Making an Image Available for Auto-Imaging

When you boot a computer from an imaging device or method and allow the bootup process to proceed in auto-imaging mode, the imaging operation that is performed on the computer is determined by policies and settings that you define in NDS.

In order to make an image available to such operations, you must expose it as a Workstation Image object in NDS. Otherwise, when you define imaging policies and settings in NDS, you won't have any way to refer to the image. Creating a Workstation Image object also allows you to combine a base image and one or more add-on images into a single entity that can be laid down on target computers. You can specify a standard image file to put down, or you can create a script to further customize your imaging operation. You can also specify that a particular variant of an image be used. The sections that follow give instructions for performing these tasks.

• Creating a Workstation Image Object
• Associating an Add-On Image with a Base Image
• Specifying to Use a Variant of an Image

Creating a Workstation Image Object

1. Create the base image that the Workstation Image object will refer to. For instructions, see Creating a Workstation (Base) Image .

   Although it isn't typical, you can create a Workstation Image object that refers only to one or more add-on images. However, if you want a base image to be laid down in the same operation as the add-on images, you should include both types of images in the Workstation Image object.

2. Copy the image file to a ZfD imaging server that is accessible as a server object in your NDS tree.

3. In ConsoleOne, open the NDS tree and browse to the container where you want to create the Workstation Image object.

4. Right-click the container > click New > Object > select Workstation Image from the list of object classes > click OK.

5. Enter a name for the new object.

   Example: Dell NT4 Image

6. Click Define Additional Properties > OK.

7. Click Use Standard Imaging.

   or

   Click Use Scripted Imaging > specify the script you want to use. See the online help for examples of how you can use scripts. Skip to Step 10.

8. Under Base Image File, click the Browse button next to the field > select the imaging server where the image resides > select or specify the path and filename of the image > click OK.

   For details on selecting or specifying the path and filename, click Help in the Image File Location dialog box.

   If the Workstation Image object will consist only of add-on images, leave the Base Image File field blank, and skip to Step 5 of Associating an Add-On Image with a Base Image .

9. If you are using PXE but formerly booted from imaging (Linux) partitions on workstations, you can delete the imaging partition at the same time you put down an image. To do so, select the Delete the ZENworks Imaging Partition, If It Exists, From the Workstation check box. You can delete the partition only when the workstation is booted from an imaging boot device or method other than the Linux imaging partition.

10. Click OK to save the Workstation Imaging object.

Associating an Add-On Image with a Base Image

1. Create the add-on image that you will associate with the base image. For instructions, see Creating an Add-On Image .

2. Copy the image file to a ZfD imaging server that is accessible as a server object in your NDS tree.

   You might want to copy the add-on image to the same location as the base image.

3. In ConsoleOne, open the NDS tree and browse to the Workstation Image object that refers to the base image. If you haven't created this object yet, do so as instructed in Creating a Workstation Image Object .

4. Right-click the object > click Properties.

5. Under Add-on Image Files, click the Add button > select the imaging server where the add-on image resides > select or specify the path and filename of the image > click OK.

   For details on selecting or specifying the path and filename, click Help in the Image File Location dialog box.

   You can associate more than one add-on image with a base image. The add-on images will be laid down after the base image in the order listed on this page.

6. Click OK to save the Workstation Imaging object.

Specifying to Use a Variant of an Image

As explained in Customizing an Image , you can exclude individual files and folders from any of 10 possible filesets (variants) of an image. The variants exist merely as internal attributes of the same image archive.

Because creating an image of a workstation can take a fair amount of time, it is more efficient in some cases to just create an image of a few workstations and customize those images to get all the variants you need. Even though the variants do not all exist as separate, physical image files, you can access them as though they were. How you do this depends on whether you are performing a manual or automated imaging operation, as explained below.