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This has been a great product and this is the second summer we've been using it with great success!
I have just a few requests that I think would be great.
1) I have replied to an earlier post as well, but it would be great to allow us to choose a partition size based on percentage rather than a hard limit. This would allow us to automate a 50% allocation regardless of the drive size. Right now we can't automate this step since we have several different hard drive sizes in the 400 dual-boot machines we use.
2) If the computer is already defined in the database then there should be an option to continue past the naming screen. We usually keep our names the same and its just another step that doesn't allow our installations to be completely automated. Having to come back and name a machine in order to complete the task, although easy, is just another step that could be eliminated.
3) I think I have mentioned this one in the past as well, but it would be nice to see the option for mapping UID and GID in the AD bind task. I know not everyone binds to AD directly and uses it for authentication but many of us do. For now we have to go into the ds_activedirectory_bind.sh scripts and add the dsconfigad -uid "msSFU30UidNumber" -gid "msSFU30GidNumber" each time we upgrade DeployStudio. Not a huge deal but a pair of lines to allow us to map UID and GID to some text and then add those variables to the script would be nice.
Thanks for all the hard work!
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For option one, you can run a simple script to do that in place of the partition task, not as clean I know, but it does work, and we use this when we image bootcamp systems as we want fixed drive sizes for the Mac HD and the Windows partition and a Data partition in between them to have the remaining space.
If I understand correctly, you want DS to rename the computer correct? If so then it will already do this now. On the Configure task put a tick in "Rename Coimputer" and then tick Automate.
The third would be nice, again you could acomplish this with a script that runs before you do the AD binding in the workflow. That way you don't have to keep editing built in files when you upgrade.
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Ahhh...it just dawned on me as I looked again. If I deselect the checkbox for renaming the machine and tick automate it should move past that screen since I don't want to rename a machine that's already in the database! I'll have to play with that tomorrow!
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Just to confirm, the rename computer option renames the computer to the name you have in the database. Otherwise all the machines would have the name that the master image had.
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Right. So what happens for us is we use that configure form so that it can rename the target machine to something other than what the image has set but what happens is that there are 600 or so machines in the database already with the correct computer names. What I would expect to happen is that when the automate checkbox is checked on that form, the name for the target machine is pulled from the database (this does happen and works well) and then continues on (which does not happen, it sits there until someone tells the job to continue). Is no one else seeing this? Maybe something's wrong on my end if so, if not then I just think it would be nice if that form would continue past if the automate box is checked and the name boxes are populated.
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If the configuree task is the last task in the workflow then you get to the "Quit now" / "Continue" window. This will automatically quit after 30 second and reboot (the 30 seconds can be configured when you make your netboot set). Is that the window you're seeing or is it stopping before the next workflow step? If thats the case is each step in the workflow automated (eg has the automate tickbox checked)?
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> jpellet2 wrote:
> Right. So what happens for us is we use that configure form so that it can rename the target machine to something other than what the image has set but what happens is that there are 600 or so machines in the database already with the correct computer names. What I would expect to happen is that when the automate checkbox is checked on that form, the name for the target machine is pulled from the database (this does happen and works well) and then continues on (which does not happen, it sits there until someone tells the job to continue). Is no one else seeing this? Maybe something's wrong on my end if so, if not then I just think it would be nice if that form would continue past if the automate box is checked and the name boxes are populated.
jpellet2 if I am reading you correctly, you have both the "Hostname" form task and the "Reconfigure system" task in your workflows, the "Hostname" form has no "automate" option so the workflow will always stop there, if you know the computer is already in your DS database, then your workflow does not need the "Hostname" form task, just the "Reconfigure system" task. The "Reconfigure system" task does have an automate option that can be ticked.
What probably needs to be pointed out is the "Hostname" form task will only update DS's Database, it does not reconfigure the computer being imaged, while the "Reconfigure system" task will reconfigure the computer based on what is in DS's database, this is why if the "Hostname" form is used, it should appear in a workflow before the "Reconfigure system" task is applied.
Last edited by wakco (2010-07-29 07:37:08)
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