Creating a gold image

[Kingskawn]

For now we are making fat images per type model with the MS build and capture method. This is a bit heavy on hard disk space. We have, until now, had 2 problems with that method. We have computer installs where the client site status is 'Unknown' so computers aren't giving any info back to servers. The second is that some computer aren't taking the correct drivers anymore.

 

Therefore I'm looking for a more universal method and came up on some interesting ideas from technet forum. Installing Win7 on a vmware virtual image, configure it like it should, no client agent installed and capture it offline with imagex. (don't know if the vmware tools must be installed)

This way I'll have a plain and simple lightweight golden image.

 

Is there someone who is doing this already and can tell me the advantages or disadvantages for him? I'm curious

[anyweb]

I would recommend still using the Build and Capture approach but change the way you are currently doing it,

instead of build and capturing a FAT image, slim it down to only the bare essential FAT apps, such as Office 2010, Symantec Antivirus etc, do NOT include any drivers in this image and do not do any customisations to it, DO apply Windows updates to it and create this image on your favorite Virtual Platform (hyperV is good as it requires no drivers and you don't want any drivers in your master image), you will use this captured WIM image for the next stage, a Deploy Task Sequence.

 

The Deploy task sequence will be used to deploy your thin captured image and should contain groups (which are based on WMI detection) of install drivers steps to install drivers for whatever models you intend to install on, this task sequence should also contain your Dynamic layers, where you install applications that change often like Adobe Acrobat or Adobe Reader (small apps generally). Any Windows customisations should take place in the Deploy Task Sequence, this way you can adapt/react to what your users need/want quickly without the need to recapture the image.

 

well I hope that gives you some ideas

cheers

niall

[Kingskawn]

Thanks Anyweb for this explanation but can you indicate how to set up the hyperV story? A w2k8 server or just a w7?

[Peter van der Woude]

You need to create a Hyper-V host first. Then on a Hyper-V guest you can install the OS you want.

[Kingskawn]

You need to create a Hyper-V host first. Then on a Hyper-V guest you can install the OS you want.

 

 

Yes, I find out that a need another machine with Win2008 and at home I only have 1 computer so it will wait monday :-) I only have vmware workstation and at work we have Vmware ESX and Workstation but as Anyweb said it needs drivers so I prefer not to have driver problems afterwards when deploying my golden image...