The most friendly ghost.

Ghost

Less than six months, I finally had a minute to write a long-promised explanation. Of course, I mean a note on why I recommend using the Symantec Ghost Solution Suite to perform the routine task of maintaining software on a large fleet of vehicles in an adequate and up-to-date state.

Let's get started

So, what is the Solution Suite? And it represents a software package consisting of the following tools:

• AI Builder
• Ghost boot wizzard
• Ghost console
• Ghost explorer
• GhostCast Server
• Ghost
• Ghostwalker
• User Migration Package Explorer

')
Honestly, I didn’t find what the first and last points can be useful for our purposes. But everything else is very, very valuable tools. First in order.

Ghost boot wizzard

As the name suggests, this is the wizard for creating boot disks and Ghost images. The native features include the creation of boot disks and images of Linux, WinPE, Pc-Dos. If you have a floppy disk from Windows 98 somewhere (Or you can use Google), then Ms-Dos boot images are created.

Immediately outline the situation. WinPE is great for booting from CD-ROM, and network drivers get up themselves and if the OBAZ is not very big and heavily shaken, then you can turn around nicely with CD / DVD. To transfer the image over the network it is somewhat too big, about ~ 300 meters.

Linux. Generally a very strange thing. The most valuable thing this item gives is the ability to tear out the Ghost binary for Linux. With the practical use of the assembly that comes out of this wizard a lot of difficulties and problems.

Pc-dos. Declared to be fully compatible with the drivers for Ms-Dos, but in practice there are unpleasant surprises, so you can use it, but not very convenient.

MS Dos. Here it is Eldorado. Got it. Geeks can ridiculously giggle to get zanykan boot floppy 95-98 Windows. And rejoice in the fact that they found a real use. For transmission over the network (which we talked about in previous articles) is ideal due to its small volume, availability of a good driver repository, including a (almost) universal one. I use this option for my needs.

Ghost explorer

A simple but not the most convenient utility for working with images of hard drives. Allows you to view their contents, as well as change it. Everything is simple and no additional comments, I think it is not necessary.

GhostCast Server

The key element of the entire system. This application in any of the three modes (Multicast, Unicast, Broadcast) transfers images of hard disks to client machines. My convenience like setting multicast range, auto start, and the most delicious - the transfer of keys to customers to change their clearly specified settings depending on the current server settings. Extremely simple settings are generally limited to the session name, the command (remove the image, fill the image), the path to the image file, and the disk / partition number. Trivially.

Ghost

The client part, which in the absence of the network can perform all the same functions, but referring only to local disks. Working in the network with the automation key, requires nothing from the user except the session name, and then performs everything in quiet mode. Without it, all settings can be made on each machine separately.

Ghostwalker

Post-fill utility designed to rename a machine and change its SID. It works both in user mode and in automatic mode, which is good news.

Ghost console

The heart of the package. And his achilles heel.

I explain.

From this part, any actions can be performed, and without tambourines. A little one-time setup (creating AD records, collecting information about serviced machines, creating tasks), and everything will happen in 2-3 clicks or on a schedule. In general, not a utility - a dream).
Now about the sad. This is the only licensed part of the package, the trial version allows you to manage 10 cars for 30 days. On the other hand, the dances with tambourines described in previous articles do not require this part, and all the other components work fine and being unregistered.
The second minus, to perform a zero fill (that is, there is no OS at all on the machines), all the same tambourines described earlier will be required.

Here it is the most friendly and useful ghost network.

Now, if you want, I can draw step-by-step instructions on how to configure the entire system for pouring hard disk images over the network.