RIS installation

brAun

hi all,

to install all the computers(new window os) from the RIS server, do i have to run all the computer(for installation) and press F12 for every single PC to get the installation? or i have other way of doing this?

for sysprep installation, i install a totally new os with some application softwares and i create an image of the computer. my question is what should i do with the image files? are they save in the server or in the disk?

please give me some explanation and ideas of these type of installation. thanks

sthomas

Using RIS you will have to hit F12 on each computer, at least that is how it is on Dell computers. There may be another way but that is how I do it since hitting F12 on each machine is easy.

I don't really understand your second question but if you are asking where the RIS images are stored they are stored on the RIS Server.

dynamik

Sysprep is used with disk duplication. It strips any unique information out of the OS, such as the key. Then you duplicate the disks and install them machines with identical hardware then add the key, etc.

royal

Just an FYI, but for creating RIS images, you do not use Sysprep. Instead, you use RIPrep.

Here's a good article regarding using RIPrep:
http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/e0826757-ea4d-407d-a1d9-39a31212120a1033.mspx?mfr=true

brAun

thanks , i am pretty clear now with RIS.

now my question is back to the Sysprep. actually i haven't done any practical things on these so i not really sure how the sysprep images to be stored.

here is an example : After install the os and all application, and i run sysprep.exe in sysprep folder. using this command its remove all the unique parameters and i should be able to create the image of thecomputer now.

after this step, i should use imaging software to create the image of the computer, right ?

then how is the image to be stored ? are they stored on the disk or network server?

and how i apply the image to new computer ? just simply click on the image file or i have to run certain commands again?

thanks

royal

It all depends on what imaging software you use. All Sysprep does is strip unique information from an installation. You can then use a variety of imaging software. If that imaging software supports installing their images from a network location, then yes, you can definitely do network installations. If that imaging software supports installing from a DVD, then you have that option as well.

For example, every so often I load up one of my VHD virtual machine images. I update it with a service pack, hot fixes, or any software I want. I then sysprep it, shut down the machine, and just save the VHD file as a generic VHD. Any time I want to bring up a new Virtual Machine, I just copy that VHD file to another folder, create my VM, and I have a new VM up and running in minutes. You can do the same with Symantec Ghost, but onto a DVD, network file server, etc...

brAun

thanks for ur help, i understand a bit more now