Driven – order decided by consensus Options understood by all Combined multiple discs Automate as much as possible Documented!

Scripting

Combination of .bat and KiXtart Scripts used to configure images Post imaging scripts - “first boot” Scheduled scripts (at login, daily, weekly) Scripts on boot CD

www.kixtart.org

Image Building Scripts

Machine rename

WSUS server

Proxy settings (retired)

AutoAdminLogon for Windows and Novell

Set PassiveMode disable Initial Novell Login

Clean up

Post Imaging Scripts

Rename machine on first boot

Open applications to complete deployment

Put system back in “locked” state

Scheduled Scripts

First customer login – set remote assistance, move restored local data to network, email

Every login – rename computer

Inactivity tasks – logout or standby if idle

Nightly tasks – clean up, scan for spyware, reboot/Shutdown

Weekly defrag

Boot CD scripts

Menus in autoexec.bat and config.sys

Later batch script menus using Choice.com

PCIScan from Bart (www.nu2.nu)

Options based on type of system or location

BIOS and Diags options auto select system type

Menu options for Asset tagging

Properly configuring Ghost options

Proper Image Naming and file location

Where do we go from here?

Ghost Solutions Suite®, ZENworks®, Microsoft® deployment tools

Optimize size/speed of images/imaging

Packaged installers vs built into image

Resources and Credits

http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/support/overview.jsp?pid=52023

http://www.novell.com/support/

http://www.nu2.nu/utils/#pciscan

http://www.nu2.nu/pebuilder/

http://www.kixtart.org/

All Trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Thank You!

www.resnetsymposium.org/resnet2007