Deployment and Imaging Group

We are a small college with about 1,500 computers. We have probably 50 different images with a lot of older software that can not be managed well with Altiris. Also we use Ghost to back up all employee computers before re-imaging or delivering a new computer. We keep these images for at least 12 months and in certain cases much longer due to the nature of the information on some drives. GSS 2.5.1 provided an excellent means of managing all of our images. The ability to manually define the image resources within the console and store the images in an easy to fnid location and folder structure greatly helped us when we needed to recover data from an archive image. We tried using Altiris 7.1 and 7.5 but found the way the images were stored made it very difficult to locate the exact backup image we were looking for. As well when creating a hardware independent image the wait time to replicate to the deployment server often bit us in the rear during crunch time. Which is the 3 times a year we re-image every lab and lecture computer on campus. During these times we only have 1 week to complete the process on about 1000 computers so waiting is not an option. We also ran into a problem with the images constantly being checked because they were reporting 0kb size which Symantec Tech support was never able to figure out. I apologize for the long explanation but I wanted to provide some background for my question.

     I watched the webcast and saw the Ghost Console but did not see the resources section I am familiar with in GSS 2.5.1. How does GSS 3.0 store the images? Does it use an easy and intuitive way that makes it easy to find where a specific image is stored? or does it use the random GUID folder names from Altiris which makes me feel like I am playing hide and seek with my images?

I had tried posting this question in the former thread about when GSS 3.0 would be release but it was closed just as I posted my comment. David Evans sent me this response which helps with the answer somewhat though I am unfamiliar with DSS 6.9. 

GSS 3.0 is based on DS 6.9 which is a completely different technology to DS 7.x (to which I think you're referring, correct me if I'm wrong). The image management is broadly the same as GSS 3.0 in that they're in a static folder and are referenced directly. I hope it will be very much more like you are used to.

Thanks to David and his team for their work on GSS 3.0 and I look forward to working with it in our environment.

Watching the how to video it looks like GSS 3.0 is using the network boot setup. Is there an advanced setup so that booting to pxe can be done the same or similiar to gss2.5.1 where a small partition (or something) is created  on the client then having it boot from it? We tried the netwrok boot with Altiris 7.1 and 7.5 and were constantly running into problems. For instance I had a group of Dell Precision T3500 computers where, over time, the BIOS would become corrupt and hang and end up taking 10 minutes to get out of the BIOS and it would never boot to the network again without replacing the MotherBoard. We replaced 25 MBs in a single room because of this. Additionally it adds at least a minute to the boot sequesnce if everything goes well and longer when there are issues as mentioned above. Not to mention my users are constantly calling in about boot times and thinking there is something wrong any time anything looks different in the slightest. I would really like an unobtrusive and streamlined boot method that stays out of the way when not needed, unlike network boot which happens everytime the computer boots.

Many customers make use of the PXE boot technology and this should be very unintrusive when configured correctly. When machines boot they will check in with their local PXE server and if there are no jobs assigned they will immedaitely proceed to boot from the local disk. I haven't heard of this causing any issues but I'd be very interested to investigate if you see it again.

The boot disk creater does also support autoamtion partitions so this option is fully available to you.

I understand, we do have also strange network boot issues, with a cycling aleatory reboot 1mn timeout reboot (Blue screen), before starting the TFTP to load the PXE. After a while, it is working. I sniffer packet to have a check, nothing at all, I do not see any difference. It is like from time to time, the Dell PC don't run the PXE loading sequence... 

So we do have also the abilities with DS 6.9 to create boot image file, using "Boot disk manager" application, and generate boot image we can build a CD or an USB key... Can be usefull.

Notice, the WinPE 5 building process is integrating the Microsoft Windows ADK 8.1. Have to download and run 3GB for installing only 300MB of the WinPE 5 (DISM tool + Windows SIM) from Microsoft before WinPE or preboot integration possible.

Linux preboot option not so bad regarding the "complexity" Microsoft is building around Windows Deployment Tools... We are far away from a simple SYSPREP. Windows System Image Manager (SIM) need to be a specialization himself... Hey guys, make it more simple !!

I hope the GSS 3.0 will integrate a more simple installation process for WinPE, the latest DS 6.9. We can help if you need, we already do that a lot...