Deployment software (PXE)

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cokewithvanilla

Weaksauce
Joined
Aug 28, 2013
Messages
101
Hello,

I am currently searching for the perfect deployment solution. My goal is as few touches as possible. I would like to plug systems in, boot PXE and never have to touch it again. I have used Acornis Snap Deploy, FOG, and Windows Server 2008 in the past. I haven't found one that does all I need. (Acronis is expensive, windows is overly cumbersome and is missing vital features in 64bit, FOG is unstable and cannot name computers without registration)

I will be deploying hundreds of systems with the lids closed in a cart, I do not want to have to register the system in order to deploy (fog style). I also do not want OOBE. It would be nice to have a solution that works for different hardware, and one that I can add applications if I want.... but I got fed up with WIndows Server not letting me create xml files unless I was using a 32 bit version of server (stupid, I've got 32 gb ram, and I do not want to have to run a server VM).

The solution has to be able to rename each system (even if it is simply at random) without any user interaction, registration, etc (acronis style).

If I had it my way, the ideal solution would be able to DBAN>Diagnostics>Deploy>Install Drivers/Apps>Shutdown all in one go.

That's a tall order (thought it shouldn't be)... I would like it to be as simple as possible. If I have to have a separate image for different hardware, so be it. The closest thing I have is FOG w/ a mod someone made to bypass host registration. Only issue is it cannot rename the systems. Also, my FOG server stop working and I spent 6 hours yesterday trying to reinstall and I keep getting different errors -- it's simply unstable. Trying identical configurations yields different results.

If anyone knows of such a program, let me know! thanks
 
Should be able to do this with a single image and waik with MDT. You'll need to customize it quite a bit and do some creative scripting, but it should work.
 
I'm going to have to run server 32 bit in a VM, or run a 32 bit OS in a VM in order to create the answer files, right?

That's so silly.
 
Crystal Gaol said:
We use a product called Baramundi, http://www.baramundi.com/products/management-suite/overview/ for our deployments.

It is a lite-touch style deployment for the first deployment. Afterwards, it is zero-touch, as it has an active management agent running on the client.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your input. All computers will be deployed once and never seen again. They will not have an active OS to start with. All computers will be dbanned. How much touch is required for the first setup? I will not need/want anything installed on the client
 
does 2008 R2 or 2012 WDS have a 32bit limit, i would think 2012 doesnt since it is 64bit only no?
 
2008 R2 seems to require 32 bit OS to create answer files for a 32bit os. I have not found a way around this. I have no idea on 2012, as I do not have it. If that's the case, maybe that is my solution

edit. it seems 2008 r2 did not have a 32 bit version either. Maybe I am doing something wrong, but I recall reading people suggesting to run a w7 32 os VM for creating the answer file... and that is stupid, no need to have processes that cumbersome.
 
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit is completely touch free if you configure it that way. If you configure it the right way you just have to press the PXE boot key and walk away then come back to the OS at the desktop. Tons of guides online. It even integrates USMT if you want to upgrade OSes and have user data moved over.
 
MDT and USMT are the way to go as said before. We deploy tons of workstations for replacements and refreshes, and MDT and USMT are totally tits. ;)
 
cokewithvanilla said:
I'm going to have to run server 32 bit in a VM, or run a 32 bit OS in a VM in order to create the answer files, right?

That's so silly.
Click to expand...

No.

You don't even need a traditional answer file. It will be built on the fly based on your settings.
 
If you want to do unattended installations (say through WDS, Imagex, or autounattend on the DVD) you'll need to create answer files based on the appropriate media bit architecture. MDT does not require you to use them. It's all scripted and configured through a UI.
 
Pretty much most of the major applications I have had to deploy have tools to create answer files to help with unattended installs.
 
Switching a x86 to x64 answer file is a trivial thing with a text editor
 
I guess I will have to look at MDT once again.


I had all sorta of issues using MDT before, maybe I didn't know what I was doing... but it was irritating to have add network drivers into the packages, which only worked sometimes (why is MDT the only one that doesn't have most network drivers included?). Then creating answer files with the AIK always errored out (reading online said had to do with 32bit answer file created w/ 64 bit os). Also, installs appeared to be missing vital files and wouldn't boot... once again, this is probably my incompetence.. but I never had an issue with deployment before.
 
it was irritating to have add network drivers into the packages,
Click to expand...

If that is a deal breaker, then don't bother with MDT/WAIK deployments. You're going to have to customize WinPE to support your hardware. Basically, anything that needs a driver after you install windows will, and it's required to build the machine (storage and network are the biggies), you're going to have to add into your build.

It's the most powerful, flexible system I've used (I'm using the OSD Implementation in Configuration Manager, which is pretty much the same thing). It might not be the quickest build, but it's the most modular. I have one "image" for Win7x64, Win7x86, Win8x64. I just have a step that determines what OS needs to be deployed and uses that installation wim for the process.

If I want to add or change it software thats done during deployment, I can do that without breaking all of my other models, and this includes drivers. I can patch the WIM to keep it updated so my builds are not out of date the minute the machine finishes installing.

...and it's free.
 
i clearly have some reading to do.

That sounds like it will work. I never had much success setting mine up.
 
QUestion... with an install instead of a clone, how do you disable UAC, set firefox as default.. you know, random personal settings. How is that done?
 
You create scripts to do what you want and then run the script at the end of the build.
 
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