BITS A New PC Imaging Model

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(No Transcript)
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BITS A New PC Imaging Model

• Tim Leamy UC Davis
• Robert Smith Stanford University
• Allan Chen Stanford University

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Outline

• Overview of imaging tools
• Common Obstacles
• UC Davis
• Tackling the problem
• Identifying a solution
• Implementation
• Stanford
• Modifications
• Roadmap to deployment
• Current Status
• Contact info
• QA

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Imaging Tools

• Symantec Ghost
• Altiris
• Novell
• UIU/Sysprep
• PC-Rdist
• PC-Radmind
• Deep Freeze
• Active Directory
• MSI packages

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VariousObstacles

• Client-server connectivity/reliability
• Multicast vs. Unicast
• Dealing with the registry
• Knowing machines are up to date
• Machine downtime

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UC Davis

• 30,000 students
• 17 computer rooms
• 10 separate networks

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UC Davis

• Win 9X used PC-Rdist
• Win XP switched to Ghost
• Attempted to use one Ghost console for labs on
  multiple subnets
• Attempted to multicast across routers
• Encountered difficulties with Ghost tools working
  across different networks

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UC Davis

• Eureka moment Ghost uses virtual partitions
  why not use real ones?
• Created two partitions on hard drive
• FreeDOS partition
• 4GB initially with FreeDOS, Ghost, and image
  files
• WinXP partition
• Rest of disk
• Used PC-Rdist to copy ghost image files to
  FreeDOS partition

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UC Davis

• Worked ok
• Very fast to ghost from one partition to the
  other
• Simple put new image on server and it was
  copied to all clients
• Could manage images for all labs from my office
• But

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UC Davis

• Problems
• PC-Rdist took a while to copy down image files
• Could make a PC unusable for 15 minutes in middle
  of day
• Copying image to entire lab was very slow

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UC Davis

• Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS)
• Used for Windows Automatic Updates
• Already Built into XP
• Robust
• Uses spare bandwidth to download files in
  background
• No disruption to student use
• Uses standard web protocols

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UC Davis

• Switch to BITS
• Moved images to web servers
• Downloaded bitsadmin.exe
• Created bits.pl script
• Used cron for true automation

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UC Davis

• Worked Great!
• Images transferred in background
• Very reliable copy image up and all PCs
  restored the next morning
• Fast PC have only 10 minutes downtime for
  imaging
• Easy to manage images

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Stanford

• 10,000 residents
• 2 large clusters
• 77 residential clusters
• Separate administrative and residential
  networks
• Varying degrees of control
• Varying state of upgrades, functionality,
  multicast, etc
• Symantec Ghost

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Major Problem

• Symantec Ghost issues led to
• Unreliable deployment
• Inconsistent state of images from location to
  location
• Relied on local Resident Computer Consultants for
  imaging
• Did not always re-image when needed, but we still
  heard the complaints when things did not work
• General embarrassment

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Search fora Solution

• Other similar products (e.g. Altiris)
• Cost
• Not sure it would fix problem
• Develop our own
• PC-Radmind
• Registry complexity
• February 2006
• Lots of research, but still at crossroads

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BATCHe

• Inspired by SIGUCCS
• Bay Area regional interest group dealing with
  educational technology, support, etc
• Tim Leamys presentation on BITS
• Ease of deployment
• No funny protocols
• We were sold

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Modifications

• FreeDOS
• Obtain IP through DHCP for initial rollout
• Bits.pl
• Time when restore file is created
• Partition table
• 3 partitions instead of 2
• Thats it!!

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Roadmap toDeployment

• April/May connectivity, speed, load testing on
  multiple networks
• May/June initial implementation of modified
  bits.pl
• August successful full build, married!!
• September images deployed with FreeDOS, but
  without cron.tab
• October full implementation in clusters

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BITSImpressions

• Easy to setup
• Current bits.pl is setup to work in any
  environment
• Easy to maintain
• Simple web server is all that is needed
• Confidence that all computers will get current
  images
• Once set up, has consistently worked

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Contact Us

• UC Davis BITS Website
• http//lm.ucdavis.edu/people/tim/lab/winxp/winxp.h
  tml
• Tim Leamy
• tcleamy_at_ucdavis.edu
• Rob Smith
• rsmith11_at_stanford.edu
• Allan Chen
• allan.chen_at_stanford.edu