Was there a question in there? Bryan Keadle wrote: > It's nice that you have a new way to do RIS. I know some peers that > are doing RIS and this looks like a promising solution. > > However, I take issue with your statement that disk imaging is a bad idea: > > /"But it is usually a bad idea. Never mind that imaging provides poor > support for non-uniform hardware; the big problem is that it creates a > maintenance nightmare." > / > This is true for *ANY* shop that trys to maintain a "clone" for all > their different hardware. Indeed, that would be a maintenance > nightmare. However, when done correctly, and you build a "works on > anything" standard load image, it can go down on dissimilar hardware, > thus you're only maintaining a single image. > > > /"Imaging provides poor support for non-uniform hardware"/ > > should instead read: > > "/*by default, *imaging provides poor support for non-uniform > hardware/". > > True, it takes some time and effort to "correctly" build your > works-on-anything image, but so does figuring out one's RIS scripted > installs. > > Upgrading your image (service packs, updates, software upgrades) need > only be done once on your standard load image. Additionally, with an > image, you can have your load already "properly" configured, with all > your other secondary applications, utilities, and useability features > and settings configured. Maintaining a standard load image is made > even easier using virtual machine technology. You simply call one of > your VMs your "gold master", and it becomes the single source the > image you deploy anywhere. I've had a works-on-anything standard load > image since Windows NT4, and have succesfully deployed it on desktops > and laptops from year to year since then - dissimilar hardware, of course. > > Also, imaging is apparently faster. I noticed you mention that you'll > be done in "an hour or two". Imaging my load takes about 15 minutes. > At reboot, hardware is automatically discovered and configured > (because the source image was *properly* created to account for it) > and there is minimum configuration required, and all our corporate > apps are already installed, configured and ready to go. For example, > see the "Universal Imaging Utility > <http://www.binaryresearch.net/UIU/About.htm>". Though I don't use > this product, the concept is the same...I've "rolled my own". > > When you're done with the scripted install, now you still need to > manually install and configure your other applications. I know with > scripted imaging you are able to include scripted installs for other > applications as part of the process, but now how many applications do > you now need to figure out how to script? And what about the > applications that aren't "scriptable"? > > The one place for scripted installs I suppose is where you're rolling > out "vanilla" Windows, with minimal configuration tweaking and > additional applications, such as OEM computer distributors. > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT > Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your > opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys -- and earn cash > http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > unattended-info mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/unattended-info >
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