Managing a Disk Image

This topic provides information on Capturing and Restoring a Disk Image.

Preparing The Reference Computer

1.Open the command line dialog.

2.If your reference computer is already managed with DSM (recommended), please run the NIPrep.exe. This creates an image object on the Business Logic Server (BLS) that contains the compliance information of the software packages installed on the reference computer and that transmits this information to the respective computers.

For more information on NIPrep.exe, refer to the DSM documentation, keyword NIPrep.

3.Run Microsoft SysPrep: c:\sysprep\sysprep.exe -quiet -reseal -mini -pnp -forceshutdown (Windows XP, Windows 2003) or sysprep.exe /generalize /oobe /unattend:%windir%\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml (fromWindows Vista/Windows Server 2008).

The computer is automatically shut down after SysPrep.exe is finished running. A mini setup programautomatically configures the target computer according to the specifications of the sysprep.inf when it starts up the first time.

The reference computer is ready for creating a disk image now.

Creating A Disk Image During Runtime (Live Capture)

If you want to create a disk image while a computer is running, please assign the Drive Snapshot Live Capture package (from the Software Library's eScripts folder) to the reference computer.

Note that you must have a Windows PE boot environment to create a Live Capture of a disk image. Linux is not supported as boot environment.

1.Select the Drive Snapshot Live Capture package fromthe Software Library's eScripts folder.

2.Specify the reference computer as installation target.

You can specify the values for naming the disk image and the network share for the individual policy in the wizard dialogs.

Creating The Disk Image (Capture)

There are two ways of creating a disk image:

•Select the command Create policy for disk image from the context menu of the reference computer.

•Assign the package Drive Snapshot Capture (with WinPE) (Software Library: Pre OS Actions folder) to the reference computer.

Note that you cannot create a disk image in a Linux boot environment. However, you can create a disk image of a Linux operating system from a Windows PE boot environment and then roll it out on a target computer or on several target computers. Disk Images for UEFI systems require Windows PE 4.0 as a minimum.

First, please prepare the reference computer for creating a disk image.

1.1. In the Object window, select the reference computer of which you want to create a disk image.

2.2. Select the Create policy for disk image task fromthe context menu.

1.1. Select the Drive Snapshot Capture (with WinPE) package in the Software Library's Pre OS Actions folder.

2.2. Specify the reference computer as installation target.

You can overwrite the default names of the disk image and the network share for the individual policy in the wizard dialogs. The default values originate from the configuration database (ICDB).

Distributing The Disk Image

Use DSM OS Deployment to distribute the disk image of a reference computer to other computers with the unicast or multicast methods. Multicast saves you network bandwidth. Note that you must have an OS Installation Set to distribute a disk image.

Getting Ready

1.To multicast a disk image you need a disk image of a reference computer.

2.In the next step, please create an OS Setup File Package which references the disk image.

3.Then, please create an OS Configuration Package which has been prepared for imaging. The OS Configuration Package includes the OS Setup File Package.

4.Finally, create an OS Installation Set that will include the OS Configuration Package.

Note that you must have a boot environment for the OS Configuration Package. We recommend a Windows PE boot environment for Drive Snapshot. Alternatively, you can use a Linux boot environment.

In case the reference computer is already a managed computer:

•Delete the Post OS Action Package Automated Client Installation from the OS Installation Set.

•Please also delete the Default Post OS Action Package from the OS Installation Set. Both packages also provide for the installation of the DSM Clients.

Distribute The Disk Image

1.Create a static computer group in the organization tree.

2.Assign the computers that will be provided with an operating systemvia multicast as members of this computer group.

3.Assign the OS Installation Set with your disk image to the computer group.

4.Start the computers.

Notes on Multicasting

To distribute a disk image to several computers, please provide them with an OS Installation Set which contains the disk image. By default, the system distributes the image with the multicast method. If you specify the value 0 for the OS Configuration Package's installation parameter Use_ Multicast, the disk image will be distributed with the unicast method.

Note that you need a Windows PE boot environment for the multicast method. Multicast from a Linux boot environment is not supported.

Distributing The Disk Image To Test Computers

Use DSM OS Deployment (OSD) to distribute the disk image of the reference computer to a test computer and to check the functioning of the disk image.

1.Create a disk image of the reference computer.

2.Select the test computer in the Object window Select and choose the task Create policy for disk image restore. With this command the package Drive Snapshot Restore (with WinPE) fromthe Pre OS Actions folder will be assigned to the test computer. Note that this package requires a Windows PE 32-bit boot environment.

3.Alternatively, you can distribute a disk image with a Linux boot environment on the test computer. Assign the Drive Snapshot Restore (with Linux) package fromthe Pre OS Actions folder to the test computer.