System Deployment, Help please.

R

raksasas

Limp Gawd
Joined
Dec 14, 2002
Messages
477
Hi,
I am looking for help in "system deployment"? Is anyone willing to guide/assist me through doing this via PM's? I am looking to replace my aged method(s) to speed up and/or replace the aged method. Once setup and working I going to propose it at one of my IT weekly meetings but I need to show that it works.

Company background:
*We have 500+ computers (mix laptops and desktops, and looking into a couple of tablet style pc's)
*mixed OS environments (Primarily XP still, a few Vista systems, and all new systems are Windows 7)
*Mixed Hardware models (Primarily Dell (Optiplex's, Dimension's, Vostro's, Lattitude's,) Sony Vaio's, a couple HP's, etc.)

Current Deployment methods:
My current tried and true method is basically "Norton Ghost". I build a system up and image with ghost. I have about 15+ ghost images. Now, I keep reading this is no longer applicable.

I am attempting to use Imagex via the WinPE. I keep having to run a repair after the wim deployment on Windows 7 machines. With XP it works fine after the wim deployment. The guides I find online keep talking about using Sysprep but I have never had any luck with it. At times when it prompts for Windows key it won't take it and at others I won't get out of Audit mode.

How I do my builds:
1. Install windows
2. Install Drivers
3. Install Office
4. Install all software
5. Run disk cleanup
6. Defrag
7. Image system - naming it based of the make and model of the system.

Deployment
1. Boot into BartPE
2. Deploy the image for that particular model.

I do not run NewSID or sysprep on the machines

I hope someone can please help me since i am just not understanding and I don't know anyone with experience to look to.


Thanks,
 
Grab a book about the 70-680 test. Either the Microsoft Press or another suitable one. It will have ALL you need to know and then some about deployment the Microsoft Way (tm) and how to do this properly.

Trying to explain it all to you via PM is difficult at best, and the more that gets covered, the more questions that will arise. Filling in blanks we can do, but trying to teach you how to use ImageX and Sysprep and all the other goodies that come with making deployable images is not fun, nor simple.
 
stiltner said:
Grab a book about the 70-680 test. Either the Microsoft Press or another suitable one. It will have ALL you need to know and then some about deployment the Microsoft Way (tm) and how to do this properly.

Trying to explain it all to you via PM is difficult at best, and the more that gets covered, the more questions that will arise. Filling in blanks we can do, but trying to teach you how to use ImageX and Sysprep and all the other goodies that come with making deployable images is not fun, nor simple.
Click to expand...

That is fine and focus's on windows 7. But what about XP. we are not going to be rolling any machine that is XP up to 7. XP machines will stay XP if they go down or need to be reloaded. Vista is the only one that we are rolling over to windows 7 when the system needs work done on it.
 
raksasas said:
That is fine and focus's on windows 7. But what about XP. we are not going to be rolling any machine that is XP up to 7. XP machines will stay XP if they go down or need to be reloaded. Vista is the only one that we are rolling over to windows 7 when the system needs work done on it.
Click to expand...
His advice about the book is very good. It will show you how to use Windows System Image Manager and a couple examples on deploying over the network. Vista works the same way as 7. To properly deploy you'll need to use know how to create answer files using WSIM though. The answer files will allow you to automatically input license keys, create local users, persist driver installations, etc.

There is a separate older tool used for XP to sysprep and create answer files. It's in the deployment tools found on the XP disc.

Remember though, properly sysprepping and capturing an image is different than deploying. You can prep and capture the 'Microsoft Way' and deploy it however you want, either over the network, disk to disk, DVD to disk, etc.
 
MDT is the way to go for Windows 7. You can choose zero touch versus light touch depending on your automation requirements.

You need to get down to one OS or at least dual OS if you can. Namely Win 7 for primary, assuming you are gonig down the MS route. It will make support so much simpler and app testing time will be reduced etc. You probably need to agree a timeline to kill off XP, and Vista. A suggestion is to say that you will support XP on the old machines, as they are replaced go with Win 7 on the new assets. I would rebuild the Vista machines to Win 7 assuming the driver sets are there. Obviously some licensing costs may be required but you wont need to test Vista on anything ever again or support it or develop for it, d/l patches etc .

If possible you need to set a hardware standard going forward as well, again assuming you are staying thick client for the while. The TCO will reduce immeasurably if you can get down to a single vendor, plus you might be able to negotiate some purchase discounts. Decide also if you can what images get put in the build - try if possible to keep the image lean and mean - deploy apps outside of the image by software deployment (trade off on user experience).
 
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