IMO the best way to do this is to setup a PXE menu that has an option to run ghost client. This will eliminate the need for the remote deployment which can be very time consuming. PXE has some limitations but it's perfect to hit the ground running for a deployment like this.

Then you'll want to figureout if these break down into groups or not. If you're setting these up by classroom, maybe you can group them as such. If that's the case here's my process:

1. Setup the phyiscal PCs 1 "group" at a time & network boot them to run ghost client.
2. In ghost Console as the PCs come on line copy & paste them into the proper group. (also select PreOS & template driver)
3. When a group is complete, send your base image.

This is when you'll need to figureout what's best for your environ. Here's how I approach this in my environ, but it's not the best way everywhere.
4. On initial deployment (as described above) the PCs will display in Console as their MAC address. I manually rename the PCs, then run a Refresh configuration task from the console. This will "capture' the current configuration of the PCs and make the default in Console.

I've done many, many deployments of ghost, and I've found this method to work well. .....It's even easier if you have an assistant to do the grunt work. :)

I'm courious to see others' methods.

Cheers,

When you say setup a PXE menu to run ghost client, I m a little lost. Could you explain this in further detail?  So we would be booting to the NIC w/ PXE and just running the client to have it show up in the console?

Something like this?

http://service1.symantec.com/support/on-technology.nsf/854fa02b4f5013678825731a007d06af/e5f5c337ab1999ba882573910082b731?OpenDocument

Thanks

Jimy,

That link should work with helping you setup some type of PXE server for you to connect to.

Once you have the PXE server up and running you will need to go into the Ghost Console
and run the Boot Wizzard to create your boot image file.
Load the boot image file into your PXE servers boot menu then away you go.

Start up a new machine...  F12 or whichever key to PXE boot.
Your menu should show up.  Select it and have the ghost client load and run.

The method really depends on your deployment plan.  We image between 50 and 200 PCs a day for new deployments, but they are all done from our deployment shop.  All new equipment is shipped there first, imaged using a imaging work area (big table with KVMs, Gig switch, and a Ghost server).  We up to 20 at a time.  The Ghost image of Windows XP has a Sysprep config file that has the computer name REM'd out, and the Ghost pubkey.crt deleted.  When the computers a done they are taken onsite and powered up.  The first time the PC boots it will ask for a computer name to be set (since it's not in the sysprep file).  After setting the name, Sysprep finished it's tasks including joining the AD Domain.  When the Ghost client starts the first time it finds the first Ghost console on the LAN and joins it without having to do a config refresh.

If you have the option to use a 3rd party to "pre-image" your PCs, and you don't have a location to do it yourself, make the image like we did and give it to them.  All you have to do then is power them up onsite when they arrive and enter the name.  Soooooo easy.

Sorry I've been away. It's really easy to get the 3com PXE stuff included w/ GSS up and running. The Ghost Boot Wizard will create perfect images too. Peice of cake. :)

Once your initial deployment is done, switch over to ghost console for everything else. Let us know how it goes.

Thanks everyone I m going to give this a go today and see what we I can do I like the idea of booting to PXE. 

PXE works fine, but can be troublesome to deploy. If you do not wish to configure a PXE server, another option would be to try a Console Boot Partition:
1. Boot each machine from a  CD or USB stick and connect to a Ghostcast session.
2. Roll out a standard Console Boot Partition to all machines. Use the GBW to create the Console Boot Partition.
3. They will then boot a basic OS (DOS or PE) and connect to the console much as the PXE clients do.
4. From there you can deploy whatever image and config you wish.

PXE is extremely easy with GSS 2.5 and Winpe boot. Ghost boot wizard (GBW) takes care of everything for you. You just install 3COM PXE server that comes with GSS and then point GBW at the root of TFTP folder and it will do the rest. Winpe in general is much better option for cloning than DOS.

I was attempting to setup the boot to PXE option however have ran into something I dont undertand.  I am completely lost at step #6 here-> http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/on-technology.nsf/docid/2000011211551725

I ve searched the hard drive for NDIS2 and oemsetup.inf however I come up empty.  Suggestions?

Thanks 

You probably don't need to worry about any of that. I just have two boot images. Basically if it's not an UNDI driver it's NDIS.

1. Select a multi-card template and add each model of NICs you're working w/.
2. The second image uses the Universal (or UNDI) driver.

I would only use WinPE if you're running Deploy Anywhere; it's such a large image and it takes too long to transfer via tftp. ...if you do go the WinPE route, do not use the 3com TFTP server. You'll need to switch to either TFTPD32 or solar wind's TFTP server.

I've seen a lot of people say they get better performance w/ WinPE. I don't see any performance difference here, but that might be because of all the VLAN overhead. That definatley slows things down. Personally I like DOS for PXE & WinPE for virtual partition.

Hello Mr Guitar-

What do you suggest for Step #2, Create a VDF Boot Disk.  I need some more direction in getting this setup.  I have only been working with ghost for about 2 weeks now and am used to a different setup.  Everyting in the directions seems fairly self explanatory.

this is way easier than that doc.

1. open the ghost boot wizard.
2. select PCDOS (if you want to use WINPE search the forums - but I think this is the easy way)
3.TCP/IP Network Ghost Client Boot Image (the bottom)
4.Pick your NIC driver(s). for your first boot image try the UNDI driver.
5. Leave the defaults on the next few screens.
6. save the file in your tftp root and give it a .sys extension. Should be something like: C:\TFTPBOOT\GhostClientUNDI.sys

Then setup the 3com PXE & TFTP apps. Don't run them as services while your setting things up. Use the bootptab editor to set a wildcard entry to load a PXE menu that points to your boot image. Use the image editor to create the menu file (mba.pxe).

It works like this:
PXE server looks for the MAC (you'll use all ???????????? so all machines get the image)
The BOOTPTAB file will point to the menu file (the boot strap file)
the menu file (mba.pxe) will have entries for your boot images.

There are a million entries on this forum about setting this up. If you run into any hickups try searching first.
Good luck.

It is much simpler with Winpe option. Install 3COM PXE boot services. Run GBW and create Winpe-based PXE boot package. Point to your TTP root folder and wait for GBW to finish. make sure that your 3COM TFTP services are running. Setup bootptab configuration to point to a single file boot.n12 (cannot remember exact name but this is the only n12 file that GBW creates).
Boot clients. That's it. No messing around with 3COM configuration files. Simple.