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  • 1.  Problem with Question: (1859) in ghost

    Posted Jan 09, 2008 04:00 PM
    I made my client computer reboot into ghost.exe in ghost partition using the task + execute command method in Ghost console.  After reboot and loading ghost.exe, the "Question: (1859)" window will show up when I try to join the multicast session I created manually on server computer.  If I click yes, ghost will relocate ghost partition and restart into windows, or restart straight back to windows if i click NO.......is this a bug or I am suppose to add a certain arguments into my execute command task?  Could this be solved by using sze switch to make partition size smaller than the destination hard drive capacity?



    Message Edited by Comet on 01-09-2008 01:05 PM


  • 2.  RE: Problem with Question: (1859) in ghost

    Posted Jan 10, 2008 11:41 PM
    Hi,

    What was the command line you used to execute Ghost.exe?

    This is certainly not intended, but from your description it looks like a prompt from Virtual partition relocation area. We will be able to say more by looking at the command line.

    Krish


  • 3.  RE: Problem with Question: (1859) in ghost

    Posted Jan 11, 2008 12:38 PM
    My command line is simple, I just create a task in Ghost Console ---> checked the "Execute Command" box in General tab  ------> Click "Execute Command" tab and click Add button ---> type "ghost.exe" inside the "Command: " box and checked  " In Ghost Partition "  ---> Click OK then click Save and choose client then execute.


    Message Edited by Comet on 01-11-2008 09:40 AM


  • 4.  RE: Problem with Question: (1859) in ghost

    Posted Jan 14, 2008 05:26 PM
    Hi,

    We could not reproduce this just by running Ghost.exe. What version of Ghost do you use? Did you have any other parameters specified for Ghost (something like -clone)?

    However, it looks like this is related to relocating the virtual partition. If you try to restore an image, Ghost will move the Virtual Partition data to a place where it will not be overwritten by new image. After doing this, it restarts the client. That's probably the reason for it to boot to Windows if you say no, or boot back to DOS again if you say yes.

    Krish


  • 5.  RE: Problem with Question: (1859) in ghost

    Posted Jan 14, 2008 06:17 PM
    This is really odd, could you tell me the size of the retore partition and the destination Hard drive capacity you used for testing?  As for me, the image I used was captured from a 37G primary partition (with 20G used) on a 37G Hard Drive.  I run ghost cast server manually and tried to deploy to computers with HD space largrer than or equal to 37G, yet still, all attempts receive the virutal partition error when trying to join my multicast session.

      The version of Ghost I use is 11.0.1, it's the default one that came with GSS 2.01.  Also, I have tried adding parameters into "Arugments: " box such as "ghost.exe -clone,src=@mcSESSIONNAME,dst=1 -sure" and some other variations.  But they all encountered the same problem with Relocating Virtual partition.  If I click yes, it would relocate virtual partition --> reboot to the screen with lots of digits before entering ghost, looks like it processed somthing  ---> boot back into windows.  Or reboot straight back into windows if I click NO.  HELP ME!!!!!:smileysad:





    Message Edited by Comet on 01-14-2008 03:39 PM


  • 6.  RE: Problem with Question: (1859) in ghost

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 01:06 AM
    Hi,

    No, it is OK. I thought you get the error message when execute Ghost.exe. But it appears that you get it when joining a multicast session.

    When Ghost try to restore an image while in virtual partition, it relocates it to avoid overwritten by the new image. Since you execute Ghost.exe as a command, Console is unaware of this and consider the command execution as successful.

    There is no easy way to handle this. One option is to use Ghost Boot Partition instead of virtual partition since it is not relocated.

    The other option is to execute Ghost.exe twice in the same task, connecting to the same MC session. When client reboots, Console will execute Ghost again. However, this is not a supported scenario but it will work.

    Why do you want to run Ghost as a command execution instead of a clone task? If you want to have more manual control over parameters, have you tried using parameterized tasks in GSS 2.0? Parameterized tasks allow you to create a task without specifying all the parameters, but provide them when executing the tasks. This can be done from command line too.

    Krish


  • 7.  RE: Problem with Question: (1859) in ghost

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 03:31 PM


    The other option is to execute Ghost.exe twice in the same task, connecting to the same MC session. When client reboots, Console will execute Ghost again. However, this is not a supported scenario but it will work.


      I'm wondering if there's a command line swith to automatically answer Yes to Relocate Virtual Partition or to automatically relocate Virtual Partition without prompting users to click yes.  If not, is it possible to get a custom build of ghost for this scenario?



    Why do you want to run Ghost as a command execution instead of a clone task? If you want to have more manual control over parameters, have you tried using parameterized tasks in GSS 2.0? Parameterized tasks allow you to create a task without specifying all the parameters, but provide them when executing the tasks. This can be done from command line too.


      That is because I have attemped to reghost clients in Multiple Group but failed.  While I found ngcons.exe has pretty good flexibility on parameters; there is one swith that makes command line entirely useless to me.  It is about choosing target clients, the /t switch.

        One of my attempts was to make a task for each image and leaving target blank, then use /t switch to specifiy targets in command line when I run the tasks.  But that didn't work because, after many trys, I figured the /t switch in ngcons.exe only allow targets to be either all computers in one group (folder) or just one computer.  However, the clients I choose to reghost spreads across multiple groups 99% of the time and the targets are always different.  For exaple, I choose to reghost PC01, PC02, PC10, PC9 with Windows XP this time and three hours later I am going to reghost PC01, PC03, PC04, PC10 with Windows XP, and later on I choose to reghost X, Y, Z, Q, ..., etc with WinXP or Vista or 2003.  So the variables are always changing.  Other contributors have told me to copy target clients into one folder and point /t switch to that folder in command line.  While it is a good solution but I seriously doubt such action is scriptable.  Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm trying to script the deployment process so other people in my company can reghost clients ( They don't know how to use ghost ) through my script without having to deal with Ghost console directly (and potetially mess up the data base).
      
        With previous attempt didn't work, I created tasks to run Ghost as command execution with MCsession name specifiled in argument.  So when my script runs, it'll run comman execution tasks on target clients in command line, then open ghost cast server with matching Multicass session name.  I spent a lot of time and came up this this idea,  if the virtual partition error problem could be automatically skipped.  It would be the best solution and the most efficient way to maximing the Multicast functinality, with is one of the main reason we bought GSS.  We reghost machinese in test lab a lot everyday, Multicasting and scripting is important to maintain efficiency.




    Message Edited by Comet on 01-16-2008 12:54 PM


  • 8.  RE: Problem with Question: (1859) in ghost

    Posted Jan 16, 2008 09:13 PM
    Hi,

    Thanks for the details.

    If you use -sure or -batch, Ghost should not ask for user intervention. Difference between -sure and -batch is, -sure will force Ghost to use 'Yes' for 'Yes/No' kind of questions. -batch will do that plus take the default action for everything else too. When you are doing this kind of automation, you will need to specify one of these switches anyway.

    I'm not sure if this is the best approach. Reason is, when you execute Ghost in command line, you will not have the option of configuring the client either, which means, you will need a syspreped images or unique image for every machine. One other option is to use the Multicast server by booting the machine to PXE or a separate boot partition without using Console, since you won't run configuration step from Console anyway.

    When Console does a clone task, it does more than just executing Ghost. This includes configuration also. If you try to execute Ghost.exe in this way, you will have to handle all the other situations also.

    If the machine grouping is the issue you have, could you consider using dynamic machine groups? Dynamic machine groups will allow you to update the group membership automatically based on inventory data. Even you can define your own WMI providers to retrieve a specific setting such as a registry key during inventory collection.

    Krish


  • 9.  RE: Problem with Question: (1859) in ghost

    Posted Jan 21, 2008 05:41 AM
    I have also the same problem with Ghost 2003 In a client computer, i experienced problem with windows needed to install it again from Windows XP Professional Edition SP2 installation cd (i have 2 partitions on disk C and D i have chosen C to install Windows as used to be D remained unchanged) After it Windows came again without any problem, first of all I instaalled Norton Ghost 2003 to C. I have a .gho image file to restore and I also copied it to D. Then In Norton ghost I choose the image file which i want to be restored in D. I choosed also the apropriate partitions for source and destination. The computer is restarted to make this restore action. A screen (As you can realize I'm doing this first time) starting PC-DOS... came and a 2 choice list. 1.Run the Norton dos operation 2. Return to windows without doing the norton opretaion. I choosed 1. one and C:Ghost> came I wrote `ghost` and the ghost screen came. I have done the same operation in ghost partion from image file ( select the image file in D) and ended the process according to the appropriate partions. The problem is here: A question box appeared Question: (1859) Ghost must relocate the virtual partion and computer will be restarted to do this operation (something like this). The computer is restarted the same things comes again and again A screen (As you can realize I'm doing this first time) starting PC-DOS... came and a 2 choice list. 1.Run the Norton dos operation 2. Return to windows without doing the norton opretaion. but it does not the restore. What should be the problem please Ghost experts... Thanx