Test Environment Imaging Solutions

1
Test Environment Imaging Solutions

• Presented by Bridy Frett
• Imaging information provided by Darin Bede, Steve
  Decker, Tony Barinaga, and Francisco Castellon.

2
Issues for Test Execution

• Speed
• Reproducibility
• Accuracy
• Flexibility

3
Test Environment Requirements

• Quick bring-up time (time to load test system)
• Ability to reproduce identical environments
  Consistently
• Offer a wide variety of configurations which may
  OSs, browsers, languages, applications, and tools
• Minimal training
• Ability to record and playback actions
• Ability to limit number of test boxes / cost
  impact

4
Test Environment Complications

• Behavior of software may vary with
• Operating Systems (9x, XP, Vista, Linux, Mac,
  etc.)
• Browsers (IE6, IE7, Firefox, Mozila, etc.)
• Connection (USB, Network IPv4, Network IPv6,
  Firewire, Serial, 802.11x, Parallel, Bluetooth,
  etc.)
• Language (English, German, Thai, etc.)
• Requirements of the systems (256MB RAM vs 1GB
  RAM, hard drive space, etc.)
• Application interaction (anti-virus programs,
  spyware programs, etc.)
• Network configurations (multiple hops, multiple
  subnets, etc.)

5
Imaging Solution Advantages

• Faster to pull an image than to install an OS
  (and necessary patches and applications) from
  scratch
• Known and repeatable starting point for manual
  and automated execution
• Reproducible environment outside the test lab
• Typically administered by a single person for
  Consistency
• Quick access to
• Certification environment (Vista logo
  certification, USB certification, etc.)
• Production environment
• Customer environment
• Variety of real world systems
• Match specific customer needs

6
Choosing an Imaging Solution

• How many images are needed?
• How many clients are needed? Can they all be the
  same or do they need to be different?
• What is the imaging solution budget?
• Licensing costs
• Specs of clients
• What is the network configuration?

7
Imaging Tools

• Three main imaging solutions for Windows / Linux
• Altiris
• Ghost
• Virtual Machine
• Network Distribution Server (Unattended Install)
• RIS (Remote Installation Services)

8
Impact of Test Environment

• All-encompassing influence
• Test structure
• Test objectives
• Test assessed
• Influences
• Test activities
• Test information
• Test communication
• Test monitoring
• Day to day activities

9
Altiris Deployment Solution

• Pros
• Requires minimum of 3 systems (Image Server,
  Console Server, Client)
• Centralized administration, all Images are stored
  on a single network server and pushed down from
  the server to the client by the Console server
• Allows Imaging of OEM OS to Network Storage
• Allows Testers to Drag and Drop Images via Image
  Console
• Allows Client Management via Deployment Server
• Provides tools for application deployment via
  Rapid Install Packages
• Allows Administrators to push updated images to
  Software test clients remotely.
• Images are available as soon as updates are
  completed on image.
• Most flexibility of the 3 (Image size, files,
  etc. can easily be manipulated)
• Cons
• Slower Imaging times due to network restrictions
  (XPPro gt20 min)
• Imaging can not continue if network is down
• Hardware specific (all client systems must be
  identical)

10
Ghost

• Pros
• Allows Hard Drive to Hard Drive Imaging
• Quick Imaging Speed (XPPro lt 10 min)
• Allows testers to re-image using the Windows GUI
• Imaging can continue if network is down
• No specific hardware drivers needed for imaging
• Cons
• Hard to administer - when updates are required on
  images, each client must be updated and old
  images replaced. Images stored on clients are not
  updated immediately
• Requires second hard drive large enough to store
  needed images
• DOS partition required to run Ghost
• OS that require NTFS (Windows NT and Vista) do
  not work properly with Fastghost.

11
Ghost Solution 2.0

• http//www.symantec.com/enterprise/products/overvi
  ew.jsp?pcid1025pvid865_1
• http//eval.veritas.com/mktginfo/enterprise/fact_s
  heets/ent-factsheet_ghost_solution_suite_version_2
  _10-06.en-us.pdf
• Centrally manage the deployment of hundreds of
  Windows or Linux operating systems across the
  enterprise in a matter of minutes, including
  Microsoft Vista.
• Hardware and software inventory allows
  administrators to more effectively manage image
  and software deployments.
• Preserves files and folders during an image
  deployment to ensure an original state "onboard"
  recovery solution for every PC.
• Meets the highest industry standards for secure
  data disposal, including Department of Defense
  (DoD) standard DoD 5220.22-M.

12
VM (Virtual Machine)

• Pros
• Uses a HOST/Guest setup (Host is the pc OS, Guest
  is the Image)
• Quickest image time of the 3 (instantaneous
  imaging)
• Highly Flexible (Images can be made for any
  hardware/network configuration virtually)
• Allows a tester to easy step through an error to
  find details (rewind and replay exactly where the
  error occurs as opposed to restarting from the
  beginning)
• Images works on both Windows and Linux clients
• Doesnt require specific hardware (unless doing
  both 32 bit and 64 bit software)
• Allows an Entire network to be duplicated
  virtually with few pcs as each pc can run 2 more
  Images simultaneously.
• Cons
• Hardest to Administer if used in a Client/Server
  Topology (requires advanced/specialized
  Vmware/Networking administration knowledge)
• Doesnt not play well USB (highest USB speeds are
  1.0 due to virtual hardware)
• Requires more training to get the testers up and
  running

13
Network Distribution Installation

• Pros
• Installation of Windows is fully automated
• Can automatically install windows security fixes,
  patches, updates or additional software (ie. MS.
  office) after the Windows installation is
  complete
• Ideal for dissimilar hardware platforms
• Can be tailored for different systems by just
  changing the unattend.txt file
• Existing file server can be used to share out the
  installation files
• Installation can be burned to a bootable CD/DVD
  for an automated offline install
• Requires no training
• Cons
• May create a lot of traffic on the network
• Requires a lot of storage space on the
  distribution server to hold all of the various
  windows installation files for all operating
  systems in question
• Requires someone to download all necessary
  windows updates locally
• Need to create a network boot client with the
  appropriate NIC drivers for each PC
• Takes about 45 minutes to install Windows

14
Remote Installation Services

• Microsofts answer to other third party cloning
  products
• Net service that runs on the Windows 2K/2K3
  Server family
• Can create machine image with just the base OS or
  with pre-installed applications
• Target machines must have a supported network
  card or a PXE boot ROM
• Unattended.sif files can be used to automate the
  entire install
• Pros
• Handles the security IDs and computer names
  automatically
• Doesnt need an administrator to run the client
  end
• Fairly simple to create images
• Updated drivers can be retrofitted into images
• Cons
• Unicast - gets very slow when installing to
  multiple computers
• Not able to resize partitions during the install
  process
• sif file (answers file) parameters are limited
• Easier to create a new image then to retrofit
  drivers into an existing image
• Additional licensing may be required for RIS and
  clients (?)

15
Conclusion

• Imaging tools can be used individually or in
  conjunction
• Each imaging tool has a unique set of Pros and
  Cons
• Each group of similar uses should determine which
  tool satisfies their needs

16
References

• Altiris
• http//www.altiris.com/
• Ghost Solution 2.0
• http//www.symantec.com/enterprise/products/overv
  iew.jsp?pcid1025pvid865_1
• http//eval.veritas.com/mktginfo/enterprise/fact_
  sheets/ent-factsheet_ghost_solution_suite_version_
  2_10-06.en-us.pdf
• NDS http//www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/
  Windows2000Pro/reskit/part2/proch05.mspx?mfrtrue
• RIS
• http//www.microsoft.com/whdc/archive/risover.msp
  x