Hi there.

I've just arrive to a new challenge in windows 2000.

In my actual position i'm responsible for the deployment
and administration of aprox 600 windows 2000
workstations, segmented in areas with diferent software,
those applications in a range between office and Maya or
Archicad.

I've been reading about an solution for the deployment
using disk images from Norton Ghost, but i wonder if the
is another recommended cost effective to the deployment.

I'm thinking on creating an disk image of one template
machine on each area, but i wonder if for the final setup
phase (name designation, add workstation to domain) is
more effective to use an tool like sysprep or a script to
query for the name and the network address. Or am i
mixing concepts? What is your opinion and experience

For the installation of the applications i'm thinking on
using an MSI creation suite just like the one of WISE or
InstallShield, but right at this moment i'm not in
position to buy one of them. I'm thinking on using
WinInstaller on a VMWare Machine What do you think

All the workstation retrieves their network configuration
via DHCP, probably this is not the most correct place to
ask, but i wonder if there is a way to query the DHCP
server to get the hostname of the workstation and with
that information add the workstation to the domain (may
be is posible using the DNS).

I'll be glad to hear any advice.

Sorry for this long message, i really apreciate all the
advices

Have a nice day

Thanks!

Hi there

I wrote a program called compname.exe that can set a new computer name from
a variety of sources.

One of these is an SMBIOS serial number (a.k.a asset tag), but another is to
do a reverse DNS lookup. It sounds like that's what you're talking about by
using DHCP. If you created a DHCP reservation and a static DNS record with
a common IP address ahead of deployment, this would work. It's a bit
fiddly, but some environments (universities, for example) like this
approach.

What are you trying to use for the naming scheme? As I said, my preference
is a serial number or asset tag, as you know that the name is always going
to be the same regardless of who uses the computer, where it is or when it
was last reinstalled.

Anyway, another approach to deployment (using custom-made CDs) is documented
at www.willowhayes.co.uk. This is my site and is where compname.exe can be
found. It's a freeware program.

Yet another approach is documented at unattended.sourceforge.net. The
application deployment that Patrick's working on there probably is what you
want, but you can mix and match the elements of the various solutions.

Have you looked into RIS at all? That's Microsoft's Remote Installation
Services. It may well be what you're after. I'm about to put all my
deployment energy into RIS soon. I think it's the way to go once you've got
Active Directory and if you're all on one site. Previously, I favoured
CD-based installations because I was working for employers with multiple
sites and with relatively slow links.

One thing's for sure, though. Getting your deployment right not only saves
you time in deployment, but makes support and troubleshooting so much
easier. I think it's the key to being in control of your network.

Oli

"Armand Garcia" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:0d8f01c36d77$d463ec40$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi there.
>
> I've just arrive to a new challenge in windows 2000.
>
> In my actual position i'm responsible for the deployment
> and administration of aprox 600 windows 2000
> workstations, segmented in areas with diferent software,
> those applications in a range between office and Maya or
> Archicad.
>
> I've been reading about an solution for the deployment
> using disk images from Norton Ghost, but i wonder if the
> is another recommended cost effective to the deployment.
>
> I'm thinking on creating an disk image of one template
> machine on each area, but i wonder if for the final setup
> phase (name designation, add workstation to domain) is
> more effective to use an tool like sysprep or a script to
> query for the name and the network address. Or am i
> mixing concepts? What is your opinion and experience
>
> For the installation of the applications i'm thinking on
> using an MSI creation suite just like the one of WISE or
> InstallShield, but right at this moment i'm not in
> position to buy one of them. I'm thinking on using
> WinInstaller on a VMWare Machine What do you think
>
> All the workstation retrieves their network configuration
> via DHCP, probably this is not the most correct place to
> ask, but i wonder if there is a way to query the DHCP
> server to get the hostname of the workstation and with
> that information add the workstation to the domain (may
> be is posible using the DNS).
>
> I'll be glad to hear any advice.
>
> Sorry for this long message, i really apreciate all the
> advices
>
> Have a nice day
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
>
>

Terrific answer thanks for your advice.

My naming schema is quite simple, is based on area
computer area for example the computer in the Arquitects
area area called arq01, arq02, and so on, in this way i
was able to group them.

All my computers are registered using static entries on
the DNS and DHCP. So for me is more important to make a
match with the MAC address. Because i'm trying that only
the registered users in the DHCP are allowed to access
the local network.

I've also read about RIS, my main problem is that as long
as i remember to be able to use RIS i have to deploy my
DHCP Server on Windows Server, but right now i don't have
that chance. I have my running DNS and DHCP in Unix
Systems.

The main problem also with RIS is that some of my
computers are connected to the LAN using slow links, so a
complete deployment of the OS using the network is not so
cost efective for me. . That's the reason that i'm
evaluating the use of disk imaging, but you are right is
really a pain to give maintenance to those images,
because i have 20 diferent "roles" of users, all of them
with diferent hardware, software.

By the way for example.

What would be your best technique on the deployment
of "heavy" software like ArchiCad and Aliaswavefront Maya
Unlimited. Those babies require some custimization.

Also i'm with you about repackagin applications, i've
been testing the WinInstall tool with almost no success
because most of my computers are diferent, and some times
the package works great but some other crash pretty bad.

Thanks for all, great information!

Thanks

>-----Original Message-----
>Hi there
>
>I wrote a program called compname.exe that can set a new
computer name from
>a variety of sources.
>
>One of these is an SMBIOS serial number (a.k.a asset
tag), but another is to
>do a reverse DNS lookup. It sounds like that's what
you're talking about by
>using DHCP. If you created a DHCP reservation and a
static DNS record with
>a common IP address ahead of deployment, this would
work. It's a bit
>fiddly, but some environments (universities, for
example) like this
>approach.
>
>What are you trying to use for the naming scheme? As I
said, my preference
>is a serial number or asset tag, as you know that the
name is always going
>to be the same regardless of who uses the computer,
where it is or when it
>was last reinstalled.
>
>Anyway, another approach to deployment (using custom-
made CDs) is documented
>at www.willowhayes.co.uk. This is my site and is where
compname.exe can be
>found. It's a freeware program.
>
>Yet another approach is documented at
unattended.sourceforge.net. The
>application deployment that Patrick's working on there
probably is what you
>want, but you can mix and match the elements of the
various solutions.
>
>Have you looked into RIS at all? That's Microsoft's
Remote Installation
>Services. It may well be what you're after. I'm about
to put all my
>deployment energy into RIS soon. I think it's the way
to go once you've got
>Active Directory and if you're all on one site.
Previously, I favoured
>CD-based installations because I was working for
employers with multiple
>sites and with relatively slow links.
>
>One thing's for sure, though. Getting your deployment
right not only saves
>you time in deployment, but makes support and
troubleshooting so much
>easier. I think it's the key to being in control of
your network.
>
>Oli
>
>"Armand Garcia" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:0d8f01c36d77$d463ec40$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Hi there.
>>
>> I've just arrive to a new challenge in windows 2000.
>>
>> In my actual position i'm responsible for the
deployment
>> and administration of aprox 600 windows 2000
>> workstations, segmented in areas with diferent
software,
>> those applications in a range between office and Maya
or
>> Archicad.
>>
>> I've been reading about an solution for the deployment
>> using disk images from Norton Ghost, but i wonder if
the
>> is another recommended cost effective to the
deployment.
>>
>> I'm thinking on creating an disk image of one template
>> machine on each area, but i wonder if for the final
setup
>> phase (name designation, add workstation to domain) is
>> more effective to use an tool like sysprep or a script
to
>> query for the name and the network address. Or am i
>> mixing concepts? What is your opinion and experience
>>
>> For the installation of the applications i'm thinking
on
>> using an MSI creation suite just like the one of WISE
or
>> InstallShield, but right at this moment i'm not in
>> position to buy one of them. I'm thinking on using
>> WinInstaller on a VMWare Machine What do you think
>>
>> All the workstation retrieves their network
configuration
>> via DHCP, probably this is not the most correct place
to
>> ask, but i wonder if there is a way to query the DHCP
>> server to get the hostname of the workstation and with
>> that information add the workstation to the domain (may
>> be is posible using the DNS).
>>
>> I'll be glad to hear any advice.
>>
>> Sorry for this long message, i really apreciate all the
>> advices
>>
>> Have a nice day
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>.
>

Just a wee word of warning. I've been setting up RIS
images and it took me ages to get ArchiCAD working as it
uses C-Dilla licencing software which doesn't support RIS
or imaging software.

The way round it is to install the software, rremove the
C-Dilla Licence Mgt software build the image and then re-
install the C-Dilla part on the target machine. DOesn't
allow for a fully automated deployment but still better
than installing manually on all the clients.

>-----Original Message-----
>Answered in-line....
>
>"Armand Garcia" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:047001c36dc1$725848d0$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Terrific answer thanks for your advice.
>You're welcome.
>
>> My naming schema is quite simple, is based on area
>> computer area for example the computer in the
Arquitects
>> area area called arq01, arq02, and so on, in this way i
>> was able to group them.
>OK. That's my second-favourite naming scheme. However,
I still prefer to
>name by asset-tag/serial number and group machines using
OUs in Active
>Directory. At least you're not naming machines by user
(or more acurately
>by the name of a user who may have once used the machine
and has probably
>left the company).
>
>> All my computers are registered using static entries on
>> the DNS and DHCP. So for me is more important to make a
>> match with the MAC address. Because i'm trying that
only
>> the registered users in the DHCP are allowed to access
>> the local network.
>That's cool. In which case, if you entered that
information prior to
>deployment, you could use compname to grab the DNS
hostname by
>reverse-lookup and set the computer name accordingly.
By the way, ?d is the
>macro in compname that does that. It's undocumented
(not through wanting it
>to be obscure, but I never got round to it).
>
>
>> I've also read about RIS, my main problem is that as
long
>> as i remember to be able to use RIS i have to deploy my
>> DHCP Server on Windows Server, but right now i don't
have
>That's not the case, actually. I'm 99% sure that you
can use your existing
>DHCP server. The RIS server must be authorized in AD as
a DHCP server, but
>that's all.
>
>> The main problem also with RIS is that some of my
>> computers are connected to the LAN using slow links,
so a
>> complete deployment of the OS using the network is not
so
>> cost efective for me. .
>That'll be the killer for you.
>
>> That's the reason that i'm
>> evaluating the use of disk imaging, but you are right
is
>> really a pain to give maintenance to those images,
>> because i have 20 diferent "roles" of users, all of
them
>> with diferent hardware, software.
>I think it'd be worth consolidating some of those roles,
even if it means
>purchasing some extra and possibly unused licenses, just
to make support
>easier.
>
>Again, take a look at Patrick's stuf at
unattended.sourceforge.net. He has
>written some stuff on creating modular scripts for
application installation.
>
>Anyway, my thinking on imaging is that it's fine to
speed deployment. An
>unattended installation from CD using my method takes
about 40-45 minutes on
>current machines. Disk imaging would reduce that
somewhat, but you have to
>not only maintain different images for different
software, but you must also
>maintain images for different hardware. Sysprep helps,
but you still have
>different images for different HALs.
>
>If you're going to use disk imaging, my recommendation
is to use it in
>conjuction with a scripted unattended mechanism. The
scripting allows you
>to build images in a modular fashion and ensure maximum
consistency. The
>disk-imaging gives you the speed advantage. Disk
imaging on its own leads
>to you having a bunch of slightly dissimilar disk images
and you having to
>constantly start from square one to build a new image
for a new machine
>type.
>
>> What would be your best technique on the deployment
>> of "heavy" software like ArchiCad and Aliaswavefront
Maya
>> Unlimited. Those babies require some custimization.
>I'm not familiar with either application, but if
software doesn't come with
>an MSI file, I'd look to see if the installer has its
own "silent" switches.
>For example, most application installers that use
InstallShield can record a
>setup.iss file for you (if you run setup -r), which can
then enable silent
>installation.
>
>www.appdeploy.com is a great resource in general,
although it doesn't have
>either package.
>
>> Also i'm with you about repackagin applications, i've
>> been testing the WinInstall tool with almost no success
>> because most of my computers are diferent, and some
times
>> the package works great but some other crash pretty
bad.
>Yeah, repackaging is a last resort, really. If you
really understand how
>the program installs itself and have the tools, you can
do it, but really
>you're just doing what the software vendor should have
done for you.
>
>Cheers
>
>Oli
>
>
>.
>