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GSS 2.5 cannot use GHS files that it creates

Updated: 15 Sep 2010 | 3 comments
Jassco's picture
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Previous setup:

Server 2003 SP2 with Ghost SS 2.0
Ghost Cast various machines using USB drives(created by Ghost Boot Disk Utility) to boot into ghost 11.0 with PCDOS and network DOS drivers via DHCP assignment.
used -cns -auto sure to direct client to span images automatically at 2GB and file structure created when creating image was as follows:

As example: (ignore the file structure before only the extension is important here)

WXPImage.gho
WXPImage.001
WXPImage.002

Everything works properly when restoring this image structure
 

Existing setup:

Server 2003 SP2 with upgrade to Ghost SS 2.5 (11.5.0.2113)
Ghost cast setup is the same using boot utility to create USB boot drives with PCDOS and boot machines into Ghost 11.5 to connect to Multicast/Unicast session over network via DHCP.
Used -cns -auto - sure and client spans images again to 2GB and file structure when creating is now:

WXPImage.gho
WXPIm001.ghs
WXPIm002.ghs

When restoring this image Ghost Cast will stop asking for the second file span after the initial 2GB WXPImage.gho is done transferring asking to browse for file.  It cannot find the span .ghs files.  As a work around we can rename the above files on the server to:

WXPImage.gho
WXPIm001.001
WXPIm002.002

and then reset the server to restore and now the restore completes normal.  In other words; the newer ghost 11.5 creates GHS files that it appears it cannot use properly as configured.  I'm sure these is some explanation for this.  I know what a GHS file is.  I also know .001 format was for older ghost versions and short/long file name in DOS but this is not the point here.  My issue is why would ghost create a file span that it cannot properly use as renaming these files is time consuming.  Also, the -cns switch does not appear to work(it is ignored) now even checking this option before imaging with ghost 11.5 or inputting it in the parameters in the ghost cast session.  This was not an issue in Ghost 11.0.

We also tried using older ghost 11.0 USB boot drives and the same result when trying to use .ghs file spans.  Renaming spans to .001 and so on works as well with 11.0. 
How can we get Ghost Cast 11.5 to create the -cns file structure when creating spans or allow it to recognize the .GHS spans that it automatically (forcefully) creates?
 

Comments

Robert Chester's picture
11
Mar
2010
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Thanks for the detailed

Thanks for the detailed description.  There was a problem with -cns support in GSS 2.5 build 2113 and later.  We believe this is now resolved in the latest live updated (build 2266). 

I've just tried reproducing the scenario that you describe above using build 2266 (ghost and ghost cast server) and it now correctly creates the image.gho, image.001, image.002 file names and then can successfully restore from that image.

I recommend live updating to the latest version of Ghost Solution Suite.

Regards, Robert.

Jassco's picture
12
Mar
2010
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Robert, Great to hear and

Robert,

Great to hear and thank you for taking the time to respond.  Our Ghost server is "off the grid" for security reasons, so how would I go about getting the update?

Robert Chester's picture
14
Mar
2010
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 I'n general I'd suggest that

 I'n general I'd suggest that you contact Symantec Technical Support who may be able to help.

Regards, Robert.