If you can figure this out you're a genius....Ghost 7.5 and RIS Server! [Update: I figured it out!]

[JackBurton]

Man, I'm about to go beat the crap out of the guy at Symantec that wrote this HORRIBLE instruction to integrate Ghost 7.5 wih RIS (Remote Installation Services)! Ghost MultiCast works perfect by itself and so does RIS, HOWEVER I can't freakin' integrate the two!! I want to boot off my NIC (yes it is PXE compliant) and hit the RIS server, and have the option to blow down a ghost image. Like I said, RIS works great by itself but I just can't integrate the two. I checked out Symantec's knowledge base and it gives instructions, but they are VERY incomplete! If ANYONE has gotten this to work, PLEASE help me out! I'm about to punch a poor defenseless monitor! :|

P.S. Yes, I posted this in the software forum but I don't think anyone there knows what I'm talking about. And yes, I believe this belongs here because the networking guys should have the most experience with this type of set up.

Anyway, thanks in advance.

 

[SaigonK]

Heya,
Can i ask why you want to use RIS? If you can get out to the network, you can run ghost from a remote share WITHOUT the RIS server running.

 

[JackBurton]

Right, but you need a boot disk. With RIS, I can boot straight to the server and pull the image down just by booting off the NIC. These client machines don't have a floppy or a CDROM, and I don't want to add one every time I need to image one (there are A LOT of machines that need to be imaged).

 

[stash]

Ghost 7.5 doesnt need a floppy to image a client. It uses virtual partitons.

I'm not quite clear on why you want to use RIS with Ghost anyway. Ghost enterprise console is much more flexible than RIS.

 

[JackBurton]

Ghost 7.5 doesnt need a floppy to image a client. It uses virtual partitons.

I'm not quite clear on why you want to use RIS with Ghost anyway. Ghost enterprise console is much more flexible than RIS.

Ok, so you're saying a client (without a floppy) can boot from the network to the Ghost Server (running Ghost Console) and pull down an image? Care to tell me how? If I can just use one or the other, that would be fine. This is the setup, there is a server with all the images and all the clients need to boot off the NIC (like I said, they have no floppy or optical drives) and hit the server through the network and pull down their image. Ghost Console alone can do that? If so, please let me know.

Oh, I forgot to add. No extra programs can be installed on the client's machine (nothing from ghost). The clients have whatever programs they need to do there work, the machine is sysprepped and shut down. This is the image that is stored on the server and needs to be pushed down to ALL clients' machines without the clients using a disk to boot to hit the server. The clients ONLY option is to boot from the NIC to pull an image down from the server. If Ghost Console can do that, then that would be great.

 

[stash]

It depends on whether the client machines have an OS (any windows OS) installed already or not. If they do, you install the Ghost client software on them. This software can be pushed to each client machine using the console. Once the client software is installed, the machines are ready to be imaged. You create a task for one or multiple machines. You can assign an image to the task, tell it to run GhostWalker, change the name of the computer to whatever you want, and even add it to a domain (or workgroup). All of this information is part of a "profile" (cant think of the ghost terminology for it off hand). Each computer you want to image gets its own profile, which lets you assign unique computer names.

Once you have the task set, you run it, and the machines will reboot into a virtual ghost partition, connect to the server, grab the image, run GhostWalker, reboot, change the name (and add to domain if specified), reboot, and finish. If your computers support WoL, the task can be configured to remotely boot the machines, and then carry out the specified tasks like I just mentioned.

Without an OS makes things a little more difficult. I believe there is a way to do it with 3Com boot services (check this article), but when I had totally blank hdds, I would use the Ghost boot floppy to load the ghost partition, and then do everything from the console.

Most of the time, even if you buy new computers, they will have something on the hard drive, so it is a simple process of pushing the Ghost client out to them. Once on, you can manage all your clients remotely from the console. I can't remember the last time I actually visited a machine to reimage it. Oh, and by the way, you can do a LOT more with the Ghost console. You can use the installer editor to package software and then push it out to clients where it will install (with no user interaction if you want). Not to be a dick, but read the Ghost documentation...its very good, and the online knowledge base (where I found the above article) is great.

Edit: I just saw this:

Oh, I forgot to add. No extra programs can be installed on the client's machine (nothing from ghost).

My only question is, why?

 

[JackBurton]

OH YA! I got the two integrated and it works perfect, no thanks to Symantec's instructions (they are COMPLETELY WRONG)! As 7.5 stands, you need a reg hack to integrate RIS with Ghost 7.5 (even though it is supposed to have that feature built right in). Anyway, the RIS and Ghost 7.5 integration works much better than Ghost Console in my situation. But Ghost Console is what I'll try to push for next time around. Thanks for the help guys, especially STaSh!

 

[Woodchuck2000]

I've done it using 3com boot services but I couldn't get it working with RIS using the instructions given - as you say, they're pants...
Can you tell me how to do it?

 

[cct]

Hi,

Interesting thread
Hope you dont mind me asking a question relating to the above?

If you can integrate Ghost console with RIS, will you be able to use Intel PXE Boot Rom Nic's instead of the 3Com's to network boot into ghost from a remote client?

 

[JackBurton]

Can you tell me how to do it?

I'd be glad to, since Symantec has a bunch of monkeys writing their docs!

If you have RIS already configured and running you are almost there. Here is how to integrate Ghost 7/7.5 with RIS:
1. Launch the Boot Wizard
2. Select Microsoft RIS Boot Option, next
3. Select PXE packet driver, next
4. Select Use PC-DOS, next
5. On this screen, select Symantec Ghost and in the Ghost.exe field, make sure the path points to the ghost.exe file on your server (it should point to it by default). And in the parameters field I use these switches:
-clone,src=@mc[session name],dst=1 -sure -rb
This parameter is used to push down an image only. The -rb is optional if you want the clients machine to reboot after the image is complete. Also, notice the scr=@mc[session name] switch. Insert your GhostCast session name you'll be using here (without the brackets). For example: scr=@mcghostimage
Hit next.
6. Make sure "DHCP will assign the IP settings" is checked. next
7. Now here, name the "RIS Boot Menu Name" whatever you want the client to see as one of his RIS install options. The RIS Boot Directory will fill itself out with the same name you give the "RIS boot menu name." As for the "RIS Boot Description" field leave it to whatever is filled in. next
8. Hit next on the overview
9. Finally hit finish.
(If you get an error here, use this fix and redo the process)

Ok, you're almost done...

10. Now just fire up GhostCastServer.
11. Fill in the Session Name (the same name you used in your src=@mc[session name] switch).
12. Make sure Load to Clients is checked.
13. Select you ghost image in the Image File field.
14. Hit the more options button.
15. In the Client Count field, put how many clients you are going to be pushing this image out to. It will wait for all client to connect before the imaging starts.
16. Hit Accept Clients and you are ready.

At the clients machine, when you boot up and hit the RIS server, you'll notice the ghost option (whatever you named it). Select it and you're on your way.


This guide is assuming you already have a ghost image stored on the server that you are ready to roll out.

If you have any questions, let me know. I hope I haven't left anything out. Let me know how it works out for you.

 

[JackBurton]

If you can integrate Ghost console with RIS, will you be able to use Intel PXE Boot Rom Nic's instead of the 3Com's to network boot into ghost from a remote client?

As long as the NIC is PXE compliant, you're good to go.

 

[stash]

I'm still curious why you need to use RIS and Ghost instead of the Ghost console, which is basically what RIS should be.

Is it because you already had RIS images, and didn't want to redo them? If so, I can understand that!

 

[JackBurton]

I'm still curious why you need to use RIS and Ghost instead of the Ghost console, which is basically what RIS should be.

Is it because you already had RIS images, and didn't want to redo them? If so, I can understand that!

Alright, here's the situation. We need to roll out about 3500 PCs. Now the trick is, we have to do it with our hands behind our backs. We can't use the production network and we just got an Administrators Account so we can join machines to the domain. We are a team brought in just to do a company wide upgrade so we're not employees and they don't like giving us ANYTHING (including system rights to do our job)! :| We have a RIS server already to go with ghost images on it. We just needed a way to merge the two. Also, the new machines (3500 of them) just got here, so instead of waiting for the machines to get here and start installing programs on them, we just used the RIS server that was already to go, and when the PCs finally got here, we started the imaging. Works beautifully!

 

[stash]

Congrats on finding a pretty elegant solution.

I feel your pain about being a contract for a company...sometimes they can be hard asses. With good reason in most cases, but if they are going to pay for your services, they should give you the tools you need to get the job done.

 

[cct]

JackBurton - Thanks for clarifying that PXE boot roms be ok
Another step towards the death of sneekernet

cct

 

[JackBurton]

Congrats on finding a pretty elegant solution.

I feel your pain about being a contract for a company...sometimes they can be hard asses. With good reason in most cases, but if they are going to pay for your services, they should give you the tools you need to get the job done.

Thanks man. And those are my feelings EXACTLY!

 

[JackBurton]

JackBurton - Thanks for clarifying that PXE boot roms be ok
Another step towards the death of sneekernet

cct

No problem.