Desktop Deployment solutions - RIS, GHOST etc

[Cliotoby]

Need some reccomendations, what would you use to roll out an xp image to multiple computers on a network. Preferably ones you have used and and what you thought about it/them.


NB: Im not actually doing this, just part of a research project related to MDST.

 

[Nickharding]

WDS

 

[Cliotoby]

WDS

Good shout, but i need something i can do over cat5/lan. No wireless in the network.

 

[Nickharding]

You can use WDS to deploy windows systems over network, the same as you can with RIS

 

[DanCup]

Tivoli Provisioning Manager

 

[iain187]

i did about 40 images with ghost last month, it was straight forward enough, what do you need to know?

 

[TELFORDS_LURK]

Novell Zenworks

 

[Longy]

Good shout, but i need something i can do over cat5/lan. No wireless in the network.

Your confused I think:

WDS = Windows Deployment Services

but yes it also used as a feature to link wireless access points together

WDS = Wireless Distribution System

 

[Matt_90]

Novell Zenworks

No...... Novell = 666

I use ghost at work, easy and straight forward. Use it to deploy images over a whole secondary school with other 400 desktops + laptops.

For a small scale I would recommend RIS. Are you running a server? if so what OS are you using.

 

[ivegota16v]

myst or clonezilla

all free and better than the lot!! (WDS is good though!)

 

[Cliotoby]

i did about 40 images with ghost last month, it was straight forward enough, what do you need to know?

Ah my bad, im not sure in all honesty its part of my coursework, ive never done it myself and i needed to come up with a solution to basically install windows Xp on 200 machines on a network. The project is not related to the network in any way what so ever.

Itll be running a server, so im thinking along the lines of RIS as im sure Windows Server has this on it already. Ill look into ghost too.

 

[McBunny]

i use acronis true image works well enough

 

[Cliotoby]

i use acronis true image works well enough

Also on my list ^^


I honestly have no idea to begin with this stupid assignment. Ill try asking more relevent questions when i understand this crap a little better.

 

[KDF]

I use RIS/WDS to deploy images to the systems at my work.. works well and combined with AD GP it's quite flexible.

 

[iain187]

Ah my bad, im not sure in all honesty its part of my coursework, ive never done it myself and i needed to come up with a solution to basically install windows Xp on 200 machines on a network. The project is not related to the network in any way what so ever.

Itll be running a server, so im thinking along the lines of RIS as im sure Windows Server has this on it already. Ill look into ghost too.

lol well ghost was pretty simple to use over a network

i was trying to find a way to put the image + software on a DVD and just boot it up but i couldn't get a DVD to work in DOS

 

[Matt_90]

RIS is yor easiest option if you have to carry it out, as you it doesn't invlove paying for anything where (correct me if i am wrong as we have to at work) ghost you need a liscense as its owened my symantec.

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc786442(WS.10).aspx Helpful info on RIS

 

[DMS]

We use SCCM 2007 at most of the schools we support. All computers in the schools get re-imaged at the end of every half term with the latest image build we've made. One of our schools in Manchester had all 3,800 or so computers re-imaged in the space of a week, usually managing several hundred at a time. You should have seen the lights on the SANs flashing while doing that... could have held a rave in the server room if we'd got some good tuneage and a few E's.

 

[David]

i use acronis true image works well enough

tis what i use, it's fine, although they could have automatic updatng....

 

[Cookie]

SCCM ftw

 

[Woodentop]

SCCM with MDT 2010 if you are doing Windows 7/2008 R2 builds.

 

[peter_h]

Novell Zenworks

Another vote for Zenworks!

ZEN = Zero Effort Network

 

[ChrisR]

Currently using Ghost for all our desktops and laptops as it's quick and easy.

Might look at using SCCM when we come to do windows 7, OSD was pretty s**t with SMS though, how long does a build take with sccm?