Deployment Solution

So I know the "supported" way of building images is to have the smp agent in the image then run a prepare image / disk capture. The issue I have with that is all the other subagents that get on there. Usually I script the stuff from sysprep but I have had inconsistencies with the deployment agent getting things on the domain, so I am going to use the official method. My question is, is there a way to get just the core agents on there without having to turn down software delivery policies and such? I keep ending up with extra software in my image from managed software jobs. Can I block network activity from the agent or disallow maintenance, then the prepare image job will reset that back just before the capture?

Either change the target of your Plug-in install Polices to exclude your Build PC or if you use Software Management to help build your image PC, make sure the Target of all unwanted software excludes your build PC.

I was afraid this might be the only way. It's too bad there isn't a way to install it as a template or imaging agent that only adds the SMP and DS agents. Something like you do to make VMware clonable from a template. The image prep job could then take it out of that mode after sysprep and prior to reboot for capture.

I ended up just turning down all my software delivery policies since I was adding and deleting the computer record at a regular enough frequency to exclude it from anything.

Thanks

You can create a filter with a query to find your build PC even if you delete it regularly and then exclude that from the Target of your plug-in policies. I always wanted all plug-in in the image so that things like remote control and software delivery were available immediately.