Deploying 275+ XP w/ SP2 Images, What is the best solution

[clodhoppers18]

Hello everyone,

I work with a company that is currently all Windows 2000. We are wanting to deploy XP by going to each machine and placing the customized image onto the machines using Acronis Imaging software. We cannot change the way we deploy, because of restrictions in our policies.

I am new at this company as of last week, and they were on their way to creating a standard image for each machine type, and an upgraded image for each machine type. In total it would be about 20-30 images, depending on how many different configurations we need. I was wanting to streamline this process, since creating multiple images "the same" is error prone.

Heres what we are wanting to do:

-Customize themes

-Install an in house custom application

-Install several other apps, WinZip, PGP,

-Install all the basic apps that are needed on any base installation, Flash, Java, PDF Reader, MSOffice 2003

-Uninstall Outlook Express

-Setup folder restrictions for a few folders

-Join a Domain

-Migrate user settings from Windows 2000 to Windows XP

-install any windows updates that need to install

We have to install McAffee on each machine by itself because of licensing issues, an unattended install is not neccessary. We have 7-8 different types of Dell machines. Most notably we have the Dell Optiplex 240,270,280,620,320. We have conducted inventory and we have approximately 225 machines that need a standard image, and another 40 that need that image plus some other software that is used to manage calls in a call center.

I have advised my supervisor that sysprep (which they use to prep the harddrive before placing it on other machines) can install the required drivers for each machine type from an answer file. She had heard never heard of it before. She talked to one of our System Administrators, who used to do a lot of imaging, and he said that if you install drivers via an answer file, it wont neccessarily install the software applications that are required for some drivers. We took that at its worth, and I got to researching, as well as creating images for each and ever machine type. I figured out that you don't HAVE to HAVE the software that comes with about 90% of the drivers available. I was wondering if that is correct.

The system admin I talked to also mentioned that if you were to do that, we would need someone full time doing nothing but updating images. I found that a rather startling comment since once you find the driver that works, the hardware isn't going to change (since we rather replace the machine than upgrade hardware components).

I am looking for the most accurate and comprehensive solution for what we are needing.

To sum this up a list of the questions I need answered:

-Must I install the software that comes with standard drivers (mouse, nic, video)?

-Would it be worth it to make an answer file and image with all the drivers auto install through the answer file?

-What would be the best solution for all of our needs:

-predeployment setup

-installation of drivers on different machine types

Thanks for any information

[PC_LOAD_LETTER]

I am looking for the most accurate and comprehensive solution for what we are needing.

To sum this up a list of the questions I need answered:

-Must I install the software that comes with standard drivers (mouse, nic, video)?

-Would it be worth it to make an answer file and image with all the drivers auto install through the answer file?

-What would be the best solution for all of our needs:

-predeployment setup

-installation of drivers on different machine types

Thanks for any information

http://www.vernalex.com/guides/sysprep/index.shtml

as for applications 'required' by drivers unless you use special hardware, these types of applications are rarely needed. usually the hardware will work but will loose some features:

a 5.1 sound card might default to 2 channel audio

a mouse with more that 2 buttons wont be able to remap buttons 3,4,5,etc

a keyboard with media keys/volume control will have its extra buttons disabled

printers will usually be able to print but checking things like ink/toner level will not show up

monitors may loose their ability to rotate 90/180 degrees (like on a tablet PC)

dual head video cards will default to single monitor mode and clone/dual mode will not be available

all of which can be resolved by installing the drivers for that device manually

I would setup your themes, apps, etc on a fresh built machine

create a universal image using the guide above (the video is very informative)

put your AV softwares install files as well as any other software that cannot be duplicated after install on the desktop so it can be easily installed after first boot

then create what I call an 'Ark' (a lab with 1-2 of every PC you can get) and image them all with your sysprepped universal image

[nmX.Memnoch]

The system admin I talked to also mentioned that if you were to do that, we would need someone full time doing nothing but updating images.

He shot down his own method with that statement. Which would you rather do...update 1 image or update 20-30 images? I'm pretty sure the answer is a no brainer.

Have y'all thought about the possibility of using RIS or WDS? Short of that sysprep is best option.

Besides, for some of the hardware you can write custom scripts to detect if that hardware is installed (because the basic driver would already be there) and then silently install the "required" applications for those pieces of hardware. I had a script around here somewhere that I used to detect if the machine had an Intel NIC...if it did it used an Intel command line utility to set the link speed of the NIC.

EDIT: I found the script. This is the section of the script that we used to detect what kind of NIC was installed. Note the lines that install Intel PROSet if it detects certain Intel NICs. The script language used is KiXtart (my fav but requires a 3rd party parser...which can be included in your media). Also note that this code is a few years old...my coding style has changed quite a bit since then, but there's not too many different ways of doing what's done in this script.

$objWMIService = GetObject("winmgmts:\\@WKSTA\root\cimv2")
$colItems = $objWMIService.ExecQuery("Select * from Win32_NetworkAdapterConfiguration",,48)
For Each $objItem in $colItems
   Select
	  Case InStr($objItem.Caption,"Intel") And InStr($objItem.Caption,"1000")
		 ? "Intel Gigabit Network Adapter Detected"
		 Color y+/b ? "-------------------------------------------------------------------------------" Color w+/b
		 If Exist ("C:\Program Files\Intel\PROSetWired\NCS\WMIProv\") = 1
			? "Intel PROSet already installed"
			Color y+/b ? "-------------------------------------------------------------------------------" Color w+/b
		 Else
			? "Installing Intel PROSet for Wired Connections"
			Shell "%COMSPEC% /C START /WAIT C:\Install\IntelPROSet\PROSet.msi /QB"
			Color y+/b ? "-------------------------------------------------------------------------------" Color w+/b
		 EndIf
		 Sleep 2
		 ? "Setting network connection to 100Mbs Full Duplex" ?
		 Shell "%COMSPEC% /C cscript C:\Install\IntelPROSet\fsdset.vbs 4"
		 Color y+/b ? "-------------------------------------------------------------------------------" Color w+/b
	  Case InStr($objItem.Caption,"Intel") And Not InStr($objItem.Caption,"Wireless")
		 ? "Intel Network Adapter Detected"
		 If Exist ("C:\Program Files\Intel\PROSetWired\NCS\WMIProv\") = 1
			? "Intel PROSet already installed"
			Color y+/b ? "-------------------------------------------------------------------------------" Color w+/b
		 Else
			? "Installing Intel PROSet for Wired Connections"
			Shell "%COMSPEC% /C START /WAIT C:\Install\IntelPROSet\PROSet.msi /QB"
			Color y+/b ? "-------------------------------------------------------------------------------" Color w+/b
		 EndIf
		 Sleep 2
		 ? "Setting network connection to 100Mbs Full Duplex" ?
		 Shell "%COMSPEC% /C cscript C:\Install\IntelPROSet\fsdset.vbs 4"
		 Color y+/b ? "-------------------------------------------------------------------------------" Color w+/b
	  Case InStr($objItem.Caption,"3Com")
		 ? "3Com Network Adapter Detected"
		 Color y+/b ? "-------------------------------------------------------------------------------" Color w+/b
	  Case InStr($objItem.Caption,"Broadcom") And InStr($objItem.Caption,"Gigabit")
		 ? "Broadcom Gigabit Network Adapter Detected"
		 Color y+/b ? "-------------------------------------------------------------------------------" Color w+/b
   EndSelect
Next

Edited November 14, 2007 by nmX.Memnoch

[clodhoppers18]

We have used the tutorial on http://www.vernalex.com/guides/sysprep/index.shtml and today I setup the package, when I left from work today I was running a pre sysprep backup on it just in case sysprep messes up.

Thanks for all the help, and if there is more info, please let me know.

Dustin

[hons]

Depends how you think. If you want tokeep your job, DO IT ONE BY ONE!!!!!!!! B) B)

[Brian Morris]

The way we do it in our company is Acronis Snap Deploy 2.0 with Universal Deploy. Yes it will cost a little dough, but it will work. In fact, if you need to do hundreds of machines like you are doing, that need the same image, get every machine ready with the client. Hit deploy on the server and the server will multicast the data (meaning the same data will be sent to the machines waiting at the same time) so you only have to send the image once and all machines listening have the image. Unicast makes it so you have to image one system by itself over the network. Multicast is your way to go as you save time and bandwidth inside the company by it sending the image once to all clients vs. unicast only sending it to one machine. Universal deploy changes the SID's and UID's that windows has. It can also install drivers, etc. All you need to do is bring a freshly formatted system up, install whatever software/customizations you need to it. Image that one computer, then deploy on the rest.

[twig123]

Snap Deploy sounds snazzy! I'll have to look into that myself

[Siginet]

In my opinion if you have many different computer types your best bet is to use the RVM Integrator, Windows XP PowerPacker, and driverPacks. With these 3 utilities you can make a Multiboot Windows XP disk which is fully updated and has all of the drivers as well. RVM Integrator can be used to create a fully up to date disk with many different "addons (programs)" slipstreamed to the disk as well. Windows XP PowerPacker is usefull if you need to make multiple "winnt.sif (unattended settings) files for each type of OS deployment, and/or if you need to use multiple types of XP (Pro Retail, OEM, Corp) all on one disk. The Driverpacks allow you to slipstream almost every driver possible to the disk so that you have a truley universal disk that works on any computer.

Deploying images are great if each computer has the same hardware and needs to have the exact same settings. But my method allows you to setup many different settings for your disk so that when you pop the disk into the system it can give you a menu to choose what type of install you are doing.

Like:

Windows XP Pro OEM - Secratary

Windows XP Pro OEM - Boss

Windows XP Pro Retail - Engineering Department

Windows XP Pro Corp - Designers

... and so on.

I can help you with this method if you decide to try it. Just ask. I designed the RVM Integrator and Windows XP PowerPacker and I am an avid user of the driverPacks. I use this exact method everyday for my computer business. Which I install MANY different types of computers.

Latest RVM Integrator Beta

Latest RVM UpdatePacks and a forum for many Addons

Windows XP PowerPacker

Bashrat The Sneaky's DriverPacks

[beats]

I fully agree with Siginet.

While images are the fastest way to deploy lots of similar systems, it's also the least flexable method. In the end it takes up far less time to maintain 1 central unattended installation (that works on any system), than keeping track of 100's of hardware specific images.

On a side note, Altiris big enterprise brother, HP OpenView Radia, uses a remarkable similar method to RVM Integrator and DriverPacks (or nLite and DriverPacks, or HF-Slip and Driverpacks).

Edited November 16, 2007 by beats

[clodhoppers18]

Hello,

We are needing to customize the appearance of themes, user profiles, remove windows components and place a couple of shortcuts to network files on the desktop. We also want to install Office XP and Winzip and a bunch of other programs as well. This would prettty much require a sysprep of the system.

I like the idea of a universal CD with all the versions on a single disk. We have been trying to play with the Volume License CD we got from M$ so that we would have the approiate version from MS, however we have been having problems with Dell Drivers.

If this is still possible to use siginet's utilities please let me know.

Dustin

[jaclaz]

@clodhoppers18

Since you are part of a company, you might be also interested in COMMERCIAL apps, (unaffordable by us "amateurs"), have a look at this one:

http://binaryresearch.net/products/the_uni...imaging_utility

jaclaz

[clodhoppers18]

As with any company, and any project, the cheapest we can do, the better. If it costs any more than say $1500-2000 to do a universal image, then my boss will probably tell me to go ahead and do the multiple images for each system type

[nmX.Memnoch]

Doing a RIS/WDS setup won't cost you anything but time...providing you already have a 2000/2003 server (and a decent network). RIS is built into 2000/2003/2003SP1 and WDS is the upgrade to RIS that comes with SP2 for 2003.

[clodhoppers18]

As I have said earlier, We do not want to use RIS. We want to use something where we put the disk into the drive, load it, and then after install, transfer some settings. We will need to go to every machine, and we will be doing this one or two machines at a time, over the course of a month or two.

Edited November 17, 2007 by clodhoppers18

[nmX.Memnoch]

As I have said earlier, We do not want to use RIS.

I missed that. For that matter, I still don't see it mentioned before the last post. *shrug*

Anyway, RIS/WDS can be used in that exact method. You put the disk it, the machine then boots to the network and pulls the image from the RIS/WDS server.