Ghost Solution Suite 8.3

billybob01

Has anyone expeirience using Ghost 8.3 ( also named Ghost Solution Suite 1.1)
I am pulling my hair out over this. I am trying to clone all the workstations at work. I can install the client to a test workstation on the same subnet as my server using a static IP, and it shows up on the server console BUT i cannot send an image to it. I can install a client to a workstation on a different subnet but it does not show up on the server console and again i cannot send an image to it. I have enabled multicasting on my switches by enabling igmp but i still get the same results. I can however clone a workstation using a Ghost boot disc, but i dont want to visit every workstation to do this. Has anyone any ideas??

sprkymrk

What network card are your clients using, and is the correct template assigned to the workstations as they appear in the console? It relies on this in order to boot the client into the ghost virtual partition.

billybob01

Yeah i have looked into this and the test workstation uses an Intel Pro100 NIC so i have manually selected it within the template. But still no workstations are showing up in the default folder on the console.

sprkymrk

Hmmm. Let's start with the client on the same subnet. Can you walk me through what you have done so far, what works, what doesn't work, and are there any error messages? Can you perform other tasks besides cloning, such as execute a command or do a client inventory?

billybob01

Hi sprkymrk. What i have tried today: placed a test machine next to the server and gave the test machine a static ip address, reason being the server subnet does not allow DHCP. Next i remotely installed the client and the test machine showed up on the console, so far so good. I then tried to send an image to the workstation but it did not take the image, it just did a reboot. So i made a boot cd and tried to initiate a session. This was successful. So by using a boot disc i was able to clone the test machine. I can also clone any machine on any subnet using a boot disc relevent to the workstation. I then tried dumping an image ( using a static ip address within the setup) from the test machine to the Ghost server and successfully cloned the test machine without the use of a Ghost boot cd. This proves that the Ghost server has been installed and configured correctly.

This must be a network issue. I have enabled IGMP to all edge switches and configured both core switches as per the advise from our network support guy. These are all Layer 3 switches.

How do i do a client inventory?

billybob01

I read that IGMP does not need to be enabled on all edge switches, so i have configured both core switches to use multicast and all the other switches being L3 switches are using IGMP Snooping by default. Guess what?? Still does`nt work!!! No clients showing on the console. I was just wondering wether the switches need something else in order to pass the multicast traffic between the switches? Any ideas?

sprkymrk

I have had issues with multicasting across switches too, but seemingly at random. I have had better luck with the directed broadcast option. Have you tried that?

Sorry I missed your other question on client inventory.
I don't have the console in front of me at the moment, but you create a task and I think one of the options you can select is client inventory. I have Ghost Corporate 8.2 rather than Solution Suite, but the differences are minimal.

billybob01

Hi sprkymrk, i still have an issue with clients not showing up on the console so i cant even get to the stage of choosing multicast or direct broadcast for imaging machines. I placed 2 machines on the same subnet as the server ( giving them both static ip`s) and they showed up and cloned fine. My issue is with the machines on different subnets to the server. The network company who installed the switches have given me details on configuring the core switches which i have done and all edge switches ( they are all identical make and model) are L3 switches and have IGMP Snooping turned on by default so as you can see i`m kinda up against a brick wall with no more ideas.