One computer to control all

[silverferro]

Is there any software which can mimic actions done in a Master computer(User controlled) to 40 or more client computers(No users) which are networked to gather?

For example, I want to install a software or change some settings to 40 computers in a network. Instead of repeating the actions on each of the 40 computers, I want all 40 client computers to mimic what I do on the master computer. If I move the mouse on the master, the clients should also mimic those movements. So I will be able to install software from a shared drive or change settings ect.... on all the 40 client computers at one time.

I know about VNC but its one master to one client. I also found remote bootup and shutdown software for network computers but can't be used to control all 40 clients to mimic the master.

The only one which I found was called "Netbreaker" but its buggy and gives alot of error msgs on the clients and not so reliable.

I have tried creating an image of one computer with all the changes and cloning the rest but I faced a problems like all computer names being the same and so on....which gave me a bigger headach then where I started from.

1) Is there a software out there which can do what I want to do? (Will be great if it is a freeware as I have 120+ computers altogather. 40~42 in each room)

2) Please do advice if you know of a better/alternative way to achieve the same results.

Thanks in advance.

[uid0]

cloning, but with sysprep?

or unattended installs, run from a login script?

[IcemanND]

Active directory with or without SMS

Cloning using either sysprep to set a random name, or write a script that would query your DNS server for the correct name if avaailable and rename the machine.

If you have admin access to all the machines and you have the appropriate firewall holes you could also script it to install remotely.

[silverferro]

I have tried Norton Ghost and Acronis True Image for cloning. They work great to distribute the OS, Apps and settings on the clients easily. But the flaw is having to set the computer name on each client one by one after that as the clone image renames all the clients with the same computer name. Some software don't work when cloned for some reasons. I have to install them on each client after they have been cloned and the computer name set correctly. There are often requests to change some settings or install a new software after cloning I'm the only one taking care of all the computers and takes me almost a week to finish even a simple job if I go client by client. (The hardware is old and very slow and adds to the time taken)

Never heard of sysprep or used it before. It clones the clients and renames the individual machines automatically? That will be great!!!

1) But does it rename the computers with its own naming convection or I can set how they should be named? I have a naming convention that I need to follow according to company policy. Maybe by naming a client by checking what its MAC address is against a list which states what name to give the particular computer or something.

2) Yes, I have full admin rights to the master and clients.

3) Yes, I have Active directory as this is a school and each student and teacher has an individual account.

4) Yes, there is a SMS (MS 2003 server) which I have rights only to reset passwords for students and teachers and to change the backup tape.Other then that its out of my job scope.

5) I don't know to write any scripts yet as I'm still new to this job. So a program with a GUI will be better for the moment.

Sorry for asking alot of questions. Thanks for the replies

[IcemanND]

Never heard of sysprep or used it before. It clones the clients and renames the individual machines automatically? That will be great!!!

Sysprep is provided by Microsoft to reseal the os. It is not an imaging utility but an imaging prep utility. Version 1.1 is on your windows xp cd. Search Microsofts webs site for the 'Deployment tools' download for version 2. Once you have your os set up on a base machine you create an answer file and run sysprep, the machine shuts down, then you capture your image with your prefered imaging utility and then deploy to the destination machines.

1) But does it rename the computers with its own naming convection or I can set how they should be named? I have a naming convention that I need to follow according to company policy. Maybe by naming a client by checking what its MAC address is against a list which states what name to give the particular computer or something.

depends upon how you set the sysprep answer file. It can either set a random name, or a single name to all of them. But you can specify a script to run at the end which could eith do a lookup against your DNS server if the name is registered, or against a text file containing the MAC address. Search the forum and you should be able to find multiple sample scripts to do either.

2) Yes, I have full admin rights to the master and clients.

3) Yes, I have Active directory as this is a school and each student and teacher has an individual account.

If the machines are domain members, then you could advertise the applications for install from a group policy.

4) Yes, there is a SMS (MS 2003 server) which I have rights only to reset passwords for students and teachers and to change the backup tape.Other then that its out of my job scope.

get more rights or have the people who do advertise the desired apps and set them to force install. again requires the machines be member of the domain.

5) I don't know to write any scripts yet as I'm still new to this job. So a program with a GUI will be better for the moment.

Define programming with a GUI. You can write almost any script with some kind of a GUI, some better than others. If you want it silently installed though you don;t want any GUI for the install.

Sorry for asking alot of questions. Thanks for the replies