Symantec DeploymentCenter

[DYM]

Been looking for a forum like this for ages!! So here goes:

Scenario: I have 15 laptops that some students "destroy" at regular intervals. I've bought Symantec DeployCenter that I intend to us for automatic re-imaging. My plan is that this can be done either from the GhostConsole (GhostCastServer) over TCP, a mapped networkdrive or a (bootable) USB disk that will be availible to all the students. I've done some testing and what I need now is to make a bootable cd/iso that runs Ghost UNATTENDED and installs the correct image. I'll be using Ghostwalker for automatic renaming of the laptops after restoring.

So; If anyone got some scripts they made please post them here so I can have a look Will I have to make scripts to run GhostCastServer unattended as well?

[Oleg_II]

Using DeployCenter (not exactly Ghost) here

That is very easy to make from bootable USB disk or from the hard disk itself through scripting.

If USB sticks are used they should to be bootable on these laptops.

Needed files:

1. Booting DOS environment on a USB stick (look for it on these Forums or 911cd.net).

2. Three files from Ghost Suite: pqDplCtr.rtc, PQImgCtr.exe, pqImgCtr.ovl.

3. Image of a working system partition (in my example on partiton D: of a hard drive).

4. Add a line in AUTOEXEC.BAT:

PQImgCtr /CMD=rescue.txt /IMG=\\.\disk1.part2\image.pqi /SNC

3. Create text file RESCUE.TXT:

SELECT DRIVE 1 
SELECT PARTITION 1 
SELECT IMAGE 1 
RESTORE 
REBOOT

Now if you boot from this USB stick a prepared image of a working system partion on disk D: will be automatically deployed.

NOTE: This procedure works flowlessly if there is only one primary partion and others are logical. If there is more then one primary partion on a hard disk maybe some adjustments are needed.

You can make some adjustments to the procedure yourself (read included manual about scripting). For example you can place the image to USB stick itself or make some more options in deploying (passwords, deploying through your network, creating backup images of a document partition, running other utilities after deploying, make a menu with multiboot options, etc.).

I never tried PowerCasting option (don't have network here) but it is possible to make auto restore procedure with it too (read the manual).

Booting from hard disk (no matter if it is FAT or NTFS formated).

I posted here my old instructions to boot directly to recovery enviromnent when booting the computer. Now I switch from using Virtual Floppy to Grub4DOS - simply using only one GRLDR file from package in BOOT.INI to make a good looking menu and to boot in any floppy image without actually having floppy and CD-ROM devices (much easier and more universal).

If you are interested contact me through PM (I can miss a posting here).

Edited July 10, 2007 by Oleg_II

[IcemanND]

I know you have already invested in Ghost, etc. But what about something that just locks the machines down and prevents changes like Deepfreeze?

I don't use the deploycenter, or the console but Ghost and Ghost32 can both be used with commandline switches to automate the process just have to run it from your bootable media.

As I recall from reading you can schedule the ghost console to deploy images to a group of machines.

[DYM]

I know you have already invested in Ghost, etc. But what about something that just locks the machines down and prevents changes like Deepfreeze?

I don't use the deploycenter, or the console but Ghost and Ghost32 can both be used with commandline switches to automate the process just have to run it from your bootable media.

As I recall from reading you can schedule the ghost console to deploy images to a group of machines.

I use a program called Moonscape on the stationary PC's that prevents any changes beeing made to them without an administrator password. They boot in the same config every time they restart.

Yes you can schedule GhostConsole to deploy say every morning, but that won't be needed in my case. Imagine a 12yo kid coming to class and his laptop wont boot or he can't use RDP. His teacher is a 50yo woman with no computer knowledge at all. If it takes that ONE person more than 10m to be up and running again that class is basically ruined. It's also possible that every pupil (on several schools) will get his own laptop in the future, so I need to have at least 1 spot in every classroom where they can restore superfast. I like the idea of GhostCast or a mapped networkdrive the most since it gives me the opportunity the update images centrally.

Thanks for the answers, I'll try using a similar script to the one u posted Oleg_II. Would be nice if I could just make a "Drive Mapping Boot Package" boot cd using the wizard and add those files/script to pull it from a server totally unattended. That would basically solve my problem

[IcemanND]

What about adding a recovery partition to the machine, then the machine could be booted from that partition and restored locally. The latest Ghost Solution Suite 2 includes a Recovery Kit package that gives you a boot manager and a write only version of ghost.

[DYM]

Ok turns out that the images I made using GhostConsole (Symantec Deploy Center) are non compatible with PQImgCtr (PowerQuest Image Center). This is kinda f***ed up since both programs come with the same package (Symantec_Ghost_Solution_Suite_v2.0) and PQImgCtr is supposed to be the lightweight/scripted client. This is confirmed by Symantec. They just bought PowerQuest and couldn't care less by what I could figure out.

QOUTE from Symantec forums:

"OK, I finally talked to Symantec tech support, and it's GAME OVER for Unicast server and ImageCenter client. Those pieces of software don't actually work for restoring images to computers, and the DeployCenter user's manual is wrong for saying that they do. Very disappointing, and I've wasted a lot of time on it"

So what I need to do now is make the images using a bootable cd with PQImgCtr.exe on it and then upload them to a network drive manually. Then I'll hopefully be able to get something going.

Storing images on hidden partitions locally and restoring from them is my last option. I want it to be 100% bulletproof.

[Oleg_II]

DYM

First of all I'm a bit confused: images made with Symantec and PowerQuest DeployCenter are fully compatible here - I make image with PQ tool and can restore it with Symantec tool, I can make image with Symantec tool and restore it with PQ tool too; I can browse images made by any version of DriveImage Pro and DeployCenter with ImageBrowser from any version (PQ or Symantec - doesn't metter)

Maybe something with terminology: GhostConsole is not the same as DeployCenter. Ghost and DriveImage are very similar in functionality but different in internals programs that are not compatible: you can't restore or browse images made with one tool using the other one.

I'm not sure about Unicast option because I don't use it. But I'm sure it was possible because it goes from PowerQuest and this company didn't make bad and not working software

Maybe you should look at PowerCast Client options (it can be scripted too). A student won't connect to the server with backup but the server will send the backup to the student's computer. Just an idea

Edited July 13, 2007 by Oleg_II