Hi whitenight639,

are you using the ghost console and client functionality or just use ghost.exe to restore an image?

it is better to use the console to do machine name change and domain joining or even cloning.

ghostwalker is used to change the sid of the windows. so it does not really change the machine name.

sid is the unique name which is assigned by a windows domain controller. ghostwalker resets sid to avoid duplicate sid.

if you are using the console, there is a resource called "configuration"

by using this configuration, you can change machine name or make the machine to join domain.

regards,

James Lee

Merlin, its still random naming and not good for lab or classroom environments...last i heard as well.

As far as sysprep...in gss you can incluse sysprep automatically if you import it into the GSS.  Its a simple txt document that answers the question etc...for you.  I no longer manually add sysprep to each image when im physically creating the image.  When you ghost up the image (create) it adds the sysprep for you automatically.  We just leave the name area blank so it stops there...then after you name it it continues...joins domain etc...

look into it...helped me.

sckoolz: thanks for the info.  I'll have to check it out.  Right now I take an image just before I sysprep the build machine and then run sysprep on the build machine and take the image I am going to deploy.

For deploying, the scripts I have require no user intervention and do the following:

- rename the machine base on the DNS entry based on an nslookup of the clients IP address

- joins the domain.

- clean up, etc.

After deploying the clients autologin and reboot twice as needed when  doing the above.

So when you have gss add the sysprep to the image when does sysprep actually run, right after you deploy the image on first startup?

Hey, i'll have to look into your dns query...thats sound interesting although a bit tough if your using dhcp though.  I'm looking into different ways to name automatically and haven't come up with one that will behave like i want it too.

sysprep will run on first boot after deployed...like if you do it manually it will stick it into the runonce area.

If you go into tools in gss and click on sysprep configuration it leaves you with your dialogue box...click add and select your txt file with your sysprep info on it and boom...done.  Now this way its cool...check this out...Have you ever changed or had to change your local admin password or domain admin password in middle of year...then all your syspreps are dead...wont join domain etc...  Now you just change it in the txt file and need not worry again....

:)

I'd like to know more about scripting but i think we hijacked this guys post...lol  sorry...can you send me a message with how your doing the autologs etc.?  

The way i have it now is it

stops at naming....i name it

it continues to join domain and waits at log into domain for username/pw

(ive created account to uses to log into domain and sneaker it to each machine with my team///since i have to be there anyways to name it its not as bad as it seems.

once logged on thats it...

have a nightly script that runs and shuts off each pc so thats that.

sckoolz: I'll sanatize my scripts and PM you the details so you can check it out (and we get this thread back on topic).

thanks guys, I have got a syspreped image that now runs and renames machines and joins the domian, i am still looking into how to name a machine by its serial number pulled from the motherboard, I know it can be done but I;m having trouble using ghost console client, we are still waiting for our server to run PXE and TFTP on so i thought I'd be proactive and install ghost consol client on one classrooms machines, i have to say I'm impressed with what it can do.

However I have a problem in that out of the 30 machines i installed the cleint on, only 6 rebooted into winPE when i ran the task, Also multicasting dosnt work with any of them, unicasting works fine and I have yet to try directed broadcast I dont fully understand it.

Also on some of the machines I have imaged when booted for the first time they display 'error loading operating system' I have found the solution to this by enabling / disabling ACPI in the  BIOs just thought I'd mention it for others.

Glad to here you are making progress.  Regarding your multicasting efforts:

1. are you split across any routers (different networks or subnets).  If so then check the routers to make sure they have been configured for multicasting.  By default many routers will not propagate multicast sessions.

2. if you have not had multicasting working at all then try a simple test:

- use the boot wizard to create a boot disc using the Network Boot Package (I use usb thumb drives for this)

-start up a ghost cast server and configure a create image session

- boot a machine that is on the same subnet as the server with the boot disc you created.

- try to join the multicast session on the server.

- if this works then try with machines that are across any possible routers.  This will tell you if the routers are configured properly.  If they are not the client will not see or be able to join the session.

For renaming I understand you want to use the serial number but have you considered using the DNS name (if you have them configured)?  We configure DNS entries for each of our machines, then the scripts I use query the DNS server using nslookup and rename the client based on that.  Just another option.

Thanks Merlin,

We do have a DNS server but use DHCP so am I right in thinking that wouldnt work, also serial numbers are better for us because we have 4 or 5 different hardware setups so we can identify what type of machine were looking at by the serial number. 

Thanks for your advice on multicasting, I will try what you suggested and ask the network manager what the deal is with the routers, he has control of them with the cisco software on the server, not something I know much about. I unicasted one of the 6 machines from my office the otherside of the building so was impressed with that, I will try setting a teacher workstation in the same room as the server and see if I can get them to multicast then. I just wonder what is difference is between the 6 machines that booted into PE and the other 24 that didn't, as all of them show up in the console server on my machine. 

Whitenight: we also use DHCP.  What my scripts do is first an ipconfig command.  The output has the current ip address as assigned by DHCP.  Once I have scraped this address out of the ipconfig output I use it to do an nslookup.  The output of the nslookup gives me the host name.  I use this to rename the machines and then reboot it to continue to the next step of joining the domain.

I also use the name to determine the physical location (which lab in my case) so I can set the default printer on user login to the closest printer.

The serial number for determing machine type is a good idea.  Technically you could use the above method to determine the name but use the serial number to determine specific hardware for you configuration scripts.  This way if you change the name of a machine in dns (redeploy, etc) you do not need to up date you 'serial --> hardware/name' database.

Hmm, not sure why your boot to PE is not working on the 24 machines.  I am assuming that you are able to reproduce this consistently.  Check the task log on the ghost console to see if there is any errors reported when the clients fail to go into PE.  I have run into cases where a task fails on some clients due to the client not up to date and the update failing.  But this should not happen if you have just installed the client.  Have you physically watched any of these machines when you execute the task to see what they are actually doing?