Do you do sysdiff to apply packages to servers too? The scope of what I do
is only servers, workstations are done by a different set of folks here.
Ghost has a bad reputation for servers, although I understand that the
current ones, along with some stuff means that it's fully supported now.
Were your things done for NT4 or Win2K?
There's something about cluster size for disks created as DOS FAT then
converted to NTFS that I remember from the past, but I don't remember the
limitations.
Thanks for the input,
Kevin
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2001 7:23 PM
To: MSWinNT Discussions
Subject: Re: Automated build processes?
I have a ghost image of a fat partition that contains a Dos OS configured
to do the install when the machine is booted to the hard disk. The
install is completely unattended and I make changes by editing the scripts
if needed. I add or update the files in the ghost image whenever
hotfixes come out so that I can install with no network connection and get
the thing current before I expose it to anything. I also make a ghost
image of each server before it goes into service so I can reimage it if it
gets whacked. You can also use those clean images to clone servers to
identical hardware - just use sysprep to change the SID and then change the
netbios name after it's running. I'm supposed to be getting a SAN pretty
soon - then I'm going to be able to bring up servers for projects in a
matter of a few minutes. Just make a copy of the logical disk on the
San, do a little configuration and we are ready to rock.
I also have a library of application 'dif' files made with Sysdiff. I
have scripts that will create a new dif, and I have scripts that will
configure a workstation depending on job function. If none of my
existing scripts meet the needs of an employee, I make a new script and
either define it as a new job function or in rare cases keep it as special
to just that one employee. I also have a dif file that applies my system
configuration changes such as the explorer settings, some hot keys, etc.
I could set up the system install process so that the difs would be applied
automatically at the end of system install, but I havent gotten that far
yet. That would make it possible to completely generate a finished
system with no input. A little VB program that would allow filling in a
form for the netbios name and any other 'selections' could be used to
generate the scripts, so the whole process would be completely automatic.
"Flanagan, Kevin"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "MSWinNT
Discussions"
Sent by: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
bounce-mswinnt-135232@ls cc:
.swynk.com Subject: Automated
build processes?
09/25/2001 05:20 AM
Please respond to
"MSWinNT Discussions"
Hi all,
We currently use a homegrown tool to automate the process of
installing a server. I'm interested in what other folks do.
The process that we use is mostly unattend.txt based, but adds
several things after the fact and uses a boot disk that partitions and
formats the disk for the OS.
I think it could be an interesting conversation.....
Kevin
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
Kevin Flanagan
C/S Planning Engineer III
I/T Implementation Department
Branch Banking & Trust Company
3261 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 116
MC: 172-85-01-00
Raleigh, NC 27604
Voice: 919-716-6209
"You manage things, you lead people. We went overboard on management and
forgot about leadership. It might help if we ran the MBAs out of
Washington." - Admiral Grace Hopper.
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