Deploying a system Image as opposed to a scripted install
Hi all,
I have used WDS for a long time to build new computers, but the company I work for has just invested in the K1000 and K2000. I have a scripted install which works fine and serves the absolute purpose its designed for but my question is could a system Image iv captured on a sysprepped computer be captured and then pushed down to other types of computers? For example I would think that because we use the DELL Kace and have an infrastructer where everyone has DELL laptops/desktops would the driver utility work in a sense where if the image captured was on a DELL Latitude 4200 would it deploy to a DELL Latitude 6220 or Optiplex 3010?
Any body had any experience with this form of system imaging with the DELL Kace?
Thanks in advance
Answers (2)
Yes you can use the driver feed with system images. We use only system images rather than scripted installs. There's been instances where a driver was still missing, but typically injecting the driver with dism fixes this.
Comments:
-
Brilliant! This is good to know! So in your case I'm assuming you would create a system image with your applications and don't bother using the scripted install as there is often problems with the silent installs and needing to reboot occasionally etc etc - k4rl@TES 11 years ago
-
Yes. In fact, I have no idea why anyone would use scripted installs over system images in large environments. Some people think the opposite, but in my environment (K-12) I need complete control over what is installed and how it's installed. I don't like to depend on automated tasks when I can do it myself and save it how I want it. - nheyne 11 years ago
-
Before native imaging was incorporated into the appliance, Scripted Installs were usually much faster than a kimage. When I needed to refresh a batch of computers in under an hour I couldn't get it done with a 20 gig kimage. - mpace 11 years ago
-
In all honesty I had big issues getting things to install properly with the scripted installations so this seems like a great option. Thanks for your friendly advice and sharing your experiences - Much appreciated :) - k4rl@TES 11 years ago
-
Check out Driver Genius Professional if you want to take some fuss of drivers. It will backup the drivers for the hardware, then you can extract what you need. If you can use the driver feed, that would be better.
As for scripted installs, there is some value as you can compartmentalize the deployment, ie, I want a hotdog with these sources. A hybird of both is best imho. - rileyz 11 years ago
I'm currently doing this with WDS, and I know that it can be done with KACE too. With the K2000 my understanding is that you could have a gold master image that has the core apps that every computer in your environment needs as well as software updates applied. Then you use different scripted installs to complete the different software loads you need for different roles in your environment.
Comments:
-
What I'm thinking is im going to cretae a windows 7 build with core applications/programs and then either use scripted Installs or use the K1000 to push out applications. - k4rl@TES 11 years ago
-
So long as this is how you want to do it. I'd recommend using your K2000 to do your scripted installs as post install tasks for your machines you'll be deploying. Keep using scripted installs on your K1000 for your deployed machines that need reconfiguration and updating. This way you're effectively load balancing between the two. - GeekSoldier 11 years ago
-
For the K2, the term "scripted installs" is different than how the K1 uses "scripting" or managed installs. Scripted installs means installing an OS, not just pieces of software. If you mean using postinstall tasks to add software to the image, then yes that is exactly what I would do. - nheyne 11 years ago
-
That is what I meant by it. Sorry for any confusion. - GeekSoldier 11 years ago
-
Thanks for the advice mate :) - k4rl@TES 11 years ago
