Unattended Install and Zenworks

[KenHarrison]

Hello All

I am working on a Universal Build at the moment using a seried of add-on images through Novell ZenWorks.

I am 90% complete but for a curly problem.

I have the base image that will build on any machince regardless of hardware. This is an image of a Sysprep'ed machine including scripts to install drivers, network cards, Novell network client and ZenWorks agent.

I use the cmdlines.txt and the runonce setting to perform the tasks I need performed.

Novell ZenWorks provides us with the ability to automate our application deployment to the desktop using policies. It is a wonderful product.

The Agent that is installed on the desktop to provide this functionality is also responsible for registering the workstation into E-Directory (no we dont use Active Directory as there is no need) by creating an object of the workstation and it stores information of the workstation in a linux partition on the local hdd. this is known as the Zen Information Safe Data (ZISD) store ; it is in fact the workstations identity.

The ZISD enables us to, for instance if we were to rebuild the workstation, recover the original NetBIOS name (and other things) so the user is returned to the exact state prior to the rebuild. A number of other things happen behind the scene, but for the purpose of this post, that should do it.

Heres how it goes:

Base Image and Driver Download

1. The base scripted image is downloaded from a PXE server

2. The driver add-on images are also downloaded from the same PXE server

The workstation reboots.

The Windows scripted install starts

Cmdline.txt starts

3. the workstation is names or its existing name is extracted from the ZISD partition

4. the drivers are installed

5. the Novell Client is installed

The workstation automatically logs into windows

RunOnce is executed

6. The autologon command is executed

7. The ZisWin.exe is added to the workstation load

8. Next Runonce command added to registry

9. The Zen Agent is installed

The machine reboots

Windows loads

10.a. At this point the ZisWin.exe the imaging agent of Zenworks searches for the linux partition. If it finds the linux partition, and information, it refreshes the information (amongst other things). This takes about 15 - 60 seconds.

10.b. If a ZISD partition is found the workstation is rebooted after the refresh is performed otherwise it continues

11. The workstation automatically logs into E-Directory

12. The workstation is registered or re-registered depending on the existence of the ZISD partition

13. The Novell client and agents are updated

The workstation is rebooted

The workstation automatically restarts and logs back into the network

14. Hotfixes are applied

15. The applications are automatically deployed to the workstation

16. Policies are applied

17. Registry entries reveresed for autologon

The workstation is rebooted

The workstation is ready to be delivered to the client.

So what is the problem?

Well. Steps 10.a. and 10.b. are the problem. Everythign else works perfectly.

You see the step where the Imaging Agent (ZisWin.exe) looks for and finds a linux partition with ZISD infromation needs to complete before the autologon takes place. If the machine logs on before the refreshing has finished it screws up the registration process and the applications will not automatically deploy later on because the ZenWorks caches has been screwed.

I cant think of a way to get the agent to perform its task and delay the autologon process long enough that it either reboots at the completion of the refresh and then autologs on, or it simply continues on if no ZISD partition is found.

Maybe instead of loading the ZisWin.exe in the registry I could have it called from a batch file along with a wait command. But this wont work because the logon process will not wait for the job to finish.

I would be much appreciative if someone could help me out.

Cheers