Navigating the OS Deployment Control Grid
Last updated
Last updated
The OS Deployment feature allows Administrators to deploy and capture Images of the Windows Operating System. Below is a screenshot of the OS Deployment View. (For more information, see OS Deployment View).
To use the OS Deployment feature in Faronics Deploy, it is mandatory to set up an Imaging Server.
An Imaging Server can be installed on Windows 8, 10, Windows Server 2012 R2, 2016 computer.
For WDS-Based deployment, a Server OS is required.
For PXE booting, it is mandatory to install the Imaging Server on a Windows Server OS.
The Imaging Server must be installed within the same network as the managed computers.
Images can then be imported into the Imaging Server (ISO files) or captured from a managed computer and stored.
If there is no network connectivity between the managed computers and the Imaging Server, the process of Applying an Image or Capturing an Image will fail.
If you have multiple locations of managed networks, you will need to set up an Imaging Server for each location.
Once the Image has been imported into the Imaging Server, its metadata/summary is uploaded to the Deploy cloud console under the OS deployment page.
A Deployment Package can now be created with the desired Install Settings to remotely Image a computer or capture its Image.
For first time users, clicking on the OS Deployment page will start the Setup Imaging Wizard. The Imaging Wizard includes the following options/steps:
Step 1: Install Imaging Server
Step 2: Add Images and Drivers
Step 3: Create Install Settings
Step 4: Create Deployment Package
Unless Steps 1 and 2 have been completed, you will not be able to proceed further with the wizard.
If at least one Imaging Server has been set up and an Image has been added, the wizard will no longer be shown as the default; instead, you will be shown the OS Deployment page.
Users can initiate the Setup Imaging wizard again by clicking on the Add Imaging Server option.
Computers grid
Imaging Servers grid
Deployment Packages grid
Install Settings grid
Images grid
Drivers grid.
The Computers grid under OS Deployment displays the list of all computers where the Faronics Deploy agent has been installed, allowing administrators to Image the computer(s) or Capture an Image of the managed computer.
Image Computer: Clicking on the Image Computer button will allow you to apply an Image to one or multiple managed computers.
Capture Image: Clicking on the Capture Image button will allow you to capture an Image of the selected computer.
Along with the name of the computer, the grid additionally displays the Policy associated with the computer, the Group, Tags, OS Type, Last Deployed Package, Last Deployed On, and the Live Status of Image Deployment on that computer.
The Search and Select feature enables you to search the names of the Windows Computers in the grid by a partial or full Computer Name. For example, if you wanted to select all the Computers that contain "Desktop" in their name, you would enter "Desktop" into the search field. The Select button would appear, which allows you to select all computers matching that criteria.
Please note that if some Computers are online and others are offline, you must select either Online or Offline from the drop-down menu on the select button (this menu will not appear if all computers are in the same state).
The Imaging Server grid displays the list of all Imaging Servers that have been set up under this particular user account and site along with the Server Name where the Imaging Server has been set up, the IP addresses of the Server, the total Images available on the Imaging Server, the Last Reported timestamp and the Status if it is Online or Offline.
Deployment Packages packages are custom packages created for OS deployment purposes. It allows you to combine different Images, Install Settings, and Drivers for different deployment scenarios.
For example, a Deployment Package for Dell computers can include Image “A” from Imaging Server 1, and Install Settings “ABC”, and Driver Group “XYZ” specific for Dell computers. Similarly, a Deployment Package for HP computers would include the same Image “A” but different Install Settings and a different Driver Group.
Deployment Package can be created based on Hardware, Departments, or any other categorization to simplify the deployment process.
To create a new Deployment Package, click on the (+) icon on top of the Deployment Packages grid. There is no limit on the number of Deployment Packages that can be created.
Install Settings can be used to modify Windows settings in your Images during the imaging process. Install Settings allow you to customize General Settings, Regional Setting, Out-of-Box Experience Settings, Disk Settings, and Local User Account Settings, which are then applied during the imaging process.
Install Settings can be created based on Hardware, Departments, or any other categorization to simplify the deployment process.
To create a new Install Settings, click on the (+) icon on top of the Install Settings grid. There is no limit on the number of Install Settings that can be created.
The Images grid displays the list of all available Images which have been imported via ISO files or captured using the Capture Image feature and stored across all Imaging Servers.
Images can only be imported locally on the Imaging Server using the Faronics Deploy Imaging Server utility. The number of Images that can be imported or captured depends on the available disk space on the Imaging Server.
The grid further displays the Image Name, the Description of the Image, the Operating System of the Image, the Architecture - whether it is 32bit or 64bit, the type of Image, the Size of the Image, the Creation Date, and the Imaging Server where it is residing.
The Driver Group grid displays the list of all Driver Groups that have been created using the different Drivers imported and stored across all Imaging Servers.
Drivers can only be imported locally on the Imaging Server using the Faronics Deploy Imaging Server utility. The number of Drivers that can be imported depends on the available disk space on the Imaging Server.
The grid also displays the Driver Group's Name, the Number of Drivers, the Imaging Server where the Drivers are stored, and the Last Updated Date.
To create a new Driver Group, click on the (+) icon on top of the Driver Group grid. There is no limit on the number of Driver Groups that can be created.
