Tech Bite:

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Tech Bite Multicast imaging with ENGL Zim
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Agenda

• Introduction
• img multicast options
• manual multicasting
• automatic multicasting with Zim
• Scenario
• Global Lizard International
• Summary

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Introduction
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Introduction

• Level
• Intermediate
• Duration
• 30 minutes
• Assumptions
• An understanding of ENGL build process

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img multicast options
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Understanding Multicasting

• To multicast an image is to take an image of one
  workstation (the master), immediately send it
  over the network to multiple other workstations
  (the participants), and put it down
  simultaneously on those workstations.
• You can specify a workstation as the session
  master, or you can specify an image file that you
  have previously saved and customized.

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Understanding Multicasting

• If the session master is a workstation, a base
  image is taken of all partitions on the hard
  disks and other storage devices (such as Jaz
  drives) of that workstation.
• Before the image is put down on the participating
  workstations, all existing partitions are removed
  from the hard disks and writable storage devices
  of those workstations.

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Manual multicasting
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Manual Multicasting

• Once all machines are ready
• At the bash prompt type
• img session name session_type
• Note
• name is any string that uniquely identifies this
  multicast session from other multicast sessions
  that might be in progress on the network.
• use the same session name on each of the
  participating workstations in this multicast
  session.
• session_type is the role that the machine will
  take in the multicast session. Enter either
  Master or Client

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Manual Multicasting

• Once all machines are ready and connected to the
  Master - click Start Session
• The multicast session should start.

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Advanced Multicasting using Zim
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Advanced Multicasting using Zim

• Zim can help automate the img multicast options
• Configure the Master machine prior to imaging
• Configure the session name based on DMI
  information
• Name the target workstations (information is
  stored in ZISD)
• Multicast universal image to different hardware
  types then unicast the appropriate drivers
  image from the server
• Remote machine multicasting using ZENworks image
  script object

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Scenario
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ScenarioGlobal Lizard International

• Global Lizard International is a large company
  with sites in several countries.
• They use the ENGL Imaging Toolkit to manage their
  Windows XP Build Process.

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ScenarioGlobal Lizard International

• Customer requirement
• Standard image file set across all sites
• Standard TFTP environment across all sites
• Image large numbers of machines at a time.

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Solution
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ScenarioSolution

• Use Zim to automate multicast sessions
• Zim will read/write the computer name to ZISD
• Zim will configure the Master machine prior to
  multicasting.

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ScenarioSolution

• The Master machine will have the following images
  restored
• Winxp-postsp
• Hotfixes
• Novcli
• Ztoolkit
• Once the Multicast session has completed all
  workstations will contact the imaging server for
  the appropriate drivers image.

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ScenarioSolution
Automating Multicasting Using Zim Setup Master
Machine Start Multicast Master Session Start
Multicast Client Sessions Launch Multicast
session Restore drivers image
ZENworks Imaging Server
Drivers Images
Winxp-postsp.zmg Hotfixes.zmg Novcli.zmg Ztoolkit.
zmg
Drivers Image
Multicast Master Workstation
img session swd master
Multicast Client Workstations
img session swd
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Configuring Zim
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ENGL ZimZim form

• To set up the multicast session we need to know
  the following information
• Session Type? Master or Client?
• Session name?
• What are we going to do with drivers?
• The best way to do this is to use a Zim Form

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ENGL Zimmenu

• Create a new menu in your zim.cfg file

------------------------------------------------
------ Menu Definitions ----------------------
-------------------------------- Main
Menu MenuStart,mnu_main,"Main
Menu","blue" MenuSubmenu,mnu_restore,"Restore
Menu","" MenuSubmenu,mnu_maint,"Maintenance
Menu","" MenuSubmenu,mnu_multi,"Multicast
Menu","" MenuSeparator MenuItem,logout,"Logout"
MenuItem,reboot,"Reboot"
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ENGL Zimmulticast form

• Add menu items

Restore Menu MenuStart,mnu_restore,"Restore
Menu","blue" MenuItem,restore_ztoolkit_begin,
"ENGL Ztoolkit Build" MenuSeparator MenuItem,_to
p,"Return to Main Menu" Maintenance
Menu MenuStart,mnu_maint,"Maintenance
Menu","red" MenuItem,maint_clear_zisd,"Clear
ZENworks Image-safe Data" MenuItem,maint_view_zis
d,"View ZENworks Image-safe Data" MenuItem,maint_
view_inv,"View ZENworks inventory" MenuItem,maint
_view_disk,"View ZENworks disk geometry
partitions" MenuItem,maint_run_img,"Run ZENworks
imaging engine (img)" MenuItem,theend,"Exit to
prompt" MenuSeparator MenuItem,_top,"Return to
Main Menu" Multicast Menu MenuStart,mnu_multi
,"Multicast Menu","green" MenuItem,multicast,"Mul
ticast Options - Drivers","","Drivers" MenuItem,m
ulticast,"Multicast Options - No Drivers","","No
Drivers" MenuSeparator
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ENGL Zimmulticast form

• Set up the multicast item.
• This will read the _itemparams from the menu
  item

-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------
Multicast ---------------------------------------
----------------------------------------- labelmu
lticast Set Driver option based on
_itemparams variable IfVar,_itemparams,EQ,"Driv
ers" SetMcast_Drivers,"Yes"
SetMcast_session_default,drivers_image Else
SetMcast_Drivers,"No" SetMcast_session_default
,engl End
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ENGL Zimmulticast form

• Configure a form to ask our questions

FormStart,"Multicast","Select Multicast
options","_NextCancel_Next",blue FormItem,"Item1
",Label,"Select Multicast Option" FormItem,"Item
2",Radiobuttons,"Client","Master,Client" FormItem
,"Item3",Label,"Session Name" FormItem,"Item4",E
ditBox,"Mcast_session_default" FormItem,"Item5"
,Label,"Computer Name" FormItem,"Item6",EditBox,
"ZISD_COMPUTERNAME" FormItem,"Item7",Label,
"Auto Restart after imaging" FormItem,"Item8",Ra
diobuttons,"Yes","Yes,No" FormItem,"Item9",Static
Text,"Continue?" Display form FormDisplay,"Mult
icast" IfVar,_Form,eq,"_Cancel"
MenuReturn End setmcast_type,_Multicast_item2
setmcast_session_name,_Multicast_item4 setmc
ast_computer_name,_Multicast_item6 setmcast_aut
orestart,_Multicast_item8 IfVar,_Form,eq,"_Nex
t" IfVar,_Multicast_item2,eq,Master
GotoMulticast_Master Else
GotoMulticast_Client End End
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ENGL Zimmulticast form

• If we have selected Master we need to ask some
  additional questions

LabelMulticast_Master FormStart,"Multicast_Mast
er","Multicast Master","_BackNextCancel_Next",Blu
e FormItem,"Item1",Label,"Clients to wait for
(i.e. 30)" FormItem,"Item2",EditBox,"30" FormIte
m,"Item3",Label,"Time to wait for Clients to
connect (i.e. 30min)" FormItem,"Item4",EditBox,"3
0 Display form FormDisplay,"Multicast_Master"
IfVar,_Form,eq,"_Cancel" MenuReturn End If
var,_Form,eq,"_Back" GotoMulticast End Setmc
ast_master_clients,_Multicast_Master_Item2 Setm
cast_master_time,_Multicast_Master_Item4
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ENGL Zimmulticast form

• Setup the master machine

Need to set up the machine to be imaged
DialogPopup,"configuring multicast session
hardware_image, using dmi restore
info,please wait...",green Pause1
FileRun,"img rp PROXYADDR //PROXYADDR/images
_path/WINXP-postsp.zmg",verbose
FileRun,"img rp PROXYADDR //PROXYADDR/images
_path/Hotfixes.zmg",verbose
FileRun,"img rp PROXYADDR //PROXYADDR/images
_path/NovComp.zmg",verbose
FileRun,"img rp PROXYADDR //PROXYADDR/images
_path/ztoolkit.zmg",verbose
IfVar,Mcast_Drivers,eq,"Yes" FileRun,"img
rp PROXYADDR //PROXYADDR/images_path/driver
s_image",verbose End Pause1
DialogPopupclose
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ENGL Zimmulticast form

• Setup multicast sessions

Now run the Multicast Master session
FileRun,"img session mcast_session_name master
clientmcast_master_clients timemcast_master_t
ime",verbose labelMulticast_Client
IfVar,mcast_type,eq,"Client" Session is a
multicast client SetSession_Type,"Multi-Client"
FileRun,"img session mcast_session_name
client",verbose End Now restore the drivers
add-on image if appropriate IfVar,Mcast_Drivers,
eq,"No" FileRun,"img rp PROXYADDR
//PROXYADDR/images_path/drivers_image
",verbose End Update ZISD Zisdclear ZisdPu
t,Netbiosname,"mcast_computer_name" Zisdwrite
IfVar,mcast_autorestart,eq,"Yes"
Gotoreboot End MenuReturn
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Summary
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Summary

• ENGL Zim can extend multicasting using ZENworks
  imaging.
• Drivers can be delivered as part of the multicast
  session or after depending on the hardware.
• This can be automated in imaging scripts for
  remote re-imaging of a large group of machines.

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