Symantec Ghost Solution

Suite 3.0 User Guide

Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 3.0 User guide
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Technical Support
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Response to provide alerting services and virus definition updates.
Symantec’s support offerings include the following:
■ A range of support options that give you the flexibility to select the right amount
of service for any size organization
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the problem.
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available:
■ Product release level
■ Hardware information
 ■ Available memory, disk space, and NIC information
■ Operating system
■ Version and patch level
■ Network topology
■ Router, gateway, and IP address information
■ Problem description:
■ Error messages and log files
■ Troubleshooting that was performed before contacting Symantec
■ Recent software configuration changes and network changes

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 Contents

Technical Support ............................................................................................... 4

Chapter 1 Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite
.......................................................................................... 12

Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite ................................... 12

Features of Ghost Solution Suite ..................................................... 15
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite console .......................... 15
Managing computers .................................................................... 16
Building and scheduling deployment jobs .......................................... 17
Imaging ...................................................................................... 19
Migrating computers ..................................................................... 20
Deploying and managing servers ..................................................... 20
Get started .................................................................................. 21

Chapter 2 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server ............................ 22

Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server ............................................... 22
Platform Support .......................................................................... 23
Installing the Ghost Standard tools from the installer ............................ 25
Browsing to the Ghost Recovery kit .................................................. 27
Ghost Solution Suite Server components .......................................... 27
Ghost Solution Suite Console ................................................... 28
Ghost Solution Suite Server ...................................................... 28
Ghost Solution Suite Share ...................................................... 31
PXE server ........................................................................... 32
System requirements for installing Ghost Solution Suite ....................... 33
Simple install for Ghost Solution Suite Server ..................................... 35
Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server .................................... 38
Thin client install .......................................................................... 42
Component install ......................................................................... 45
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents .............................................. 47
Client connectivity and network adapters ..................................... 47
Installing the Ghost Solution Suite agent ..................................... 48
Remote agent installer ............................................................. 49
Installing Ghost Solution Suite agent for Windows ......................... 52
Automating the installation of Ghost Solution Suite agent ................ 52
 Contents 8

Installing Ghost Solution Suite agent on Linux .............................. 54

Installing the automation agent .................................................. 56
Installation help ...................................................................... 56

Chapter 3 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite

Console ............................................................................ 65
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console ................................ 65
Ghost Solution Suite Console basics .......................................... 66
Thin client view of the Ghost Solution Suite Console ...................... 67
Computer filters and job conditions ............................................ 78
General options ..................................................................... 79
Global options ....................................................................... 80
Task password options ............................................................ 82
Domain accounts options ......................................................... 82
RapiDeploy options ................................................................ 83
Agent settings options ............................................................. 83
Custom data sources options .................................................... 84
Virtual centers options ............................................................. 85
Security in Ghost Solution Suite ................................................ 85
Groups ................................................................................. 88
Rights .................................................................................. 89
Restricting the number of computers .......................................... 91
Setting permissions ................................................................ 91
Connecting to another Ghost Solution Suite server ........................ 92
Rejected computers in Ghost Solution Suite ................................. 93
Refresh Ghost Solution Suite .................................................... 94

Chapter 4 Managing Computers ......................................................... 95

Managing computers .................................................................... 95
Viewing computer details ............................................................... 97
Adding new computers .................................................................. 99
Creating a new computer account ............................................ 101
Importing new computers from a text file .................................... 102
Computer configuration properties .................................................. 103
General configuration settings ................................................. 104
Microsoft networking configuration settings ............................... 105
TCP/IP configuration settings ................................................. 108
NetWare client configuration settings ....................................... 113
Operating system licensing configuration settings ........................ 113
User account configuration settings .......................................... 114
Ghost Solution Suite Agents ......................................................... 115
Ghost Solution Suite Agent settings ......................................... 117
 Contents 9

Computer properties ................................................................... 125

General .............................................................................. 125
Hardware ........................................................................... 125
Drives ................................................................................ 126
TCP/IP .............................................................................. 126
Applications ......................................................................... 126
Services ............................................................................. 126
Devices .............................................................................. 126
Location ............................................................................. 126
Bay ................................................................................... 127
Lights-Out .......................................................................... 128
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ................................. 128
Restoring a computer from its deployment history ....................... 131
Configuring computers .......................................................... 133
Quick disk image ................................................................. 133
Power control ...................................................................... 134
Remote control .................................................................... 136
Execute ............................................................................. 140
Chat .................................................................................. 141
Prompt user for properties ..................................................... 141
Install automation partition ..................................................... 142
Change agent settings ........................................................... 143
Deploying and managing servers .................................................. 144
Server management features .................................................. 145
Server deployment options .................................................... 146
Finding a computer in the database ......................................... 151
Using lab builder .................................................................. 153
New Dynamic Machine Groups ...................................................... 155
Creating and modifying filters .................................................. 155
Filter Setup .......................................................................... 156

Chapter 5 Building and scheduling jobs .......................................... 158

Building and scheduling jobs ........................................................ 159
Viewing job details ...................................................................... 160
New job wizard ........................................................................... 162
Migrating computers .............................................................. 164
Selecting computers in the new job wizard ................................. 165
Applying computers to a job .................................................... 165
Associating destination computers ........................................... 166
Setting up conditions in the new job wizard ............................... 166
Installing software packages .................................................. 166
Option summary .................................................................. 166
 Contents 10

Building new jobs ....................................................................... 167

Job scheduling wizard ................................................................ 168
Select a job ......................................................................... 168
Select a computer or computer groups ..................................... 168
Setting conditions for task sets ...................................................... 168
Deployment tasks ....................................................................... 170
Task names in a mixed-language environment ........................... 170
Common Tasks ................................................................... 170
Supported Live Task Types .................................................... 172
Creating a disk image ................................................................. 174
Creating a Mac image ........................................................... 177
Creating a Ghost image ........................................................ 178
Advanced Sysprep settings for creating a disk image .................. 179
Advanced Sysprep settings for creating a disk image for Windows
Vista and later versions .................................................... 180
Create disk image advanced .................................................. 180
Ghost Solution Suite Hot Imaging ............................................. 181
Distributing a disk image .............................................................. 182
Distributing a Mac image ....................................................... 185
Distributing a Ghost image ..................................................... 186
Advanced Sysprep settings for distributing a disk image .............. 187
Advanced Sysprep settings for distributing a disk image in
Windows Vista .............................................................. 187
Distribute disk image-resizing ................................................. 187
Distribute disk image-additional options ..................................... 188
Scripted OS install ...................................................................... 189
Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and
earlier ................................................................................. 190
Select OS version and language ............................................. 192
Installation source files ........................................................... 193
Operating system-source files ................................................. 193
Import an answer file ............................................................. 194
Answer file setup ................................................................. 195
Add a new section ................................................................ 195
Delete a section ................................................................... 195
Add a new variable ............................................................... 196
Command-line switches for scripted install ................................ 196
Ghost Solution Suite agent settings for scripted install ................. 197
Scripted install summary ........................................................ 197
Scripted install for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and
later ................................................................................... 197
Scripted install for Linux ............................................................... 199
Scripted install summary ........................................................ 199
 Contents 11

Distributing software ................................................................... 200

Distribute software advanced ................................................. 202
Capturing personality settings ....................................................... 203
Capture personality advanced options ...................................... 204
Distributing personality settings ..................................................... 205
Distribute personality advanced .............................................. 207
Modifying configuration ................................................................ 208
Backing up and restoring registry files ............................................. 208
Getting inventory ....................................................................... 209
Running a script ........................................................................ 210
Script information .................................................................. 211
Using LogEvent and WLogEvent in scripts ................................ 214
Copying a file ............................................................................ 216
Copy file to advanced ........................................................... 217
Power control ............................................................................. 218
Waiting ..................................................................................... 219
Modifying tasks in a deployment job ............................................... 219
Modifying multiple modify configuration tasks ............................. 221
Creating new script files .............................................................. 221
Copy and paste jobs and job folders .............................................. 222
Importing and exporting jobs ........................................................ 223
Setting up return codes ............................................................... 223
Sample jobs .............................................................................. 227
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery (BESR) sample jobs .......... 228
Initial deployment ........................................................................ 228
Configurations ........................................................................... 229
Advanced Configuration ......................................................... 230
Jobs ........................................................................................ 230
Advanced ................................................................................. 231
 Chapter 1
Introduction to Symantec
Ghost Solution Suite
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite

■ Features of Ghost Solution Suite

■ Managing computers

■ Building and scheduling deployment jobs

■ Imaging

■ Migrating computers

■ Deploying and managing servers

■ Get started

Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite

Take control of all your computer resources across your organization using Symantec
Ghost Solution Suite deployment and management tools. Take a seat at Ghost
Solution Suite console to remotely manage all types of devices-notebooks, desktops,
switches, and servers-through all phases of computer deployment and lifecycle
management. Schedule remote system upgrades, distribute patches and drivers,
re-image computer hard drives, or migrate large groups of users to new computers
without missing a single custom setting or installed program. Use Ghost Solution
Suite to handle daily tasks and depend on it for occasional big jobs, such as disaster
recovery or large-scale software updates. And do it all remotely from any Ghost
Solution Suite console on any device with a connection to your WAN or LAN.
 Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 13
Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite

That is the attitude behind Ghost Solution Suite: increase access and productivity
while decreasing costs and IT response time. You will appreciate the simple,
easy-to-use graphical consoles to organize computer groups, schedule deployment
jobs, and distribute disk image and update packages. It's easy. It's powerful. It
conforms and scales to your infrastructure. Go ahead-take some time and learn to
take control.

What can I do with Ghost Solution Suite?

Deploy. Manage. Migrate. Regardless of your organization's size or special IT
requirements, Ghost Solution Suite provides a complete system to cut costs and
improve response times for both big and small jobs.

Table 1-1 Features of Ghost Solution Suite

Feature Description

Manage from a remote console. Deploy, control, and manage all types of
computers across your organization from a
remote Ghost Solution Suite console. Use
the feature-rich Ghost Solution Suite server
Console for real-time management of
computers.

See “Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite

console” on page 15.

Migrate data, applications, and personal Through easy-to-use wizards, migrate data
settings. and settings from a retiring computer to a new
computer by capturing desktop, network, and
application settings. Redeploy these personal
settings remotely from a Ghost Solution Suite
console.

See “New job wizard” on page 162.

Upgrade and install software. Manage system software on a day-to-day

basis for desktops, servers, and notebooks
to upgrade applications, install service packs,
set up printer drivers, and modify systems as
needed. Ghost Solution Suite provides
upgrade capabilities for all mobile computers
by deploying to remote sites as needed by
traveling personnel.

See “Distributing software ” on page 200.

 Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 14
Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite

Table 1-1 Features of Ghost Solution Suite (continued)

Feature Description

Deploy computers in large groups. Easily deploy and configure large numbers
of computers across an organization. Install
hard disk images to groups of new or existing
computer types using multicasting features.
Install software and personality settings with
common applications, data and drivers. Run
post-configuration jobs or automated scripts
to assign unique security IDs, configure user
names, and set IP addresses using
deployment jobs.

See “Managing computers” on page 16.

Deploy and manage servers. Manage all types of Web and network
servers, including ultra high-density server
board inserts. Automatically redeploy servers
based on deployment history and saved
server images, or use automated scripted
installs with easy-to-create answer files.
Operating systems can be installed as image
files or run as scripted installs-or as a
combination strategy (especially nice for
managing ultra-dense server farms).

Respond to common help desk requests. Remotely browse, diagnose, and repair
problems on systems without ever leaving a
Ghost Solution Suite console. Detailed
hardware and software inventories, along with
remote control and chat features simplify
remote diagnosis of common problems.

See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution

Suite ” on page 128.

Recover from disaster. Ease the pain of accidents by automatically

backing up and restoring configurations,
personalities, registries, partitions, and drives
remotely from a Ghost Solution Suite console.
Saving the history of all deployment jobs
assigned to a computer makes it easy to
restore a system to a previous working state.

See “Restoring a computer from its

deployment history ” on page 131.
 Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 15
Features of Ghost Solution Suite

Features of Ghost Solution Suite

Ghost Solution Suite can be installed and implemented locally as an independent
Ghost Solution Suite server system on a single LAN segment or site.
Each Ghost Solution Suite server system includes services, applications, and utilities
for high-bandwidth, real-time deployment.

Ghost Solution Suite server system

The Ghost Solution Suite console is a Windows user interface that provides full
features to deploy computers, image hard disks, migrate user settings and programs,
run scripted installs, remotely control computers, and perform other deployment
tasks for all your computer resources. Daily IT requests and jobs formerly completed
by visiting each desktop, server or portable computer in the organization can now
be completed from your Ghost Solution Suite server Console.
Components of the Ghost Solution Suite server system can be installed on a single
computer (a Simple install) or distributed across several local computers (a Custom
install). A Custom installation lets you install Microsoft SQL Server and access the
Ghost Solution Suite Database from a separate computer. The Ghost Solution Suite
Share , Ghost Solution Suite server, PXE Server, and Ghost Solution Suite consoles
can also be distributed to separate computers. The Ghost Solution Suite Console
displays data directly from the Ghost Solution Suite Database.

Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite console

The Ghost Solution Suite Console (a Windows console) is included with the Ghost
Solution Suite server system and provides complete deployment and management
features. It is divided into several operational panes:
■ The Computers pane displays all computer resources managed by a Ghost
Solution Suite server system. It includes features to right-click and remotely
execute operations on managed computers. From this pane, you can drag the
computer icons to job icons to schedule deployment and management tasks.
■ The Jobs pane executes and schedules deployment tasks for selected
computers. Using one or more sequenced jobs, you can image, configure
computer settings, distribute packages, and run scripts by dragging Job icons
to individual computers or computer groups and scheduling a convenient time
to execute. It lets you schedule deployment jobs by dragging computer icons
to job icons, or vice versa.
■ The Details pane provides information and features to filter computers by type
and build deployment tasks. It extends the user interface features when working
in the Computers and Jobs panes.
 Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 16
Managing computers

■ From the Ghost Solution Suite Console (the Windows console), a Shortcut and
Resources pane organizes and provides easy access to .MSI files, .RIPs, image
files (.img), Personality Packages (.exe), and other file types. It functions as a
library for packages used when building jobs in the console.
In addition, the Ghost Solution Suite server Console provides easy-to-use wizards
to simplify and expedite common deployment tasks.
See “Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite console” on page 15.

Managing computers
From the Ghost Solution Suite console, you can manage all types of computers to
perform immediate deployment and management operations. From the Computers
pane of the console, computer resources can be grouped by location, department,
or type (portables, desktops or servers) and organized to reflect your environment.
You can run operations, schedule deployment jobs, access computers or computer
groups to change the network settings, run disk image, other deployment jobs.
The console identifies computers and computer groups with a unique icon. To
access a computer, click the computer icon to view the configuration settings or
run specific deployment and management operations. Computer icons can be
dragged to job icons to schedule and run pre-configured deployment tasks from
the Windows console. In the Ghost Solution Suite console, you can manage
computers using drop-down lists, secondary dialog boxes, and other familiar web
features.
See “Managing computers” on page 95.

Managing with computer icons

Icons displayed in the Computers pane of the console help in identifying the
computer types and deployment status. Group icons can be expanded to view the
member computers, and computer types can be identified by specific icons: desktops
and notebooks, servers, computer groups, and Linux computers. Computer icons
can also identify the state of the managed computer-a logged-on user, a computer
waiting for further instructions, a user not logged on and other states of
deployment-when performing operations or executing deployment tasks on a
selected computer.
See “Viewing computer details” on page 97.

This icon identifies a managed desktop or notebook computer

that is active and has a user logged on.
 Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 17
Building and scheduling deployment jobs

This icon identifies a managed Windows network or Web server

that is active and has a user logged on.

This icon identifies a Linux computer.

This icon identifies a pre-configured computer account with

user account settings that are not associated with a new computer.

Additional icons represent deployment status, inactive computers, computers running

a deployment job, and new computers.
See “Viewing computer details” on page 97.

Immediate management access from the console

From a Ghost Solution Suite console, you can select a computer and start various
computer configuration and management operations for a specific computer in your
system. You can create new deployment tasks, restart, restore the hard drive, view
deployment history, and perform other advanced tasks using the commands on
this menu. Some operations-such as changing configuration settings, copying files,
and creating quick disk images-create job files automatically.
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite For complete information about
Ghost Solution Suite consoles, See “Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite
console” on page 15.

Building and scheduling deployment jobs

Jobs are designed as objects with defined deployment tasks. Jobs can be built,
organized, and scheduled to run on selected computers or computer groups from
a Ghost Solution Suite console. You can build and schedule jobs from any of the
Ghost Solution Suite consoles.
Deployment jobs give you the ability to organize, store, and assign administration
tasks for each computer or computer group. You can create and deploy images,
back up registry files, run scripted installs, or make post-imaging changes such as
adding printers and applications. You can deploy and run packages-RIPs, images,
personality packages, MIS programs, and others-to migrate applications, configure
computer settings, deploy complete hard disk images, and much more. You can
also assign jobs with conditions to run only on defined computer types.
See “Building and scheduling jobs ” on page 159.
 Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 18
Building and scheduling deployment jobs

Jobs are built in the Ghost Solution Suite server Console by creating a job name
(identified by a job icon in the console) and adding predefined deployment tasks.
Tasks such as Distribute Software, Run Script, or Create Disk Image are added
and executed sequentially when scheduled to run on computers or computer groups.
And even within computer groups, different jobs can be assigned to different
computer types based on the operating system, hardware, or other specified
conditions.
See “Deployment tasks” on page 170.
When a job is built, it can be scheduled to run immediately, at desired intervals, or
at any other convenient time when the bandwidth is low. In addition, you can use
bandwidth throttling features to schedule and run deployment tasks to large groups
without affecting network traffic.
See “Deployment tasks” on page 170.
From the Ghost Solution Suite Console, you have several options to create
deployment jobs:
■ Create common deployment tasks quickly and easily using the New Event
Wizard.
■ Import jobs from other Ghost Solution Suite systems.
■ Manually create deployment tasks from the console.
■ Copy and paste deployment tasks from within the console.
See “Building new jobs ” on page 167.
In the Jobs pane, you can create and organize deployment jobs. You can then
assign jobs by dragging icons to the desired computer or computer group.

Building jobs
Building jobs includes creating a new job and then adding tasks to the job to run in
sequence when scheduled on selected computers. You can build jobs by adding
tasks manually or you can step through the New Job Wizard to create common
jobs and schedule them. Sample tasks are also included with Ghost Solution Suite
to use as installed or to easily customize and run.
See “New job wizard” on page 162.
After creating and building a job, you can then assign it to a computer and schedule
it to run at any time-immediately, after a specified time, or on a daily, weekly, or
monthly schedule. The deployment status of each job is reflected in the console.

Assigning deployment jobs with icons

Computer icons are used to identify the types of computers in a console. Similarly,
job icons identify the status and success of a scheduled deployment job. After
 Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 19
Imaging

scheduling jobs, you can monitor the progress as the job icons are updated at each
step of execution.

This job is assigned to a computer, but is not

scheduled to run. Until scheduled, this job
icon remains unchanged.

This job is assigned to the computer and is

scheduled to run either immediately or in the
future.

This job is currently in process.

This job has completed successfully.

See “Viewing job details” on page 160.

Scheduling jobs
From the Schedule Job dialog, you can run jobs immediately or schedule the job
to run in batches at defined intervals. You can also assign the job to repeat every
hour, day, or week. Scheduling jobs can be as simple as clicking OK to run
immediately or as sophisticated as required to meet your deployment needs.
For complete information about building and scheduling deployment jobs, See
“Building and scheduling jobs ” on page 159.

Imaging
A primary task of Ghost Solution Suite is to capture an image (a clone of the hard
drive) from a reference computer and distribute the image to set up new computers
or reinstall computers to their basic configuration. You can create a library of image
files on the Ghost Solution Suite Share (file server storage) and schedule image
jobs to different computer types as required.
Ghost Solution Suite server lets you push down a boot image remotely and execute
the image using PXE Server, eliminating the need to physically attend and boot
each managed computer.
 Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 20
Migrating computers

See “Creating a disk image ” on page 174., See “Distributing a disk image”
on page 182., and See “New job wizard” on page 162.

Imaging from Ghost Solution Suite server

Ghost Solution Suite server includes multiple features to capture an image and lay
it down to a new or existing computer. You can use the Ghost Solution Suite Console
to create and distribute disk images using deployment tasks, such as the Quick
Disk Image wizard shown below:
Pre-boot environments let you boot to automation to create and deploy images,
back up and restore a computer's registry file, or run other automation tasks. You
can also boot to a Network Server and run imaging files and other commands.
See Boot Disk Creator Help and PXE Configuration Utility Help.

Migrating computers
Ghost Solution Suite provides various options to migrate operating systems,
computer personalities, software, or entire hard disk images. You can accomplish
migration tasks individually or as a single job.
The New Job Wizard steps you through each migration option, letting you capture
a complete hard disk image (to upgrade to a new computer), migrate a user to
another operating system with the same personality settings and applications, or
to simply move personality settings from one computer to the another. Using the
New Job Wizard is one of the easiest ways to build deployment tasks to migrate
user data and settings.
Ghost Solution Suite lets you build sophisticated deployment jobs that automatically
migrate personalities, including deployment tasks to capture the user's personality,
migrate the operating system and software, and reconfigure the computer with the
user's original personality settings. You can also edit Personality Packages or Rapid
Install Packages (.RIPs) using the PC Transplant Editor and the Wise MSI Editor
tools from the Ghost Solution Suite server Console.

Deploying and managing servers

Ghost Solution Suite includes features designed specifically for deploying and
managing network or Web servers. Server-specific features include scripted installs
for initial installation, and support for remote management cards, multiple network
adapters, history transfers to support rip and replace redeployment, and additional
functionality required for automating server management.
Ghost Solution Suite also integrates with other hardware vendors to provide systems
and tools to manage large server installations and support automatic deployment
 Introduction to Symantec Ghost Solution Suite 21
Get started

strategies. These unified systems simplify and automate server configurations and
large-scale migrations, and support emerging hardware for ultra high-density server
systems.
From a Ghost Solution Suite console you can build deployment jobs to run scripted
installs for Windows and Linux servers. You can run these unattended installs
directly over the network for individual Web or network servers. You can create
answer files for each scripted install from a Ghost Solution Suite console.
You can also run server-specific scripts and redeployment tasks. Enhanced task
logging and history tracking features let you recall deployment actions to quickly
redeploy mission-critical servers.

Get started
Ghost Solution Suite is a full-featured remote deployment system designed to
manage computer devices across all types and sizes of small to medium
organizations and large enterprises. It includes Windows components to design
and scale a system for your specific IT needs and challenges. Ghost Solution Suite
provides a wide array of tools, utilities, and applications to design a system for your
specific needs. Ghost Solution Suite is easy-to-use and adaptable to your
environment.
You can design and install a Ghost Solution Suite server system specific to your
hardware, organizational structure, network architecture, and other environmental
variables. The installation and configuration process lets you install Ghost Solution
Suite components (database, services, network share, user interface console) to
a single computer or distribute components to separate role servers.
 Chapter 2
Installing Ghost Solution
Suite Server
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server

■ Platform Support

■ Installing the Ghost Standard tools from the installer

■ Browsing to the Ghost Recovery kit

■ Ghost Solution Suite Server components

■ System requirements for installing Ghost Solution Suite

■ Simple install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

■ Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

■ Thin client install

■ Component install

■ Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server

Ghost Solution Suite Server is a flexible, scalable computer deployment and
management system that can be installed and configured on a single computer, or
installed across several computers to distribute processing for large enterprise
environments. You can run a Simple install to position all Ghost Solution Suite
Server Components on a single computer (most frequently used), or plan and
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 23
Platform Support

perform a Custom install to distribute installation of components across separate

computers in the site.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.
After installing Ghost Solution Suite Server components, you can remotely install
Ghost Solution Suite Agents on all types of computer resources across your
organization: laptops, LAN and Web servers, network switches, and so on. Windows
computers and Linux computers can be managed as a unified environment, with
each client communicating through its own Ghost Solution Suite agent to update
inventory data and react to Ghost Solution Suite Server commands and deployment
tasks.
Select one of the following methods for installing a Ghost Solution Suite Server
system:
■ Simple install for Ghost Solution Suite Server
Install all components on local computer
■ Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server
Installs components on remote or local computers and lets you customize
options.
■ Thin client install
Installs GSS Thin client view.
■ Component install
Installs additional Ghost Solution components.
■ Ghost Recovery Kit
Lets you browse to the Ghost Recovery Kit.
■ Ghost Standard Tools
Launches the Symantec Ghost Standard Tools installer that lets you install
the Symantec Ghost Standard Tools.
To install Ghost Solution Suite Agents on the client computer, refer to the following
section:
See “Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents” on page 47.

Platform Support
This section lists the supported platforms for Ghost Solution Suite 3.0:
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 24
Platform Support

Table 2-1 Platform support matrix for Ghost Solution Suite 3.0

Platform Client Server File Server Database

Windows Server 2012 Yes Yes Yes Yes

Windows Server 2012 R2 Yes Yes Yes Yes

Windows 8 Yes

Windows 8.1 Yes

Windows 7, including Embedded Standard, Yes

Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate
editions

Windows 2008 Core Yes

Windows Server 2008 (x86 and x86_64), Yes Yes Yes Yes
including R2 and SP2

Windows XP SP3 Yes

VMWare ESX Server 4.0 (vSphere) Yes

Support is provided
for VMware ESX
Server scripted
installations.

VMWare ESX Server 3.5 Yes

Support is provided
for VMware ESX
Server scripted
installations.

VMWare ESX Server 3.0 Yes

Support is provided
for VMware ESX
Server scripted
installations.

Mac OS X 10.6 Yes

Mac OS X 10.7 Yes

Mac OS X 10.8 Yes

Mac OS X 10.9 Yes

 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 25
Installing the Ghost Standard tools from the installer

Table 2-1 Platform support matrix for Ghost Solution Suite 3.0 (continued)

Platform Client Server File Server Database

Mac OS X 10.10 Yes

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Yes

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 x86_64 Yes

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Yes

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Yes

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 x86_64 Yes

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 Yes

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 Yes

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 Yes

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 x86_64 Yes

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 Yes

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 Yes

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 x86_64 Yes

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 Yes

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 Yes

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 x86_64 Yes

SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 9 Yes

Debian Linux 5 (and prior) Stable Yes

Solaris SPARC 8, 9 (production agent only) Yes

NetWare 6.5 Yes

Installing the Ghost Standard tools from the installer

Ghost Solution Suite lets you install the Ghost Standard tools from the link that is
provided in the installer. The Ghost Standard tools include the following:
■ Boot Disk Creator.exe
■ Ghost Explorer x64.exe
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 26
Installing the Ghost Standard tools from the installer

■ Ghost Explorer x86.exe

■ GhostCast Server.exe
■ Ghost32.exe
■ Ghost64.exe
The Ghost Standard tools are installed at the following location and are accessible
from the Start menu:
<Install_dir/>/Program Files(x86)/Symantec/Ghost

To install Ghost Standard tools

1 Start the server and log on using the administrator account you created for the
Ghost Solution Suite Server.
2 Launch the appropriate Symantec Ghost Solution Suite installation file and
follow the setup steps.
3 The Symantec Packager Self-Extracting Executable Options dialog appears.
4 Select the Use current temp folder option to use the current temporary folder
to download installation files or the Extract to a specific folder option to set
a path to an existing folder to download the installation files.
5 Click Extract and Execute App to extract and execute the application
immediately.
The default installation directory is C:\DSSetup. If the file C:\DSSetup\AppLic.dll
already exists, a prompt appears, asking whether you want to overwrite this
file. Click Yes to All. You may have to wait for some time while Symantec
Packager extracts files from this archive.

Note: Click Extract Only to only extract the application and execute the
application later. You must run the axInstall.exe file to start the installation.

6 In the Ghost Solution Suite Server Install Configuration dialog, click on

Ghost Standard Tools.
7 In the Symantec Ghost Standard Tools wizard, the default path where the
Ghost Standard Tools executables are installed is displayed as follows:
C:\Program Files(x86)\Symantec\Ghost

To change the path where the Ghost Standard Tools executables are installed,
click on Change....
8 Click Next >.
9 Click Install.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 27
Browsing to the Ghost Recovery kit

Browsing to the Ghost Recovery kit

The Ghost Solution Suite lets you browse to the Ghost Recovery Tool kit at the
following location:
<Install_Dir>:\DSSetup\Ghost_recovery_Kit.zip
Symantec Ghost Recovery Kit is a suite of tools designed for original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) and value-added resellers (VARs). It adds tools and
functionality to the applications included in Symantec Ghost Solution Suite. Symantec
Ghost Recovery Kit includes the following tools:
■ GhostOEM32
GhostOEM32 is a Win32 version of GhostOEM and is designed to run on
Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE).
■ GhostOEM64
GhostOEM32 is a Win64 version of GhostOEM and is designed to run on
Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE).
■ PQIDeploy
PQIDeploy is an OEM version of Symantec ImageCenter that provides
restore-only capabilities. It contains the full scripting capabilities that are included
in ImageCenter. It does not include any graphical user interface (GUI). All
commands are specified in a script command file.
■ PQIDplyD
■ SRFixMbr
The System Recovery Fix MBR executable installs the Boot Partition Selector
in the Master Boot Record (MBR).
The Boot Partition Selector requests which partition the end user wants to launch
when the computer is booted from the primary hard drive. If no response is
made within the timeout interval, then the user partition is launched. Alternatively,
the end user can launch the recovery partition. The end user can access the
recovery partition only through the Boot Partition Selector.

Ghost Solution Suite Server components

The Ghost Solution Suite Server system includes the following components:
■ Ghost Solution Suite Console
See “Ghost Solution Suite Console” on page 28.
■ Ghost Solution Suite Server
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 28.
■ Ghost Solution Suite Database
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 28
Ghost Solution Suite Server components

See “Ghost Solution Suite Database” on page 30.

■ Ghost Solution Suite Share
See “Ghost Solution Suite Share ” on page 31.
■ PXE server
See “PXE server” on page 32.
■ DHCP Server (not an Symantec product)
■ Installing Ghost Solution Suite agents
■ Sysprep
You can install all these components on the same computer or distribute them
across multiple computers, depending on the environment.

Ghost Solution Suite Console

The Ghost Solution Suite Console is the Win32 user interface for Ghost Solution
Suite . You can install this Windows console on computers across the network to
view and manage resources from different locations. In addition, from this console,
you can access the Ghost Solution Suite Database on other Ghost Solution Suite
Server systems to manage sites across the enterprise.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Database” on page 30.
See “Connecting to another Ghost Solution Suite server” on page 92.
The Ghost Solution Suite Console communicates with the Ghost Solution Suite
Database and Deployment services. In a Simple Install for Ghost Solution Suite
Server, the Ghost Solution Suite Console is installed on the same computer similar
to all other components. In a Custom Install for Ghost Solution Suite Server, you
must ensure that a connection is available to these computers and security rights
are set. You must have administrative rights on any computer running the Ghost
Solution Suite Console.
See “Simple install for Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 35.
See “Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 38.

Ghost Solution Suite Server

Ghost Solution Suite Server controls the flow of the work and information between
the managed computers and the other Ghost Solution Suite Server components
(Ghost Solution Suite Console, Ghost Solution Suite Database, and the Ghost
Solution Suite Share ). Managed computers connect and communicate with the
Ghost Solution Suite Server to register inventory and configuration information and
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 29
Ghost Solution Suite Server components

to run deployment and management tasks. The computer and deployment data for
each managed computer is stored in the Ghost Solution Suite Database.

Note: To view, start, or stop Ghost Solution Suite Server, go to the Symantec Server
services in your Windows Manager.

Managed computers require access to the Ghost Solution Suite Server at all times,
requiring that you have administrative rights on the computer running the Ghost
Solution Suite Server.

Create a user account to run the Ghost

Solution Suite Server. The service runs as a
logged-on user, not as a system account. You
must create this account on all Ghost Solution
Suite Server computers. The account must
have full rights to the Ghost Solution Suite
Share . The account must have a
non-expiring password.

See “Ghost Solution Suite Share ”

on page 31.

Assign a static IP address to the Ghost

Solution Suite Server computer. Other
components cannot connect to the Ghost
Solution Suite Server if you use DHCP and
dynamically change the IP address.

To install the Ghost Solution Suite Server on

a remote computer, the default administration
shares must be present. Restore any shares
that have been removed before you install
the Ghost Solution Suite Server.

Note: It is easier to create an administrative account using the same name and
password on all computers than to use the existing name and password of each
account.

Most packages (.RIP, Personality Packages, and .MSI files) pass through the Ghost
Solution Suite Server. Therefore, if you store these files on the Ghost Solution Suite
Server, the deployment of these packages is faster. Image files, however, are sent
directly from the Ghost Solution Suite Share to the client computer when you run
an imaging task.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 30
Ghost Solution Suite Server components

Ghost Solution Suite Database

You can install the Ghost Solution Suite Database on Microsoft SQL Server™ 2014
Express edition.

Note: In Ghost Solution Suite 3.0 and later, if you have already set up multiple
instances of the Microsoft SQL Server, you can identify a specific instance using
this format: <database instance>\express. Example: If you have a clustered
Microsoft SQL Server named SQLClusterSvr to manage multiple Ghost Solution
Suite systems on different network segments, you can enter the name
SQLClusterSvr\salesSegment or SQLClusterSvr\marketingSegment during the
Ghost Solution Suite Server setup, depending on the previously established
database instance. This feature is supported in the silent install .INI file and the
GUI install executable.

The database maintains the following information about the managed computers:
■ Hardware. RAM, asset tag, and serial numbers
■ General Information. Computer name and MAC address
■ Configuration. TCP/IP, Microsoft networking, and user information
■ Applications. The installed applications and information about these applications,
such as the name of the application, publisher, and product ID
■ Services. Installed Windows services
■ Devices. Installed Windows devices, such as network adapter, keyboard, and
monitors
■ Location information. Contact name, phone, e-mail, department, mail stop, and
site
The Ghost Solution Suite Server Database also contains jobs and other data used
to manage your computers.

Note: You can install a single Ghost Solution Suite Database in each Ghost Solution
Suite Server system-you cannot have two databases storing data for a single
computer. If the computer you are installing the database on has an existing
Microsoft SQL Server™, the Ghost Solution Suite Database is added to that instance
of the database engine.

Support for multiple database instances

In Ghost Solution Suite 3.0, you can identify a named instance of the Microsoft SQL
Server when installing Ghost Solution Suite . You can now identify other named
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 31
Ghost Solution Suite Server components

instances of Microsoft SQL Servers instead of accessing only the default instance.
This feature lets you identify and run multiple databases from one clustered Microsoft
SQL Server to manage multiple sites or network segments. This feature is supported
in the silent install .INI file and the GUI install executable. Ghost Solution Suite also
supports a different name for the Ghost Solution Suite Database instead of the
default name, eXpress.
See “Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 38.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.

Ghost Solution Suite Share

The Ghost Solution Suite Share is a file server or shared directory where Ghost
Solutin Suite program files and packages are stored. The Ghost Solution Suite
Share can be a shared directory (default Simple install in Program Files\
Altiris\eXpress\Deployment Server) or another file server (in the Custom install,
you can assign a Microsoft Windows or Novell NetWare file server).
Ghost Solution Suite Share is where you store image files, registry files, .MSI
packages, Personality Packages, script files, and more. When you are deploying
or managing a computer, the Ghost Solution Suite Server stores and retrieves these
packages from the Ghost Solution Suite Share as needed.

If you want to install Ghost Solution Suite on

a remote file server (not the computer where
you are running the install program), create
a share (or give Read/Write rights for
NetWare) on the file server where you want
to install the Ghost Solution Suite Server. This
share must allow access to all other
components, including managed computers
and the user account that runs the Ghost
Solution Suite Server.

You must create this share before you begin

installing. If you are not installing on a remote
computer, you can select the option to create
the share during the installation.

Note: You can install only one Ghost Solution Suite Share for each Ghost Solution
Suite Server system. However, if the Ghost Solution Suite Share 's hard drive gets
full, other computers can be used as additional backup storage points. In some
cases, other systems emulating a Microsoft or NetWare environment can be used
as the Ghost Solution Suite Share .
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 32
Ghost Solution Suite Server components

Note for NetWare users: If you have a problem using the Novell NetWare server
as a Ghost Solution Suite Share , install the Novell Client instead of the Microsoft
NetWare Client.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.

PXE server
The PXE Server provides service to client computers on a subnet. When the Ghost
Solution Suite Server sends a deployment job, the client computer receives a request
to boot to automation and the PXE-enabled computers connect to the first PXE
Server that they discover, which communicates with the Ghost Solution Suite Server
and the client computers.
You can install a PXE Server on a Microsoft Server 2003, Windows 2000 Server,
Advanced Server. The PXE Server also functions on the same protocols as a
standard DHCP Server, so you can place the PXE Server wherever you would
place a DHCP server. You can also install as many PXE Servers as required in
your system, but you must also install a DHCP Server.
The PXE Server sends a boot menu option list to the client when the computer
performs a PXE boot. The deployment job, which contains at least one automation
task, uses the default automation environment or the environment specified by a
user who has the permission to create a deployment job. Use the boot menu option
to request the PXE Server for the boot menu files and download the boot menu
files from the PXE Server to the client computer's RAM storage. The client computer
always boots according to the request and reply communications taking place
between the Deployment and PXE Servers.
Ghost Solution Suite supports Linux, and Windows PreInstallation Environment
(WinPE) as pre-boot environments. These options let you create a single job, but
may contain multiple automation tasks. The default automation environment (the
first pre-boot operating system files installed during the Ghost Solution Suite
installation) is used for Initial Deployment, unless you specify otherwise.
Using a PXE Server to boot client computers to automation saves you from having
to install an automation partition on each client computer's hard disk, or from
manually starting computers using Symantec Ghost Solution Suite supported
bootable media.
See Boot Disk Creator Helpand see PXE Configuration Utility Help.
See “Pre-boot operating system (simple)” on page 59.
See “Install automation partition ” on page 142.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 33
System requirements for installing Ghost Solution Suite

DHCP Server
The DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server is a server set up to assign
TCP/IP addresses to the client computers. This server is not an Symantec product,
but is required if you want to use the PXE Server.
We recommend that you use DHCP to manage the TCP/IP address in your network,
whether you use PXE or not. This greatly reduces the amount of time required to
set up and manage your computers.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.

System requirements for installing Ghost Solution

Suite
The following list includes the minimum system requirements for installing Ghost
Solution Suite:
System requirements for installing Ghost Solution Suite:
■ Ghost Solution Suite (GSS) Agent
GSS Agents require network connectivity and around 9 MB disk space. Other
system requirements are the same as the host operating system.
■ Ghost Solution Suite Server
Symantec recommends running the GSS Server components on a modern,
dedicated server with Pentium 4 processor and 2GB of RAM.
■ Computers hosting additional PXE servers and file shares should meet the
requirements of the operating system hosting these components.
■ Automation Requirements
Microsoft recommends 512 MB of memory for computers booting WinPE. At a
minimum, you should have 384 MB to avoid boot errors.
■ If the SQL Server 2014 Express database is installed from within the GSS 3.0
installer, then .NET framework 3.5 must be installed.
For more information on system requirements for installing SQL Server 2014
Express, see the following URL:
https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143506.aspx

Note: If you face an error while installing SQL Server Express, Symantec
recommends checking if all the Windows updates are installed.

■ For WinPE 5.1, .NET 4.5 Framework should be installed before importing the
Windows ADK 8.1.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 34
System requirements for installing Ghost Solution Suite

Ports and Protocols used in Ghost Solution Suite 3.0

The following table lists the ports that are used in Ghost Solution Suite 3.0:

Table 2-2 Ports used in Ghost Solution Suite

Component Service Port(s) Protocol Where is this Is this port

port connected? configurable?

PXE MTFTP MTFTP 69 UDP PXE Client No

1758 UDP (Multicast) PXE Client Yes [Configure by

editing PXE.ini
1759
file]

PXE Server PXE Server 67 UDP PXE Client No

68 UDP PXE Client No

4011 UDP PXE Client No

PXE Manager PXE Manager 405 TCP PXEConfig Yes [Configure by

editing RPC.ini
file]

406 TCP PXECfg Service Yes [Configure by

editing RPC.ini
file]

PXECfg Service PXECfg Service 407 TCP PXE Server and Yes [Configure by
PXE MTFTP editing RPC.ini
file]

DB Management DB Management 505 TCP Win32 console, Yes

(mm) Service axengine,
pxemanager

Ghost Solution Axengine 402 TCP/UDP Agents, Yes

Suite Server (multicast) pxeserver,
DataManager,
PXEManager
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 35
Simple install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

Table 2-2 Ports used in Ghost Solution Suite (continued)

Component Service Port(s) Protocol Where is this Is this port

port connected? configurable?

Linux Agent ADLagent 415

AClient AClient 402

PCT Real-time 4949

Destination
Agents 3829

4950

4951

4952

Simple install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

The Simple Install option places all the Ghost Solution Suite Server Components
- Ghost Solution Suite Server, Ghost Solution Suite Console, Ghost Solution Suite
Share , and Ghost Solution Suite Database - on the same computer.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.
You can install the Ghost Solution Suite Server with a Microsoft Desktop Engine
(MSDE) by using the Simple Install.

SymantecGhostSolutionSolutionWin_(version)
installs all Windows components of Ghost
Solution Suite. Using the Simple Install option,
you can install MSDE 2000 on a local
computer if a database is not already
installed.

Note: Simple installation works only with a default Microsoft SQL 2000, SQL 2005,
SQL 2014, or MSDE install.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 36
Simple install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

To run a simple install

1 Start the server and log on using the administrator account you created for the
Ghost Solution Suite Server.
See “PXE server” on page 32.
2 Launch the appropriate Symantec Ghost Solution Suite Server installation file
and follow the setup steps.
The Symantec Packager Self-Extracting Executable Options dialog appears.
3 Select the Use current temp folder option to use the current temporary folder
to download installation files or the Extract to a specific folder option to set
a path to an existing folder to download the installation files.
4 Click Extract and Execute App to extract and execute the application
immediately.
The default installation directory is C:\DSSetup. If the file
C:\DSSetup\AppLic.dll already exists, a prompt appears, asking whether
you want to overwrite this file. Click Yes to All. You may have to wait for some
time while Symantec Packager extracts files from this archive.

Note: Click Extract Only to only extract the application and execute the
application later. You must run the axInstall.exe file to start the installation.

5 Select the Simple Install option from the installation types listed in the Ghost
Solution Suite Server Install Configuration dialog.
6 (Optional) Select the Include PXE Server option to install the PXE Server and
click Install.
See “PXE server” on page 32.
7 Click Yes on the Software License Agreement page.
8 Enter the following information on the Ghost Solution Suite Share Information
page:
■ In the File Server path field, enter or browse to the path to install the Ghost
Solution Suite Server program files. The default path is C:\Program
Files\Altiris\eXpress\Deployment Server.

■ Select the Create Ghost Solution Suite Share option to create a Ghost
Solution Suite Share on the computer. The Ghost Solution Suite Share lets
you store files on the computer and run Ghost Solution Suite Server system
applications.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Share ” on page 31.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 37
Simple install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

■ Browse and select the licence file.

■ You must enter an administrator user name and password for the Ghost
Solution Suite Server. This account must already exist on the Ghost Solution
Suite Share and the Ghost Solution Suite Server. By default, the name you
are currently logged on as appears. If you use a domain account, enter the
domain and the user name (Example: Domain1\administrator).

Note: If a previous installation of the Ghost Solution Suite Database is

detected, an axinstall prompt appears, asking whether you want to
preserve or overwrite the existing database. Click Yes to preserve the data
in your Ghost Solution Suite Database.

9 Click Next. The Pre-boot Operating System page appears.

10 Select a default pre-boot operating system from any one of the options, such
as Linux, WinPE, or None. Browse to locate the FIRM file Linux operating
systems or the operating system files and WinPE. Click Next. The Installation
Information page appears, displaying the components that you selected to
install.
11 Click Install to install the listed components, or click Back to modify the settings
before starting the installation. The installation process begins and can take
several minutes. The Installation Information Summary page appears after
the installation completes.

Note: If you are upgrading your installation, the message Do you want to
replace the share? appears. Click Yes and continue. If you click No, a
message appears, stating that the share is already in use and you need to
manually set the share to point to the correct directory. Click OK.

12 (Optional) You can select the following option to install agents.

■ Remotely install Ghost Solution Suite agent (Windows Vista, 2008 or
later only). Select this option if you want to push the Ghost Solution Suite
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 38
Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

agent to computers running Windows Vista, Windows 2008, or later

operating systems.

13 Click Finish.
You have successfully completed a Simple Install for a Ghost Solution Suite
Server system. Click the Ghost Solution Suite Console icon on your desktop
to view all the computer resources running Ghost Solution Suite Agents
configured for your Ghost Solution Suite Server.

Note: Antivirus applications can delete service .EXE files or can disable services.

Example: When you run the Ghost Solution Suite Server Win32 Console, the
"Unable to connect to the Symantec Ghost Solution Suite Server Management
Server. Please ensure this service is started and running currently." error
appears. This occurs because the service files are deleted by the antivirus
application during scanning. To resolve this issue, disable the antivirus software
and reinstall the Ghost Solution Suite Server.
See “Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 38.

Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

The Custom Install option lets you distribute all the Ghost Solution Suite Server
Components - Ghost Solution Suite Server, Ghost Solution Suite Console, Ghost
Solution Suite Share , and Ghost Solution Suite Database - on different computers.
You can install Ghost Solution Suite Server with a Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE)
or install it on an existing SQL Server.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.

SymantecGhostSolutionSuiteWin_(version)
installs all Windows components of Ghost
Solution Suite. Select the Custom install
option to add new components or to install
Ghost Solution Suite on an existing database.

To run a custom install

1 Start the server and log on as the administrator account you created for the
Ghost Solution Suite Server.

2 Launch the appropriate Symantec Ghost Solution Suite Server installation file
and follow the setup steps.
The Symantec Packager Self-Extracting Executable Options dialog appears.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 39
Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

3 Click the Use current temp folder option to use the current temporary folder
to download installation files or the Extract to a specific folder option to set
a path to an existing folder to download the installation files.
4 Click Extract and Execute App to extract and execute the application
immediately.
The default installation directory is C:\DSSetup. If the file
C:\DSSetup\AppLic.dll already exists, a prompt appears, asking whether
you want to overwrite this file. Click Yes to All. You may have to wait for some
time while Symantec Packager extracts files from this archive.

Note: (Optional) Click Extract Only to only extract the application and execute
the application later. You must run the axInstall.exe file to start the installation.

5 Select the Custom Install option from the installation types listed in the Ghost
Solution Suite Server Install Configuration dialog if any of the following
conditions exist:
■ You are using the NetWare file server as a Ghost Solution Suite Share .
■ You are managing many computers and require a distributed architecture
to meet bandwidth restrictions and other design requirements.

6 Click Install. Click Yes on the Software License Agreement page.

7 Enter the following information on the Ghost Solution Suite Share Information
page:
■ In the File Server path field, enter or browse to the path to install the Ghost
Solution Suite Server program files. The default path is C:\Program
Files\Altiris\eXpress\Ghost Solution Suite Server.

■ Select the Create Ghost Solution Suite Share option to create a Ghost
Solution Suite Share on the computer. The Ghost Solution Suite Share lets
you store files on the computer and run Ghost Solution Suite Server system
applications. The Ghost Solution Suite Share can exist on a Microsoft
Windows server or Novell NetWare server.

Note: You can only create the share if it is on a Microsoft Windows Server;
the Novell share should already be set up. See “Ghost Solution Suite Share
” on page 31.

■ Browse and select the (.SLF) licence file.

 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 40
Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

8 Enter the following information on the Ghost Solution Suite Server

Information page:
■ Select the computer where you want to install the Ghost Solution Suite
Server. You can install the Ghost Solution Suite Server on the local computer
or on a remote computer. The IP address and the port information for the
selected computer are displayed by default.
■ Enter the path where you want to install the Ghost Solution Suite Server.
■ You must enter an administrator user name and password for the Ghost
Solution Suite Server. This account must already exist on the Ghost Solution
Suite Share and the Ghost Solution Suite Server. By default, the name you
are currently logged on as appears. If you use a domain account, enter the
domain and the user name (Example: Domain1\administrator).
(See “Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 22.) Click Next.

9 Enter the Ghost Solution Suite Database information and click Next.
■ Specify the Microsoft SQL Server Instance where you want to install the
database. See Ghost Solution Suite Database

Note: If you have already set up multiple instances of the Microsoft SQL
Server, you can identify a specific database instance in this field using the
format: <SQL Server Name>\<database instance>.

■ Depending upon the selection of the SQL Server instance, the default port
at which the selected instance is listening appears in the SQL Port Number
field. You can edit the port number if you have manually entered the SQL
Server name or if the port number does not appear automatically due to
some firewall restriction.
■ You can enter a name other than eXpress in the Database Name field.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 41
Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server

10 Select the type of Ghost Solution Suite Database authentication to be used.

You must enter the user name and password if you want to use SQL Server
authentication.

Note: You cannot use the remote SQL database with NT authentication on a
remote computer if you do not have administrative rights on the computer.

Click Next. The Pre-boot Operating Systems page appears.

Note: If a previous installation of the Ghost Solution Suite Database is detected,

an axinstall prompt appears, asking whether you want to preserve or
overwrite the existing database. Click Yes to preserve the data in your Ghost
Solution Suite Database.

11 Select a default pre-boot operating system from any one of the options, such
as Linux, or WinPE. Browse to locate the FIRM file (for Linux operating systems)
or enter the path for the operating system files (for WinPE). Click Next.

Note: If you are using a free evaluation license, you cannot use the WinPE
Add-On Packages.

12 Enter the PXE Server information. (See “PXE server” on page 32.) Select the
pre-boot operating system to use as the default PXE boot menu item. You can
select, Linux, or WinPE. If you want to use the previously installed pre-boot
operating system, select the Keep current default option. Click Next.
13 Specify how you want to connect your managed computer to the Ghost Solution
Suite Server by selecting one of the following options.
■ Select the Connect directly to Ghost Solution Suite Server option and
enter the Ghost Solution Suite Server IP address and port.
■ Select the Discover Ghost Solution Suite Server using TCP/IP multicast
option and provide the Server name.

Note: If you leave the Server name field blank, the Ghost Solution Suite agent
connects to the first Ghost Solution Suite Server that responds. Click Next.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 42
Thin client install

14 Click Install to install the listed components or click Back to modify the settings
before starting the installation. The installation process begins and can take
several minutes. The Installation Information Summary page appears after
the installation completes.

Note: If you are upgrading your installation, the message Do you want to
replace the share? appears. Click Yes and continue. If you click No, a
message appears stating that the share is already in use and you must manually
set the share to point to the correct directory. Click OK.

15 (Optional) You can the following option to install agents on the managed
computers.
■ Remotely Install Ghost Solution Suite agent (Windows Vista, 2008 or
later only). Select this option if you want to push the Ghost Solution Suite
agent to Windows computers directly after the installation. This can be done
any time by selecting Tools > Remote Agent Installer.

16 Click Finish.
You have successfully completed a Custom Install for a Ghost Solution Suite Server
system. Click the Ghost Solution Suite Console icon on your desktop to view all
the computer resources running Ghost Solution Suite Agents configured for your
Ghost Solution Suite Server.
See “Simple install for Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 35.

Thin client install

The thin client install option lets you install the Thin Client view of the Ghost Solution
Suite Console on your computer. You can install Ghost Solution Suite Server with
a Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) or install it on an existing SQL Server. You need
not provide a license file for the Thin Client installation.
To run a thin client install
1 Start the server and log on using the administrator account you created for the
Ghost Solution Suite Server.

2 Launch the appropriate Symantec Ghost Solution Suite Server installation file
and follow the setup steps.
The Symantec Packager Self-Extracting Executable Options dialog appears.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 43
Thin client install

3 Select the Use current temp folder option to use the current temporary folder
to download installation files or the Extract to a specific folder option to set
a path to an existing folder to download the installation files.
4 Click Extract and Execute App to extract and execute the application
immediately.
The default installation directory is C:\DSSetup. If the file
C:\DSSetup\AppLic.dll already exists, a prompt appears, asking whether
you want to overwrite this file. Click Yes to All. You may have to wait for some
time while Symantec Packager extracts files from this archive.

Note: Click Extract Only to only extract the application and execute the
application later. You must run the axInstall.exe file to start the installation.

5 Select the Thin Client Install option from the installation types listed in the
Ghost Solution Suite Server Install Configuration dialog.
6 (Optional) Select the Include PXE Server option to install the PXE Server.
(See “PXE server” on page 32.) Click Install.
7 Click Yes on the Software License Agreement page.
8 Enter the following information on the Ghost Solution Suite Share Information
page:
■ In the File Server path field, enter or browse to the path to install the Ghost
Solution Suite Server program files. The default path is C:\Program
Files\Altiris\eXpress\Ghost Solution Suite Server.

■ Select the Create Ghost Solution Suite Share option to create a Ghost
Solution Suite Share on the computer. The Ghost Solution Suite Share lets
you store files on the computer and run Ghost Solution Suite Server system
applications.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Share ” on page 31.
■ You must enter an administrator user name and password for the Ghost
Solution Suite Server system. This account must already exist on the Ghost
Solution Suite Share and the Ghost Solution Suite Server. By default, the
name you are currently logged on as appears. If you use a domain account,
enter the domain and the user name (Example: Domain1\administrator).
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 28.
If a previous installation of the Ghost Solution Suite Database is detected,
an axinstall prompt appears, asking whether you want to preserve or
overwrite the existing database. Click Yes to preserve the data in your
Ghost Solution Suite Database.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 44
Thin client install

Click Next. The Pre-boot Operating System page appears.

9 Select a default pre-boot operating system from any one of the options, such
as Linux, WinPE, or None. Browse to locate the FIRM file (for Linux operating
systems) or enter the path for the operating system files (for WinPE). Click
Next. The Installation Information page appears, displaying the components
that you selected to install.
10 Click Install to install the listed components, or click Back to modify the settings
before starting the installation. The installation process begins and can take
several minutes. The Installation Information Summary page appears after
the installation completes.

Note: If you are upgrading your installation, the message Do you want to
replace the share? appears. Click Yes and continue. If you click No, a
message appears, stating that the share is already in use and you must
manually set the share to point to the correct directory. Click OK.

11 (Optional) You can select the following option to install agents.

■ Remotely install Ghost Solution Suite agent (Windows Vista, Windows
2008 or later only). Select this option if you want to push the Ghost Solution
Suite agent to computers running Windows Vista, Windows 2008, and later
operating systems.

12 Click Finish.
You have successfully completed a Thin Client install for a Ghost Solution Suite
Server system. Click the Ghost Solution Suite Console icon on your desktop to
view all the computer resources running Ghost Solution Suite Agents configured
for your Ghost Solution Suite Server.

Note: Antivirus applications can delete service .EXE files or can disable services.

Example: When you run the Ghost Solution Suite Server Win32 Console, the "Unable
to connect to the Symantec Ghost Solution Suite Server Management Server.
Please ensure this service is started and running currently." error appears. This
occurs because the service files are deleted by the antivirus application during
scanning. To resolve this issue, disable the antivirus software and reinstall the
Ghost Solution Suite Server.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 45
Component install

Component install
The component install option lets you add selected Ghost Solution Suite Server
Components - Ghost Solution Suite Console, PXE Server, and Ghost Solution Suite
Agents to the existing Ghost Solution Suite Share . You can also add Microsoft
Sysprep files.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.
To run a component install
1 Start the server and log on using the administrator account you created for the
Ghost Solution Suite Server.

2 Launch the appropriate Symantec Ghost Solution Suite Server installation file
and follow the setup steps.
The Symantec Packager Self-Extracting Executable Options dialog appears.
3 Select the Use current temp folder option to use the current temporary folder
to download installation files or the Extract to a specific folder option to set
a path to an existing folder to download the installation files.
4 Click Extract and Execute App to extract and execute the application
immediately.
The default installation directory is C:\DSSetup. If the file
C:\DSSetup\AppLic.dll already exists, a prompt appears, asking whether
you want to overwrite this file. Click Yes to All. You may have to wait for some
time while Symantec Packager extracts files from this archive.

Note: (Optional) Click Extract Only to only extract the application and execute
the application later. You must run the axInstall.exe file to start the installation.

5 Select the Component Install option from the installation types listed in the
Ghost Solution Suite Server Install Configuration dialog and click Install.
6 Click Yes on the Software License Agreement page.
7 Enter a path for the Ghost Solution Suite Share and click Next.
8 Select the components you want to install and click Next.
■ Install an additional Ghost Solution Suite Console. Select this option
to install another Ghost Solution Suite Console (a Windows executable) on
another computer. You can add as many Ghost Solution Suite Consoles
as required to manage from multiple consoles across your system, but you
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 46
Component install

can install only one at a time. The Ghost Solution Suite Console
Information dialog appears.
■ Install an additional Symantec PXE Server. Select this option to add
additional PXE Servers across a network segment to handle boot requests
for large environments. The PXE Server Information dialog appears.
Master PXE Server. When you add another PXE Server, the PXE Server
that you initially installed is designated as the Master PXE Server. The
Master PXE Server works concurrently with any additional PXE Server to
handle boot requests across the network segment, but it also allocates
additional blocks of IP addresses to other PXE Servers in the system.
For all the available options for installing PXE Server, refer to the following
section:
See “PXE server” on page 32.
■ Install additional Ghost Solution Suite Agents. Select this option to
install additional Ghost Solution Suite Agents on client computers, setting
up managed computers in the Ghost Solution Suite Server system. The
Remote Agent Install dialog appears. Enter common administrator
credentials for all client computers.
See “Enter administrator account information” on page 50.
■ Add Microsoft Sysprep files. Select this option to install the Microsoft
Sysprep files, if you did not install them earlier. The Sysprep dialog appears.
See “PXE server” on page 32.

9 Select the computer where you want to install the selected components and
click Next. The Installation Information page appears.

Note: If you select the On a remote computer option, you must browse and
select the remote computer.

10 Click Install to install the listed components or click Back to modify settings
before starting the installation. The installation process begins and can take
several minutes. The Installation Information Summary page appears,
specifying that the installation was successful.
11 Select the Install add-ons to provision server hardware option to install the
add-ons for Dell computers. Click Finish.

Note: This option is enabled on Dell computers only when add-ons are present
in the oeminstall-addons section of the oeminstall.ini file, which is located
in the eXpress directory. This is the only option available on the Installation
Information Summary page when you select Component Install.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 47
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

You have successfully completed a Component Install for a Ghost Solution Suite
Server system. Click the Ghost Solution Suite Console icon on your desktop to
view all the computer resources running Ghost Solution Suite Agents configured
for your Ghost Solution Suite Server.

Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Each client computer requires the Ghost Solution Suite Agent to run as the
Production Agent on a local hard disk, which communicates with the Ghost Solution
Suite Server and registers in the Ghost Solution Suite Database. For Windows and
Linux client computers, Ghost Solution Suite lets you push agent software to a client
computer See “Installing the automation agent” on page 56. from a Ghost Solution
Suite Console, or you can pull the Ghost Solution Suite Agent to the client computer
from the Ghost Solution Suite Share .
You can install an embedded (recommended) or hidden automation partition, which
contains an Automation Agent that establishes communications with the Ghost
Solution Suite Server to run the deployment jobs that are assigned to the client
computer.
See “Install automation partition ” on page 142.
■ Ghost Solution Suite agent. Install a Production Agent to a Windows desktop,
notebook, or server computer. You can also install this agent on any supported
Linux workstation or server.
See “Installing Ghost Solution Suite agent for Windows” on page 52.
■ Ghost Solution Suite agent on Linux. Install on any supported Linux
workstation or server.
See “Installing Ghost Solution Suite agent on Linux” on page 54.
■ Automation Agent. Install on any Windows desktop, notebook, or server
computer.
■ Ghost Solution Suite agent on XP, 2003, Vista (Business) and 2008 Server.
Install the Ghost Solution Suite agent on the selected Windows XP, Server 2003,
Vista (Business), and Server 2008 computers.

Client connectivity and network adapters

Symantec supports all standard network adapter cards and includes many drivers
with the installation of Ghost Solution Suite . However, sometimes outdated drivers
(including default drivers that come with the hardware) cause problems when clients
are in automation mode. To avoid these problems, you should check the
manufacturer's Web site for your network adapter to ensure you use their latest
driver in your pre-boot operating system configuration file.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 48
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Some common client problems that can be solved by updating drivers are:
■ Locking when loading drivers or failing to connect to the server
■ Locking when imaging (downloading, uploading, or multicasting)

Microsoft client drivers

The Boot Disk Creator is set up to work with drivers that follow a certain standard.
Because not all NIC drivers follow that standard, you may have to move the files
to a different location.
Ensure that the following files are in the same directory:
■ The sample protocol.ini that comes with your driver (protocol.ini)
■ The OEM setup file that specifies the DOS driver (oemsetup.inf)
Example: The OEM setup file may contain lines similar to the following:
[netcard]

NGRPCI="NETGEAR FA310TX Fast Ethernet PCI

Adapter",0,ndis,ethernet,real,NGRPCI,NGRPCI_NIF

[NGRPCI] (This header must be the sixth item listed in the line above)

Device=NGRPCI.DOS (If this line is missing, add it. The syntax is

device=drivername.)

If there is no protocol.ini file, create a text file that contains the following
command: DriverName=drivername.

Novell client drivers

The Boot Disk Creator performs the following functions:
■ Searches all subdirectories for a directory that contains *.ins, *.com, and net.cfg
files. (These files must be in the same directory.) The .INS file is opened to get
information about the network card.
■ Searches the file for a line starting with a carat (^). This line must have at least
two values listed, separated by a comma. The two values needed are the
description of the card (value1) and the .com driver file name (value2).

Installing the Ghost Solution Suite agent

For client computers running a Windows operating system, Ghost Solution Suite
lets you install agent software using the Remote Agent Installer to "push" the agent
to a client computer from a Ghost Solution Suite Console. (See “Remote agent
installer” on page 49.) You can also pull the Ghost Solution Suite agent to the client
computer by accessing the Windows share. You must have administrative rights
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 49
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

to the client computers and File and Print Sharing must be enabled to install the
agent software.

Click Remote Agent Installer on the Ghost

Solution Suite Console toolbar, or click Tool
> Remote Agent Installer to open the utility
program. You can also download aclient.exe
from the network share to install a Ghost
Solution Suite agent.

Remote agent installer

DAgent replaced AClient as the default agent for the following Windows platforms:
■ Windows 2000 SP4 or higher
■ Windows 2003 Server
■ Windows XP SP2 or higher
■ Windows Vista
■ Windows 2008 Server
■ Windows 2008 Server R2
■ Windows 7
■ Windows 8
■ Wndows 8.1
■ Windows Server 2012
■ Windows Server 2012 R2

Windows XP
To install, each XP computer must have the following items:
■ An Administrator account with a password. This account must be able to browse
\\hostname\admin$ on the selected computer.

■ Disabled simple file sharing. This option can be disabled in Windows Explorer
by selecting Tools > Folder Options > View tab and clearing the Use simple
file sharing check box in the Advanced settings section.
■ Enabled File and printer sharing in the Windows Firewall.

Windows 2003, Vista, 2008 servers, and Windows 7

You must enable file and print sharing in the Windows Firewall.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 50
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Enter administrator account information

Enter common administrator credentials for all client computers, or keep the default
credentials to be prompted for each client computer.
Let me specify a username and password for each machine as it's installed.
Prompts for an administrative user name password for each computer in the remote
install list. This is the default option.
Use this username and password for all clients. Enter credentials for an
administrator account that has rights to all the client computers that you add to the
remote install list.

Specify install directory

Enter a location to install the Ghost Solution Suite agent.
Install directory. Enter the path to install the Ghost Solution Suite agent on the
client computer.
Enable this agent to use SIDgen and/or Microsoft Sysprep. If you plan to use
SIDgen or Sysprep to configure this computer the required files can be copied when
the agent is installed.
Click Change Settings to set the Ghost Solution Suite agent settings.

Automatically add to a group

You can select one of the following options to automatically add new computers to
the group that you specify.
Add client(s) to default group. Adds new computers to the All Computers group.
Add client(s) to a specific group. Adds new computers to another group. Use
back slashes to separate subgroups.

Select computers on the network

Identify client computers on the network and add them to a list of computers to
remotely install the Ghost Solution Suite agent.
Add. Select the computers by the name in the list, or enter a computer name or IP
address.
Computer Name. Enter the name of a computer on the network or its IP address.
Properties. Select a computer and view the agent install settings. You can also
change SID and Agent settings from the Agent Properties dialog.
Import. Import new computers from a file. This file has the following parameters:
-c:[computer] -u:[username] -p:[password] -i:[input file]. The
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 51
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

parameters must be entered in this order. The password parameter is not required
if the administrator account does not have one assigned. If you are using the default
settings, you do not need to specify an input filename. Each computer entry must
be on a separate line.
Export. You can export the listed computers into an export file to use later. The
default extension is *.RCI. Remote Agent Installer first looks for an RCI file extension.
When the computers appear in the installer list and the properties are set, click
Finish. The status of the agent install appears.
After the Ghost Solution Suite agent is installed, it automatically connects to the
Ghost Solution Suite Server and appears in the Computers pane of the Ghost
Solution Suite Console.

Download Microsoft sysprep

If you select Enable this agent to use SIDgen and/or Microsoft Sysprep on the
previous dialog, the Remote Agent Installer dialog locates the required installation
files for the specific versions of Sysprep.
Update file system permissions when changing SIDs. Select this option to
automatically update file system permissions to maintain the individual file
permissions that you may have set. This also includes the individual network shares
that may exist on this client. On selecting this option, SID conversion takes a long
time.

Note: SIDgen is no longer supported and should not be used. Symantec

recommends using Microsoft Sysprep in situations where SID replacement is
required.

To install Microsoft Sysprep, you must

download the installation files required for the
Windows operating systems running on the
client computer.

Windows 2000/XP/2003 (deploy.cab)

We recommend installing these files from a

Windows 2003 server CD. Windows Vista
and 2008 Server include sysprep files by
default.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 52
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Change settings
Click Change Settings to modify access, security and other settings on the Ghost
Solution Suite agent to be installed.

Get server security key

This page appears only if you select the Enable key-based authentication to
Ghost Solution Suite Server option in the Default Agent Settings dialog.
Enter the security key file path for the Ghost Solution Suite Server or browse and
select a file containing the security key file path.

Installing Ghost Solution Suite agent for Windows

Run dagent.msi from the Ghost Solution Suite Share (shared folder).
1. On the Symantec Client Service dialog, enter a location to install the Ghost
Solution Suite agent. Select one of these options, if required, and click Next:
■ Secure modification of server properties. Select to prohibit users from
changing any agent settings.
■ Enable changing of Security ID. Select to manage the security IDs to run
a SID utility as part of an imaging job.
■ Advanced. Click to open the Computer Configuration Properties dialog
and enter the settings for the Ghost Solution Suite agent you are installing.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

2. If you have enabled the security IDs, a page listing the options for managing
the SIDs appears. Select the utilities you want to use and enter the path where
the utilities are stored. Click Next to install the Ghost Solution Suite agent.
3. (Optional) Select a group in the Ghost Solution Suite Console to add the client
to. You can also leave it at the default group.
After the Ghost Solution Suite agent is installed, it connects to the Ghost Solution
Suite Server and appears in the Computers pane of the Ghost Solution Suite
Console.
See “Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents” on page 47.

Automating the installation of Ghost Solution Suite agent

If you do not select Remote Agent Installer to install the Ghost Solution Suite agent,
install the Ghost Solution Suite agent using log-on scripts or batch flies. However,
this requires that you manually complete the installation at each client computer.
Instead, you can use a template file to set applicable options and properties.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 53
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

The template file is a text file that can be used to automate configuration of the
properties when installing the Ghost Solution Suite agent from a batch file, login
script, or manually from a client computer.
The template file can be created using two methods: editing the sample.inp file or
using Remote Agent Installer.

Editing the sample.inp file

Ghost Solution Suite ships with a sample template file named sample.inp, which
contains the commands to configure installation options and properties. This file is
located in Program Files\Altiris\eXpress\Ghost Solution Suite Server.
Most of the parameters are disabled in this file. To enable an option, remove the
semicolon. Example: To specify an IP address and port number for the client to
locate the Ghost Solution Suite Server, remove the semicolon from the TcpAddr
and TcpPort lines and change the address and port number to the correct values.

Using remote agent installer

You can create a template file when running Remote Agent Installer. After modifying
agent properties and adding computers to the Selecting Clients window, click
Export to create a template file to import computers (*.rci) as well as the template
file (*.inp).
Example: If you have computers named PC-1 and PC-2 listed in the Selecting
Clients window and you export these computers using the file name Export.rci,
the following two template files are created:
Export_PC-1.inp

Export_PC-2.inp

Using the template file

To use the template file you create, run the AClient.exe installation program
specifying the template file and using the -install switch.
Example:
\\FX1\eXpress\AClient.exe aclient.inp -install

The following command-line options are available:

 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 54
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Option Definition

-install AClient.exe runs and installs the Ghost

Solution Suite agent on the computer instead
of just running it in memory.

-remove Permanently removes the Ghost Solution

Suite agent from the computer where it is
installed.

-silent Lets you use the options without being

prompted for further input.

-stop Stops the Ghost Solution Suite agent from

running, but does not remove it. The next time
the computer is booted, the Ghost Solution
Suite agent runs in production mode.

-start Starts the Ghost Solution Suite agent. This

option works only when Ghost Solution Suite
agent is installed on the computer.

Installing Ghost Solution Suite agent on Linux

You can install the Ghost Solution Suite agent on any supported Linux workstation
or server by downloading and running the Ghost Solution Suite agent for Linux
installation file (a .BIN file) on the client computer. The Ghost Solution Suite agent
is updated automatically on Linux computers when you upgrade to a new version
of Ghost Solution Suite . The creation date of the Ghost Solution Suite agent is
checked and updated when a new agent is available.
Installing the Ghost Solution Suite agent for Linux
1 After downloading the .BIN file to a local directory, you can install from the
command line.
■ Browse to the directory where you saved the .BIN file, switch to the root
user (su) and change the directory to the location of the .BIN file by entering
(cd < directory>)

■ After changing the directory, you must have the permission to execute the
.BIN file; to obtain the permission, enter chmod 544 <filename>

■ Enter: ./<file name>

 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 55
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

The Ghost Solution Suite agent for Linux is installed in the

/opt/altiris/deployment/adlagent directory.

2 To change the adlagent configuration file settings, update the adlagent.conf

file. This file is located in the /opt/altiris/deployment/adlagent/conf
directory. You can also change the adlagent configuration file settings by
executing the configure script from the
/opt/altiris/deployment/adlagent/bin directory.

■ To edit the configure file directly, open the adlagent.conf file located in
the/opt/altiris/deployment/adlagent/conf directory and make the
required changes.
You can also edit the configuration file to change the functionality or
properties. Example: You can open the adlagent.conf file in an editor and
scroll to the [Transport] section and the UseMcast line. Change
UseMcast=true to UseMcast=false. In the TCPAddr=<IP address> line,
enter the IP address of the specific Ghost Solution Suite Server you want
to manage the client computer. You can also identify and edit additional
configuration settings in the configuration file.
■ To run the script to change the settings for the adlagent configuration file,
browse to the /opt/altiris/deployment/adlagent/bin directory from
the shell and enter ./configure
You are prompted to select Multicast options to identify a Ghost Solution
Suite Server to manage the current client computer, or you can select a
specific Ghost Solution Suite Server by setting the Multicast option to false
and adding the IP address of the required Ghost Solution Suite Server.

3 After editing the configuration file, restart the Ghost Solution Suite agent for
Linux.
To start and stop the Ghost Solution Suite agent for Linux, enter the full path
or browse to the /etc/rc.d/init.d directory (with administrator/root rights).
You can use either the adlagent stop and adlagent start commands, or
only the adlagent restart command. You can also use the Package Manager
installed with Linux to restart the Ghost Solution Suite agent for Linux.
By stopping and starting the Ghost Solution Suite agent for Linux, the service
updates the changes made in the adlagent configuration file.
You can now view the Linux managed computer from a Ghost Solution Suite
Console.
See “Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents” on page 47.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 56
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Installing the automation agent

After Ghost Solution Suite Server has detected a managed computer through the
Ghost Solution Suite agent in a production environment, you can install an
Automation Partition from the Computers pane.
Here are some other ways to create and install an Automation Agent, which is saved
in an embedded (recommended) or hidden partition on the client computer's hard
disk.
■ For Ghost Solution Suite systems running the PXE Server, create boot menu
options from the PXE Configuration Utility, using one of the following methods:
Boot Disk Creator, Direct from floppy, or User Specified. See PXE
Configuration Utility Help.
■ To install an Automation Partition you can create a Microsoft Install Package
(MSI) and deploy it using a job from the console. You can also create floppy
disks, bootable CDs with an ISO image, or bootable USB devices. See Boot
Disk Creator Help. See “Distributing software ” on page 200.

To install an automation partition

See “Install automation partition ” on page 142.

Installation help
The following are the help file topics for the Ghost Solution Suite Server installation
program that you can access by clicking Help or pressing the F1 key. These topics
identify and explain the elements on the dialogs used in the installation process.

Configuration
The Ghost Solution Suite Server system supports a Simple Install as well as a
Custom Install option. A Simple installation lets you install all components on a
single computer. The Custom installation lets you distribute individual components
of a Ghost Solution Suite Server system on multiple computers. The Thin Client
Install lets you install the Thin Client view of the Ghost Solution Suite Console on
your computer. The Component Install option lets you install additional components
on your system.

Installation type
Simple install. Select this option to install all Ghost Solution Suite Server
components on a single computer. This configuration is recommended for managing
computers on a single LAN or across a site with few subnets.
See “Simple install for Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 35.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 57
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Include PXE server. Select this option to install the PXE Server when running the
Simple install option. The PXE Server requires a DHCP server also installed on
your network.
See “PXE server” on page 32.
Custom install. Select this option to install Ghost Solution Suite Server components
on multiple computers across your system. A Custom Install lets you balance
network activity for large enterprises with multiple subnets. Example: Use this option
to distribute the Ghost Solution Suite Database on another computer or assign
another file server as the Ghost Solution Suite Share to store image and package
files.
See “Custom install for Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 38.
Thin client install. Select this option to install the Thin Client view of the Ghost
Solution Suite Console on your computer. You do not require a license file to install
this view.
See “Thin client install” on page 42.
Component install. Select this option to install additional Ghost Solution Suite
Server components on your system. Example: Use this option if you want to add a
PXE Server to your Simple or Custom installation, or if you need multiple Ghost
Solution Suite Consoles.
See “Component install” on page 45.
If you have multiple network adapter cards, a secondary dialog appears asking you
to select the IP address for the Ghost Solution Suite Server interface.

Note: If you run the Ghost Solution Suite Server on a MS Windows Server 2003
Domain Controller with SMB Signing enabled, you cannot execute any imaging
jobs. When running jobs on MS Windows Server 2003, you must change the SMB
Signing Registry Key to execute deployment jobs.

To disable SMB signing on the Windows 2003 server

1 Click Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy
> Local Policies >Security Options.
2 Locate the Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications
(always) policy setting, right-click it, and select Properties > Disabled.
3 Disable the Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (if
client agrees) policy setting as well. This is enabled by default.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 58
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server

Specify the Ghost Solution Suite Share (shared directory) where you want to store
the image files, .RIPs, and other package files. Before installing the Ghost Solution
Suite Server, ensure that you have a shared Windows or NetWare directory with
free disk space and appropriate security rights.
File server path. Select the drive letter and directory path where you want to install
the Ghost Solution Suite Server. The default path is the Program Files directory on
the local computer.
Create Ghost Solution Suite Share . If you are installing the Ghost Solution Suite
Server on a local Windows computer, select this option to create a shared directory
as your Ghost Solution Suite Share . If you are installing on a remote file server or
if you select an invalid path, this option is unavailable.

Note: If you are installing the Ghost Solution Suite Server on a remote file server,
create a share or grant access rights to the Ghost Solution Suite Server directory
on the file server before you start the installation. For Windows XP, you must run
the Network Setup Wizard accessed from My Network Places to enable sharing.

See “Ghost Solution Suite Share ” on page 31.

Select one of the following options to configure the licensing information:
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.
See “Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 58.

Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server using component install

Specify the Ghost Solution Suite Share (shared directory) where the image files,
RIPs, and other package files are stored. Ensure that you have a shared Windows
or NetWare directory with available disk space and security rights before installing.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Share ” on page 31.

Ghost Solution Suite Server install

Install the Ghost Solution Suite Server on a computer. The service is identified in
the Services section of the Windows Computer Management as Altiris eXpress
Server.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 28.
To install service on a local computer
1 Select the On this computer option.
2 Enter the Ghost Solution Suite Server IP address and port information.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 59
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

3 Enter the path to install the Ghost Solution Suite Server.

4 Enter the user name and password of the Ghost Solution Suite Server. For a
domain account, enter the domain and user name. Create this account before
starting the installation.
To install service on a remote computer
1 Select the On a remote computer option.
2 Enter the name of the computer or browse to where you want to install. By
default, the destination path and IP address of the computer appear.
3 Enter the user name and password of an administrator account for the Ghost
Solution Suite Server computer. For domain accounts, include the domain
name (Example: orgDomain\admin). The user account must have rights to the
Ghost Solution Suite Share . Create the administrator domain account before
starting the installation.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Share ” on page 31.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.
See “Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 58.

Pre-boot operating system (simple)

Select a pre-boot operating system, which the Ghost Solution Suite Server can use
as the default, when creating a deployment job with an automation task. You can
also install additional pre-boot operating system files later by using Boot Disk
Creator.
If you are running a PXE Server in your system environment, the first pre-boot
operating system that you install becomes the default boot menu option for Initial
Deployment. The menu options display Linux Managed, or Windows Managed.
You can assign an automation pre-boot operating system to an automation task
when it is added to a deployment job. This flexibility lets you run several automation
tasks within a single job, and each task can boot to the automation environment
you want.
■ None. Select this option if you do not want to provide a default automation
operating system. You can also select this later through the Boot Disk Creator
utility.
■ Linux. Browse to the BDCgpl.frm file that is present in the GPL folder.
■ WinPE. Browse to the WinPE files.
■ See Boot Disk Creator Help and PXE Configuration Help.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 60
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Pre-boot operating system (custom)

Select a pre-boot operating system that the Ghost Solution Suite Server can use
as the default when creating a deployment job with an automation task. You can
also install additional pre-boot operating system files later by using Boot Disk
Creator.
If you are running a PXE Server in your system environment, the first pre-boot
operating system that you install becomes the default boot menu option for Initial
Deployment.
You can assign an automation pre-boot operating system to an automation task
when it is added to a deployment job. This flexibility lets you run several automation
tasks within a single job, and each task can boot to the automation environment
you want.
■ Linux. Browse to the BDCgpl.frm file that is present in the GPL folder.
■ WinPE. Browse to the WinPE files.
See Boot Disk Creator Help and PXE Configuration Help.

Ghost Solution Suite Database install

Install the Ghost Solution Suite Database on a local or remote server with or without
an existing Microsoft Data Engine (MSDE) or Microsoft SQL Server. To install the
database, you must have administration rights to the selected server.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Database” on page 30.

Note: If you have multiple instances of the Microsoft SQL Server already set up,
you can identify a specific instance using this format: <SQL Server
Name>\<database instance>. The instance of the database can vary. Example:
If you have a clustered Microsoft SQL Server to manage multiple Ghost Solution
Suite systems on different network segments, you can enter the name
salesSegment\express or marketingSegment\express depending on the previously
established database instance.

Install the Ghost Solution Suite Database using these options:

■ Select the Microsoft SQL Server instance where you want to install your Ghost
Solution Suite Database.
■ You can also change the default SQL Port number.
■ You can rename the Ghost Solution Suite Database default name, eXpress, by
entering a different name in the Database Name field. However, this does not
alter the Ghost Solution Suite Share name.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 61
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.

PXE server install

Select the options to boot locally using the Symantec Automation Partition. For
PXE-compliant computers, you can boot across the network using the Intel Pre-boot
eXecution Environment option in the PXE Server.
See “PXE server” on page 32.

Note: If you have a Novell NetWare file server, you must set up the PXE Server
after installing the Ghost Solution Suite Server. The Universal Network Device
Interface (UNDI) default driver is not supported by Novell NetWare.

■ Select the No I will be using an Symantec automation partition on each

client computer option, if you do not want to use PXE and prefer to use
embedded (preferred) or hidden partitions, or bootable media to run tasks.

Note: This option is unavailable for installing the PXE Servers using the
Component Install option.

■ Select the Yes, I want to install PXE Server on this computer option to install
the PXE Server on the local computer.

Note: This option is selected by default for the Component Install.

■ Select Yes, I want to install PXE Server on a remote computer to install the
PXE Server on a remote computer. Enter the name of the computer and the
path.
■ Enter the IP address for the PXE Server and the Ghost Solution Suite Server.
■ Enter the path where you want to install the PXE Server.
■ Select the pre-boot operating system that can be used as the default PXE boot
menu item. The pre-boot operating system options that are enabled depend on
the options you selected for the pre-boot operating systems in the Pre-boot
Operating Systems page. Example: If you select Linux in the Pre-boot
Operating Systems page, the Linux option is enabled as the default PXE boot
menu item. For more information, PXE Configuration Utility Help.
See “Installing the automation agent” on page 56.
See “Pre-boot operating system (simple)” on page 59.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 62
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Client connection to server

Select the protocol your managed computers can use to connect to the Ghost
Solution Suite Server.
Connect directly to Ghost Solution Suite Server. Installs the PXE Server using
the Intel Pre-boot eXecution Environment (for PXE-compliant computers only). You
can use this without PXE for faster access, as it goes directly to the IP address
without searching.
If managed computers are on a different segment or if you are using the PXE Server
with an UNDI driver, click Connect directly to Ghost Solution Suite Server and
enter the IP address of the Ghost Solution Suite Server that the managed computers
can connect to. Do not change the port number unless the default is already being
used.

Note: If you change the port number, you must change the client configurations.

Discover Ghost Solution Suite Server using TCP/IP multicast. Lets the managed
computers connect to any Ghost Solution Suite Server. To use multicasting and
connect to a specific Ghost Solution Suite Server, enter the name of the Ghost
Solution Suite Server computer.
Multicasting cannot be used with the UNDI driver. If you want to use different drivers
on the PXE Server, you can create multiple PXE boot files after installing.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Agents ” on page 115.

Sysprep
Enter the location of the Microsoft Sysprep files according to the operating system.
Specify the location or browse and select the required files.

Installing components
Click Install, or click Back to change the settings.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.

Installation information summary

The components are installed.
You can remotely install Ghost Solution Suite Agents..
Remotely install Ghost Solution Suite agent (Windows Vista, 2000 or later
only). Select this option to push the Ghost Solution Suite agent.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 63
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Click Finish.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.

Add components summary

The components in the list are installed.
Download Adobe Acrobat. Select this option to download the Adobe Acrobat
Reader to read the documentation in the .PDF format.
Click Finish.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.

Ghost Solution Suite Database authentication

Specify the type of authentication the Ghost Solution Suite Database will use. You
can select Windows authentication or SQL Server authentication. If you select SQL
authentication, enter the user credentials with administrative rights for the SQL
database.
Use Windows NT authentication. Select this option to use the Windows network
or Active Directory authentication.
Use SQL Server authentication. Enter the user name and password set for the
Microsoft SQL Server. If using MSDE, the default "sa" user name is used and no
password is required.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.
See “Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 22.

Add components
If you have already installed Ghost Solution Suite Server, you can add components
to the existing system. Select the type of component you want to add.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.

Console install
You can install the Ghost Solution Suite Console either on the local computer or
on multiple remote computers. Installing the Ghost Solution Suite Console on remote
computers lets you manage computers from multiple Ghost Solution Suite Consoles
across the Ghost Solution Suite Server installation.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Console” on page 28.
 Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server 64
Installing Ghost Solution Suite Agents

■ Select the On this computer option to install the Ghost Solution Suite Console
on the local computer.
Select the On a remote computer option to install the Ghost Solution Suite
Console on a remote computer. Enter the computer name or browse and select
a computer.
See “Installing Ghost Solution Suite Server” on page 22.
See “Ghost Solution Suite Server components” on page 27.
 Chapter 3
Managing from the Ghost
Solution Suite Console
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Ghost Solution Suite provides Windows interface consoles to deploy and manage
computer devices across local or wide area networks. It also provides a Thin Client
view of the Ghost Solution Suite Console. As an IT administrator, you can manage
all computer devices from one of these Ghost Solution Suite Consoles:
The Ghost Solution Suite Console is a Windows-based console with complete
deployment and management features, including remote control, security, PXE
Server configuration, image editing, and other deployment utilities and features.
See Ghost Solution Suite Console basics.
The Thin Client View of the Ghost Solution Suite Console provides a simplified
experience when dealing exclusively with Thin Clients. The functionality of the Thin
Client Console is identical to that of the current Ghost Solution Suite Console.
However, you can toggle from Full View to Thin Client View.
Deployment from the Symantec Management Console combines management
and reporting features across multiple Ghost Solution Suite server systems and
lets you integrate additional Web applications in the client and server management
suites, including Inventory, Software Delivery, Recovery, HelpDesk, Patch
Management, and Application Metering solutions.
To launch the Ghost Solution Suite Console, click the icon on the desktop, or click
Start > Programs > Altiris > Deployment Solution > Console.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 66
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Features of the Ghost Solution Suite Console

The Windows console for Ghost Solution Suite provides standard Computers,
Jobs, and Details panes to drag and drop icons, view properties, and identify the
state and status of Deployment objects. In addition, the Ghost Solution Suite Console
also includes a Shortcuts and Resources view and provides the tools, utilities,
and features required for complete computer resource management.
Set program options. From the Tools > Options dialog, you can set preferences
for each Ghost Solution Suite server system. See General options.
Set security. From the Tools > Security dialog, you can set security rights and
permissions for all Ghost Solution Suite Consoles. See Security in Ghost Solution
Suite.
Connecting to other Ghost Solution Suite server systems. Connect to other
Ghost Solution Suite server connections from your current Ghost Solution Suite
Console and manage computers outside of your current network segment or site.
See Connecting to another Ghost Solution Suite server.
Customize the Tools menu. You can add commands to the Tools menu to open
commonly-used deployment programs and utilities.
See “Extending the tools menu” on page 72.

Ghost Solution Suite Console basics

The Ghost Solution Suite Console is your main portal to Ghost Solution Suite. It is
a feature-rich Win 32 program with real-time access to computer resources,
deployment jobs, and package files, each represented by distinct icons to identify
the status and settings. From the Ghost Solution Suite Console, you can build
simple or complex deployment jobs, assign them to a computer group, and verify
deployment execution.
Because the Ghost Solution Suite Console can reside on its own computer, you
can have multiple consoles running from different locations. The Ghost Solution
Suite Console needs to be running only while creating assignments or viewing
information about the managed computers. You can turn on the console, run
management tasks, and turn off the console.
Scheduling information is saved in the Ghost Solution Suite Database and tasks
are executed at their scheduled time. If an assignment to a managed computer is
made from two different consoles at approximately the same time, the computer is
assigned those tasks in the order they are received.
See “Console options” on page 79. to set refresh intervals for the Ghost Solution
Suite Console.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 67
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Thin client view of the Ghost Solution Suite Console

The Thin Client view of the Ghost Solution Suite Console provides a simplified
experience when dealing exclusively with Thin Clients. The functionality of the Thin
Client view is identical to that of the current Ghost Solution Suite Console. However,
you can switch from Full view to Thin Client view.
The Thin Client Console has the following panes:
■ Computers
■ Resources
■ Software Packages
■ Inventory
The Computers, Resources, and Software Packages panes are on the left side
of the Thin Client view, while the Inventory pane is on the right side of the Thin
Client view.

Installing the thin client view

During installation, you can install the Ghost Solution Suite Thin Client view. By
default, the traditional Ghost Solution Suite Console is installed.
If you select Thin Client view, a Thin Client Jobs system folder is created. All the
jobs created from the Ghost Solution Suite Thin Client view are stored in this folder.
During the installation process, the following folders are created in this hierarchy
for the Thin Client resources:
■ Configuration Packages
■ Images
■ Software Packages
Ghost Solution Suite for Thin Clients uses the same installation program as Ghost
Solution Suite. No licensing is required even if you select Thin Client Install.
To install Thin Client, choose one of the following options:
To install thin client
■ On the Ghost Solution Suite server Install Configuration dialog, select the Thin
Client Install option. The Ghost Solution Suite Console Thin Client View appears.
■ On the Ghost Solution Suite server Installation dialog, select the Simple Install
option. The Ghost Solution Suite Console appears. Click View > Show Thin
Client View. The Ghost Solution Suite Console Thin Client View appears.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 68
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Switching between two views

When you switch between the traditional view and the Thin Client view, you can
maintain the last state in which you viewed the console. This ensures that you open
the console in the same view that you last closed it in.
To switch between the traditional and the thin client view
1 Click View.
2 Select Show Thin Client View.

Note: By default, the Thin Client view is visible if you select Thin Client Install.

When you switch to the Thin Client view, all the menus and items that are not
necessary for the Thin Client view are unavailable. These are visible when you
switch to the traditional view.

Computers pane
This pane is the same as that in the traditional view. However, only thin clients are
displayed. You can right-click this pane to view a new menu. When you right-click
a thin client, you can view the following options:
■ Capture Configuration
■ Capture Images
■ Deploy Configuration
■ Install Automation Partition
■ Get Inventory
■ Power Control
■ Properties
■ Remote Control
■ Delete
■ Manage Inventory View
If you select a Capture option, a text field appears, prompting you for the name of
the captured resource. By default, the name is the same as the serial number on
the Thin Client, which you can change.
If you select a deploy option, a list of the available resources appears for the selected
type, such as Configurations, Images, or Software Packages. You can select a
resource from this list.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 69
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Resources pane
This pane is a tree view listing all the resources that you can drag and drop to the
thin clients and vice versa. The following types of resources appear in this pane:
■ Configuration Packages. Example: Captured Registry Settings.
■ Images
■ Software Packages. Example: HP Tools.

Note: All these resources reside in the eXpress share in the ThinClient directory.

When you click any of the submenus corresponding to the subdirectories within the
ThinClient directory, the tree expands and displays all the resources included in
the directory. If the folder is empty, an appropriate message appears. You can
rename or delete the resources.

Software packages
The Software Packages pane displays the software packages that can be created
for the available computers. You can drag and drop this resource to the thin clients
and vice versa.
When you right-click the Software Packages pane, you can view the following
options:
■ New folder. Select this option to create a new folder.
■ Import. Select this option to import a job. See To import a job.
■ Rename. Select this option to rename a folder.

Note: You cannot rename the Software Packages pane. You can only rename
a folder.

■ Delete. Select this option to delete folders.

■ Find Software Packages. Select this option to find software packages.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 70
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

To import a job
1 Open the Thin Client view.
2 Right-click the Software Packages pane and select Import.
The Import Job dialog appears.
3 In the Job file to import field, browse and specify the file that you want to import.

Note: By default, the Import to Job Folder, Overwrite existing Jobs and Folders
with the same names, and Delete existing Jobs in folder options are disabled.

To preserve the source operating system file paths of Scripted Install, select
the Preserve Scripted Install OS source paths option.
Click OK.
To delete the Software Packages option from the Ghost Solution Suite Console
1 Open the Ghost Solution Suite Console.
2 In the Jobs pane, select System Jobs > Thin Client Jobs > Software
Packages.
3 Right-click Software Packages and select Delete.
A confirmation dialog opens.
4 Click Yes to confirm the deletion.
The Software Packages option is deleted from the Ghost Solution Suite
Console view.

Note: The Software Packages option is automatically added in the Jobs pane
in System Jobs > Thin Client Jobs when you switch from the Ghost Solution
Suite Console view to the Thin Client view.

Inventory pane
This pane displays a table that lists all the thin clients identified by the console. The
following columns appear in the Inventory pane:
■ Name
■ Computer Status
■ Action Status
■ Product Name
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 71
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

■ Operating System
■ Image Version
■ Flash Size
■ Memory Size
■ BIOS Version
You can select which columns to view. The following columns are available, but do
not appear:
■ Automation Partition
■ CPU
■ Domain Name
■ IP address
■ MAC address
To view Inventory columns
1 Right-click the Inventory pane. The Manage Inventory Columns dialog
appears.
2 You can add columns to either the Selected columns list or the Available
columns list by clicking the required arrows.
3 Click OK.

Toolbars and utilities

The toolbars and menus on the Ghost Solution Suite Console provide major features
and utility tools to deploy and manage computers from the console. From the Main
toolbar, you can create new jobs and computer accounts and run basic deployment
tasks. On the Tools toolbar, you can launch Ghost Solution Suite administration
tools and package editing tools. It also includes icons to quickly run commonly used
remote operations.
See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.

Ghost Solution Suite utility tools

The Ghost Solution Suite Console lets you open utility programs from the Tools
menu or from the Tools toolbar. You can launch Ghost Solution Suite administration
tools (Boot Disk Creator, PXE Configuration, Wise SetupCapture and Remote Agent
Installer) and package editing tools (Wise MSI Editor, PC Transplant Editor, and
Image Explorer) from the toolbar.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 72
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Table 3-1 Ghost Solution Suite utility tools

Tool Description

Boot Disk Creator Use this tool to create boot disk configurations, and
automation and network boot media to image client
computers. The Boot Disk Creator can maintain several
different boot disk configurations for different types of
network adapter cards. See Symantec Boot Disk Creator
help.

PXE Configuration After installing the PXE Server, you can create and modify
configurations, which make up the boot menu options that
appear on client computers. This is another option to boot
computers to automation. See the Symantec PXE
Configuration help.

Remote Agent Installer Remotely install the Deployment Agent on client computers
from the console. This utility lets you push the agent
installation to client computers from the Ghost Solution
Suite Console. DAgent is the default agent for all Windows
platforms.

PC Transplant Editor Use this tool to edit a Personality Package to add or

remove data. See the Symantec PC Transplant Help
located in the Ghost Solution Suite Share .

Image Explorer After a disk image is saved to the Ghost Solution Suite
Share , this tool lets you view and manage data in the
image file. You can edit and split an image, create an
index, and more. See the Symantec Image Explorer help
file located in the Ghost Solution Suite Share .

Wise MSI Editor Edit .MSI packages generated from the Wise Setup
Capture tool or other .MSI files used to distribute software
and other files.

Extending the tools menu

You can add commands to the Tools menu on the Ghost Solution Suite Console
to quickly access additional management applications. This lets you easily access
applications commonly used with Ghost Solution Suite.
Commands are added by modifying or adding new .INI files. You can insert
commands to the root ATools.ini file for the main menu or add new .INI files to
create submenus. Place both types of .INI files in the directory where the Ghost
Solution Suite Console executable (eXpress.exe) is located. The default location
is Program Files\Altiris\ eXpress\Deployment Server.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 73
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

You can add up to eight menu items to the main menu, and eight menu items for
each submenu.
These .INI fields are included for each application added to the "Tools > Symantec
Tools" menu:
[Application name or submenu declaration]
MenuText=<the application name displayed in the menu>
Description=<the name displayed when you mouse over the menu item>
WorkDir=<directory set as default when executable is run>
Executable=<path to the executable files>
The ATools.ini file extends the main Tools menu on the console. This sample file
contains one submenu, Web Tools, and two additional menu items, Notepad and
Netmeeting. The .INI files are located in the Ghost Solution Suite Share .
[Submenus]
Web Tools=wtools.ini
[Notepad]
MenuText=Notepad Editor
Description=Simple Editor
WorkDir=.
Executable=C:\WINNT\notepad.exe
[NetMeeting]
MenuText=NetMeeting
Description=NetMeeting
WorkDir=.
Executable=C:\Program Files\NetMeeting\conf.exe
Another Tools .INI file is wtools.ini. It is a submenu file referenced by the main
ATools.ini file. On the main menu, this is titled "Web Tools" (see Tools.ini) and
contains two applications, Internet Explorer and Adobe Acrobat.
[Explorer]
MenuText=Explorer
Description=Windows Explorer
WorkDir=.
Executable=C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\explorer.exe
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 74
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

[Acrobat]
MenuText=Acrobat Reader
Description=Acrobat Reader
WorkDir=.
Executable=C:\Program Files\Adobe\Acrobat\acrobat.exe

GhostCast Server
GhostCasting lets multiple computers running Symantec Ghost Solution Suite
receive the same information over a computer network simultaneously. For example,
you can send image files to multiple computers.
The GhostCast Server works with Ghost Solution Suite to create an image file of
a model computer or restore an image file onto a number of client computers.
The GhostCast Server supports the following forms of data transfer for transferring
files:
■ Unicasting
One Unicast stream of data is sent for each client computer
■ Direct Broadcasting
The data is sent to all computers on a specified subnet. If more than one subnet
is targeted, one stream is sent to each subnet.
■ Multicasting
The data is sent to all of the computers on the network that have requested the
data. Only one stream of data is sent.
The following table lists the fields and description of the GhostCast Server dialog.

Table 3-2 GhostCast Server

Field Description

Session Name Enter a name of the session

Image File Browse and select the image file that you
want to send to the client computers

Disk Select the disk of the client computer that you

want to restore.

Partition Select if the partition of the client computer

that you want to restore.

Restore Image Select if you want to restore an image.

 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 75
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Table 3-2 GhostCast Server (continued)

Field Description

Create Image Select if you want to create image of the client

computer.

More Options>> Displays the following options:

Client command line options

■ Disk No.
Select the disk number from the drop
down list
■ Partition No.
Select the partition number from the drop
down list
■ Command line
Enter the command to be executed
Auto Start

■ Time
Enter the time after which the session
should start automatically
■ Client count
Enter the number of clients on which the
task should start automatically
■ Timeout
Enter the time for which the GhostCast
Server waits after a client computer
receives the task.

Accept clients Select this option so that the GhostCast

Server waits till the clients connect.

Send Click to start the session.

Stop Click to stop the session.

To set the range of IP addresses and log settings, navigate to File > Options.
Following are the field and description of the Options dialog:
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 76
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Table 3-3 Options

Field Description

Force Mode Check the checkbox to enable Force Mode.

You can select from either of the following:

■ Unicast
■ Multicast
■ Direct Broadcast

Limit data throughput for You can set the maximum limit of the data
transferred:

■ Restoring
Set the limit for restoring in MB per minute
■ Creating
Set the limit for creating image in MB per
minute

Action on completion Select the action to be performed after the

GhostCast Server session is complete:

■ Restart Operation
Relaunches GhostCast Server
■ Close GhostCast Server
Exits the GhostCast Server

Use Specified Multicast Address Range Enter the range of IP addresses on which the
task should be performed.

Multicast scope TTL Set the multicast scope Time-To-Live (TTL)

value.

It specifies the number of routers (hops) that

multicast traffic is permitted to pass through
before expiring on the network.

Log Clients Browse to select the client logs.

 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 77
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Table 3-3 Options (continued)

Field Description

Troubleshooting You can set the type of logs to be captured

and select the path to store the log file.

■ Log Level
■ None
■ Error
■ Statistical
■ Warning
■ Information
■ All
■ Browse and select the log file in which the
logs are captured.

To create a job
You can create a job in one of the following ways:
■ Select any of the first six options from the Computers pane. All these jobs are
scheduled at the current time.

Note: The Schedule Computers for Job dialog does not have the Job Schedule
tab. Also, all the automation jobs have the default option selected for boot image.

■ Drag resources to the Computers pane or computers to the Resources pane to

schedule jobs at the current time.

Note: Ensure that you have the required permissions to drag and drop resources.

All thin client job details are saved in the Thin Client Jobs system folder. You cannot
delete or rename this new system folder from the console.
All the above options, except Properties, are disabled when the client is not active.

Note: All the jobs on the thin clients are automatically created and scheduled by
the console, and this happens only when the clients are active. When creating the
jobs, the console refers to the operating system type (platform) of the client.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 78
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Computer filters and job conditions

Use this dialog while creating a computer group filter to filter only the specified
computers in a computer group, or while setting conditions for task sets when
running a job only on the specified computers in a group.
See “Creating a computer group filter” on page 78.
See “Setting conditions for task sets” on page 168.

Creating conditions to assign jobs

You can set conditions on a scheduled job to run only on the computer devices that
match a defined criteria. As a result, you can create a single job with tasks defined
for computers with varying properties, including the type of the operating system,
network adapters, processors, free disk space, and other computer properties. For
each job, you can now create task sets that are applicable only to the computers
matching those conditions.
Click a job in the Jobs pane. The Condition feature appears in the Details pane.
Click Setup to add new conditions or edit existing conditions. When you are setting
conditions to schedule a job, select from a list of predefined database fields or
create custom tokens that key on other fields in the database.

Creating a computer group filter

The Computer Filters dialog displays a list of all computers in a group according
to the specified criteria. Example: You can create a filter to view all the computers
in a particular group that have Windows 2000, 256 MB of RAM, and 20 GB hard
disks only. By applying the filter, you can view all the computers that meet the
specified criteria in the Details pane of the Ghost Solution Suite Console.
Click a computer group in the Computers pane. The Filter feature appears in the
Details pane for the selected computer group. Click Setup to add new filters, or to
modify and delete existing computer filters.
To create or modify a computer filter
1 Click the All Computers group or any other computer group.
2 On the Filter bar in the Details pane, click Setup > New to create a new filter.
Or
Click Setup > Modify.
3 Type a name for the filter and click Add. The Filter Definition page appears.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 79
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

4 Define the conditions you want to filter.

Click the Field box to see a list of computer values stored in the Ghost Solution
Suite Database. Select a computer value and set the appropriate operation
from the Operations list. In the Value box, enter an appropriate value for the
selected database field. Example: You can choose Computer Name as the
Field, Contains as the Operation, and Sales as the Value.
5 Repeat to include other conditions. Click OK.

General options
Use the Program Options feature to set the general options for Ghost Solution Suite.
Click Tools > Options to view the Program Options dialog.
■ Console options
See “Console options” on page 79.
■ Global options
See “Global options” on page 80.
■ Task password options
■ Domain accounts options
■ RapiDeploy options
■ Agent settings options
■ Custom data sources options

Console options
Set basic console features for miscellaneous refresh actions and warning messages.
Scan resource files for changes every ____ seconds. Specify how frequently (in
seconds) the Ghost Solution Suite Console updates its view of package files in the
Resources view.
See Shortcuts and resources view.
Warn user when no tasks are assigned to the 'default' condition. When a job is
assigned to computers and the default condition has no tasks assigned, a message
appears. The job has no secondary default tasks assigned if a computer in the
group does not meet the primary conditions.
See Setting conditions for task sets.
Refresh displayed data every ____ seconds. Refresh the display of data accessed
from the Ghost Solution Suite Database. This lets you refresh console data at
defined intervals instead of updating every time the Ghost Solution Suite Console
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 80
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

receives a command from the server, which can be excessive traffic in large
enterprises.

Global options
Set global options for the Ghost Solution Suite server system.
Delete history entries older than _____ days. Specify the number of days entries
are kept in the history before they are deleted. Enter any number between 1 and
10,000. If you don't select this option, log entries remain in the history.
Remove inactive computers after ____ days. Specify the number of days you want
to keep inactive computers in the Ghost Solution Suite Database before they are
deleted. The default value is 30 days, but any number between 1 and 10,000 is
valid.
Synchronize display names with computer names. Automatically update the
displayed name of the managed computer names in the console when the client
computer name changes. If this option is not selected, changes to the computer
names are not reflected in the console. Synchronization is off by default. The names
do not have to be synchronized for the Ghost Solution Suite server to manage the
computer.
Reschedule failed image deployment jobs to immediately retry. Immediately retry
a failed image deployment job. The program continues to retry until the job succeeds
or until the job is cancelled.
Client/server file transfer port: _____. Specifies a static TCP port for file transfers
to the clients. The default value is 0 and causes the server to use a dynamic port.
This setting is useful if you have a firewall and need to use a specific port rather
than a dynamically assigned port.
Automatically replace expired trial licenses with available regular licenses. Lets
Ghost Solution Suite automatically assign a permanent license to the computer
after the trial license expires.

Note: Be careful when using this option. Ensure that you do not give a permanent
license to computers you do not want to manage after their trial license expires.

Display Imaging status on console. Displays the status of the imaging job on the
Ghost Solution Suite Console.
Remote control ports. Specifies ports for using the Remote Control feature. You
have the option to enter a primary port address and a secondary port address
(Optional).
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 81
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Remove task passwords when exporting or copying jobs. Specifies that you must
remove the task password when exporting or copying jobs.
Display only computers and jobs the user has rights to manage. Displays only the
computers and jobs that the user has rights to manage. If this option is not selected,
all of the computers and jobs are displayed. If this option is selected when security
is enabled and the logged-on user has administrator rights, all computers and jobs
are displayed. However, if this option is selected when security is enabled and the
logged-on user does not have administrator rights, that user's view is restricted to
see the jobs and computers that the user only has rights to. A computer is displayed
if the logged-on user has any permission on the computer's group or if the computer's
group inherits any permissions from a parent folder.
Do not update configuration data on a failed configuration task. If checked, does
not overwrite the data in the Ghost Solution Suite database if a configuration task
fails. The database is not updated until a successful configuration task finishes
running.
Primary lookup key(s). Specifies the lookup key type(s) used to associate a new
computer with a managed computer. The options are Serial Number, Asset Tag,
UUID, or MAC Address.
Sysprep Settings. This lets you enter global values for Sysprep.
See “ Sysprep settings” on page 81.

Sysprep settings
View and configure the Sysprep settings for the Ghost Solution Suite server.

OS product key dialog

In the OS Product Key dialog, select the suitable operating system from the
Operating System drop-down list. After you select the operating system, a list of all
product keys for the selected operating system appears. Select an operating system
from the Operating System drop-down list, and click Add to type the Product Key.
You can type up to 29 characters for the Product Key. The new product key is added
to the list of available keys of the selected operating system.
To modify a product key, select the product key to be modified, and click Edit. To
remove a product key, select the product key to be deleted, and click Remove.

Note: If the product key is being used by another task, you cannot delete the product
key. You are prompted with a message stating that the product key is being used
by another task.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 82
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Task password options

According to the network and security properties, the passwords for administrators
and users change after a certain number of days. In such a scenario, the password
becomes invalid and all jobs and tasks using the user name whose password
changes must be modified to use the new password. The Task Password option
provides administrators with a simple option to manage all password changes from
a centralized location.
This feature lets you set or change user passwords from a central location, so you
can modify the password for the Copy File to, Distribute Software, Run Script,
Distribute Personality, and Capture Personality tasks when creating or modifying
jobs. However, this tab is enabled only to administrators and select users who have
been granted the appropriate privileges.
The Status field displays the results of password updates. Example: User A's user
name and password is used in ten tasks. If you want to update the password for
these ten tasks, you can do so through the Task Password option. After the
password is updated, the Status field displays the message: Password for 10 tasks
updated.

Domain accounts options

This sign-on feature retrieves the name of the administrator (or the user with
administration rights) and the password for each domain. This feature lets you avoid
needing to log on for each managed computer when you run imaging and
configuration jobs.
You can provide the user credentials for the parent domain or a trusted domain in
this window. Ghost Solution Suite supports the UPN and SAM formats, and it accepts
either the parent domain user's credentials or the domain user's credentials for any
configuration jobs.
Click Add to enter the Domain name. The Add Domain Account page appears.
Enter the name of the selected domain and provide the administrator credentials.
Click OK. The administrator name and domain are listed in the Domain Accounts
list box.

Note: To enter the administrator user name for a Windows XP domain, you must
add both the domain name and the user name. Example: Instead of entering only
the user name jdoe, you must enter domainName\jdoe.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 83
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

RapiDeploy options
This feature optimizes the multicasting ability of the RapiDeploy application in the
Ghost Solution Suite server, letting you deploy images to a group of computers
simultaneously, download an image from a file server, or access a local hard drive,
and manage the imaging of several client computers concurrently.
Because RapiDeploy is more efficient when writing directly to the IP address of the
network adapter driver, you can enter a range of IP addresses when using the
multicasting feature for faster computer deployment and management. The Ghost
Solution Suite server accesses the range of computers using the defined IP pairs
and avoids retrieving the computers through the port and operating system layers.
However, because some network adapter cards do not handle multiple multicast
addresses, you can also identify a range of ports to identify these computers. On
the first pass, the Ghost Solution Suite server accesses the selected computers
using the list of IP numbers. On the second pass, the Ghost Solution Suite server
accesses the selected computers using the port numbers or higher level operating
system IDs.

Note: Multicasting images are not supported when using the UNDI driver on PXE,
and are disabled on the client.

Click Reset to set the default values.

Agent settings options

These are the default agent settings for new computers. Click Change Default
Settings to change Windows Agents Settings for Windows and DOS. The Change
Default Settings option is enabled only if you select the Force new agents to take
these default settings or the Force new Automation agents to take these default
settings option. Set Deployment Agent settings for new computer accounts or set
Deployment Agent settings for DOS for new computers.
These default settings are applied only for new client computers that have never
connected to the Ghost Solution Suite server, and have no information stored in
the Ghost Solution Suite Database. These settings are not for the existing managed
computers, nor are these settings applied when setting properties using the Remote
Agent Installer.
When the Deployment Agent connects, the Ghost Solution Suite server verifies if
the computer is a new or an existing computer. If the client computer is new and if
the Force new agents to take these default settings option is selected, the
Deployment Agent on the client computer receives the default settings established
in the Options > Agent Settings dialog. If the computer is recognized as an existing
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 84
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

managed computer, it uses the existing agent settings. The same process occurs
for automation agents if the Force new Automation agents to take these default
settings option is selected.
Force new agents to take these default settings. Select this option to force the
default settings when adding a new computer.
Force new Automation agents to take these default settings. Select this option to
force the default settings when adding a new automation agent connects.

Custom data sources options

This option lets you set up credentials to authenticate to external Ghost Solution
Suite Databases and other Microsoft SQL Server databases to extract data using
custom tokens. Click Add to enter an administrator alias and other login information
for the Microsoft SQL Server (or MSDE) hosting the desired Ghost Solution Suite
Database.
The information required to create a custom data source entry is listed below:
■ Alias. The alias name you want to use when referencing the external SQL
database.
■ Server. The name of the external SQL database server or IP address.
■ Database. The name of the external database from which you want to extract
data.
■ Use Integrated Authentication. This option authenticates to the external database
using the domain account you are currently logged on as.
■ User name and Password. When the integrated authentication is not being used,
you must provide a user name and password to authenticate to the external
database.
■ Allowed Stored Procedures. Click this tab to modify the existing list.
See “ Allowed stored procedure list” on page 84.

Allowed stored procedure list

Click Allowed Stored Procedures to identify the stored procedures from the selected
custom data source. You can now select from the list of available stored procedures
in the data source. This lets you call stored procedures outside of the Ghost Solution
Suite Database (eXpress database) using custom tokens within scripts or answer
files.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 85
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Virtual centers options

You can keep a list of all VMware Virtual Center Web services. The hosts and virtual
computers from each Virtual Center that have corresponding computers in the
Ghost Solution Suite Database appear in the computer tree. These virtual computers
appear under the Virtual computers node in the Computers pane.
Click Add. On the Virtual Center page, enter the Display name, Server hostname,
and Username. By default, the port number is displayed. You can also set up a
password for the selected user.

Security in Ghost Solution Suite

Ghost Solution Suite provides a security system based on associating job and
computer objects with user and group permissions, letting IT personnel be assigned
to different security groups to manage operations on specific computer groups or
job folders. Each security group can perform only a defined scope of deployment
operations on each computer group or job folder. Additionally, each user can be
assigned rights to access general console features. You can also choose whether
to specify that scripts on run only on the Ghost Solution Suite server.

Note: Security rights and permissions set in one console are enforced in all Ghost
Solution Suite Consoles.

To set general security rights, click Tools > Security and add a user name and
password. You can create users and groups and set scope-based rights.
To set feature-based permissions for specific computers or jobs, select the object
in the console, right-click and select Permissions.
See “ Best practices for Ghost Solution Suite security” on page 85.
See “Enabling security” on page 86.
See “Setting permissions” on page 91.,
See “Groups” on page 88.
See “Rights” on page 89.

Best practices for Ghost Solution Suite security

Ghost Solution Suite is based on defining groups of users and groups of computers
and jobs, and associating one with another. We recommend that you first create
user groups based on administration duties or access to levels of deployment
operations. For example, You probably set up a group with full Administrator rights.
This group has access to run all operations on all computers using all types of jobs.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 86
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

No permissions need to be set on each computer group or job folders for the
Administrator group because this has full rights to all features and resources.
However, you can also set up a Technician group that has only basic access and
permissions limiting deployment operations. This prohibits members of the group
from re-imaging the Server computer group or scheduling Distribute Disk Image
jobs. You can explicitly Allow or Deny the group from running these operations for
each computer group in the Computers pane or each job folder in the Jobs pane.
After creating the Technician group, you can limit their rights to set General Options
and set permissions on each computer groups and job folder for the group. You
can select the computer group, right-click it and select Permissions. Select the
group name in the left pane, and click Allow or Deny for a list of deployment
operations. Example: You can select the Deny check boxes for Restore, Schedule
Create Disk Image, and Schedule Distribute Disk Image.
Additional groups can be created with different rights and permissions depending
on the needs and responsibilities in the IT team. If users are assigned to multiple
groups, the Evaluate Permissions and Evaluate Rights features are sorted and
display effective permissions and rights.

Enabling security
You can enable security by first creating a group with Administrator rights, adding
a user to the Administrator group, and selecting Enable Security.

Note: When the Administrator Right is selected, you do not need to select any other
rights because the Administrator Right implies that all other rights are selected.

To enable security
1 Click Tools > Security.
The Security dialog appears.
2 Click the Manage User Groups tab and click Add. The Add User Group
dialog appears.
3 Select the authentication type. You can add a DS group or a group from the
Active Directory. To add groups from Active Directory, refer to the following
section:
See “Adding groups from the Active Directory” on page 88.
4 Click DS Group.

Note: The Browse option is disabled for Local Group.

 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 87
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

5 Type a name and description in the Add User Group dialog. Click OK.
The group name appears in the window.
6 Select the new group name and click Rights.
7 Select Administrator in the Rights dialog. This assigns complete rights and
permissions to the group. Click OK, and click Close.
8 On the main Security dialog, click the Manage Users tab, and click Add.
The Add User Account dialog appears.
9 Select the authentication type. You can add a GSS user or a user from the
Active Directory. To add users from the Active Directory, refer to the following
sections:
See “Adding groups from the Active Directory” on page 88.
10 Select the GSS User option in the Add User Account dialog.

Note: The Browse option is disabled for GSS User.

11 Type the user name, full name, and password. Retype the password, and enter
a description for the user. Click OK.
12 Select the user name in the main Security dialog. Click Rights.
13 Click the name of the new Administrator group in the Groups window. This
assigns the new user to the new group with Administrator rights. Click OK.

Note: You can assign the user Administrator rights directly, but we recommend
you to assign users to groups.

See “ Best practices for Ghost Solution Suite security” on page 85.
14 Now that you have a user with administrator rights, select the Enable Security
box.
Security is now enabled. You can now create users and groups and assign
permissions to computer groups and job folders.
You can add users from the Active Directory.
Adding users from the Active Directory
1 In the main Security dialog, click the Manage Users tab, and click Add.
2 Select the AD User option in the Add User Account dialog.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 88
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

3 If you know the user name, type it in the User name field, or click Browse to
select the user from the Active Directory.
The password field is deactivated because the user is being added from the
Active Directory.

Note: You can add only one user at a time. To import users, see Importing
users from the Active Directory.

4 Enter a description for the user in the Description box.

5 Click OK.

Importing users from the Active Directory

You can also import users from the Active Directory. To open a standard Windows
Active Directory dialog, from the main Security dialog, click the Manage Users
tab, and click AD Import. Add users from Active Directory, not groups. The users
are added to the Ghost Solution Suite Database. However, you still need to assign
the users to security groups with appropriate rights and permissions.

Note: When logging on with the imported AD account, Ghost Solution Suite accessed
the Windows Active Directory server to validate the user password.

Groups
Assign the user to previously created groups. If you are enabling security, you can
assign the user to a group with Administration rights.
To add groups, from the Security dialog, click the Manage User Groups tab, and
click Add. Select the authentication type, and type the required details. You can
view the members of any group by clicking the group in the Manage User Groups
dialog and clicking View Members.
See “ Best practices for Ghost Solution Suite security” on page 85.
See “Enabling security” on page 86.

Adding groups from the Active Directory

You can add users from the Active Directory.
To add groups from the Active Directory
1 In the main Security dialog, click Manage User Groups tab, and click Add.
2 Select AD Group in the Add User Group dialog.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 89
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

3 If you know the group name, enter it in the Name field, or click Browse to
select the group from the Active Directory. A list of groups, along with their
descriptions, appears in a new dialog. Select a group from the list and click
OK.
4 The Name, Domain, and Description are displayed. However, you can modify
the description. Click OK.
The newly added group appears in the main Security dialog.

Importing groups from the Active Directory

You can also import users from the Active Directory. In the main Security dialog,
click the Manage User Groups tab, and click AD Import to open a standard
Windows Active Directory dialog. Add groups from Active Directory. You can
choose a domain from the Domain List, and select a group from the displayed list.
The group is added to the Ghost Solution Suite Database. However, you still need
to assign the users to security groups with appropriate rights and permissions.

DS authentication
If the user is already in the Ghost Solution Suite Database and tries to access the
Ghost Solution Suite Console, the Ghost Solution Suite server checks the
authentication with the logged on user, and upon matching does not prompt for
user credentials. Similarly, if a group is already added in the Ghost Solution Suite
Database and if a logged-on user, who is a part of the AD group, tries to access
the Ghost Solution Suite Console, the Ghost Solution Suite server does not prompt
for credentials.

Rights
This dialog lets you set general rights for a user or group.
To verify, add, or change the rights assigned to each console user
1 On the Security page, select a user and click Rights.
2 Click the Rights tab.
3 Select the check box for each right you want to grant.
4 After selecting all applicable rights, click OK to save your changes.
A brief explanation of each Ghost Solution Suite server right that can be assigned
is given below:
■ Administrator. Lets the user access all features available on the Ghost Solution
Suite Console. You must have Administrator rights to enable security.
See Enabling security.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 90
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

■ Options Console. Lets you set the view and the Console options.
See Console options.
■ Options Global. Lets you set the view and the Global options.
See Global options.
■ Options Domain Accounts. Lets you set the view and the Domains Accounts
options.
See Domain accounts options.
■ Options RapiDeploy. Lets you set the view and the RapiDeploy options.
See RapiDeploy options.
■ Options Agent Settings. Lets you set the view and the Agent Settings options.
See Agent settings options.
■ Options Custom Data Sources. Lets you create Custom Data Sources options.
See Custom data sources options. You can view, create, and set database
aliases.
■ Manage Rejected Computers. Lets you view rejected computers in Ghost
Solution Suite and change their status.
See Rejected computers in Ghost Solution Suite.
■ Refresh Clients. Lets you refresh Ghost Solution Suite clients. See Refresh
Ghost Solution Suite. You can use the View > Refresh clients <CTRL +F5>
feature to disconnect and reconnect client computers.
■ Allow Scheduling on All Computers Group. Lets you schedule jobs on All
Computers. If you have administrator rights, by default, you have the rights to
schedule job on all computers, irrespective of the check box state. You can
grant this right to a specific user or a group.
■ Import/Export. Lets you import and export jobs and import computers as well.
See Importing and exporting jobs and Importing new computers from a text file.
■ Options Task Password. Lets you centrally update passwords for users and
groups so they can access the Copy File to, Distribute Software, Run Script,
Distribute Personality, and Capture Personality tasks. You must have
administrative rights to access this option.
See Task password options.
■ Use PXE Configuration Utility. Lets you use the PXE Configuration Utility.
■ Options Virtual Centers. Lets you view and add options for Virtual Centers.
See Virtual centers options.
■ Run Script on DS. Lets you choose to run scripts either on the server or on the
client.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 91
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

■ Access to Master Return Code. If unchecked, restricts access to the master

return code list. If checked, lets you modify the master return code list.
■ Allow DeployAnywhere. Lets you run DeployAnywhere to create hardware
independent images. This functionality is provided by Symantec Ghost Imaging
Foundation (GIF). To add and manage drivers, on the Tools menu, click the
new DeployAnywhere option. To enable this functionality, select the
DeployAnywhere option from the deploy image task. For more information about
DeployAnywhere or Ghost, see the Symantec Ghost Imaging Foundation
documentation.

Restricting the number of computers

This dialog lets you restrict the maximum number of computers that can be selected.
Restricing the number of computers
1 On the Security page, select a user and click Rights.
2 Click the Restrictions tab.
3 Type the maximum number of computers that each job can be scheduled on.
4 Check the box if you want this user to be able to schedule jobs to run
immediately.
5 Click OK to save your changes.

Setting permissions
Set permissions for jobs, job folders, computers, and computer groups.
See “ Best practices for Ghost Solution Suite security” on page 85. for additional
design tips.
Setting permissions
1 Right-click on a computer group or job folder (or individual computers and jobs)
and select Permissions. The Object Security dialog appears.
2 Click the Groups tab and select a group name. Or click the User tab and select
a user name.
3 From the list in the right pane, select if you want to Accept or Deny permission
to run the operations on the selected computer or job objects. These
permissions include access to remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite
and features for scheduling Deployment tasks.
See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.
See “Deployment tasks” on page 170.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 92
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

4 Select the Allow or Deny check box to explicitly set security permissions for
these Ghost Solution Suite features for the selected objects.

Note: Administrators have access to all objects with unrestricted rights and
permissions. You cannot explicitly deny permissions to computer or job objects
for users with administrator rights.

5 To assign permissions to multiple groups, click Set permissions on all child

objects to assign the values without closing the dialog.

Note: You can set permissions for all jobs and computers by clicking in the Jobs
pane or Computers pane without selecting a job or computer object.

Connecting to another Ghost Solution Suite server

From the Ghost Solution Suite Console, you can connect to other Ghost Solution
Suite servers on your LAN and manage computers outside of the network segment
you are currently logged on to. To open a connection, you must connect to the
Ghost Solution Suite Database of the preferred Ghost Solution Suite server
connection using the ODBC Data Source Administrator.
Click File > Connect to or press CTRL+O to open the Connect to Ghost Solution
Suite Server dialog. Enter the required information to connect to the external Ghost
Solution Suite server connections using an ODBC driver.

Note: Although you are accessing another connection (another Ghost Solution Suite
Database), Windows remembers the last place you browsed to, which would be
the Ghost Solution Suite Share of the previous Ghost Solution Suite server
connection. You need to browse to the new connection's Ghost Solution Suite Share
to access its shared folder that contains its RIPs, images, executables, and other
resources.

Connecting to a new Ghost Solution Suite Database

1 Click New. The Define Connection Information dialog appears.
2 Enter a name for the connection to be opened.
3 Establish an ODBC data source.
■ Click ODBC Administrator.
■ Click the System DSN tab, and click Add.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 93
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

■ Select the SQL Server driver source and click Finish.

■ In the Create a New Data Source to SQL Server dialog, enter a name and
description for the data source.
■ If an entry for your server already exists, select it from the menu. Otherwise,
enter the name of the server hosting your remote SQL server in this field.
Click Next.
■ Click Next in the Create a New Data Source to SQL Server dialog to
accept the default settings for authentication.
■ Select the Change the default database to option and select eXpress from
the drop-down list. Click Next.
■ Click Finish. The specifications for the new ODBC data source appear.
■ Click Test Data Source to verify that the source is reachable.
■ Click OK. You return to the main ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog
with your new data source listed in the System DSN tab. Click OK.

4 From the ODBC Data source name drop-down list in the Define Connection
Information dialog, select the new Data Source name you just created.
5 In the Installation Directory path field, enter or browse the full UNC path (or
path using any locally mapped drive) to the directory of the required Ghost
Solution Suite server, such as:
\\server\express or H:
6 Click OK.

Rejected computers in Ghost Solution Suite

When an unwanted managed client computers attaches to your Ghost Solution
Suite system, you can right-click the computer in the Computers pane and select
Advanced > Reject Connection. You can view these rejected computers by clicking
View > Rejected Computers.
The rejected computers are prohibited from being active in the Ghost Solution Suite
Database. They are identified and rejected by their MAC address.
You can remove computers from the Rejected Computers list by selecting it and
clicking Accept Computer(s). This lets the computer to attach again and be
managed by the Ghost Solution Suite system.
 Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console 94
Managing from the Ghost Solution Suite Console

Refresh Ghost Solution Suite

You can refresh the Ghost Solution Suite Console by clicking View > Refresh
Console (or pressing <F5>) to update data from the Ghost Solution Suite Database.
You can also click View > Reset Client Connections (or press Ctrl+<F5>) to
disconnect and reconnect all managed computers in a Ghost Solution Suite server
system.
When you refresh the managed client computers, you are asked if you want to
disconnect all computers. Click Yes. This tells the Ghost Solution Suite Agent to
shut down and restart. It also creates additional network traffic when all computers
connect and disconnect. By refreshing the managed client computers, you ensure
that you are viewing the current status and state of all computers resources in your
system.
 Chapter 4
Managing Computers
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Managing computers

■ Viewing computer details

■ Adding new computers

■ Computer configuration properties

■ Ghost Solution Suite Agents

■ Computer properties

■ Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

■ Deploying and managing servers

■ New Dynamic Machine Groups

Managing computers
From the Computers pane of a Ghost Solution Suite console, you can identify,
deploy, and manage all computer resources across your organization, including
desktop computers, notebook computers, network and Web servers, and network
switches. You can quickly modify any computer's configuration settings or view its
complete management history. Or you can take on big projects, such as completely
re-image the hard drive, restore software, and migrate personality settings for a
whole department. You now have management of all your computer resources
available from a Windows console from any location.
All computer resources can be accessed and managed as single computers or
organized into computer groups with similar hardware configurations or deployment
requirements, letting you run deployment jobs or execute operations on multiple
 Managing Computers 96
Managing computers

computers simultaneously. You can use search features to locate a specific computer
in the Ghost Solution Suite Database, or set filters to sort computers by type,
configuration, operating system, or other criteria.
Manage with computer icons. Major computer types are identified by a computer
icon in the console, with a list of scheduled jobs and operations associated with
each computer. In the Ghost Solution Suite Console, you can assign and schedule
deployment jobs to computers or groups by dragging the computer icon to a job in
the Jobs pane, or vice versa.
See “Viewing computer details” on page 97.

Computer icons appear in the Computers pane of the

Ghost Solution Suite Console, where they can be
organized into groups. To assign and schedule a job on
a computer in the Ghost Solution Suite Server Console,
drag a computer icon or group icon to a job icon.

Add new computers. Ghost Solution Suite lets you add new computer accounts
and set configuration properties for new computers before they are recognized by
the Ghost Solution Suite Server system. Preset computer accounts automatically
associate with new computers when they start up, or can be associated with
pre-configured computers.
See “Adding new computers” on page 99.

Click New Computer on the console to create a new

computer account. You can also click File > New >
Computer or right-click in the Computers pane and select
New Computer.

When the new computer starts up, you can assign it a

preset account.

Click New Group on the console to add a new group in

the Computers pane of the Ghost Solution Suite Console.
You can also click File > New > Computer Group or
right-click in the Computers pane and select New Group.

Deploy to groups of computers. Organize computers by department, network

container, hardware configuration, software requirements, or any other structure
to meet your needs. You can deploy and provision computers on a mass scale.
To filter computers in a computer group and to schedule jobs only to the appropriate
computer types.
See “Computer filters and job conditions” on page 78.
 Managing Computers 97
Viewing computer details

Configure Computer Agents

See “Ghost Solution Suite Agents ” on page 115.
View and configure computer properties. You can modify computer settings for
each computer from the console. Or you can view the Computer Properties page
for detailed access to a computer's hardware, software, and network property
settings.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.
See “Computer properties ” on page 125.
Run remote operations from the console. Perform operations quickly in real time
from a Ghost Solution Suite Console. Restore a computer to a previous state,
configure property settings, send a file, remote control, chat, set security, run
deployment jobs, or select from additional management commands.
See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.
Build and schedule jobs. Build deployment jobs with one or more management
tasks to run on selected computers. Create jobs, add tasks, and assign the job to
computer groups. Jobs can be organized and assigned for daily tasks or to handle
major IT upgrades.
See “Building and scheduling jobs ” on page 159.
Manage Servers. Ghost Solution Suite also manages network or Web servers to
administrate high-density server farms or server network resources across your
organization.

Viewing computer details

In Ghost Solution Suite, a computer resource is identified in the console with a
distinctive icon to display the computer type - Windows desktop or notebook, server,
or Linux operating system - and its current status. These computer icons change
to convey the state of the computer, such as the log on status, server waiting status,
or user with a timed license status. You can also view the status of the jobs assigned
to the selected computer in the Details pane of a Ghost Solution Suite Console.
See “Viewing job details” on page 160.
The following is a sample list of computer icons displayed in each Ghost Solution
Suite Console, identifying the computer type and state.

A computer connected to the Ghost Solution Suite Server with a

user logged on.
 Managing Computers 98
Viewing computer details

A computer connected to the Ghost Solution Suite Server, but the

user is not logged on.

A computer with a time-limited user license and a user logged on.

A computer not currently connected to the Ghost Solution Suite

Server, but known to the Ghost Solution Suite Database.

A pre-configured computer with values defined in advance using the

New Computer feature. As soon as the computer connects, the Ghost
Solution Suite Server recognizes the new computer and this icon
appears.

See “Adding new computers” on page 99.

A managed computer waiting for user interaction before running

deployment tasks. This icon appears if the Workstations check box
is selected in Initial Deployment.

See “Sample jobs ” on page 227.

A computer identified as a master computer used to broadcast

images to other client computers.

A managed server connected to the Ghost Solution Suite Server

with a user logged on. Additional icons identify different states of
server deployment.

A managed Linux computer connected to the Ghost Solution Suite

Server with a user logged on. Additional icons identify different states
of Linux computer deployment.

Physical view of Rack/Enclosure/Bay components for high-density

server systems. These icons appear as physical representations to
allow management of different levels of the server structure. In
addition, server icons identify logical server partitions. See “Bay ”
on page 127. for properties and rules to deploy Rack/Enclosure/Bay
servers.
 Managing Computers 99
Adding new computers

Select the New Computers or All Computers group to run jobs or

operations for these default groups identified by an icon in the
Computers pane.

Additional computer groups can be added to the Computers pane

to organize similar computer types or to list computers of similar
departments or locations. Click the New Group icon on the toolbar
or select File > New > Computer Group to create a new group.

Adding new computers

Computers can be added to the Ghost Solution Suite Database using the following
methods:
■ Install the Ghost Solution Suite Agent. If you install the Ghost Solution Suite
Agent to a computer with the operating system already installed, the computer
is added automatically to the Ghost Solution Suite Database at startup. New
computers with the Ghost Solution Suite Agent installed are added to the All
Computers groups (unless otherwise specified in the Ghost Solution Suite
Agent configuration). You can move the computer to another group if required.
■ Use Initial Deployment to configure and deploy new computers booting
to automation. Starting up a new computer with the Automation Agent lets you
image the hard drive, assign IP and network settings, distribute personal settings
and software, and install the Ghost Solution Suite Agent for new computers.
Using Initial Deployment, you can associate new computers with pre-configured
computer accounts. These newly configured computers appear in the New
Computers group.
See “Sample jobs ” on page 227.
■ Create or import computer accounts from the Ghost Solution Suite Console.
You can add new computers using the New Computer feature or import
computers using a delimited text file. You can pre-configure computer accounts
by adding names and network settings from the console.
See “Creating a new computer account” on page 101.

About new computers

When a new computer starts up, if Ghost Solution Suite Server recognizes the MAC
address provided in a New Computer account or import file, it automatically
associates the user account at startup with the New Computer icon. If this value is
not provided, the computer appears as a pre-configured computer account, letting
you associate it with a new computer.
 Managing Computers 100
Adding new computers

The New Computer icon appears for a new computer if the MAC
Address is provided when creating a new computer account using
any import or new computer account feature.

A pre-configured computer account icon appears if specific hardware

data (MAC Address) is not known. As soon as the computer starts
up and is associated with a pre-configured computer account, Ghost
Solution Suite Server recognizes the new computer and this icon
appears.

Pre-configured computer account

A pre-configured computer account can be associated with a new computer using
the Initial Deployment feature. You can create multiple pre-configured computer
accounts and associate the account with a new computer when it boots to
automation. At startup, the configuration settings and jobs assigned to the
pre-configured computer account can be associated with the new computer.
Ghost Solution Suite provides features to create a pre-configured computer account
to pre-define a computer's configuration settings and assign customized jobs to
that computer even if you do not know that computer's MAC address. This type of
computer is known as a pre-configured computer account.
Pre-configured computer accounts offer a lot of power and flexibility, especially
when you need to deploy several computers to individual users with specific needs.
Pre-configuring a computer account saves your time because you can configure
the computer before it arrives on site. You can set up as much configuration
information (such as computer name, workgroup name, and IP address) as you
have about the computer and apply it to the new computer when it comes online.
You can also prepare jobs prior to the arrival of the new computer to deploy the
computer using customized images, .MSIs, and .RIPs, based on a user's specific
needs.
Example: A user might request Windows 2000 with Office 2000 and virus scanning
software installed on the new computer. The user also might request that the
computer personality (customized user settings, address books, bookmarks, familiar
desktop settings) be migrated from the old system. You can build any job, including
any of the available tasks, and assign it to a pre-configured computer account.
When the new computer finally arrives, you are ready to deploy it because you
have done all the work in advance. Boot the client computer to automation, and the
new computer can connect to the server and become a managed computer. Now
you can perform an Initial Deployment or run a deployment imaging job on the new
computer.
 Managing Computers 101
Adding new computers

Creating a new computer account

You can create computer accounts for individual computers or for computer groups.
When creating new accounts for computer groups, you can automatically assign
new names and associate them with existing computer groups or the New Computer
group.

Click the New Computer icon on the console to create a new

computer account. You can also click File > New > Computer or
right-click in the Computers pane and select New Computer.

To create a new computer account

1 In the New Computers dialog, click Add. The New Computer Properties
page appears.
2 Enter names and configuration settings for each new computer account using
the Computer Configuration screens.
for a description of the configuration settings.

Note: If you do not enter a MAC address, the computer you create or import
becomes a virtual computer.

3 (Optional) Click Import to add new computers from a delimited text file.
See “Importing new computers from a text file” on page 102.
4 Click OK.
A pre-configured computer account icon appears in the Computers pane.
When a new computer starts up, you can assign it to this preset account.
You can create computer accounts and automatically assign predefined names.
These computer accounts can be associated with computers in a selected computer
group.
To create and associate multiple computer accounts
1 Select a computer group, including the New Computers group (empty groups
cannot access features). Right-click and select the Configure command. The
Computer Configuration Properties dialog appears.
2 Enter names and configuration settings for each new computer account using
the Computer Configuration screens.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.
 Managing Computers 102
Adding new computers

3 (Optional) Click the Microsoft Networking category and click Define Range.
■ In the Fixed text field, enter a base computer name. Example: Sales.
■ In the Range start field, enter a numeral or letter to add to the Fixed Text
name. This creates a unique name for a group of computers starting with
the specified character. The range of numerals and letters is assigned to
the computer name. Example: Enter 3.
■ Select Append to add the range of numerals after the computer name.
Clear the check box to add names before the computer name.
In the above example, the Result field displays computer names beginning
with Sales3 and ending with Sales12.

4 Click Associate. You can now associate computers in a group (including the
New Computers group) with the multiple computer accounts.
5 Click OK.

Importing new computers from a text file

You can import computer configuration data using delimited text files (.TXT, .CSV,
or .IMP files) to establish multiple computer accounts in the Ghost Solution Suite
Server database. This file contains all configuration data for a new computer,
including all settings in the Computer Properties of a selected computer.
See “Computer properties ” on page 125.
1 Click File > Import/Export > Import Computers.
A dialog appears, letting you select import files. These files can have .XML,
.TXT, .CSV, or .IMP extensions.
2 Select the import file. Click Open. If a correctly formatted computer import file
is selected, a message appears, informing you that the computer import is
complete and identifying the number of computers added. Click OK.
New computers appear as pre-configured computer accounts in the Computers
pane of the console (as single computers or in groups), and any jobs imported
from the import file are listed in the Jobs pane.

Note: Jobs can be added to the import file. They can be created and associated
with the new computers.

If the computer import file is incorrectly formatted, a warning appears, stating

that the computer import file is incorrect.
3 Edit computer settings by selecting a computer from the list and clicking
Properties.
 Managing Computers 103
Computer configuration properties

4 The Computer Properties page opens. You can edit or add values not set in
the import file, such as computer name, TCP/ IP settings, user name, and other
configuration settings.
5 Click OK.
The imported computers appear in the Computers pane of the Ghost Solution
Suite Console.
You can also import a computer to be placed in a sub-folder in the Computers
pane and create a job to be associated with the imported computer. See the sample
import file for additional information.

Referencing the sample import file

When creating an import file, use either the ImportComputers55.txt file or the
ImportComputers55.xls file in the Samples folder of the Ghost Solution Suite
Share . The ImportComputers55.txt file provides a sample import template you
can access to test the Import feature. The ImportComputers55.xls file is a Microsoft
Excel spreadsheet that lets you add values to each identified column and save the
file as a delimited TXT file to import to the Ghost Solution Suite Database. The
sample import file places a computer (DB Computer 1) in a computer group (Test
Group) and adds a job (Test Job) associated with the imported computer.

Deploying new computers on a mass scale

If you need to deploy large numbers of computers (100 to 5,000), consider using
a barcode scanning system to collect user information (names, operating system,
and application needs) and computer information (MAC address, serial numbers,
asset tags). You can save this information to a file, which can be imported into the
New Computers List View. Depending on the number of incoming computers, the
amount of information you have about those computers, and the needs of individual
users, you can use either the pre-configured computer account method (best for
smaller numbers of new computers) or the Initial Deployment job (best when
deploying generic setups by departments or groups).
If you are using an import file, ensure you know the primary lookup key. This
information is required by Ghost Solution Suite Server to set up a unique computer.
The primary lookup key can be the Serial Number, Asset Tag, UUID, or MAC
address.

Computer configuration properties

These computer property settings can be viewed, set, and modified when performing
the following computer management operations:
■ See “Adding new computers” on page 99.
 Managing Computers 104
Computer configuration properties

■ See “Modifying configuration” on page 208.

Create or edit property settings in a deployment job.
■ See “Sample jobs ” on page 227.
Click the configuration group icons to set additional computer property values. After
you edit these computer property settings, the computer restarts so that the changes
can take effect.

General configuration settings Set the most important value from this property sheet. It
includes the name of the computer in Ghost Solution Suite,
the NetBIOS name of the computer, the MAC address and
other settings.

Microsoft networking Set the Windows name of the computer and the Workgroup
configuration settings or Domain settings.

TCP/IP configuration settings Set the TCP/IP addresses for one or more network adapters.

NetWare client configuration Set Novell Directory Services client logon options.
settings

Operating system licensing Set the registered user name and view the hashed installation
configuration settings license key for the installed operating system.

User account configuration Set the local Windows user account values.
settings

General configuration settings

The General category provides access to important property settings that are also
listed in other configuration categories. Click other category icons to view and set
additional configuration properties.

Table 4-1 General configuration settings

Field Description

Name Provides a name that appears in the Ghost

Solution Suite Console (not the BIOS name
of the computer).
Note: The Name field is disabled for multiple
computer configuration.

MAC address The serial number of the computer's

motherboard.
 Managing Computers 105
Computer configuration properties

Table 4-1 General configuration settings (continued)

Field Description

Serial Number The serial number of the computer's

motherboard.

Asset Tag The asset tag of the computer, if available.

UUID The UUID of the computer.

Computer Name The Windows name of the computer.

IP Address Current IP address of the computer. Multiple

IP addresses are listed in this box.

Registered User The name of the user who registered the

operating system software.

License key The hash value rendered from the OEM key
or 25-digit license key required when installing
the operating system.

User name The user name for the local Windows user
account.

Full name The full name for the local Windows user
account.

Password The password for the local Windows user

account.

See “Computer configuration properties”

on page 103.

Microsoft networking configuration settings

Enter the computer name and workgroup or domain property settings for the
managed computer. If you are using Active Directory, you can add computers to a
domain and a specified organizational unit (OU).
Use Sysprep to generate unique SIDs. This can be done by manually running the
utility or selecting this feature while installing the Ghost Solution Suite Agent.
 Managing Computers 106
Computer configuration properties

Table 4-2 Microsoft networking configuration settings

Field Description

Computer name This is the NetBIOS name for the computer.

The name must be unique in the network and
limited to 15 characters.
Note: This field is disabled for multiple
computer configuration.
 Managing Computers 107
Computer configuration properties

Table 4-2 Microsoft networking configuration settings (continued)

Field Description

Define Range Click to create a sequential range of computer

names. The Computer Name Range dialog
appears. For new computers, set a range of
names for multiple new computers.

■ Fixed text
Enter the text portion of the name that you
want to associate with each computer.
Example: MARKETING.
■ Range start
Enter a whole number to add to the fixed
text. Example: 1.
■ Range start
Enter a whole number to add to the fixed
text. Example: 1.
■ Append
Select this check box to add the range
after the fixed text in the computer name.
If you clear this box, the number is added
as a prefix to the fixed text.
■ Result
View an example of the selected names
that is assigned to each computer.
Example: MARKETING1...MARKETING6.

Note: When setting name ranges, do not set

names using multiple Modify Configuration
tasks and assigning the names by setting
conditions for task sets. If you set up two
separate name ranges to be assigned by
separate conditions, the computer names
increment irrespective to the base name.

See “Modifying configuration” on page 208.

See “Setting conditions for task sets”

on page 168.

See “Computer configuration properties”

on page 103.
 Managing Computers 108
Computer configuration properties

Table 4-2 Microsoft networking configuration settings (continued)

Field Description

Workgroup Select this option and enter the name of the

workgroup to place the managed computer.
Note: You can select either the Workgroup
or the Domain option.

Domain Enter either the fully qualified domain name,

the DNS domain name, or the WINS domain
name. You can enter the fully qualified
domain name (Example:
mjones.yourcompany.com), and specify the
organizational unit (OU) using this format:
OU/newOU/users. The complete entry to
place the computer in the users OU is the
following:

mjones.yourcompany.com/OU/newOU/users

internal.myServer.org/New
Corporate Computer OU/Mail
Room/Express Mail Servers

TCP/IP configuration settings

Enter TCP/IP settings for one or more network adapters. Click Advanced to setup
IP Interfaces, Gateways, DNS, WINS, and Static Routes. For computer groups,
click Associate to assign a range of pre-defined IP addresses.

Table 4-3 TCP/IP configuration settings

Field Description

Host name The DNS name of a device on a network. The

name is used to locate a computer on the
network.
 Managing Computers 109
Computer configuration properties

Table 4-3 TCP/IP configuration settings (continued)

Field Description

Network adapter A list of all network adapters installed in the

selected computer. The network adapter with
the lowest bus, device, and function number
is the first listed (NIC0 - zero based). If the
bus, device, and function information cannot
be determined for a network adapter, it is
enumerated in the order it is detected.

When configuring multiple network adapters,

ensure that one network adapter is not using
an Intel Universal NIC driver (commonly
called UNDI driver) to connect to Ghost
Solution Suite Server. If one network adapter
uses the native driver and one uses an UNDI
driver, your computer appears twice in the
console.

Add.

Enter new settings for additional network

adapters installed on the client computer.

You can add "virtual" network adapter settings

to send a job to a computer group containing
computers with varying numbers of network
adapters. If a computer in the group has only
one network adapter, it is configured only with
the IP settings listed first. If IP settings are
provided for additional network adapters not
present in the computer, they are
disregarded. If you add a new network
adapter, the Remove button appears. You
can remove the new network adapter by
clicking Remove.
 Managing Computers 110
Computer configuration properties

Table 4-3 TCP/IP configuration settings (continued)

Field Description

Description ■ MAC Address

The MAC address is a unique number
assigned to the network adapter by the
manufacturer. You cannot change this
number. The MAC address appears in this
box when you view computer configuration
settings. This box is disabled when
creating a Modify Configuration task.
■ DNS connection suffix.
Enter this to add domain suffixes to the
root address.
■ Obtain an IP Address automatically.
■ Use the following IP address.
■ Obtain DNS server address
automatically
■ Obtain the following DNS server
addresses.
■ Reboot After Configuration.
Restarts the computer after configuration.

Adapter state The state of the Network Interface Card (NIC).

AClient does not report limited information for
disabled NICs. Ghost Solution Suite tracks
any disabled NICs when it rebuilds or
reconfigures a computer. Users have the
option of enabling, disabling, or keeping the
card in its current state.

TCP/IP advanced options - IP interfaces

IP Interfaces (Linux and Windows type only). Click Add to set named interfaces for
this network adapter. You can add TCP/IP addresses to an existing network adapter
card on Linux or Windows operating systems.

Table 4-4 TCP/IP advanced options - IP interfaces

Field Description

IP Address Add or modify an IP address common to all

interfaces.

Subnet mask Enter the appropriate subnet mask.

 Managing Computers 111
Computer configuration properties

Table 4-4 TCP/IP advanced options - IP interfaces (continued)

Field Description

Interface Name Establish Linux-specific IP interface settings.

Ensure you use the "eth" syntax when naming
new interfaces. Example: eth0:1 or eth0:new
interface.

Broadcast Address Enter the Broadcast address for the specified

IP interface.

Interface State The default value of the interface state is Up,

which denotes that the named interface is
operating. You can shut down the named
interface by selecting Down.

See “Computer configuration properties”

on page 103.

TCP/IP advanced options - gateway

View Gateway addresses. Click Modify to edit an existing IP address. Use the up
and down arrows to move an address to the top of the list, which acts as the primary
address. Review all selection by clicking the TCP/IP option on the Configuration
page.

Table 4-5 TCP/IP advanced options - gateway

Field Description

Gateway Add additional gateways for this network

adapter.

TCP/IP advanced options - DNS

Click Add to set a new DNS address.
DNS server addresses, in order of use: Add additional Domain Naming Servers
(DNS) for this network adapter.
Append these DNS Suffixes (in order): Add the name of the Domain Suffix and
use the up and down arrows to set the DNS suffix search order

TCP/IP advanced options - WINS

Click Add to set a new WINS address.
 Managing Computers 112
Computer configuration properties

Add additional WINS settings for this network adapter. Select one of the Enable
NetBIOS over TCP/IP, Disable NetBIOS over TCP/IP, or Use NetBIOS settings
from DHCP server options for this network adapter.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

Note: You cannot edit this information in the Windows 98 operating systems. The
Ghost Solution Suite Console disables the edit feature on these types of clients.

TCP/IP advanced options - static routes

Table 4-6 TCP/IP advanced options - static routes

Field Description

Destination IP address of the destination Ghost Solution

Suite Server.

Netmask Subnet mask.

Gateway Additional gateways required to reach the

destination server.

Interface IP address for the interface over which the

destination can be reached.

Metric Cost associated with the route

Flags (Linux) Enter the flag associated with a Linux-specific

operating system. Possible flags include:

■ U (route is up)
■ H (target is a host)
■ G (use gateway)
■ R (reinstate route for dynamic routing)
■ D (dynamically installed by daemon or
redirect)
■ M (modified from routing daemon or
redirect)
■ A (installed by addrconf)
■ C (cache entry)
■ ! (reject route)
 Managing Computers 113
Computer configuration properties

NetWare client configuration settings

Set Novell NetWare client values for a new or existing computer. Select whether
you want to log in directly to a NetWare server or to a NetWare tree in the Novell
Directory Service (NDS). You can specify the preferred tree, server name, and NDS
context.

Table 4-7 NetWare client configuration settings

Field Description

Ignore NetWare settings Select to disregard all Novell NetWare client

settings for this computer. Clear to specify
the required information.

Preferred server Select this option and enter the name of the
NetWare server. Example: \\OneServer. This
is the primary login server for the NetWare
client.

Preferred tree Select this option and enter the name of the
NDS tree.

NDS User name Enter the name of the user object for the
NetWare client.

NDS Context Enter the organizational unit context for the

user.

Run login scripts Select this option to run the NetWare client
login scripts.

See “Computer configuration properties”

on page 103.

Operating system licensing configuration settings

Enter or view the license information for your Windows operating system software
(Windows 2008, 2012, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8).

Table 4-8 Operating system licensing configuration settings

Field Description

Registered user Enter the name of the registered user.

Organization Enter the name of the organization.

 Managing Computers 114
Computer configuration properties

Table 4-8 Operating system licensing configuration settings (continued)

Field Description

License key Enter the alpha-numeric license key. This is

the hash value rendered from the OEM key
or 25-digit license key required when installing
the operating system.

See “Computer configuration properties”

on page 103.

User account configuration settings

Set up local user accounts for the newly imaged computer or when running a
configuration task. Enter a user name, full name, and password; and set standard
Windows login options.

Table 4-9 User account configuration settings

Field Description

User name The user name for this local Windows user
account.

Full name The full name for this local Windows user
account.

Password The password for this local Windows user

account.

Confirm password Confirm the password for the local Windows

user account.

Groups Specify the Windows groups that this user

belongs to as a comma-delimited list.
Example: Administrators, Marketing,
Management.

User must change password at next logon Select to force the user to change the
password after setting the configuration
properties.

User cannot change password Prohibit the user from changing the password
at any time.
 Managing Computers 115
Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Table 4-9 User account configuration settings (continued)

Field Description

Password never expires Select to maintain the user password.

See “Computer configuration properties”
on page 103.

Ghost Solution Suite Agents

To remotely manage computers from a Ghost Solution Suite Console, a Ghost
Solution Suite Agent is installed on each computer in the Ghost Solution Suite
Server system. Ghost Solution Suite Agents are provided for various computer
types, including Windows, and Linux computers.
To set or modify Ghost Solution Suite Agent settings from the Ghost Solution Suite
Server Console, right-click a computer or group, select Change Agent Settings and
click Production or Automation. To set or modify agent settings for new computers,
click Tools > Options, click Agent Settings.
The following Ghost Solution Suite Agents reside on the client computer and
communicate with the Ghost Solution Suite Server:

Ghost Solution Suite Agent on Windows The Ghost Solution Suite Agent runs on
Windows computers, including desktops,
notebooks, and servers.

Ghost Solution Suite Agent on Linux This Ghost Solution Suite Agent runs on Linux
workstations and servers.

Automation Agent The Automation Agent is used when you

create configurations to boot client computer
to automation. This is done through Boot Disk
Creator.

Ghost Solution Suite Agent on ThinClient CE This agent runs on ThinClient Windows CE
6.0 6.0 operating systems and lets the Ghost
Solution Suite Console manage WinCE 6.0
based Thin Clients.

Ghost Solution Suite Agent on CE .NET This agent runs on the CE .NET 4.2 operating
system.
 Managing Computers 116
Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Notification Server Client The NS client is an agent that runs on

computers supported by the Notification
Server. This agent runs on the Ghost Solution
Suite Server computer when running Ghost
Solution Suite on the Notification Server.

Ghost Solution Suite Server Agent This agent runs on the Ghost Solution Suite
Server computer when running Ghost
Solution Suite on the Notification Server.

Install Ghost Solution Suite Agent to add a managed computer

When a Ghost Solution Suite Agent is installed on a computer, it searches the
network for a Ghost Solution Suite Server to attach to. When the Ghost Solution
Suite Agent locates a Ghost Solution Suite Server, the client computer is added as
a record to the Ghost Solution Suite Database.
When the Ghost Solution Suite Agent for Windows is running on a computer, the
user sees a small icon in the system tray. When the icon is blue, the client computer
running the Ghost Solution Suite Agent is connected to the Ghost Solution Suite
system.
When the Ghost Solution Suite Agent for Windows icon is clear, it shows that the
client computer is not connected to the Ghost Solution Suite system. The agent
may be configured incorrectly, the Ghost Solution Suite Server is down, or other
network problems exist.

Automatically update to newer version of Ghost Solution Suite

Agent
At times, Symantec may update versions of the Ghost Solution Suite Agent to
enhance features. For best performance, we recommend that all managed
computers run the latest version of the Ghost Solution Suite Agent. When a new
version of the Ghost Solution Suite Agent is saved to the Ghost Solution Suite Share
file server, the managed computers automatically update the Ghost Solution Suite
Agent.
■ From the computer where Ghost Solution Suite Server is installed, click Start
> All Programs > Altiris > Deployment Solution > Configuration. The
Symantec Ghost Solution Suite Server Configuration Utility page appears.
■ Click Options.
■ Click Transport.
■ Select the Automatically update clients option and click OK.
 Managing Computers 117
Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Ghost Solution Suite Agent settings

You can set the default agent settings when new client computers are added to the
system that the Ghost Solution Suite Server manages. You can also modify the
properties settings for the Production or Automation Agent through the Automation
Agent.
To set or modify agent settings in the Ghost Solution Suite Server Console for
Windows or Linux clients, right-click the computer and select Change Agent
Settings > Production Agent Settings.
■ To set or modify agent settings for the Ghost Solution Suite Agent, click Tools
> Options.
■ Click the Agent Settings tab.
■ Select the Force new agents to take these default settings check box to set
the Ghost Solution Suite Agent settings for all new computers.
■ Click the Change Default Settings tab. Click each agent setting tab to set the
properties.
\See “Server connection” on page 119.
See “Access” on page 120.
See “Security ” on page 121.
See “Log file ” on page 123.
See “Startup and shutdown ” on page 124.
■ Click OK.
To view or modify settings from the Windows client, right-click the Ghost Solution
Suite Agent icon in the system tray (or double-click the client icon in the system
tray and click Properties).
When the client agent is first started, the agent establishes a connection to the
Ghost Solution Suite Server using the following general steps:
To connect to the Ghost Solution Suite Server
1 The agent service is started and initialized.
2 A TCP socket is created.
3 A connection is made to the Ghost Solution Suite Server.
4 The agent is updated, if required.
5 A basic inventory of the client is sent to the Ghost Solution Suite Server.
After the initial connection process is complete, no additional data needs to be sent
to or from the Ghost Solution Suite Server for the client agent to remain connected.
 Managing Computers 118
Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Note: If no Ghost Solution Suite traffic is sent to the Ghost Solution Suite System
agent, the TCP/IP protocols send an occasional watchdog packet (approximately
every 24 hours) to ensure that the connection is still valid.

Ghost Solution Suite Agent properties

Right-clicking the Ghost Solution Suite Agent icon gives you access to the following
options:
View status. Brings up the Symantec Client Service box to observe the current
status of the Ghost Solution Suite Agent. You can also see the computer name,
Ghost Solution Suite Server connected to, IP address, multicast address, and MAC
address. You can also watch Ghost Solution Suite Agent communicate with the
Ghost Solution Suite Server. Clicking Properties lets you edit the Ghost Solution
Suite Agent properties. Passwords protect this option.
About. Displays the version and licensing statement for the Ghost Solution Suite
Agent. Passwords do not affect this option.
View log file. View the Ghost Solution Suite Agent log file, if you have chosen the
option to create a log file. Passwords have no effect on this option.
Clear log file. Clear the log file that has been created.
Shutdown for imaging. Make an image of a computer without using a job. This
makes the required preparatory changes to the computer before an image is made.
Failure to do this breaks the reconfiguration phase when deploying the image using
a job. Passwords protect this option.
Change Name in Console. Change how this computer is listed in the Ghost Solution
Suite Server console. This option does not change the NetBios name of the computer
or the name of the computer in the database, but only changes the name of the
computer displayed in the Computers window. Passwords protect this option.
Remove. Uninstall Ghost Solution Suite Agent from the computer. Passwords
protect this option.
Exit. Stops all Ghost Solution Suite Agent services from running but does not
uninstall Ghost Solution Suite Agent. Ghost Solution Suite Agent loads normally
the next time you boot the computer. Passwords protect this option.
User Properties. Quickly go to the User Properties page to view or make changes.
Passwords protect this option.
Admin Properties. Quickly go to the Admin Properties page to view or make
changes. Passwords protect this option.
Show Network Interfaces. View what network cards are in your computer.
Passwords protect this option. The following configuration properties (organized
using tabs in the dialog) are included in the Production Agent Settings dialog.
 Managing Computers 119
Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Server connection
Table 4-10
Field Description

Connect directly to this Deployment Sever Select this option so that the client receiving
the Ghost Solution Suite Agent connects to
the Ghost Solution Suite Server you selected
to configure.

Address/Hostname Enter the IP address or NetBIOS name of the

Ghost Solution Suite Server computer.

Port. Enter the port number communicating with

the Ghost Solution Suite Server.

Enable key-based authentication to Ghost Select this option to specify mandatory

Solution Suite Server. authentication for client computers to connect
to the Ghost Solution Suite Server. This helps
keep rogue computers from connecting to
unauthorized Ghost Solution Suite Servers.

Discover Ghost Solution Suite Server Managed computers can use the multicast
using TCP/IP multicast address if they are on the same segment as
the Ghost Solution Suite Server or if multicast
is enabled on the network routers. Ensure
that the multicast address and port match
those set up on the Ghost Solution Suite
Server. Try using defaults on both the client
and Ghost Solution Suite Server if you have
problems while connecting.

Managed computers should use the Ghost

Solution Suite Server IP address if
multicasting is disabled on the network
routers or if they are not on the same network
segment as the Ghost Solution Suite Server.
The port number must match the number set
on the Ghost Solution Suite Server.
Otherwise, the client computers cannot
connect.

Server Name Enter the NetBIOS name of the computer

running the Ghost Solution Suite Server.

Port Enter the port number distributing the

multicast address.

Multicast Address Enter the group multicast address.

 Managing Computers 120
Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Table 4-10 (continued)

Field Description

TTL Specifies the number of routers the multicast

request can pass through. Change this setting
if you want to locate a Ghost Solution Suite
Server that is more than 32 routers away
(default setting) or to restrict the search to a
smaller number of routers, making it easier
to find the closest Ghost Solution Suite
Server.

Refresh connection after idle This check box and set the refresh time in
hours or days. The Ghost Solution Suite
Server closes the connection after the
specified time and immediately tries to
re-open the connection. This sends a
message to client computers that the network
is down.

The default checking is of 28800 seconds or

8 hours. We recommend keeping this setting
above 28800. Do not set this option too
low-reconnecting to the Ghost Solution Suite
Server increases bandwidth when connecting.
If this option is set too low, your client
computers will take longer to connect than to
refresh their connections.

Abort files transfers if rate is slower than Select this option to preserve bandwidth when
running deployment tasks on slower
connections.

Access
Set these commands to control the way the client handles requests from the server.

Table 4-11 Access

Field Description

Allow this computer to be remote Select to let the administrator remotely control
controlled. the selected computer. The default setting is
to NOT let the computer be remotely
controlled.
 Managing Computers 121
Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Table 4-11 Access (continued)

Field Description

Prompt the user before performing actions You can select the following options to prompt
the user before the corresponding action is
performed:

■ Shut down and Restart.

Prompts the user before shutting down
and restarting the computer. This feature
overrides the Power Control option from
the Ghost Solution Suite Server to force
applications to shut down without a
message.
■ Copy file and Run command
Prompts the user before running a
program or executing file copy commands.
■ Remote Control
Prompts the user before running the
Remote Control commands.

Time to wait for user response If one of the Prompt the user before
perform actions is selected and the user is
not at the computer to respond, you need to
decide whether to continue or abort the
operation. Specify the time to wait for the
user's response, and select one of the
following:

■ Continue the operation

Select to continue if there is no response
from the user.
■ Abort the operation.
Click to not continue if there is no
response from the user.

Select when the Ghost Solution Suite Select the days and set the start and end
Server is denied access to the Ghost times when access to the Ghost Solution
Solution Suite Agent. Suite Agent is denied.

Security
This page lets you secure data between the Ghost Solution Suite Server and the
Ghost Solution Suite Agent, or to set a password so that the user on the client
computer can only view and modify the User Properties of the Ghost Solution Suite
Client Settings on the managed computer.
 Managing Computers 122
Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Table 4-12 Security

Field Description

Encrypt session communication with Select to allow encryption from this managed
Ghost Solution Suite Server client computer to the Ghost Solution Suite
Server. This lets encrypted data
transmissions between the Ghost Solution
Suite Server and the Ghost Solution Suite
Agent on the client computer. If selected, the
client computer can connect (but is not
required to connect) using encryption.

To enable encryption protocols, you must

open the Symantec Ghost Solution Suite
Server Configuration Utility, click Options
and select the Transport tab. Select the
Allow encrypted sessions check box to let
Ghost Solution Suite Server transmit using
encryption protocols.

Require encrypted session with any server Select to require encryption between the
managed client computer and the Ghost
Solution Suite Server. If this option is selected
and the option to allow encryption in the
Deployment Configuration tool is not selected,
the Ghost Solution Suite Server does not
communicate with the Symantec Client on
the managed client computer.
Note: Selecting encryption options slows
down the communication path between the
agent and the Ghost Solution Suite Server.

Password protect Admin properties from Select to let users on the managed computer
user access the Admin properties only if they enter
the set password. If the check box is selected
and the user does not know the password,
they will have rights only to view the User
Properties, which includes only the User
Prompts and Remote Control tabs on the
Symantec Client Settings dialog.

Enter the password in the Password field and

re-enter the password for confirmation in the
Confirm password field.
 Managing Computers 123
Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Table 4-12 Security (continued)

Field Description

Hide client tray icon Select to hide the Symantec Client icon in the
system tray of the managed computer. If you
hide the icon, you must run AClient.exe with
the -admin switch to view and modify the
complete administrative properties from the
managed client computer.

Log file
The Log File page controls how data is logged and saved in a Ghost Solution Suite
Server system, letting you save different types and levels of information to the log
files. You can save a text file with log errors, informational errors, and debug data
using this dialog. If the log exceeds the specified size, the older data is dropped
from the files. You can maximize the size of the log file to save all selected data.

Table 4-13 Log file

Field Description

Save log information to a text file Select this option to save information to a log
file. By default, this option is cleared.
Selecting this option enables the File name
and Maximum size fields.

File name. Enter the name and path of the log file. The
default path is \Program
Files\Altiris\AClient\AClient.log
file.

Maximum size Enter the maximum number of bytes for each

log file.

Log errors Select this option to save only the errors

returned when running a job or operation
between the Ghost Solution Suite Server and
the Ghost Solution Suite Agent.

Log informational messages Select this option to save a list of procedural

steps run on the client computer.

Log debugging information Select this option to list comprehensive

debugging information in the text file.
 Managing Computers 124
Ghost Solution Suite Agents

Note: If the log exceeds the specified size, the older data is dropped from the files,
so it is recommended to provide maximum file size.

Proxy
Typically, remote networks on the other side of a router or switch cannot receive
multicast or Wake-On-LAN packets from the Ghost Solution Suite Server. Setting
the managed computer as a proxy client computer forwards or re-creates the
multicast packets. A managed client computer setup as a multicast proxy simply
acts as a Ghost Solution Suite Server and advertises the server's name and IP
address through multicasting. You can also set the managed computer as a proxy
to send Wake-On-LAN packets.
Set these options to control how the managed computer acts as a proxy agent,
identifying the type of traffic this managed computer forwards from the server.

Table 4-14 Proxy

Field Description

Forward Wake-On-LAN packets Select if you want the managed computer to

forward Wake-on-LAN packets.

Forward Ghost Solution Suite Server Select if you want to advertise the Ghost
discovery multicast packets Solution Suite Server to client computers on
another LAN segment or if the client computer
is on the other side of the router.

Send multicast advertisement every Set the time in seconds, minutes, or hours
for managed computers to send a multicast
advertisement.

Startup and shutdown

Following are the field and the description of the Startup and shutdown dialog box:

Table 4-15 Startup and shutdown

Field Description

Delay starting jobs after system startup Set the time in seconds, minutes, or hours
for managed computers to delay jobs until
after system startup.

Specify the Windows boot drive Specify the drive that the client computer
boots from. The default is the C drive.
 Managing Computers 125
Computer properties

Table 4-15 Startup and shutdown (continued)

Field Description

Force all programs to close when shutting Select this option to shut down applications
down when using Power Control features. The user
is still prompted to Abort or Continue the
shutdown.

Synchronize date/time with Ghost Solution Select this option to synchronize the system
Suite Server clock of managed computers with the time of
the Ghost Solution Suite Server.

Prompt for a boot disk when performing Select this option to prompt for a boot disk
automation jobs while running any automation jobs.

Computer properties
View and edit the computer properties for each managed computer.
View and edit computer properties by double-clicking a computer icon in the
Computers pane, or right-clicking and selecting Properties, or clicking the icon in
the toolbar.
See “General” on page 125., See “Hardware ” on page 125.

General
View or change the name of the computer as it appears in the console. You can
view the following: logged-on user names, operating system installed, name of the
Ghost Solution Suite Server, whether an automation partition is installed, version
of the Symantec Windows Client, and other client information.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

Hardware
View processor make and type, processor count, RAM installed on the computer,
display configuration, manufacturer, model, product name, MAC address of each
network adapter installed, serial number, asset tag, UUID, and whether Wake On
LAN and PXE are installed and configured.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.
 Managing Computers 126
Computer properties

Drives
View information about each drive on the computer. If you have multiple drives,
you can select a drive from the list to view its settings, such as the capacity, serial
number, file system, volume label, and number of drives installed.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

TCP/IP
View TCP/IP information, including a list of all installed network adapter cards (up
to eight) for the selected computer. Click Change to open the Configuration page
to modify settings
See “Configuring computers ” on page 133.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

Applications
View the applications that are installed on the computer, including their description,
publisher, version number, product ID, and system components.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

Services
View the services installed on the computer along with the description, start type,
and path for each service.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

Devices
View the devices installed on the computer, including display adapters, disk drives,
ports, storage volumes, keyboards, and other system devices.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

Location
View and edit user-specific properties such as contact name, phone number, e-mail
address, department, mail stop, and site name. As the administrator, you can enter
this information manually or you can let the user populate this screen using the
Prompt User for Properties option.
See “Prompt user for properties ” on page 141.
 Managing Computers 127
Computer properties

See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

Bay
View location information and other properties for Rack / Enclosure / Bay
components for high-density and blade servers. Set rules for automatic
re-deployment of blade servers based on physical location changes. This property
is available only to systems using blade servers.

Server deployment rules

From the Bay property page, you can select rules to govern actions taken when
a new blade server is detected in a selected bay. These rules are described below:

Table 4-16 Server deployment rules

Rule Action

Re-Deploy Computer Restore a blade server using deployment

tasks and configuration settings saved from
the previous server blade in the bay. This lets
you replace new blades in the bay and
automatically run deployment tasks from its
deployment history.

See “Restoring a computer from its

deployment history ” on page 131.

All deployment tasks in the bay's history are

run starting from the last Distributing a Disk
Image task or Scripted OS Install task, or from
any script (in a Run Script task) with this
command: rem deployment start.

See “Distributing a disk image” on page 182.

See “Scripted OS install” on page 189.

See “Running a script ” on page 210.

Run Predefined Job The server processes any specified job.

Select a job to run automatically when a new
server is detected in the bay.
 Managing Computers 128
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Table 4-16 Server deployment rules (continued)

Rule Action

Ignore the Change This option lets you move blades to different
bays without automatically running jobs. The
server blade placed in the bay is not identified
as a new server and no jobs are initiated. If
the server existed in a previous bay, the
history and parameters for the server are
moved or associated with the new bay. If the
server blade is a new server (never before
identified), the established process for
managing new computers is executed.

Wait for User Interaction (Default) No job or tasks are performed (the
Ghost Solution Suite Agent on the server
blade is instructed to wait). The icon on the
console changes to reflect that the server is
waiting.

See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

Lights-Out
View information about the remote management hardware installed on the selected
computer (most often a server) used to power up, power down and restart the
computer remotely, or to check server status. You can also enter the password for
the remote management hardware by clicking Password.

Note: This feature is currently only available for selected HP Integrated Lights Out
(ILO) and Remote Insight Lights-Out Edition (RILOE) features.

See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.

Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

The Operations menu in the Ghost Solution Suite Console provides a variety of
commands to remotely manage all computers in your site or network segment.
Some operation commands, such as Restore, automatically create and schedule
deployment jobs and place them in the System Jobs folder in the Jobs pane. Other
commands, like Chat or Remote Control, open utility programs to access and
remotely manage computers.
 Managing Computers 129
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

Open the computer operations menu by right-clicking a computer icon in the

Computers pane, clicking Operations on the menu bar, or clicking the icons in
the toolbar.

Table 4-17 Remote operations

Field Description

Restore Reconfigure your computer to a former state.

Select from a list of previous deployment
tasks and select to restore only the ones you
want.

See “Restoring a computer from its

deployment history ” on page 131.

History View, print, delete, and save to file a history

of deployment tasks.

See “Viewing computer details” on page 97.

Configure Set network and local configuration properties

for each computer, including computer name,
IP address, domains, Active Directory context.

See “Configuring computers ” on page 133.

Quick Disk Image Select a computer and image its hard disk.
This creates and stores the image to
distribute now or later.
See “Quick disk image ” on page 133.

Power Control Wake up, restart, shut down, and log off
remotely.

See “Power control” on page 218.

Execute Type and run commands remotely.

See “Execute ” on page 140.

Copy File to Copy selected files, directories, or entire

directory structures and send them to the
selected computer(s).

See “Copying a file ” on page 216.

 Managing Computers 130
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

Table 4-17 Remote operations (continued)

Field Description

Chat Start an individual chat session with one or

more selected client computers.
Communicate actions or query for symptoms
during administration.

See “Chat ” on page 141.

ADVANCED >

Clear Computer Status Clear computer status as shown in the title

bar of the List View.

Prompt User for Properties Query the user for personal information. This
feature sends a form to the user to fill out.

See “Prompt user for properties ” on page 141.

Reset Connection Disconnect and reset the connection between

Ghost Solution Suite Server and the Ghost
Solution Suite Agent on the selected
computer.

Install Automation Partition Embed automation partitions onto the

selected computer's hard disk to enable a
managed computer to run automation tasks.

Get Inventory Update property settings for a selected

computer. These inventory settings can be
viewed in Computer properties. Select it to
ensure that you have the latest inventory of
the computer. Set the timeout value in the
General tab of the Ghost Solution Suite
Server Configuration utility (in the Control
Panel).

Reject Connection Refuse communication with the selected

computer.

Install BIS Certificate Install a BIS certificate for the selected

computer.

Remove BIS Certificate Remove a BIS certificate from the selected

computer.

Uninstall agent Uninstall the agent from the selected

computer.
 Managing Computers 131
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Table 4-17 Remote operations (continued)

Field Description

Apply Regular License Apply a permanent license if a client computer

is using a time-limited license or requires an
updated license.

New Job Wizard Open this to build, assign, and schedule

deployment jobs for the selected computer.

See “New job wizard” on page 162.

New Group Click to create a new computer group in the

Computers pane.

New Computer Create a new computer account.

See “Adding new computers” on page 99.

Rename Assign the computer or group a new name in

the console. Right-click a computer or group
to edit in the Computer pane.

Delete Delete a computer, a computer group, or any

combination of computers and groups from
the database.

Change Agent Settings Update property settings for the Ghost

Solution Suite Agent running on selected
computer(s).

Permissions View security settings for the selected

computer(s).

Job Scheduling Wizard Open this to assign deployment jobs to the

selected computer.

Properties View computer configuration and network

properties.

See “Computer properties ” on page 125.

Restoring a computer from its deployment history

Occasionally, it is necessary to restore a computer to its original settings based on
operations or deployment jobs previously executed on the computer. A computer's
past deployment history appears in the Restore Computer dialog, where you can
restore a computer by selecting the tasks from its history file. You can rerun the
deployment tasks to restore the computer.
 Managing Computers 132
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Restore a computer by right-clicking a computer icon in the Computers pane and

selecting Restore, clicking Operations > Restore Computer on the menu bar, or
clicking this icon in the toolbar. You can restore a computer using Remote Operations
Using Ghost Solution Suite or by creating and scheduling a job using the New Job
Wizard.
See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.
See “New job wizard” on page 162.
To restoring a computer from its deployment history
1 Right-click a computer and click Restore.
The Restore Computer dialog appears with a list of previous tasks with check
boxes.
2 (Optional) Select the type of tasks to be displayed from the Show only
drop-down list. Select the date from the Since list box to filter tasks.
3 Click Next to view a summary of tasks selected to reschedule.
4 Click Next to schedule the job.
See “Building and scheduling jobs ” on page 159.
5 Click Finish.
When you finish this computer operation, a new job appears in the Jobs pane of
the Ghost Solution Suite Console under the System Jobs > Restoration Jobs
folder. The job name has a generic format of Restore: <computer name>.
You can view the history of deployment tasks for a specific computer. Users who
do not have administrative privileges or the permissions to delete a computer's
history cannot access this option.
To view a computer's history
1 Right-click a computer and click History.
The History of <Computer Name> dialog appears with a list of previous tasks,
including when the task was scheduled, its deployment status and other
deployment information.
2 (Optional) Click Save As to save the file as a .TXT or .LOG file.
3 (Optional) Click Print to print the History file.
4 Click Delete to delete the History file. Click Yes to the confirmation message.
5 Click Close.
See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.
 Managing Computers 133
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

Configuring computers
From the Operations menu, you can enter and modify configuration settings for
computers. See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103. for complete
information about configuration settings.
To configure computers
1 Right-click a computer and click Configure.
The Computer Configuration Properties dialog appears.
2 Set basic configuration values in the General configuration group (default
view).
3 Click other configuration group icons in the left pane to set additional values.
4 Click OK.
See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.

Quick disk image

This computer operation creates a disk image of the selected computer. This option
is a quick and easy way to create a disk image of a selected managed computer
from the Ghost Solution Suite Console.
To run a disk image job you must have an automation partition installed on the
client computer, or it is PXE-enabled and can boot to automation by connecting to
a PXE Server.
To create a quick disk image
1 Right-click a computer and click Quick Disk Image.
The Schedule Computers for Job dialog appears.
See “Building and scheduling jobs ” on page 159.
2 Schedule the job to run immediately or at a later time. You can also click the
option to not schedule the job (this option places the job in the working area
and does not run until you manually drag it to a selected computer and
reschedule it).
3 Click OK.
A new job appears in the Jobs pane of the Ghost Solution Suite Console under the
System Jobs > Image Jobs folder. The job name has a generic format of Create
Image: <computer name>.

See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.

 Managing Computers 134
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

Power control
This computer operation lets you wake up a computer, restart a computer, shut
down, or log off as the current user for a selected managed computer. You can
also power a computer on if Wake-On-Lan is supported.
Restore a computer by right-clicking a computer icon in the Computers pane and
selecting Power Control, clicking Operations > Power Control on the menu bar,
or clicking the icon on the toolbar.
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To control power
1 Right-click a computer and select Power Control.
A secondary menu appears with the following options:

Wake-up The Wake-Up feature is

hardware-dependent and is available only
for inactive computers. Select this
command to start a computer that has
been turned off.

Your operating system and network

adapter must be capable of recognizing
and processing the Wake-on-LAN packets.
Non-embedded network adapters must be
properly configured. Example: 3Com NICs
have an extra header cable that enables
Wake-on-LAN. Check the documentation
that comes with your network adapter for
more information about Wake-on-LAN.

For NICs and operating systems that

support Wake-on-LAN Power Management
features, go to the Properties dialog of the
network adapter driver and select the
Power Management tab. Click the Allow
this device to bring the computer out of
standby option for this device to bring the
computer out of standby status.
You must enable this feature for some
computers in their BIOS.

Restart Click to reboot the selected managed

computer. Select Force Applications to
close without a message box to restart
immediately without prompting the user.

Shut down Click to shut down the selected managed

computer. Select Force Applications to
close without a message box to shut
down immediately without prompting the
user.

Log off Click to log off the selected managed

computer. Select Force Applications to
close without a message box to log off
immediately.
 Managing Computers 136
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2 Select a Power Control option. A Confirm Operation dialog appears. Select

the Force application to close without a message option to shut down users
without a warning. If you do not select this option, the user is prompted to save
work before the power operation continues.
3 Click Yes.
See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.

Remote control
Multiple methods are provided to remote control managed computers. The integrated
GSS remote control utility can be used on Windows XP, 2003 Server, and 2000
computers.
Additionally, you can access the built-in Remote Desktop feature built into many
Windows operating systems directly from the Ghost Solution Suite Console. You
can also manually add access to other remote control utilities by modifying a
configuration file.
■ GSS remote control
■ Remote desktop connection
■ Additional remote control programs

GSS remote control

Remote Control is a computer management feature built into the Ghost Solution
Suite Server Console. It lets you control all types of computers to view problems
or make immediate changes as if you were sitting at the managed computer's
screen and using its keyboard and mouse.
When a managed computer is being remotely controlled, the Ghost Solution Suite
Agent icon in the managed computer's system tray flashes these two icons
alternately.
Remote Control also provides Chat, Refresh, , Send File, and Ctrl+Alt+Delete
features to assist in managing computers from the console. See Chat and Copying
a file.

Note: You cannot disable the flashing eye icon while the computer is being remotely
controlled.

Before you can remotely control a managed computer:

■ The managed computer must have the Symantec Agent for Windows installed
and properly set up.
 Managing Computers 137
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

■ The client must have the appropriate Proxy option selected in Symantec Client
Properties.

■ The client and Ghost Solution Suite Server Console must be able to communicate
to each other through TCP/IP.
To remotely control a managed computer
1 Right-click a computer and click Remote Control > GSS Remote Control.
This opens the Remote Control window displaying the managed computer's
screen.

Note: If you cannot perform a remote-control operation from the selected

managed computer, you can change this client setting by using the Remote
Control options in the Change Agent Settings command. The default setting
is to not allow remote control of the managed computer.
 Managing Computers 138
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

2 From the Remote Control window, you can execute the following commands:

Toolbar

Chat Click to open a chat session with the

selected managed computer. This starts a
chat session between the console
computer and the managed computer. The
chat session opens a chat window that lets
you send messages back and forth
between the Ghost Solution Suite Console
and the managed computer. If you start a
chat session while controlling multiple
computers in a single window, the chat
session is only between the Ghost Solution
Suite Console and the master client.

Refresh Click to update the screen view of the

managed computer.

Ctrl+Alt+Delete Click to select Restart or Logon options

for the managed computer.
Note: The managed computer must be
running Windows 2000, XP, 2003, 2008,
and Vista and have the keyboard and
mouse driver installed for this feature to be
available.

Send File See Send files during remote control.

Toggle Control Click to toggle between the view of control

access of the managed computer (default)
and of access only of the managed
computer.

Control menu

Disable Input from the Client Click to prohibit the user of the managed
computer from using the keyboard or
mouse during the remote-control session.

Close Window Click to close the remote control window

of the managed computer.

View menu

Refresh Click to refresh the view of the screen.

 Managing Computers 139
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

Fit to Window If this option is selected, the client display

image becomes the same size as the
Remote Control window. If this option is
not selected, the image retains the size of
the client display.

Color Depth See “Remote operations using Ghost

Solution Suite ” on page 128.

Properties See “Remote operations using Ghost

Solution Suite ” on page 128.

3 To end a Remote Control session, click Control > Close Window in the
Remote Control window.

Remote desktop connection

Remote Desktop connection is available for many Windows operating systems
including Windows Vista and 2008 Server.
To remotely connect to a computer
1 Open the Ghost Solution Suite Console and right-click the Vista computer you
want to remotely connect.
2 Click Remote Desktop. The remote desktop window for the computer appears.
The remote desktop connection is established to the Vista computer.
To remotely connect to multiple computers using the Remote Desktop option
1 Open the Ghost Solution Suite Console and right-click the computer you want
to remotely connect.
2 Click Remote Desktop. The remote desktop window for the computer appears.
The remote desktop connection is established to the computer.
To remotely connect to multiple computers
1 Open the Ghost Solution Suite Console and right-click the computers you want
to remotely connect.
2 Click Remote Control. The Remote Control Options dialog appears.
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Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

3 Select Control each client separately in its own window to remote control each
computer separately.
or
Select Control all clients together, in the same window, using the following
master to remote control the selected computers together and select the master
computer.
4 Click OK.
The remote control connection is established for the computers.

Additional remote control programs

You can manually add access to additional remote control programs to the Remote
Control menu in the Ghost Solution Suite Console.
To add a program, open the RemoteControlTools.ini located at the root of your
Ghost Solution Suite Share and follow the instructions provided in the file.

Execute
Send a command from the Ghost Solution Suite Console as if you were entering a
command from the command-line prompt on the client computer.
Execute a command to a client computer by right-clicking a computer icon in the
Computers pane and selecting Execute, clicking Operations > Execute from the
menu, or clicking this icon in the toolbar.
To execute
1 Type a command you would like executed on the selected remote computer(s),
or select from a list of previously-run commands. Example: Type regedit to
open the registry on the computer.
2 To run the command as another user on the managed computer, click User
and enter the user name and password.

User account
Use this dialog to run a script using another local user account. You can log in with
another user name and password with rights to run an execute command.

Table 4-18
Field Description

Run with default security credentials. This option runs with the current user
credentials. This is the default option.
 Managing Computers 141
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

Table 4-18 (continued)

Field Description

Run with the following credentials Click this option to log on with another user
name and password.

See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.

Chat
You can communicate with managed computers using the Chat text messaging
system. From the Ghost Solution Suite Server Console, select an individual computer
or a group of computers to open an individual chat session with each logged-in
user.
Open text messaging with a user by right-clicking the computer icon in the
Computers pane and selecting Chat, or clicking this icon in the Remote Control
dialog.
See “Remote control ” on page 136.
To chat
1 Open a chat session. The Chat with <computer name> window appears,
identifying the computer you are sending messages to.
2 Type a message in the lower field.
3 Click Send or press Enter.
The exchange of text messages appears in the upper field.
See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.

Prompt user for properties

This feature lets an administrator prompt a user for computer location and user
information. The information supplied in this form appears in the Location properties
in the Computer Properties dialog.
See “Computer properties ” on page 125.
 Managing Computers 142
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

To prompt a user for location properties

1 In the Computers pane of the Ghost Solution Suite Server Console, right-click
a computer and click Advanced > Prompt User for Properties. You can also
select a computer and click on the Prompt User for Properties icon in the
toolbar or click on Operations > Prompt User for Properties.
A dialog appears in the Ghost Solution Suite Server Console with a list of
properties.
2 Select the properties to prompt the user. The properties selected in this dialog
are active on the property form sent to the user, letting the user enter information
for the selected properties.

Note: All properties are selected by default; you must deselect the properties
you don't want to include when the client is prompted.

3 Click OK.
The properties form appears for the logged-on user of the computer, asking
for location properties.
When the user enters information and selects OK, the Location properties in the
Computer Properties field are updated for the selected computer. If the user changes
the computer name, the name in the Computers pane of the Ghost Solution Suite
Console also changes. These settings are stored directly to the Ghost Solution
Suite Database.
See “Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite ” on page 128.

Install automation partition

When the Ghost Solution Suite Server sends a deployment job to client computers,
tasks within the job can be assigned the default automation pre-boot environment,
Linux, or WinPE. With an embedded (recommended) or hidden automation partition
installed on the client computer's hard disk, deployment jobs can run automatically.
You can have multiple tasks within a deployment job, and each task can be assigned
to run in a different automation environment, depending on the task and end result
you want. The following are the automation tasks you can add to the deployment
jobs.
■ Run script
■ Create disk image
■ Distribute disk image
 Managing Computers 143
Remote operations using Ghost Solution Suite

■ Scripted OS install
During the Ghost Solution Suite Server installation, the Pre-boot Operating System
page appears for you to select a default pre-boot operating system, which is used
by Boot Disk Creator to create the configurations that boot client computers to
automation. You can install additional pre-boot operating system files through Boot
Disk Creator. See Boot Disk Creator Help.
If you are running PXE Servers, you do not need to install an automation partition
on each client computer's hard disk. When the Ghost Solution Suite Server sends
a deployment job, PXE-enabled client computers search for a PXE Server to receive
the boot menu options and the boot menu files that are required to boot to
automation. See Automation Pre-boot Environment in the Ghost Solution Suite
Server Reference Guide.
To install an automation partition
1 Right-click a computer and click Advanced > Install Automation Partition.
2 From the drop-down list, select the pre-boot operating system environment
you want to install.
3 Click OK.
The Automation Agent you selected installs as an embedded partition on the client
computer's hard disk. After the installation completes, the client computer reboots
automatically. You can now run automation-specific deployment tasks on this
computer.

Change agent settings

This feature lets you modify most of the agent settings for a selected computer or
computer group. You can set properties for the Production Agent (Ghost Solution
Suite Agent), or for an Automation Agent.
To change agent settings
1 From the Computers pane, right-click a computer and select Change Agent
Settings.
2 Select either Production Agent or Automation Agent.
3 Edit the properties settings.
4 Click OK.
 Managing Computers 144
Deploying and managing servers

Deploying and managing servers

Ghost Solution Suite provides additional features to remotely install, deploy and
manage network servers. From the Ghost Solution Suite Server Console, you can
configure new server hardware, install operating systems and applications, and
manage servers throughout their life cycle. And because servers are mission-critical,
you can set up a system to quickly deploy new servers or automatically re-deploy
servers that have failed. Features like rules-based deployment, support for remote
management cards, and quick server restoration from a deployment history give
you new tools to manage all servers throughout your organization.
Servers are identified in the Computer pane with distinctive server icons. Like all
managed computer icons, the icons change to identify the status and state of the
computer, such as user logged on or Server Waiting.

Note: Servers are recognized by their operating system (such as Windows 2000
Advanced Server, Windows Server 2003, 2008, or any Linux operating system),
multiple processors, and specific vendor server models.

Table 4-19 Deploying and managing servers

Field Description

Manage Servers from the Console. The Ghost Solution Suite Server Console
includes features specifically designed for
deploying and managing servers, such as
enhanced task logging and history tracking
features to let you recall administrative
actions and quickly redeploy mission-critical
servers.

Set Server-specific options. Servers are essential to any organization and

require special planning and management
strategies. Ghost Solution Suite Server
provides server-specific features to
automatically deploy new servers and
maintain existing servers.

See “Server deployment options ”

on page 146.
 Managing Computers 145
Deploying and managing servers

Server management features

Ghost Solution Suite Server provides various features for deploying and managing
servers. These features are supported for client computers as well, but are essential
in deploying servers.
Server icons. The Ghost Solution Suite Console displays icons that identify servers
across the network. Like other computer icons in the console, server icons can be
selected to view server properties or assign specific jobs and management tasks.
The following states are displayed:
■ The server is active and a user is logged on.
■ The server is disconnected from the console.
■ The server is in a waiting state.

Table 4-20
Field Description

Run Scripted Installs. Execute scripted, unattended installs across

the network for both Microsoft Windows and
Linux servers. Follow steps to create answer
files and set up operating system install files
using a wizard.

See “Scripted OS install” on page 189.

Support for multiple network adapter Because servers may require more than one
cards. network interface card, Ghost Solution Suite
Server provides property pages to access
and configure multiple network adapters
remotely from the console.

See “TCP/IP configuration settings ”

on page 108.

Synchronized server date and time. Ghost Solution Suite Server automatically
sets the server's date and time after installing
or imaging (as part of the configuration
process). Ghost Solution Suite Agents include
an option to disable this feature (it is off by
default).

Enhanced scripting capabilities. Ghost Solution Suite Server also lets you view
and debug each step in the deployment script,
and track each job to provide a history of
tasks for redeploying a server.
 Managing Computers 146
Deploying and managing servers

Server deployment options

Ghost Solution Suite Server includes features to automatically reconfigure and
redeploy new servers. If you are using Initial Deployment to automatically re-image
new servers or run installation scripts, you can (1) safeguard against mistaken disk
overwrites, or (2) run automatically for every server not identified as a managed
computer in the database. These contrasting settings are based on polices you
define for managing servers in your organization.
Example: If you rely on PXE to boot the new server and you want to deploy new
servers automatically without halting the process, you must change the default
settings in the PXE Configuration Utility. In contrast, if you want to ensure that the
server waits before being deployed (or waits a set time before proceeding) to avoid
erroneous re-deployment, you must set the options in the Advanced section of
Initial Deployment.
When a server boots from a PXE server or from Automation (if the option is set),
Ghost Solution Suite Server recognizes it as a new computer and attempts to
configure the computer with sample jobs. See Sample jobs. Initial Deployment
includes a feature to prohibit servers from being deployed automatically.
To halt the initial deployment of servers
1 Click Initial Deployment and select Properties.
2 Click the Advanced tab.
3 Select the Servers check box and click OK.
Initial Deployment does not run for any computer identified in the console as a
server.
If installing a server using a PXE Server, the server attempts to install, but does
not run automatically using default settings. It waits until a boot option is selected
from the client computer. You can change the default setting in the PXE
Configuration Utility to allow Initial Deployment to run automatically and not wait
for user intervention.
To change PXE options for initial deployment
1 Click on Start > All Programs > Altiris > PXE Services > PXE Configuration
Utility.
2 Click the GSS tab.
3 Select a pre-boot operating system from the Initial Deploy boot option drop-down
list.
4 Click Execute Immediately.
Initial Deployment runs automatically for every identified server.
 Managing Computers 147
Deploying and managing servers

5 Click Save.
6 Click OK.
When you run a deployment job on a computer where the Ghost Solution Suite
Agent is remotely installed, a message appears stating that no BootWorks partition
or PXE stamp is found. The message remains open until the user clicks OK on the
message dialog, which delays executing the scheduled job as part of an automated
redeployment process. To fix this delay:
To clear BootWorks prompt for remote Iistall
1 Select Tools > Options. The Program Options dialog appears.
2 Select the Agent Settings tab.
3 In the Automation Agent Settings section, select the Force new Automation
agents to take these settings check box and click Change Default Settings.
4 Click OK.
Following these steps, ensures that the BootWorks message does not appear and
a job runs smoothly when scheduled.

Managing server blades

Ghost Solution Suite lets you manage high-density server blades with
Rack/Enclosure/Bay (R/E/B) hardware and properties. From the Ghost Solution
Suite Console, you can deploy and manage these space-efficient server blades
using the physical view to assign jobs to the Rack, Enclosure, or Bay level of the
server cluster, or you can manage each server blade directly from the logical view.
See Bay for properties and rules to deploy Rack/Enclosure/Bay servers.
Using Ghost Solution Suite, you can employ rip and replace technology that lets
you insert a new server blade and automatically configure and deploy it exactly like
the previously installed server blade, letting you replace any server that is down
and get it back on line quickly. By default, the replay option is checked when you
create a new job. This option replays the job during any rip and replace actions.
Symantec provides fail-safe features to ensure that no server is mistakenly
overwritten and that all disk images, software, data, and patches are applied to the
new server from the history of jobs assigned to the previous server blade.

Managing new server blades

Ghost Solution Suite lets you automatically deploy, configure and provision new
server blades using a variety of features, including Sample Jobs and Server
Deployment Rules.
See “Sample jobs ” on page 227.
 Managing Computers 148
Deploying and managing servers

See “Server deployment rules” on page 127.

New server blades in newly identified bays

When new blades are identified in a Bay that has not been used previously (if it
has been used previously, the Bay object is identified in the physical view), both
the Initial Deployment and Virtual Bays features can be set up to automatically run
configuration tasks and deployment jobs.
To Create Virtual Bays: Set up Virtual Rack/Enclosure/Bays for Hewlett-Packard
Rapid Deployment Pack installations of Ghost Solution Suite.
Initial Deployment setup: Clear the Servers check box in the Advanced dialog.
If both new computer features are set up and a new server blade is installed in a
Bay not previously identified by the Ghost Solution Suite Server, the Create Virtual
Bay feature executes and Initial Deployment does not execute.

New server blades in identified bays

If a new HP server blade is installed in an identified Bay (one that already has a
server blade installed and is visible from the Ghost Solution Suite Console), both
Sample Jobs in Ghost Solution Suite and Server Deployment Rules can be set up.
However, when both are set up, the Server Deployment Rules execute and Initial
Deployment does not execute.

Virtual bays
Hewlett-Packard blade servers now have a Virtual Bay feature that lets you
pre-assign deployment jobs to the Rack, the Enclosure, or to a specific blade server
in the Bay. Any HP blade server can have predefined deployment jobs and
configuration tasks associated with it to execute automatically upon installation.
(This feature requires that the Hewlett-Packard Rapid Deployment Pack is installed.)
The Virtual Rack/Enclosure/Bay icons change from virtual icons to managed server
icons in the Ghost Solution Suite Console as live blade servers are inserted and
identified by Ghost Solution Suite.

Table 4-21
Field Description

Rack name Enter or edit the name of the Rack.

Enclosure name Enter or edit the name of the Enclosure.

Enclosure type Select the type of HP server blade from the

list.
 Managing Computers 149
Deploying and managing servers

Table 4-21 (continued)

Field Description

Initial Job Select an existing job to run when the

pre-configured computer account is
associated with a new server blade.

Server Change rule Select the Server Deployment Rules to run

on the Bay when a new server blade is
installed.

See “Server deployment rules” on page 127.

Note: If you create Virtual Bays for an enclosure (such as the BLe-class with 20
bays) and if another model of server blade with an enclosure containing fewer bays
is connected (such as the BLp-class with 8 bays), the excess virtual bays are
truncated automatically. Conversely, if you create Virtual Bays with fewer bays (8)
and install an enclosure with additional bays (20), you must re-create the virtual
bays in the enclosure (right-click the enclosure name in the physical view and click
New Virtual Bays).

Hewlett-Packard server blades

Hewlett-Packard high-density blade servers can be deployed and managed from
the Ghost Solution Suite Console. The following HP server blades are supported:

HP Proliant™ BL e-Class HP Proliant™ BL p-class

Proliant™ BL 10e Proliant™ BL 20p

Proliant™ BL 10e G2 Proliant™ BL 20p G2

Proliant™ BL 40p

HP blade servers let you employ all features provided in the Ghost Solution Suite
Console when you install the HP Proliant Essentials Rapid Deployment Pack (see
www.hp.com/servers/rdp), including the Virtual Blade Server feature. The name of
each Rack for an HP Server appears along with the assigned name for the Enclosure
and Bay. These names are collected from the SMBIOS of the server blade and
appear in both the physical and server views within the Computers pane of the
Ghost Solution Suite Console.
For HP blade servers in the physical view, the Rack name can be a custom name
in the console, with all subordinate Enclosures and Bays also identified. Example:
 Managing Computers 150
Deploying and managing servers

<rackName>
<enclosureName>
<bayNumber>
See “Server management features” on page 145.
See “Server deployment options ” on page 146.

Dell server blades

Dell high-density blade servers can be deployed and managed from the Ghost
Solution Suite Console. All Dell Rack Servers are supported by Ghost Solution
Suite, but the server blades can also be managed from the physical view in the
Rack/Enclosure/Bay view. The following servers are supported:

Dell Rack Servers Dell Server Blades

All PowerEdge™ rack servers PowerEdge™ 1655MC

For Dell blade servers in the physical view, the Rack name is always Dell. All
subordinate Enclosures and Bays are identified with custom names under the Dell
rack name. Example:
Dell
<enclosureName>
<bayName>
See “Server management features” on page 145.
See “Server deployment options ” on page 146.

Fujitsu-Siemens server blades

Fujitsu-Siemens high-density blade servers can be deployed and managed from
the Ghost Solution Suite Console. All Fujitsu-Siemens Rack Servers are supported
by Ghost Solution Suite, but the server blades can also be managed from the
physical view in the Rack/Enclosure/Bay view. The following servers are supported:

Fujitsu-Siemens Rack Servers Fujitsu-Siemens Server Blades

All Primergy™ rack servers Primergy™ BX300 blade servers

For Fujitsu-Siemens blade servers in the physical view, the Rack name is always
Fujitsu-Siemens. All subordinate Enclosures and Bays are identified with custom
names under the Fujitsu-Siemens rack name.
 Managing Computers 151
Deploying and managing servers

Example:
Fujitsu-Siemens
<enclosureName>
<bayName>
See “Server management features” on page 145.
See “Server deployment options ” on page 146.

Note: If you have Fujitsu-Siemens Server blades managed by the Ghost Solution
Suite Server, ensure that the SNMP service is running on the Ghost Solution Suite
Server. Also, if the Ghost Solution Suite Server is installed on a Windows 2003
server, ensure that the security is set correctly to receive traps from remote
computers. By default, Ghost Solution Suite Servers cannot receive traps from
remote computers.

IBM server blades

IBM high-density Blade Centers can be deployed and managed from the Ghost
Solution Suite Console. All IBM blade servers are supported by Ghost Solution
Suite, but the server blades can also be managed from the physical view in the
Rack/Enclosure/Bay view.
For IBM blade servers in the physical view, the Rack name is always IBM. All
subordinate Enclosures are identified with custom names under the IBM rack name
and Bays are identified by number. Example:
IBM
<enclosureName>
<baynumber>
See “Server management features” on page 145.
See “Server deployment options ” on page 146.

Finding a computer in the database

This search filter lets you type a string and query specified database fields for
specific computer properties. You can search for user or computer names, licensing
or location information, or primary lookup keys: MAC address, serial number, asset
number, or UUID. This search filter queries property values appear in the Computer
Properties pages.
See “Computer properties ” on page 125.
 Managing Computers 152
Deploying and managing servers

Click <CTRL> F or click Find Computer on the console toolbar to search the Ghost
Solution Suite Database for computers by property settings. The search begins at
the top of the computer list and highlights the computer name in the Computers
pane when a match is found. Press F3 to find the next computer that matches the
search criteria until there are no more results, or the end of the computer list is
reached.
To find a computer in the database
1 In the Search For field, type all or part of the computer's property values you
would like to search for. This alpha-numeric string is compared with specified
database fields.
2 From the In Field drop-down list, select the field you want to search in the
Ghost Solution Suite Database.
Example: To find a computer by searching for its IP address, type the address
in the Search For field and select the IP Address from the In Field drop-down
list.

Name BIOS name of the computer.

Computer Name Ghost Solution Suite name of the computer.

MAC Address Example: 0080C6E983E8.

IP Address Example: 192.168.1.1.

ID Example: The computer ID. 5000001.

Serial Number Serial number installed in BIOS. A primary

lookup key.

Asset Tag Asset number in BIOS. A primary lookup key.

UUID A primary lookup key.

Registered User Name entered when the operating system

was installed.

Product Key Product Key for the operating system.

Logged On User Name of the user currently at the computer.

Physical Bay Name The actual bay number. Example: 7x.

The computer you are looking for appears highlighted in the Computers window in
the console.
 Managing Computers 153
Deploying and managing servers

Note: This search is not case-sensitive and allows wildcard searches using *.

See “Computer filters and job conditions” on page 78.

Using lab builder

Use the Lab Builder to set up jobs under the Lab folder in the Jobs pane to set up
a classroom or lab environment.
Click Lab Builder on the console toolbar or click File > New > Lab Builder to set
up jobs specifically created for managing multiple computers in a lab environment.
You can set up jobs to:
■ Create Disk Image
■ Deploy Lab
■ Restore Lab
■ Update Configuration
■ Upload Registries
Each of these jobs contains a default list of tasks. Lab Builder places these five
new jobs under a folder (which you name) located under the Lab folder. All tasks
in the jobs have been assigned default paths and file names that let them use the
same images and configuration information, registry data, and so on. We recommend
that you do not change the file names and paths. If you change the default settings
(example: changing the image name), you must change them in all jobs where the
image is used.
To use Lab Builder
1 Click the Lab Builder icon on the toolbar, or choose File > New > Lab Builder.
2 Enter the name of the Lab Setup.

Note: The lab name must be unique because the program creates a default
image file name based on the name, and the image file name must be unique.
The default image name is synchronized in all lab jobs, so if you change the
name later you must change it in all the jobs that use the image.

3 (Optional) Enter a lab description to help you differentiate the lab from others
and click OK.
 Managing Computers 154
Deploying and managing servers

4 Identify an image in the Create Disk Image job.

See “Creating a disk image ” on page 174.
5 Set computer names and addresses in the Update Configuration job.
The following information describes the default jobs. To run one of these jobs,
simply drag it to the computer or computer group you want it applied to.

Create Disk Image This job uploads an image of a computer to

the server and an image name is created
automatically based on the lab name.
However, there is no actual image in the job
until you drag the image source computer to
this job.

Deploy Lab This job has three default tasks: Deploy

image, Apply configuration settings, and Back
up registry files. The image that is uploaded
using the Create Disk Image job is deployed
when you use this job. The configuration
settings you specify in the Update
Configuration job are applied to the
computers, and the computer registry files
are uploaded to the Ghost Solution Suite
Server.

Restore Lab This job restores the image and registry files
to a computer where a lab was previously
deployed. You can quickly get a computer
running again by restoring the lab on that
computer.

Update Configuration This job lets you set unique configuration

information (such as computer names and
network addresses) for client computers.
When a lab is deployed, each computer has
an identical image, but not the same
configuration settings. This means you don't
have to visit each computer to reset the IP
addresses and other settings when you
deploy an image.

Upload Registries. This job backs up computer registry files to

the Ghost Solution Suite Server.
 Managing Computers 155
New Dynamic Machine Groups

New Dynamic Machine Groups

The New Dynamic machine group lets you create groups of computers based on
a filter. Following are the fields and the description of the New Dynamic machine
group dialog:

Table 4-22 New Dynamic Machine Groups

Field Description

Dynamic Machine Group Name Enter a name for the group

Group Select an existing group or select all

computers, New computers or New Group

Filter Select a filter based on which the computer

or groups of computers are filtered.

If you want to edit or modify filters use Setup>>.

See “Filter Setup” on page 156.

Creating and modifying filters

Ghost Solution Suite lets you create filters for computers. A filter lets you specify a
set of conditions based on which the computers that are present on the network
are filtered.
For example: If you want to find out all the computers whose RAM is equal to 4MB,
then you can set the filter where Field is RAM(total), operation is set as at most and
value as 4.

Note: To delete a condition of a filter, select the filter condition from the Filter Set
up dialog and click Delete.

To create filters
1 In the Ghost Solution Suite console, navigate to the Computers section and
right-click to view the options.
2 From the options, select New Group.
3 In the Filter Set up dialog, enter the name of the filter that you want to create.
4 Click Add....
5 In the Filter definition dialog, select the field from the drop-down list.
6 Select the operation parameter.
 Managing Computers 156
New Dynamic Machine Groups

7 Enter the Value of the parameter.

8 Click OK.
9 In the Filter Set up dialog, click OK.
To modify a filter
1 In the Ghost Solution Suite console, navigate to the Computers section.
2 From the Computers section, select the filter that you want to modify.
3 Click Setup>>.
4 In the Filter Set up dialog, select the condition that you want to modify.
5 Click Modify...
6 In the Filter definition dialog, modify the filter condition.
7 Click OK.
8 In the Filter Set up dialog, click OK.

Filter Setup
The Filter Set up dialog lets you create, modify, and delete the filters that are
applied to the computers in the network. A filter is a set of multiple conditions based
on which the computers that are present on the network are filtered. After you add
the conditions to the filter, the table displays all the conditions that are set for the
filter.
Following are the field and description of the Filter Set up dialog:

Table 4-23 Filter Setup

Field Description

Name Add the name for the filter.

Add... Click on this option to add conditions to a

filter.

Modify... To enable the Modify option, select the

condition from a filter that you want to modify.

Delete To enable the Delete option, select the

condition from the filter that you want to
delete.

Following are the field and description of the Filter Definition dialog:
 Managing Computers 157
New Dynamic Machine Groups

Table 4-24 Filter Definition

Field Description

Field Select the name of the condition to be added

from the drop-down list

Operation Select from the following operators:

■ contain
■ does not contain
■ ends with
■ is exactly
■ starts with

Value Enter the value for the condition that you want
to use.

See “Creating and modifying filters” on page 155.

 Chapter 5
Building and scheduling
jobs
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Building and scheduling jobs

■ Viewing job details

■ New job wizard

■ Building new jobs

■ Job scheduling wizard

■ Setting conditions for task sets

■ Deployment tasks

■ Creating a disk image

■ Distributing a disk image

■ Scripted OS install

■ Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier

■ Scripted install for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and later

■ Scripted install for Linux

■ Distributing software

■ Capturing personality settings

■ Distributing personality settings

 Building and scheduling jobs 159
Building and scheduling jobs

■ Modifying configuration

■ Backing up and restoring registry files

■ Getting inventory

■ Running a script

■ Copying a file

■ Power control

■ Waiting

■ Modifying tasks in a deployment job

■ Creating new script files

■ Copy and paste jobs and job folders

■ Importing and exporting jobs

■ Setting up return codes

■ Sample jobs

■ Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery (BESR) sample jobs

■ Initial deployment

■ Configurations

■ Jobs

■ Advanced

Building and scheduling jobs

A job represents a collection of predefined or custom deployment tasks that are
scheduled and executed remotely on selected client computers. You can build jobs
with tasks to automatically create and deploy hard disk images, back up and
distribute software or personality settings, add printers, configure computer settings,
and perform all aspects of IT administration. Jobs can be run immediately for a
specific computer, or stored and scheduled for daily or long-term administrative
duties on multiple computer groups.
Job icons appear in the Jobs pane of the Ghost Solution Suite Console. To assign
and schedule a job in the Ghost Solution Suite Console, drag the job icon to selected
 Building and scheduling jobs 160
Viewing job details

computer icons. Job status icons also appear in the Details pane of the Ghost
Solution Suite Console to indicate various deployment states.
See “Viewing job details” on page 160.
The New Job Wizard guides you through common deployment and management
jobs. It is an easy way to set up new users or migrate users to new computers,
create and distribute images of computers on the network, distribute software
packages, restore computers, and more.
See “New job wizard” on page 162.
Jobs include one or more Deployment tasks. You build jobs by adding tasks to a
job and customizing the task for your specific needs. You can add tasks to capture
and distribute images, software packages, and personality settings. You can also
write and run a script task, or run scripted installs, configure settings, copy files and
back up registry settings. You can also modify existing jobs by adding, modifying,
copy and pasting, or deleting tasks to suit your requirements.
See “Building new jobs ” on page 167.
Set conditions on jobs to run only on computers with properties that match the
criteria you specify. You can build one job to run on different computer types for
different needs, and avoid mistakes by ensuring that the correct job runs on the
correct managed computer. Add links.
See “Setting conditions for task sets” on page 168.
Initial Deployment lets you run predefined jobs and configuration tasks on new
computers when they start up. You can automatically deploy new computers by
imaging and configuring TCP/IP, SIDs, and other network settings and installing
basic software packages. See Sample jobs .
Sample jobs are installed with Ghost Solution Suite and appear in the Samples
folder of the Jobs pane. You can run many sample jobs as they are, or you can set
environmental variables. See Sample jobs.

Viewing job details

As jobs are assigned, scheduled and executed, it is helpful to know specific details
about their status and assignments. The Ghost Solution Suite Console provides
job icons to show the state and status of the job in the Details pane:
■ Job status icons that update the state of the job in running deployment tasks.
These icons are graphical symbols in the Ghost Solution Suite Console used
to identify the status of an assigned job.
 Building and scheduling jobs 161
Viewing job details

A job is scheduled to run on a computer or

computer group.

A job is in progress.

A job has executed successfully.

A job is associated with a computer or group

of computers but is not scheduled.

Indicates error conditions when individual

tasks run.

■ A description of the job, if available. You can also use Add or Modify in the main
window to edit the description.
■ If a job defines error conditions when individual tasks run, the Status field displays
any errors incurred and the tasks that completed successfully.
■ Job Schedule details. This is the job's run time, beginning when the job started
and ending when it completed successfully.
■ The currently applied conditions appear in a list box with a Setup option to add
conditions to different task sets for different computer properties within a job.
Conditions specify characteristics that a computer must have before the job
runs. See Setting conditions for task sets.
■ A list of tasks assigned to the job and task descriptions also appears. Change
the order of the task execution with the up and down arrows. Tasks are executed
in the order they are listed. See Deployment tasks.
■ Features to add, modify, and delete tasks for each job.
■ A list of assigned computers and its deployment history.
To sort jobs or computer details, just point and click on the category in the Details
pane. Example: Click the Status column heading to organize and display the
progress status of the job.
See “Viewing computer details” on page 97.
 Building and scheduling jobs 162
New job wizard

New job wizard

The New Job Wizard provides integrated features to build, assign, and schedule
common deployment jobs. It helps you build the most common jobs, and guides
you through additional steps to assign and schedule the jobs to selected computers.
It lets you quickly build image files and deploy new computers, distribute software
packages, migrate users, and more.

Note: When a software package or deployment job is scheduled to run on client

computers, the Symantec Client Service Message dialog appears, warning them
that a job is about to execute. If a user clicks Abort when the message appears, an
event is logged to the client's history so that Ghost Solution Suite administrators
know when users abort a scheduled event.

Create a new job by clicking New Job Wizard on the Ghost Solution Suite Console,
clicking File > New > Job Wizard, or right-clicking in the Jobs pane of the Ghost
Solution Suite Console and selecting New Job Wizard. The New Job Wizard
appears to guide you through basic deployment jobs.
 Building and scheduling jobs 163
New job wizard

To create a New job

1 Select a job option:
Create an image. This wizard guides you through the steps required to create
an image of a computer's hard disk and schedule the job.
See “Creating a disk image ” on page 174. .
Deploy and configure computers. This wizard guides you through the steps
required to deploy a previously created new disk image on a selected computer
and install software and personality settings.
See “Distributing a disk image” on page 182.
Deploy software packages. This wizard guides you through steps required to
install software packages. You can set conditions, select packages, assign to
computers, and schedule the job
See “Distributing software ” on page 200.
Restore a computer. This wizard guides you through the steps required to
restore a computer to a known working state by re-imaging the hard drive and
reinstalling software packages, personality settings, and defining configuration
values. This option reschedules jobs saved in each managed computer's history
record, which contains all deployment tasks previously processed. See
Restoring a computer from its deployment history .
Migrate computers. This wizard guides you through the steps required to migrate
the hard disk image, applications, and personality settings from a source
computer to a destination computer. You can perform one or more migration
operations using the provided options.
2 Give the job a unique name. You can type a name up to 64 characters.
3 Follow the steps in each wizard to create a job (some New Job wizards build
multiple jobs).
4 (Optional) Unselect the Replay during rip and replace option.
This option is selected by default. This option replays the job during any rip and
replace actions.
After creating a job, the job appears in the Jobs pane of the Ghost Solution Suite
Console with the deployment tasks listed in the Tasks list.

Note: You cannot define return codes when using the New Job Wizard. See “Building
new jobs ” on page 167.

See “Modifying tasks in a deployment job” on page 219.

 Building and scheduling jobs 164
New job wizard

Migrating computers
From the New Job Wizard, you can select Migrate computers to quickly distribute
hard disk images, software, and settings from a user's current computer to a new
computer. You can image a new computer's hard disk with a new operating system
and install software and personality settings. Or perform different levels of migration
to distribute only software or to simply capture and distribute personality settings
to the new computer.

Migrate one computer to another separate computer

Click this option to migrate a user from a source computer (old computer) to another
destination computer (new computer). Capture personality settings, distribute a
new hard disk image, distribute software and redistribute the saved personality
settings from the source computer to the new destination computer.
Click the option to migrate only personality settings to one or more computers. Also
select Prepare destination computer with a disk image to distribute a disk image
to the new computer and select Install software packages prior to applying the
personality on the destination computer to install software packages on the new
computer.

Note: This option creates two jobs that appear in the Jobs pane: Job (Capture)
and Job (Distribute).

Job (Capture) includes a Capture Personality Settings task (See “Capturing

personality settings ” on page 203. ) to capture the personality of the source computer
and a Modify Configuration task to rename the source computer to avoid naming
conflicts (see Modifying configuration). The source computer is named
computerName (Old).
Job (Distribute) includes a Deploy Image task (see Distributing a disk image) if
selected, a Modify Configuration task to update settings to the destination computer,
and one or more Install Package tasks to update software (if selected) and migrate
personality settings. See Distributing software.

Migrate the same computer to another operating system

Click this option to upgrade the operating system on a computer and reinstall
personality settings and software packages on the same computer. It creates jobs
and tasks to capture the personality settings, distribute a new disk image, distribute
software packages, and migrate the personality settings.
Click the option to deploy a disk image and migrate the personality settings to the
computer. (Optional) Select Install software packages prior to applying the
personality on the destination computer to install software packages on the computer.
 Building and scheduling jobs 165
New job wizard

Note: This option creates two jobs that appear in the Jobs pane: Job (Capture)
and Job (Distribute).

Job (Capture) includes a Capture Personality Settings task (See “Capturing

personality settings ” on page 203.) to capture the personality of the source computer.
Job (Distribute) includes a Deploy Image task (See “Distributing a disk image”
on page 182.) and one or more Install Package tasks to update software, if selected.
See “Distributing software ” on page 200.

Simply capture the personality of the computers

Click this option to capture and save, but not distribute, the personality settings of
the selected computer(s). You can select a personality template and save Personality
Packages to the Ghost Solution Suite Share , letting you distribute these personality
settings later to new computers.

Note: This option creates a single job with a Capture Personality Settings task.

See “Capturing personality settings ” on page 203.

See “New job wizard” on page 162.

Selecting computers in the new job wizard

The New Job Wizard provides steps to select and assign computers to the jobs
created in the wizard, rather than requiring you to create a job and assign it to
computers when building new jobs. The jobs created in the New Job Wizard appear
in the Jobs pane, and can be saved and assigned to other computers at a later
time. You can also schedule jobs for the specified computers in the wizard.
See “Building and scheduling jobs ” on page 159.

Applying computers to a job

When deploying software in the New Job Wizard, you can select computers to
assign the Distribute Software task created in the wizard. (See Distributing software.)
You can also select an option to simply store the job and use it at another time
without scheduling the job. Regardless of the scheduling option selected, the job
appears in the Jobs pane to use at another time.
New Computers. Open an Adding New Computers dialog to create new user
accounts to assign the job.
 Building and scheduling jobs 166
New job wizard

Associating destination computers

Use this dialog to associate source computers with destination computers when
migrating personality settings. Depending on the computers selected in the previous
Select Computers dialog, you can migrate personality settings captured from the
source computers to new destination computers.
Right-click a computer in the Source column to replace it with another source
computer. Right-click a computer in the Destination column to replace it with another
destination computer and assign it to a new source computer. To automatically
assign multiple computers, click Automatic to assign source computers with
destination computers using an alpha-numeric order. The associated computers
share personality settings after running the jobs.
See “Migrating computers” on page 164.

Setting up conditions in the new job wizard

The New Job Wizard also provides steps to set up conditions, a step usually
performed independently for each job during its build phase. Setting conditions lets
you run selected tasks only on computers matching defined criteria. See Setting
conditions for task sets.
Click Setup conditions for this set of tasks to open the Define Conditions dialog
from the New Job Wizard.

Installing software packages

The New Job Wizard provides steps to install software packages to the selected
computers. You can install any type of software to the managed client computer,
including .MSIs, .RIPs, and personality packages. If the selected package is not an
.RIP or personality package, a message appears asking if you want to continue.
See Distributing software for additional information.

Option summary
After selecting the options in the New Job Wizard, you can view a summary of the
job names, assigned computers, conditions, and other selected choices. To change
any options, click Back to return to the previous dialog. Click Finish to complete the
steps in the wizard.
See “New job wizard” on page 162.
 Building and scheduling jobs 167
Building new jobs

Building new jobs

A job can be a single task to distribute software or change computer property
settings, or a series of tasks sequenced to migrate hard disk images, set
post-installation TCP/IP and SID values, and install software packages and
personality settings.
To create a new job, click this icon on the Ghost Solution Suite Console, or click
File > New > Job, or right-click in the Jobs pane of the Ghost Solution Suite Console
and select New Job. You can modify jobs by double-clicking the job or right-clicking,
and selecting Properties. Add tasks to each job by clicking Add.
To build new jobs
1 Create a new job. Enter a unique name and description for the job. You can
type a name up to 64 characters.
A new job is added to the Jobs pane in the Ghost Solution Suite Console. You
can group and organize jobs, and access and apply them to computers or
computer groups from an index of prebuilt jobs.
2 (Optional) Set conditions to apply the job to specified computers meeting
defined criteria. Order multiple conditions to run jobs on computers that match
the first applicable condition. See Setting conditions for task sets.
3 Click Add to open a list of deployment tasks to add to each job. .
4 Set task options using the provided wizards.
5 (Optional) Unselect the Replay during rip and replace option.
This option is selected by default. This option replays the job during any rip
and replace actions.
After you complete the steps to create a task, it is added to the Task list. Click
Add to add another task. Use the up and down arrows to change the order of
execution of the tasks in the Task list.
Tasks are executed in the order that they appear in the task list. Therefore,
ensure you do not run a task that overrides the previous tasks. Example: List
Distribute Disk Image above Distribute Software or Distribute Personality, letting
the hard disk be imaged before installing applications and settings.
6 (Optional) Set Return Codes. The last action in each task wizard lets you set
return codes for each deployment task. See See “Setting up return codes ”
on page 223.
7 After adding tasks, click OK.
8 To schedule the job, drag it to a computer or computer group. The Schedule
Jobs dialog appears.
 Building and scheduling jobs 168
Job scheduling wizard

See “Importing and exporting jobs ” on page 223.

Job scheduling wizard

The Job Scheduling Wizard provides features to assign jobs to selected computers
and computer groups, and to schedule the jobs to run without using a mouse. This
new feature meets Section 508 requirements to improve disability access and
enables integration of voice activation software and other user interface features.

Select a job
Select the jobs or groups of jobs to assign to computers or computer groups. Use
the SHIFT and CTRL keys to select multiple jobs or job folders. Click Next.

Select a computer or computer groups

Select the computers or groups of computers to assign the jobs selected in the
previous dialog. Use the SHIFT and CTRL keys to select multiple computers or
groups. Click Next.
New Computers. Click when adding new computers.
See “Adding new computers” on page 99.

Setting conditions for task sets

Setting conditions on a job lets you run selected tasks only on computers that match
defined criteria. As a result, you can create a single job with tasks defined for
computers with varying properties, including operating system types, network
adapters, processors, free drive space, and other computer properties. You can
create task sets for each job that apply only to the computers matching those
conditions.

Note: The default condition (named default) has no parameters or values associated
with it. If this is the only condition that a job contains, the tasks associated with the
default condition will always work on all computers to which the job is assigned. A
default condition is like having no conditions.

In addition, if a task is associated with the default condition, the task always runs
when a computer does not meet any other conditions associated with this job.
 Building and scheduling jobs 169
Setting conditions for task sets

To set conditions for task sets

1 Select a job from the Jobs pane of the Ghost Solution Suite Console. The
Job Properties dialog appears.
2 Click Setup next to the Condition field. A menu appears with options to create
a new condition, or to modify, delete, or reorder a condition.
3 To reorder conditions, click Order and reorder them using up or down.
4 To create a new condition, click New in the menu. The Condition Settings
dialog appears. Enter a name up to 64 characters.
5 Click Add to open the Condition dialog. Specify the following conditions and
click OK:
■ From the Field drop-down list, select a data field heading. You can define
conditions based on common client features such as operating system,
software and hardware version, hard drive space, operating system
language, RAM, and other characteristics.
To set up custom conditions based on custom tokens, select User Defined
Tokens from the Field drop-down list.
■ From the Operation drop-down list, select a compare statement.
■ In the Value box, type a string to search for in the selected database field.
You can set conditions based on computer properties stored in fields in the
Ghost Solution Suite Database. Example: You can set a condition to match
a particular asset tag, Ghost Solution Suite agent version, or IP address.
You can use wildcard characters and AND/OR operators.
■ To set up custom conditions based on custom tokens, select User Defined
Tokens from the Field list.

The task set you create appears in the Task list for each condition. When you select
a new condition, the tasks for that condition appear.

Note: When using User Defined Tokens to set conditions for some client property
values, you may be required to use the decimal value instead of the hex value.
Example: When setting conditions based on the NICS table on the nic_device_id
and nic_vendor_id columns, you must use decimal values.

See “Deployment tasks” on page 170.

 Building and scheduling jobs 170
Deployment tasks

Deployment tasks
A task is an action of a job. Jobs are built with tasks. Each task runs according to
its order in the task list contained in a job. You can resize the task pane by dragging
the bottom pane (horizontal bar) that separates the task list and the scheduled
computer list of the Ghost Solution Suite Console. This lets you view a greater
number of tasks in a deployment job without using the scroll bar to navigate up and
down.

Task names in a mixed-language environment

Ghost Solution Suite Server does not handle the code pages in a mixed-language
environment well. If a Windows 32-bit Ghost Solution Suite Server Console is
installed on a native single-byte OS (for example, English, Italian, and French) and
viewed on a double-byte language, the task names show as a series of question
marks.
When you view the task names on a native double-byte OS, they display correctly.

Common Tasks
The Add menu of the Ghost Solution Suite Console includes the following tasks:

Table 5-1 Common tasks

Field Description

Create Disk Image Create a disk image from a reference

computer and save the image file (.IMG or
.GHO files) for later distribution.

See “Creating a disk image ” on page 174.

Distribute Disk Image Distribute previously created disk images

(.IMG or .EXE files) or create a disk image
from a reference computer on the network
and simultaneously distribute it (.IMG or
.GHO) to other managed computers on the
network.

See “Distributing a disk image” on page 182.

Scripted OS Install Run scripted (unattended) installs using

answer files to install computers remotely
over the network.

See “Scripted OS install” on page 189.

 Building and scheduling jobs 171
Deployment tasks

Table 5-1 Common tasks (continued)

Field Description

Distribute Software Distribute .RIPs, .MSI files, scripts, personality

settings, and other package files to computers
or groups.

See “Distributing software ” on page 200.

Capture Personality Capture the personality settings of a selected

computer on the network using the PC
Transplant software. PC Transplant ships as
a part of Ghost Solution Suite Server.

See “Capturing personality settings ”

on page 203.

Distribute Personality Send a Personality Package to computer or

groups. This task identifies valid Ghost
Solution Suite packages and assign
passwords and command-line options to
Personality Packages.

See “Distributing personality settings ”

on page 205.

Modify Configuration Modify the IP address, computer and user

name, domains and Active Directory
organizational units, and other network
information and computer properties.
See “Modifying configuration” on page 208.

Back up Registry Copy the registry files of selected computers

and save the registry file settings to a
selected directory.

See “Backing up and restoring registry files”

on page 208.

Restore Registry Copy the registry file settings to a managed

computer.

Get Inventory This lets you gather inventory information

from client computers to ensure that the
Ghost Solution Suite Database is updated
with the latest computer properties.
 Building and scheduling jobs 172
Deployment tasks

Table 5-1 Common tasks (continued)

Field Description

Run Script Create custom commands using scripts to

perform jobs outside the bounds of the
preconfigured tasks. Use the Run Script
dialog to select or define a script file to run
on specified computers or groups.

Copy File to Copy a file from the Ghost Solution Suite

Share or another source computer to a
destination computer.

Power Control Perform power control options to restart,

shutdown, power off, and log off.

Wait Use the Wait dialog to retain a computer in

automation mode after a task is performed.

Supported Live Task Types

The following is the list of the live tasks supported for the x64, IA64, and SPARC
platforms.

Task x64 IA64 SPARC

Restore Yes Yes Yes

Computer

History Yes Yes Yes

Configure Yes Yes Yes

Quick Disk Yes Yes Yes

Image

Power Control: Yes Yes Yes

Wake Up

Power Control: Yes Yes Yes

Restart

Power Control: Yes Yes Yes

Shutdown

Power Control: Yes Yes No

Log off
 Building and scheduling jobs 173
Deployment tasks

Remote Control Yes No No

Execute Yes Yes Yes

Copy File Yes Yes Yes

Chat No No No

Advanced: Clear Yes Yes Yes

Computer Status

Advanced: Yes Yes No

Prompt User for
Properties

Advanced: Reset Yes Yes Yes

Connection

Advanced: Install Yes

Automation
Partition

Advanced: Get Yes Yes Yes

Inventory

Advanced: Yes Yes Yes

Reject
Connection

Advanced: Yes Yes No

Uninstall
Windows Agent

Advanced: Install No No Yes

BIS Certificate

Advanced: No No Yes
Remove BIS
Certificate

Advanced: Apply Yes Yes Yes

Regular License

New Job Wizard Yes Yes Yes

New Group Yes Yes Yes

New Computer Yes Yes Yes

Rename Yes Yes Yes

 Building and scheduling jobs 174
Creating a disk image

Delete Yes Yes Yes

Change Agent Yes Yes Yes

Setting

Permissions Yes Yes Yes

Job Scheduling Yes Yes Yes

Wizard te

Creating a disk image

This task creates an image of a computer's hard disk. You can save the disk image
as an .IMG, .EXE, .WIM, .DMG, or .GHO file.
Create an image file by using the New Job Wizard or adding the task when building
new jobs. You can distribute the disk image file using the Distribute a Disk Image
task. This task will run Symantec RDeploy.exe from the console to capture and
migrate hard disk images.
See “New job wizard” on page 162., See “Building new jobs ” on page 167., and
Distributing a disk image.
To create an image of a computer, you must boot to Linux, or WinPE. This requires
that you set up a PXE Server or install an automation partition.
To create a disk image
1 In the Jobs pane in the Ghost Solution Suite Console, select a job.
2 In the Details pane, click Add and select Create Disk Image.
 Building and scheduling jobs 175
Creating a disk image

3 In the Create Disk Image dialog, select an imaging tool from the drop-down
list. You can select RapiDeploy (Text mode), RapiDeploy (Graphics mode),
RapiDeploy (Linux mode), ImageX, Mac Image or Ghost.
RDeployT is the default imaging executable. This facilitates the imaging of thin
client computers. The following are the RapiDeploy options for imaging:

Graphical Mode (RDeploy) Select this option to run the RDeploy in a

GUI mode.

Text Mode (RDeployT) Select this option to run the RDeploy in a

text mode.

Linux (RDeploy) Select this option to run the RDeploy in

Linux mode.

You can select the ImageX or Mac Image option for imaging. If you select
ImageX, the image is created as a .WIM file. If you select Mac Image, the
image is created as a .DMG file. For information on creating a Mac Image, See
“Creating a Mac image ” on page 177. You can also select the Ghost option for
imaging. If you select Ghost, the image is created as a .GHO file. For
information on creating a Ghost Image, See “Creating a Ghost image ”
on page 178.

Note: Linux (RDeploy) and Ghost options are available only when the
ImageTools.ini file is stored in the eXpress folder.

4 Enter additional parameters in the Additional Parameters field.

You can add command-line options specifically for the RapiDeploy program
to run imaging tasks. See Command-line Switches in the Deployment and
Migration Guide.
5 Enter a path and file name to store the disk image file. You can store image
files to access later when a managed computer is assigned a job that includes
the image file.
The default file name extension is .IMG. Saving image files with an .EXE
extension converts them into self-extracting executable files (the run-time
version of RapiDeploy is added in the file). You can also save ImageX files
with a .WIM extension, a Mac image with a .DMG extension, and a Ghost
image with a .GHO extension.
 Building and scheduling jobs 176
Creating a disk image

6 Select Disable image path validation if you want to store the image file outside
of the Ghost Solution Suite Share file structure. If you do not select this option
and do not specify a Ghost Solution Suite Share path, a warning message
appears, reminding you to configure your automation process to use the path
indicated in the Name field. You can still save your image to a location outside
of the Ghost Solution Suite Share file structure even when you do not select
this option. This option only eliminates the warning message. You can use this
option to store images locally on the managed computer's hard drive or to an
additional server used to store images.
If you typed a UNC path in the Name field and the server does not have access
to the path, check to disable image path validation. Otherwise, the process
fails.
When storing images locally on the managed computer's hard drive, ensure
that you enter the path relative to the managed computer (Example:
C:\myimage.img). When you store an image locally on a managed computer
instead of a file server, you save server disk space and reduce network traffic.
Prerequisite: To store images locally on the managed computer's hard drive,
you must have a hidden automation partition installed on the managed
computer's hard disk with the required disk space to hold the images you want
to store.

Note: When imaging computers where images are stored on the managed
computer's hidden automation partition, use the option to remove the automation
partition only when you want to clear all images from the computer.

7 Select Prepare using Sysprep to use Sysprep to prepare the system for
imaging.
8 From the Operating System drop-down list, select the operating system or
Add new to open the OS Product Key dialog and select the OS Information.
9 Click Advanced Settings. This opens the Sysprep advanced settings dialog.
See Advanced Sysprep settings for creating a disk image.
10 (Optional) Select the Do not boot to Production option to create an image
of the hard disk while booted to Automation without first booting to Windows
to save network settings (TCP/IP settings, SID, computer name, and so on).
If you select this option, these network settings are not reapplied to the computer
after the imaging task, resulting in network conflicts when the computer starts.
 Building and scheduling jobs 177
Creating a disk image

11 From the Automation pre-boot environment (WinPE/Linux) drop-down list,

select the required pre-boot environment to perform the Create Disk Image
task in the selected pre-boot environment. By default, the Default Automation
(Auto-select) type is selected.

Note: ImageX requires a WinPE x86 pre-boot environment.

12 (Optional) To select Media Spanning and additional options, click Advanced.

See “Create disk image advanced ” on page 180.
13 Click OK (if you are using the New Job Wizard) or click Next.
14 (Optional) Set Return Codes. See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
15 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job. The disk image is
created when you run this task.

Note: If an imaging job fails on a managed computer, the Ghost Solution Suite
Configuration page appears on the client computer. This page displays a prompt
to confirm whether the user wants to configure the client computer or restore the
original settings. On the client computer's screen, select Cancel > Restore Original
Settings.

See “Deployment tasks” on page 170.

Creating a Mac image

You can create a Mac Image using the Create Disk Image task.
To create a Mac image
1 In the Create Disk Image dialog, select Mac Image (*.dmg) from the Imaging
Tool drop-down list.
2 (Optional) Provide the disk number in the Additional Parameters field using
the following format:
-d[disk#]

By default, all partitions of disk 1 are imaged. To image a different disk, provide
the disk number in the Additional Parameters field using the same format.
3 Choose from one of the following options to add the path and file name for the
disk image:
■ Specify the share using the following format:
afp://server/sharepoint/path/filename.dmg
 Building and scheduling jobs 178
Creating a disk image

■ Provide credentials using the following format:

afp://username:password@server/sharepoint/path/filename.dmg
If no credentials for this server are provided in the automation configuration,
the guest account is used by default.

Note: These credentials are passed unencrypted and can be read by a network
sniffer. The captured disk image must be stored on an AppleTalk Filing Protocol
(AFP) share.

4 Select Disable image path validation.

The image file is stored outside of the Ghost Solution Suite Share file structure.
If you do not select this option, a warning message appears, reminding you to
configure your automation process to use the path indicated in the Name field.
You can still save your image to a location outside of the Ghost Solution Suite
Share file structure even when you do not select this option. This option
eliminates the warning message.
5 (Optional) Select the Do not boot to Production option if you do not want the
computer to boot to Production before creating the image.
6 From the Automation pre-boot environment (WinPE/Linux) drop-down list,
select the required pre-boot environment to perform the Create Disk Image
task in the selected pre-boot environment. By default, the Default Automation
(Auto-select) type is selected.
7 Click Next. The Return Codes dialog appears.
8 (Optional) Set Return Codes.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
9 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job. The Mac image is
created when you run this task.

Note: The Sysprep settings option is disabled if you select Mac Image as the
Imaging Tool. The Automation pre-boot Environment for Mac Image is the Default
Automation when capturing Mac images.

Creating a Ghost image

Symantec Ghost Solution Suite provides operating system migration, software
distribution, computer personality migration, hardware and software inventory, and
secure system retirement.
 Building and scheduling jobs 179
Creating a disk image

You can create a Ghost Image using the Create Disk Image task.

Note: To use the Ghost Solution Suite for creating a disk image, you have to store
the ghost.exe and ImageTools.ini files in the Program Files\Altiris\eXpress\Ghost
Solution Suite Server directory.

To create a Ghost image

1 In the Create Disk Image dialog, select Ghost Image (.gho) from the Imaging
Tool drop-down list.
2 Add additional parameters in the Additional Parameters field.
3 Enter the path and file name to store the disk image.
4 (Optional) To disable the validation of the image path, select the Disable image
path validation check box. This is useful if the image is stored locally, or if
you are retrieving the image from a remote server.
5 To use Microsoft Sysprep, select the Prepare using Sysprep check box and
specify the operating system and product key.
6 From the Automation pre-boot environment (WinPE/Linux) drop-down list,
select the required pre-boot environment to create the disk in the selected
pre-boot environment.
By default, the Default Automation (Auto-select) type is selected.
7 Click Next.
The Return Codes dialog appears.
8 (Optional) Set Return Codes. See Setting up return codes .
9 Click Finish.
The task appears in the Task list for the job. The Ghost image is created when
you run this task.

Advanced Sysprep settings for creating a disk image

You can use the Sysprep Advanced Settings dialog to specify Sysprep mass storage
device support. By default, the Enable mass storage device support using built-in
drivers (For Windows XP and 2003 only) option is selected.
Disable mass storage device support.When this option is selected, the Sysprep.inf
file contains the section [Sysprep] with the key value pair as
BuildMassStorageSection = No
 Building and scheduling jobs 180
Creating a disk image

Enable mass storage device support using built-in drivers.When this option is
selected, the Sysprep.inf file contains the section [Sysprep] with the key value pair
as BuildMassStorageSection = Yes
Enable mass storage device support using following: When this option is
selected, the Sysprep.inf file contains the section [SysprepMassStorage] and is
appended by contents of the file mentioned in the Mass storage section file field.
You can also copy the drivers directory mentioned in the Mass storage drivers field.
Command-line switches.You can add command-line options.

Advanced Sysprep settings for creating a disk image for Windows

Vista and later versions
You can use the Sysprep advanced settings dialog to specify the settings for any
Windows Vista or later Windows operating system version.
If you select the Operating System as Windows Vista or later, in the Sysprep
settings on the Create Disk Image dialog. The Advanced Settings... option is
enabled.
Click the Advanced Settings... option. The Sysprep advanced settings dialog
appears. This dialog lets you select Plug-n-Play (PnP) drivers options, as well as
Sysprep options, such as command-line options.

Create disk image advanced

Media Spanning

Table 5-2
Field Description

Maximum file size The maximum file size supported is 2 GB. To

save an image larger than 2 GB, the Ghost
Solution Suite Server automatically breaks it
into separate files regardless of your storage
capacity. From the Maximum file size
drop-down list, select a media type.

Specify ___ MB If the preferred type is not on the list, select

Other (specify) and enter the required file size
in the Specify ___ MB field.
 Building and scheduling jobs 181
Creating a disk image

Additional Options
Table 5-3
Field Description

Compression Compressing an image is a trade-off between

size and speed. Uncompressed images are
faster to create, but use more disk space.

Optimize for Size Select this option Optimize for Size to

compress the image to the smallest file size.
Select Optimize for Speed to create a larger
compressed image file with a faster imaging
time. The default setting is Optimize for
Speed.

Note: Configuration restoration after imaging a compressed drive is not supported

for this release.

(Optional) Enter an image description to help identify the image and click OK.

Ghost Solution Suite Hot Imaging

The Ghost Solution Suite Hot Imaging lets you automatically refresh images from
a live reference computer before deploying the image. This feature ensures that
the deployed image is latest and reduces the risk of stale, out-of-date images.
Hot imaging does not require to boot a computer to boot into the preboot environment
before creating an image. Hot imaging uses the Snapshot technology for Windows
desktop operating systems and is used to capture an image while Windows is
running.

Note: Hot imaging is not support Windows Server class operating systems.

Tips for Hot imaging:

■ The Volume Shadow Copy service should not be in "disabled"state. If you are
using any database software on the computer you want to take a hot image of,
that database software must be stopped to prevent damage to the database
file. If the database application is VSS Aware, the Volume Shadow Copy service
shuts down the database for you. If the database application is not VSS aware,
you must stop the database service before capturing an image.
■ Firewalls can block necessary communications.
 Building and scheduling jobs 182
Distributing a disk image

See “System requirements for installing Ghost Solution Suite” on page 33.
To use Hot imaging
1 In the Ghost Solution Suite console, navigate to Jobs > Hot Imaging.
2 Use the appropriate sample jobs for creating an image:
■ Create X64 Image
■ Create X86 Image

Troubleshooting error 1959

While using Hot imaging, you may receive an error as follows:
■ Volume could not be locked
■ Cloning via Volume Snapshot has failed
Following is the workaround for the same:
If you are using ghost32.exe on the client computer:
1 Go to Start > Run.
2 Type cmdand click OK.
3 Navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Altiris\eXpress\Deployment Server.
4 Type ghost32.exe -forcevolumesnapshot and click Enter.
5 Configure Ghost Solution Suite to meet your needs.
If you are executing a Create Image task:
1 Find the failed task in your task list.
2 Right-click on the task and go to Properties.
3 Click Advanced.
4 Type -forcevolumesnapshot in the Additional option for the Ghost command
line and click OK.
5 Click Save > Execute.

Distributing a disk image

Distribute a RDeploy, ImageX, Mac, or Ghost image file to managed computers to
deploy a previously created hard disk image. Ghost Solution Suite supports hardware
independent imaging through DeployAnywhere. DeployAnywhere requires Windows
PE on 32-bit automation only.
 Building and scheduling jobs 183
Distributing a disk image

DeployAnwhere creates a hardware abstraction layer (HAL) and updates network

drivers and storage drivers. It performs post-imaging functionality while you are still
in automation mode.
You can use the following switches with DeployAnywhere:
■ /logPth that specifies the fully qualified path where the DA log files are written.
■ /logID that specifies the ID to prepend to the log file name.
For more information about DeployAnywhere or Ghost, see the Symantec Ghost
Imaging Foundation documentation.
Distribute a hard disk image using the New Job Wizard or adding the Distribute
Disk Image task when building new jobs. You can create the disk image file using
the Create a Disk Image task.
See “New job wizard” on page 162.
See “Building new jobs ” on page 167.
See “Creating a disk image ” on page 174.

Note: If you deploy a Windows image over a Linux computer or a Linux image over
a Windows computer, you must change the path of the Ghost Solution Suite Agent
for the Windows log file.

To distribute a disk image

1 Open the New Job Wizard and select Deploy and configure computers and
click Next. The Job conditions page appears. Click Next.
or
In the Jobs pane in the Ghost Solution Suite Console, select a job. In the
Details pane, click Add and select Distribute Disk Image.
2 In the Disk Image Source page, click Select a disk image file to select a
stored image file. This lets you set down a new image file from a previously
imaged computer. Enter the name of an existing image file.
■ If you do not want the Ghost Solution Suite Server to validate the selected
path, select Disable image path validation. This is useful if the image is
stored locally, or if you are retrieving the image from a remote server.

3 Click Select a computer on the network to image a source computer on the

network. Enter the name and location of the source computer to both create
an image and distribute the newly created image file.
 Building and scheduling jobs 184
Distributing a disk image

This option saves an image of a selected computer's hard disk in its current
state each time the job runs. You can schedule the job to image a specified
computer every time it runs, which updates the image each time.
■ Select the Save the disk image as a file while distributing option to save
the newly created image file. If you use a reference computer as the image
source, you can also choose to save the image as a file for later use. Enter
or browse to the location where you want to store the file.

4 Select Prepared using Sysprep to use Sysprep to prepare the system for
imaging.
5 Click Add New to open the OS Product Key dialog and select the OS
Information.
6 From the Product Key drop-down list, select the product key.
7 Click Advanced Settings to open the Sysprep Advanced Settings dialog.
See Advanced Sysprep settings for distributing a disk image .
8 In the Data transfer mode, select if the image should be distributed using either
of the following:
■ GhostCast Server
Enter the Session Name that should be used.
■ Multicast using Ghost

9 Enter the required Additional Parameters.

10 Select Automatically perform configuration task after completing this imaging
task to restart the computer and push the configuration settings to the imaged
computer.

Note: If you clear this option, a warning appears, confirming that you want to
remove the configuration step after the image is deployed. As a result, the
imaged computer may not reconnect to the network.

11 (Optional) Select the DeployAnywhere option if you want to do hardware

independent imaging.
12 (Optional) Select the Boot to production to complete configuration task.
13 From the Automation pre-boot environment (WinPE/ Linux) drop-down list,
select the required pre-boot environment to perform the Distribute Disk Image
task. By default, the Default Automation (Auto-select) type is selected.
14 (Optional) Click Advanced to resize partitions and set additional options. See
Distribute disk image-resizing . Click OK.
 Building and scheduling jobs 185
Distributing a disk image

15 Click Next.
16 (Optional) Set Return Codes. See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
17 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job. The disk image is
distributed when you run this task.
See “Deployment tasks” on page 170.

Distributing a Mac image

You can deploy a Mac image using the Distribute Disk Image task.
This task deploys only .DMG files that were created using a Create Disk Image
task. The Distribute Disk Image task cannot deploy an image that was created
by Apple Disk Utility or the hdiutil tool.
To deploy a Mac image
1 Select the Select a disk image file option.
2 In the Name field, choose from one of the following options to add the path to
the Mac (.DMG) image:
■ Specify the share using the following format:
afp://server/sharepoint/path/filename.dmg
■ Provide credentials using the following format:
afp://username:password@server/sharepoint/path/filename.dmg
If no credentials for this server are provided in the automation configuration,
the guest account is used by default.

Note: These credentials are passed unencrypted and can be read by a network
sniffer. The captured disk image must be stored on an AppleTalk Filing Protocol
(AFP) share.

3 Select Automatically perform configuration task after completing this

imaging task to run the configuration task after the imaging task is complete.
4 Click Next. The Return Codes dialog appears.
5 (Optional) Set Return Codes.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
6 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job. The Mac image is
deployed when you run this task.
 Building and scheduling jobs 186
Distributing a disk image

Note: The Image is stored locally on the client and the Sysprep settings options
are disabled when you select a Mac image. The Select a computer on the network
feature is not supported when using Mac Imaging. The Automation pre-boot
Environment for Mac Image is Default Automation when deploying Mac images.
This option uses the NetBoot architecture that was previously set up.

Distributing a Ghost image

You can distribute a Ghost (.GHO) image using the Distribute Disk Image task.
To distribute a Ghost image
1 On the Distribute Disk Image dialog, select the Select a disk image file
option.
2 Browse and select a .GHO image.
If you do not want the Ghost Solution Suite Server to validate a selected path,
select Disable image path validation. This is useful if the image is stored
locally, or if you are retrieving the image from a remote server.
3 To use Sysprep to distribute the image, select Prepared using Sysprep.
4 From the Operating System drop-down list, select the operating system.

Note: Click Add New. From the Sysprep Settings dialog, select the operating
system information.

5 From the Product Key drop-down list, select the product key.
6 Add any additional parameters in the Additional Parameters field.
7 To restart the computer and push the configuration settings to the imaged
computer, select Automatically perform configuration tasks after
completing this imaging task.
8 From the Automation pre-boot environment drop-down list, select the required
pre-boot environment to perform the Distribute Disk Image task.
By default, the Default Automation (Auto-select) type is selected.
9 Click Next.
10 (Optional) Set Return Codes. See Setting up return codes .
11 Click Finish.
The task appears in the Task list for the job. The Ghost image is deployed when
you run this task.
 Building and scheduling jobs 187
Distributing a disk image

Advanced Sysprep settings for distributing a disk image

You can generate the Sysprep.inf file for the Distribute Disk Image task, depending
on the option selected in the Advanced Sysprep Settings dialog.
Use default answer file. When this option is selected, the Ghost Solution Suite
Server generates the Sysprep.inf file depending on the data present in the database.
Use the following answer file. When this option is selected, the Ghost Solution
Suite Server picks up the contents of the file mentioned in the Sysprep answer file
field and prepares the Sysprep.inf file from it.

Advanced Sysprep settings for distributing a disk image in Windows

Vista
You can use the Sysprep advanced settings dialog to specify the settings for any
Windows Vista operating system. If you select Windows Vista as the operating
system under Sysprep settings on the Distribute Disk Image dialog and click
Advanced Settings, the Sysprep advanced settings dialog for Windows Vista
appears. This dialog lets you select Sysprep answer file options.

Distribute disk image-resizing

By default, whenever you deploy an image, you have the option to resize the partition
to take advantage of the available disk space. Drive Size gives you information
about the size of the image, so you can determine if you need to change partition
sizes. Minimum indicates the amount of space the image will use on the target
computers. Original indicates the image source disk size.

Table 5-4
Field Description

Fixed Size Select this option and enter the desired

partition size.

Percentage Select this option and enter the percentage

of free space you want the partition to occupy.

Min View the minimum size of the partition.

Max View the maximum size of the partition.

Note: FAT16 file systems have a 2 GB limit and cannot be resized larger than that
(although they can be resized smaller than the minimum value). HP partitions remain
a fixed size.
 Building and scheduling jobs 188
Distributing a disk image

Distribute disk image-additional options

This option lets you specify operations for existing Automation Agents and OEM
disk partitions. The options are as follows: leave the partition as it is, remove, or
replace the existing partitions. If the image file does not contain any information for
an automation or OEM partition, the default option is to leave the client's existing
Automation or OEM partition as it is.
RDeploy options:

Table 5-5
Field Description

Graphical Mode[RDeploy] Click this option to choose RDeploy as the

imaging executable.

Text Mode[RDeployT] Click this option to choose RDeployT as the

imaging executable. Text Mode or RDeployT
is the default choice.

Automation partition

Table 5-6
Field Description

Leave the client's existing Automation If the image file contains no automation
partition as it is partition information, by default, this option is
selected. The automation partition remains
unchanged when distributing disk images.

Delete the client's Automation partition Select this option to delete the existing
[-nobw] Automation partition from client computers.

Replace the client's existing BW partition Select this option to replace the existing
from image file [-forcebw] automation partition on the client computer
with the automation partition from the image
file

OEM partition:

Table 5-7
Field Description

Leave the client's existing OEM partition If the image file contains no OEM partition
as it is information, by default, this option is selected.
The OEM partition remains unchanged when
distributing disk images.
 Building and scheduling jobs 189
Scripted OS install

Table 5-7 (continued)

Field Description

Delete the client's OEM partition [-nooem] Select this option to delete the existing OEM
partition from client computers.

Replace the client's existing OEM partition Select this option to replace the existing OEM
from image file [-forceoem] partitions on the client computer with the OEM
partition from the image file.

Additional Command line switches You can add command-line options

specifically for the RapiDeploy program that
runs imaging tasks.

Note: The checkdisk command-line option should not be used from a Ghost Solution
Suite Console. The post-configuration task fails after an image restore.

Deployment tasks

Scripted OS install
The Scripted OS Install task performs remote, automated, and unattended
operating system installations over the network using answer files to input
configuration and installation-specific values. Scripted installs let you deploy server
and client computers across the network from installation files and perform
post-installation configuration tasks. You can run scripted installs for Windows or
Linux computers.

Note: Scripted Install requires either an automation boot disk or a PXE Server.
Using embedded automation causes the selected image (Linux, WinPE) to load
and halt. It does not let the scripted install run.

When running a Scripted OS Install task, you can identify the type of operating
system to install for supported languages, run the scripted install, and update with
service pack installations. This task provides easy-to-use features to create an
answer file for each scripted installation.
Scripted installs are flexible in performing post-configuring tasks, but much slower
and bandwidth-intensive. Complete network and Web server installation and
configuration tasks benefit most from scripted installs.
 Building and scheduling jobs 190
Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier

Windows Use complete unattended install features to

copy Windows operating system source files
quickly to the Ghost Solution Suite Share and
easily create an answer file. Configured
operating system install sets can be reused
to build and run scripted install jobs as
needed.

See “Scripted install for Windows XP,

Windows Server 2003 and earlier”
on page 190.

Linux Run scripted install jobs to remotely install

different versions of Linux. You can customize
sample scripted install jobs installed with the
Ghost Solution Suite Server system and
create a kickstart answer file to remotely run
a scripted install.

See “Scripted install for Linux” on page 199.

Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003

and earlier
To install Windows
1 After selecting Add > Scripted OS Install, select the Windows option and
click Next.
2 Select the type of Windows operating system to install and the preferred
language. See Select OS version and language. Select the required pre-boot
environment from the Automation - PXE or BootWorks environments
(WinPE/Linux) Automation pre-boot environment (WinPE/Linux) drop-down
list to perform the Distribute Disk Image task in the selected pre-boot
environment. The option reported by the PXE Manager is the default pre-boot
environment option. By default, the Default Automation (Auto-select) type is
selected. Click Next.
 Building and scheduling jobs 191
Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier

3 From the Select or add new OS source files drop-down list, select the
operating system source files already copied to your Ghost Solution Suite
Share .
See “Installation source files” on page 193.
Click Add New from the list to set up the new operating system installation
files.
See “Operating system-source files” on page 193.
Click OK after entering a unique name and the path to the operating system
installation source files. The source files will be copied to the Deploy folder in
the Ghost Solution Suite Share directory. The first source files added are given
a generic name of WinOS001, with additional operating system source folders
named as WinOS002, WinOS003 and so on. Service Pack source files are
also stored as WinSP00x.img files.
This process could take a few minutes. Because the installation source files
are copied over to the Ghost Solution Suite Share , when running subsequent
scripted installs you do not need to add new source files for this version of
Windows. They can be selected from the list of installation source files.
See “Installation source files” on page 193.

Note: When importing Scripted Install jobs, you must edit the job files to point
to the installation source files on the new Ghost Solution Suite Server system.
This requires you to run the Scripted Install for Windows wizard and modify
the path and name of the folder for the Installation Source Files for the exported
jobs. This is required for both the main installation and the service pack
installation file

Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier
See “Installation source files” on page 193.
See “Importing and exporting jobs ” on page 223.
4 After the source files are copied, select the newly created operating system
source name from the Installation Source Files list. Click Next.
5 In the Partition and Format Disk page, click Advanced to set partition size,
delete hidden partitions or set RapiDeploy command-line parameters. Click
Next.
See “Operating system-source files” on page 193.
6 Import an answer file to the Ghost Solution Suite Database. Click Next.
See “Import an answer file” on page 194.
 Building and scheduling jobs 192
Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier

7 Create the Answer file. Click Next.

See “Answer file setup ” on page 195.
8 Set command-line options for cmdlines.txt files and for the WINNT installation
program.Click Next.
See “Command-line switches for scripted install ” on page 196.
9 View and modify the Ghost Solution Suite for Windows configuration file from
the dialog. Click Next.
See “Ghost Solution Suite agent settings for scripted install ” on page 197.
10 View the summary of the selected options. Click Next.
See “Scripted install summary” on page 197.
11 Set up return codes for the Scripted Install task. Click Finish. The task appears
in the Task list for the job.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
See “Scripted OS install” on page 189.

Select OS version and language

Identify the operating system version to run in a scripted install. The selected version
and language must correspond to your Windows installation files.
We support multiple languages for the following Ghost Solution Suite utilities:
■ Boot Disk Creator
■ Image Explorer
■ PXE Configuration Utility
■ Remote Client Installer
■ Control Panel Applet
■ DS Info
■ PW Util (Password utility)
■ Switch Management

Select the operating system version Select the Windows operating system you
want to install from the list. Click Template if
you want to install another version or
language of a Windows operating system not
provided in the list.
 Building and scheduling jobs 193
Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier

Select the operating system language Select the language version of the operating
system to install. The language must
correspond to the operating system source
files. If you selected the Template option, only
the Multilingual language option can be
selected (this is a generic language option).

Automation (Pre-boot Environment) Select the required pre-boot environment from

the Automation (Pre-boot Environment)
drop-down list. The option reported by the
PXE Manager is the default pre-boot
environment option.

Installation source files

If you copied installation files to the Ghost Solution Suite Share for previous scripted
installs, the name of this install source configuration appears in the list box for each
operating system type and language. To create new source configuration sets for
additional operating system installs, select Add new from the drop-down list.

Select or add new operating system Select the assigned name for each operating
source files system source configuration in the list, or
select Add new from the list to create a new
install task. Previous scripted install jobs will
create a WinOS00x.img file in the Deploy
directory of the Ghost Solution Suite Share .

Operating System-Source Files The Operating System-Source Files dialog

lets you identify the version of Windows install
files and enter the path to the files (on the CD
or other medium).

Select or add new service pack source Run service pack updates immediately after
files installing the operating system during the
scripted install process. Previous scripted
install jobs will create a WinSP00x.img file.

Operating system-source files

Name the operating system source configuration, specify the path, and automatically
copy Windows installation files to the Ghost Solution Suite Share .
 Building and scheduling jobs 194
Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier

Enter a unique name for the operating Enter a name for the operating system source
system source files configuration files to assign an alias to
associate with the install files for a specific
operating system version and language.

Enter path to operating system source Enter the path to the I386 folder on the CD
files where the Windows installation programs and
support files are stored. Example: Browse to
the CD drive and select I386\WINNT.exe.
Click Open.

The Windows operating system identified previously in the Installation Source

Files dialog must match the source files selected here. If the name and language
of the operating system does not match the installation files, you receive an error.
Click OK and the files will copy from the source CD (or other volume) to the Ghost
Solution Suite Server\Deploy directory in the Ghost Solution Suite Share . This
process will take a few minutes.
Enter a short description. (Optional) Enter a description of the Windows operating
system source configuration. Example: W2K Advanced Server SP3 English.
See “Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier” on page 190.

Import an answer file

Reference a previously created answer file for a Windows scripted install. You can
also view a summary of the operating system source configuration.

Import existing unattend.txt Select to import a previously created answer

file to the Ghost Solution Suite Database. The
values for the answer file are imported from
the delimited text file and appear in the
Answer File Setup dialog.

Path of the unattend.txt Enter a path and select an answer file with
any name. The answer file is imported to the
database, edited in the console (if required),
and distributed as an unattend.txt file to the
client computer.

SeeScripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier
 Building and scheduling jobs 195
Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier

Answer file setup

Use the tabs in this dialog to enter values to create an answer file for a scripted
install. These values are stored in the Ghost Solution Suite Database. An answer
file is generated from the database (unattend.txt) and distributed to each managed
computer when the job runs.
In the Answer File Setup dialog, select a value (a row) in the table. A list appears
in the Values column to change values for each entry. You can add new variables
to each section by selecting the bottom row named Add new Variable. To add a
new section to the answer file, click the right arrow until the Add new Section tab
appears (the last tab on the right).
The required answer file values are selected automatically in the dialog with a gray
check mark (you cannot clear these variables). Optional but selected values have
a green check mark. Other optional values are cleared. Select these optional values
if you want to add them to the answer file when it is generated.
The various tabs in the Answer File Setup dialog correspond to the general answer
file sections. See the Microsoft Windows Unattended Setup Guide for specific values
for an unattended setup file.
See “Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier” on page 190.

Add a new section

Use this dialog to add new variable sections to the answer file.

Use this dialog to add new variable If you add a section, this name appears in the
sections to the answer file new tab in the Answer File setup dialog. Enter
a description. Enter comments to describe
the new section.

Enter a description Enter comments to describe the new section.

See the Microsoft Windows Unattended Setup Guide for your specific operating
system values for an unattended setup file.
See “Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier” on page 190.

Delete a section
To delete a new section that you added, right-click the section and select Delete
selected Section.
 Building and scheduling jobs 196
Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier

Add a new variable

Use the New Variable for Section "Unattended" dialog to add new variables to
the answer file. This variable appears as a row in the Answer File Setup dialog.

Table 5-8 Add a new variable

Field Description

Name of the variable Select a variable name

Type of the new variable Select a variable data type. The Default
value of the variable and Displayed value
of the variable fields are enabled depending
on the variable type selected.

Default value of the variable Enter values for a list, text, password, IP
address, or variable only types.

Displayed value of the variable Enter an alias for list item types to appear
instead of the real variable value.

Description Enter comments to describe the new variable.

It appears in the Description column of the
Answer File Setup dialog.

See “Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier” on page 190.

Command-line switches for scripted install

Use the Scripted OS install commands dialog to enter Windows commands that
are executed from the cmdlines.txt file. You can also add scripted install
command-line options.

Table 5-9 Command-line switches for scripted install

Field Description

Switches Add or edit switch commands to this line for

the install program for the scripted install.
 Building and scheduling jobs 197
Scripted install for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and later

Table 5-9 Command-line switches for scripted install (continued)

Field Description

Additional commands in the cmdlines.txt Enter additional Windows scripted install

file commands in this dialog. The commands
execute in the order they are listed. The
provided command installs the Ghost Solution
Suite for Windows during the Install
Component phase of the installation. You can
view and edit Ghost Solution Suite settings
in the next dialog. Enter additional Windows
scripted install commands in this dialog. The
commands execute in the order they are
listed. The provided command installs the
Ghost Solution Suite for Windows during the
Install Component phase of the installation.
You can view and edit Ghost Solution Suite
settings in the next dialog.

See “Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier” on page 190.

Ghost Solution Suite agent settings for scripted install

View or edit Ghost Solution Suite for Windows settings in this dialog. You can
change agent settings using this text-edit dialog.
for a list of the Ghost Solution Suite properties.
See “Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier” on page 190.

Scripted install summary

View a summary of the selected options for the scripted install. Click Back to change
any of these settings or click Finish to complete the Scripted Install task. Click Next
to set up return codes.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
See “Scripted install for Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and earlier” on page 190.

Scripted install for Windows Vista, Windows Server

2008, and later
The Scripted OS install for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 Server or later
provides a wizard to help set up Vista, Windows Server 2008 and later installation
 Building and scheduling jobs 198
Scripted install for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and later

files and run sample jobs. Follow the steps in the wizard to identify the type of
scripted install as Vista, Windows 2008 Server or later. You can gather all the files
for Vista or Windows 2008 Server for the job, but the server does not build any
answer file. Instead, you are asked for the location of the answer file. Also, a sample
answer file is provided.
To perform a scripted install for Windows Vista and 2008 server
1 On the Scripted Operating System Installation page of the Scripted OS
Install dialog, select the following options:
■ The operating system
■ Operating system language
■ Automation pre-boot environment

Note: Ghost Solution Suite supports only WinPE environments.

2 Click Next.
3 From the Select or add new OS source files drop-down list on the Installation
Source Files page of the Scripted OS Install dialog, select the operating
system.
Browse to the root directory of the ISO files of the OS that you are installing.
4 (Optional) You can select the required option from the Select or add new
service pack source files drop-down list. Click Next.
5 Select the Select a Diskpart tool option on the Partition and Format Disk
page of the Scripted OS Install dialog to partition and format the disk. Click
Next.

Note: You can select the Continue without selecting Diskpart Tool option
to partition and format the hard disk using your own scripts and setup utilities.
 Building and scheduling jobs 199
Scripted install for Linux

6 On the Scripted Operating System Installation page of the Scripted OS

Install dialog, browse to select the path of the unattended .XML file.
7 On the Scripted OS Install Commands page of the Scripted OS Install
dialog, set the command-line options for the cmdlines.txt files and enter the
Additional commands in the cmdlines.txt file. (See Command-line switches for
scripted install.) Click Finish.

Note: If you want to use the sample answer files (Vista_unattend.xml and
Longhorn_unattend.xml) provided by default in the Deploy folder of the Ghost
Solution Suite Share , you must enter the product key (for the version you want
to install) before you schedule the job. If you do not select the product key, the
job fails.

See “OS product key dialog” on page 81.

Scripted install for Linux

The Scripted OS install for Linux provides a wizard to help set up Linux installation
files and run Sample jobs. Follow steps in the wizard to identify the type of scripted
install and locate the answer files. You can also modify and run Sample deployment
jobs to remotely run a scripted install on Linux servers and workstations.

Table 5-10
Field Description

Directory Browse to or enter the path and name of the

Linux answer file (Kickstart file).

Command-line Enter the command-line options.

Automation pre-boot environment Select the required pre-boot environment from

(WinPE/Linux) the drop-down list to perform the Backup and
Restore task in the selected pre-boot
environment. By default, the Default
Automation (Auto-select) type is selected.

Scripted install summary

View a summary of the selected options for the scripted install. Click Back to change
any of these settings or click Finish to complete the Scripted Install task.
 Building and scheduling jobs 200
Distributing software

Distributing software
Send .MSI Packages, .CAB, .EXE, and other package files to selected computers
or computer groups, including EBS, and .RPM files for Linux computers. This task
identifies valid Ghost Solution Suite packages and assigns passwords and
command-line options.
Distribute software packages to managed computers using the New Job Wizard or
adding the Distribute Software task when building new jobs.
See “New job wizard” on page 162.
See “Building new jobs ” on page 167..
To distribute software
1 Enter the name and location of the package to distribute in the Name field.

Note: Information about the package appears in the Description field for valid
packages. If no description appears, the file is not an .RIP or a Personality
Package.

2 For .RIPs, if you set the password option when you created the .RIP, you must
enter the password for the package to run.
3 Select Run in quiet mode to install the package without requiring user
interaction.
4 Specify the users to associate with the .RIP or the Personality Package.
■ Select Apply to all users to run the package for all users with accounts
on the computer.
■ If you want to send the package to a managed computer with multiple users
and to install it for certain users with a unique password, clear the Apply
to all users box.
Example: To install an .RIP for a specific user account on a computer, add
values to the Additional command-line switches field:
-cu:"JDoe;TMaya;Domain\BLee"
The command-line switches are specific to any package you are distributing
that supports command-line options, such as .MSI and Personality
Packages. For a complete list of command-line options, see the Wise MSI
Product Guide and the Symantec PC Transplant Pro Product Guide.
 Building and scheduling jobs 201
Distributing software

5 If distributing an install package or other types of packages with associated

support files, you can select Copy all directory files to install all peer files in
the directory. Select Copy subdirectories to distribute peer files in the directory
and all files in associated subdirectories.

Note: Some clients may have software installed on the client computer that,
for protection against harmful software, only lets software programs on a list
of "well-known" executables to run. Therefore, whenever the system
administrator wanted to install a patch on client computers, he or she would
have to update the well-known-executables list on all the client computers,
which could be a lot of work.

To save the work of updating that list, or of manually renaming distribution

packages, the RenameDistPkg feature was added. Now, the system
administrator may update the well-known-executable list once with a filename
of their choice. The well-known filename may be entered into the Windows
registry of the Ghost Solution Suite Server computer (the computer running
axengine.exe) as the Value data of a string value named RenameDistPkg
under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\Altiris eXpress\Options
key. If the RenameDistPkg registry entry is set, Ghost Solution Suite Server
renames the installation files that are copied to the client computers.
This feature only affects files that are temporarily copied to the client computer
as part of a Distribute Software task. The file that is to be executed only during
the installation, sometimes referred to as the package, is the file that is renamed,
not the files that are actually installed to various locations on the target
computer.
If the Copy all directory files option is enabled, only the main (installable) file
is renamed.
6 Click Advanced to specify how files are distributed to the managed computer.
You can copy through the Ghost Solution Suite Server, or copy directly from
the file source and then run, or run directly from the file source. See Distribute
software advanced. Click Next.
7 Provide additional command-line options for distributing software.
 Building and scheduling jobs 202
Distributing software

8 (Optional) Set Return Codes.

See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
9 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job. The software is
distributed when you run this task.

Note: When an .RIP or Personality Package is executed through Ghost Solution

Suite Server, the quiet mode command-line option is applied. This means the
user cannot interact with the user interface on the managed computer.

If the Personality Package is configured to run only if a particular user is logged in

and only if the user has an account on the managed computer, the package runs
the next time that user logs in. If the user does not have an account, the package
aborts and sends an error back to the console through the Ghost Solution Suite. If
the package is not run through the Ghost Solution Suite Server, a message appears
on the managed computer and the user is prompted to abort or continue.
See “Modifying tasks in a deployment job” on page 219.

Distribute software advanced

Following are the fields and the description of the Distribute software > Advanced:

Table 5-11 Distribute software advanced

Field Description

Copy files using Ghost Solution Suite Select this option to distribute packages
Server then execute through the Ghost Solution Suite Server to
the managed computer, requiring two file
copy transactions if the Ghost Solution Suite
Share is on another file server. This option is
run for Simple installs and is the default
option.

Copy directly from file source then Select this option to copy packages directly
execute. from the Ghost Solution Suite Share if this
data store is located on another server (a
Custom install). It copies the file and runs it,
avoiding running through the Ghost Solution
Suite Server and reducing processor output.

Run directly from file source Select this option to run files remotely from
the Ghost Solution Suite Share or another
selected file server.
 Building and scheduling jobs 203
Capturing personality settings

Table 5-11 Distribute software advanced (continued)

Field Description

Specify user Enter the user name and password for the
client computer and the Ghost Solution Suite
Share . Both must have the same user name
and password (this is not an issue if both are
on the same domain).

Run script in console user session For Windows 2008, Vista, and Windows 7,
you can see the output of jobs on a local
desktop and use that output for debugging
purposes. The script runs in a logged-in user's
UI session. If no users are logged in, the job
fails. DAgent can also run scripts in a console
user session.

Capturing personality settings

The Capture Personality task lets you save personal display and user interface
settings defined in the operating system for each user. You can create a Personality
Package that you can save and distribute when migrating users. This task runs
Symantec PC Transplant from the console to capture and distribute settings.
Capture personality settings using the New Job Wizard or adding the Capturing
Personality task when building new jobs.
See “New job wizard” on page 162.
See “Building new jobs ” on page 167.
To capture a personality
1 After creating a job, click Add > Capture Personality.
2 Enter the name of a personality template file, or browse and select a template.
A default personality template is included in the PCT folder of the Ghost Solution
Suite Share (DEFAULT.PBT). Enter the name of the folder where you want to
store the package.
The personality template lets you define the settings, files, and options to be
captured during run time. Click Template Builder to open a wizard to build a
custom template.
3 In User account and folder login, enter the login credentials for the managed
computer from which the personality settings are captured, and the file server
where the Personality Package is stored.
 Building and scheduling jobs 204
Capturing personality settings

4 In Package login, enter a password for the Personality Package. This is a

run-time password that is required when the Personality Package runs on the
destination computer.
5 Click Advanced to specify additional features.
6 Set the Advanced options and click OK. Click Next. See “Capture personality
advanced options” on page 204.
7 (Optional) Set Return Codes.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
8 Click Finish. You have now created a Capture Personality task, which appears
in the Task list. You must schedule this task to capture a personality setting
and save it as a PCT file in the selected location (most often in the PCT folder
on the Ghost Solution Suite Server shared directory on the Ghost Solution
Suite Share ).
See “Distributing personality settings ” on page 205.

Note: To capture a personality on a Windows 98 computer, ensure that all

users have Write access to the Ghost Solution Suite Server share (by default
at C: Program Files\Altiris\eXpress\Deployment Server in a Simple install).
Also, ensure that the User account and folder login fields are blank. A user
must also be logged on at the client computer to capture the client profiles. An
error is returned if you attempt to capture personality settings on Windows 9x
computers that are not authenticated.

Note: Set the conditions on the job for either Windows 98 or Windows 2000,
XP, 2003, 2008 and Vista computers to ensure that the appropriate Capture
Personality task runs on the appropriate computers.

Capture personality advanced options

Table 5-12 Capture personality advanced options

Field Description

Domain users Select this option to capture personality

settings for all domain users on the computer.

Local Users Select this option to capture personality

settings for all local users on the computer.
 Building and scheduling jobs 205
Distributing personality settings

Table 5-12 Capture personality advanced options (continued)

Field Description

Custom Specify users or groups to capture personality

settings. Select the Custom check box and
enter the Users or Groups you want to
capture personality settings. Also, instead of
specifying names, you can also select users
who have been either created or accessed
in the specified number of days.

Additional command-line switches You can add command-line options

specifically for the PC Transplant program
that migrates personality settings. See the
Symantec PC Transplant Reference Guide
in the docs folder of the Ghost Solution Suite
Share .

Distributing personality settings

The Distribute Personality task lets you save personal display and user interface
settings defined in the operating system for each user. You can distribute Personality
Packages to migrate personality settings. This task runs Symantec PC Transplant
from the console to capture and distribute settings.
Distribute personality settings using the New Job Wizard or adding the Distribute
Personality task when building new jobs. For more information about capturing
personality settings to create a Personality Package, refer to the following section:
See “Capturing personality settings ” on page ?.
See “New job wizard” on page 162.
See “Building new jobs ” on page 167..
 Building and scheduling jobs 206
Distributing personality settings

To distribute personality settings

1 In the Name field, enter the file name and location of the PCT file.

Note: The information about the Personality Package appears in the

Description field for valid Personality Packages (PCT files). If no description
appears, the file is not a valid package.

If you use a token, such as %COMPNAME%, in this field, and you proceed
with the job, when you apply the job to a Windows XP computer, the user must
enter input before the job completes. Symantec recommends you enter a valid
Personality Package name and use the Additional command-line switches
fields for token values. See the Symantec PC Transplant Reference Guide for
a complete list of valid command-line options.
2 In the Password field, type the password set for the PCT file when created.
3 Select Run in quiet mode to install the package without displaying the PC
Transplant screens.
4 Specify the users to associate with the Personality Package.
■ Select Apply to all users to run the package for all users with accounts
on the specified computer.
■ If you want to send the package to a managed computer with multiple users
and to install it for certain users with a unique password, clear the Apply
to all users box.
Example: To install a Personality Package for specific user accounts on a
computer, add values to the Additional command-line switches field.
Example:
-user: JDoe; TMaya; BLee

Note: The command-line options are specifically for Personality Packages. For
a complete list of command-line options, see the Symantec PC Transplant
Reference Guide.

5 (Optional) Click Advanced to specify how to copy Personality Packages to the

managed computer. You can copy through Ghost Solution Suite Server and
then run, or copy directly from the file source and then run, or run directly from
the file source. See Distribute personality advanced. Click OK.
6 Click Next.
 Building and scheduling jobs 207
Distributing personality settings

7 (Optional) Set Return Codes.

See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
8 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job. The personality is
distributed when you run this task.
For more information about capturing a computer's personality settings, see the
Symantec PC Transplant Help.
See “Modifying tasks in a deployment job” on page 219.

Distribute personality advanced

Table 5-13 Distribute personality advanced

Field Description

Copy files using Ghost Solution Suite Select this option to distribute software
Server then execute packages through the Ghost Solution Suite
Server to the managed computer, requiring
two file copy transactions if the Ghost Solution
Suite Share is on another file server. Use this
option for Simple Installs to take advantage
of security rights defined by Ghost Solution
Suite Server. This is the default option.

Copy directly from file source then Select this option to copy packages directly
execute from the Ghost Solution Suite Share , sending
only one copy across the network. It copies
the file and runs it and avoids running through
the Ghost Solution Suite Server and
diminishing processor output. Because the
Ghost Solution Suite doesn't recognize
shared rights and is not guaranteed to have
a mapped drive to the data source, you must
identify a user name and password for the
data share computer from the target
computer. This option also requires a full UNC
path name in the Source Path field in the
Copy File dialog.

Execute directly from file source Select this option to run files remotely from
the Ghost Solution Suite Share or another
selected file server.
 Building and scheduling jobs 208
Modifying configuration

Table 5-13 Distribute personality advanced (continued)

Field Description

File source access and credentials Enter the user name and password for the
client computer and the Ghost Solution Suite
Share . Both must have the same user name
and password (this is not an issue if both exist
in the same domain).

Modifying configuration
You can add a task to configure or modify the configuration of computer property
settings using the Modify Configuration dialog. The Ghost Solution Suite updates
the property settings and restarts the computer for changes to take effect.
To modify configuration
1 After creating a job, double-click the job, and click Add > Modify Configuration.
2 Select the Reboot after Configuration check box to restart client computer
after the configuration changes are complete. By default, the check box for
Reboot after Configuration is selected.
3 Enter or edit the property settings in the Configuration dialog. Click the
category icons in the left pane to set additional values for each property setting
group.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.
4 Click Next.
5 (Optional) Set Return Codes.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
6 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job. The configuration is
modified when you run this task.
See “Modifying tasks in a deployment job” on page 219.

Backing up and restoring registry files

Note: This feature has been deprecated and removed from the product in a later
release.
 Building and scheduling jobs 209
Getting inventory

Copy registry files of selected computers using the Back Up Registry task and save
the registry file settings to a selected directory. You can also create a Restore
Registry task to copy the registry settings to a managed computer.
Copy registry settings by adding the Back Up Registry task when building new
jobs. Restore registry settings by adding the Restore Registry task.
See “Building new jobs ” on page 167.
To back up and restore registry files
1 Enter the directory path to back up or restore registry files.
2 The Computers with registry files in this directory field displays the names of
the computers whose registry files will be captured in this directory.
3 Select the required pre-boot environment from the Automation pre-boot
environment (WinPE/Linux) drop-down list to perform the Backup and Restore
task in the selected pre-boot environment. The Default Automation (Auto-select)
type is selected.
4 Click Advanced if Windows was installed on client computers in a directory
other than the default. Enter the correct path to the root of the Windows
directory.
■ Select Include registry information for all users to back up registry keys
for all user accounts.

Note: If you clear this check box, only the Administrator and Guest user
accounts are backed up or restored.

5 Click Next.
6 (Optional) Set Return Codes.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
7 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job.
See “Modifying tasks in a deployment job” on page 219.

Getting inventory
Use this task to gather inventory from an individual computer or a group of client
computers. This ensures that the Ghost Solution Suite Database is updated with
the latest computer properties information, which includes the following information:
■ Applications
 Building and scheduling jobs 210
Running a script

■ Devices
■ Drivers
■ Hardware
■ Location
■ Network
■ Services
■ TCP-IP
■ General
Location is the only area that administrators can manually enter if they want to. The
Ghost Solution Suite software gathers the other information from each computer.
You can view the history of the Get Inventory task in the Computers History pane.
See “Viewing computer details” on page 97.
■ Click Add and select Get Inventory from the list. The Get Inventory task
appears in the list.

Running a script
Select an existing script or write a new script file to run on selected managed client
computers.
Run script files on client computers by adding the New Script task when building
new jobs. See Script information to identify how the script appears, script security,
and an option for server-side execution of the script.
See “Script information” on page 211.
See “Building new jobs ” on page 167.
 Building and scheduling jobs 211
Running a script

To run a script
1 If you have a script file defined, select Run Script and browse to select the file.
To read or edit the script file, click Modify.

Note: To run scripts that call an executable, use the start command.

Example: Enter start C:\windows\notepad.exe to open the Notepad application

on the client computer.
2 To create a new script, click Run Script. Enter the script in the provided field,
or click Import and select a script file to import. After you import the script, you
can modify it in the provided field.
3 Specify the operating system to run the script. You can choose Windows, Linux,
or Mac OS X. Click Next.
4 Set Script Information. See Script information. Click Next.
See “Script information” on page 211.
5 (Optional) Set Return Codes.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223..
6 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job. The script runs when
you run this task.

Note: The Ghost Solution Suite Server assumes a return code of zero (0) as a
successful script execution. Some programs return a code of one (1) to denote a
successful script execution. If a program returns a one (1), you see an error message
at the Ghost Solution Suite Console even though the script ran correctly. To modify
the return codes, you can edit the script file to return a code that the console
interprets correctly.

See “Modifying tasks in a deployment job” on page 219.

Script information
Script Run Location

Table 5-14 Script informatio

Field Description

On the client computer This option runs the script on the managed
computer to which you assign the job
 Building and scheduling jobs 212
Running a script

Table 5-14 Script informatio (continued)

Field Description

Locally on the Ghost Solution Suite Server This option runs a server-side script on the
Ghost Solution Suite Server of the managed
computer. In most cases you can create a
server-side script task that runs in context
with other tasks. Example: You can add a
task to image a computer and add a task to
execute a server-side script to post the
imaging return codes to a log file stored on
the Ghost Solution Suite Server computer.

Use the -id option for running scripts on Ghost

Solution Suite Server when using the
WLogEvent and LogEvent utilities.

See “Using LogEvent and WLogEvent in

scripts ” on page 214.
Note: You cannot use this feature to run
scripts that require user intervention. The
script runs on the Ghost Solution Suite Server
of the managed computer, but is not visible.

When running the script on the Ghost Solution

Suite Server, it runs specifically for the
assigned managed computer. Example: If
you create a job with a script to run locally on
the Ghost Solution Suite Server and assign
the job to 500 computers, the script runs on
the Ghost Solution Suite Server 500 times.

Client run environment

Select the environment for your client computer. You can run the script either in
production mode or in automation mode.
 Building and scheduling jobs 213
Running a script

Table 5-15 Client run environment

Field Description

Production - Client-installed OS (Windows/Linux/Mac OS X)

Security Context

■ Default
(local system account). Use the network
security account established to
administrate all managed computers.
■ Specific user.
If you have selected to run the task on the
local Ghost Solution Suite Server, enter
an administrator user name and password
for that Ghost Solution Suite Server
account. In most cases Ghost Solution
Suite Server does not have the Ghost
Solution Suite installed, which prohibits it
from using a network security account.
■ Run script in console user session
For Windows 2008 and Vista, you can see
the output of jobs on a local desktop and
use that output for debugging purposes.
The script runs in a logged-in user's UI
session. If no users are logged in, the job
fails.
■ Scripts run in an elevated mode, which
skips the usual consent step through a
user access control (UAC). Otherwise,
someone must physically go to the remote
computer and approve the action to allow
the script to run.

Script Window

From the drop-down list, select how you want

the script window to appear: minimized,
normal, maximized, or hidden.
Note: This option is available only for
Windows environment.

Script Options - (Windows/Linux/Mac OS X)

 Building and scheduling jobs 214
Running a script

Table 5-16 Script Options

Field Description

Additional command-line switches Additional command-line switches. Enter

commands to execute when the script runs
in Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X.

Automation pre-boot environment Select this option to run the script in an

(WinPE/Linux/Mac OS X). automation environment. Select a pre-boot
automation environment from the drop-down
list.

If you select Linux as the operating system type, the Locally on the Ghost Solution
Suite Server option is disabled and only the Additional command-line switches
under the Production Client installed OS (Windows/Linux/Mac OS X) is enabled.
Example script
The process to convert NT4 from FAT16 to NTFS normally returns a 1 after a
successful completion. The following is an example of the file that is modified to
return a code of 0 (which is the success code recognized by the Symantec
Management Console and utilities). You can make similar changes to your script
files as needed.
CONVERT /FS:NTFS

if ERRORLEVEL 1 goto success

goto failure

:success set ERRORLEVEL = 0

goto end

:failure

echo Failed

set ERRORLEVEL = 1

goto end

:end

Using LogEvent and WLogEvent in scripts

The logging features, LogEvent and WLogEvent, accommodate detailed logging
to help debug complex scripts. These utilities include the following features:
■ Logging is stored in the database instead of a log file.
 Building and scheduling jobs 215
Running a script

■ The console displays and works with the new status messages.
LogEvent posts status sends messages to the Ghost Solution Suite Console, letting
you view the status of the script. It is a light-weight reporting tool that can log both
status strings and status codes to the history file and the console.
LogEvent - Use the LogEvent utility for Linux scripts.
WLogEvent -Use the WLogEvent utility for Windows scripts.
The LogEvent and WLogEvent utilities are command-line driven only - there is no
user interface. Use both utilities with the following switches.
LOGEVENT -c:code -id:%ID% -l:level -ss:"message"
code is any number for a return code level.
id is used for server-side scripting only. For server-side scripts you must add the
-id:%ID% switch.
See the Locally on the Ghost Solution Suite Server option in Script Information
to select a server-side script.See “Script information” on page 211. level is the severity
level. The following levels are used:
■ 1 = Information message
■ 2 =Warning message
■ 3 = Critical failure message. Only this level can be used to set up a return code.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.. The response does not execute for
a return code unless a level 3 is specified when using the LogEvent and
WLogEvent command in a script.
message is the status string. If spaces exist in the message, the string must be
contained in quotes. Specifying a severity level of 3 causes the script job to fail.
Example scripts
REM Bootwork unload

Set ImageName=F:\Images\XPIntel.img

rdeploy -mu -f%ImageName% -p1

logevent -l:1 -ss:"Created %ImageName%.

" REM Execute WLogEvent.exe from CMD script

REM This script requires WLogevent.exe to reside on the client

REM in the temp directory .

\WLogevent.exe -c:0 -l:1 -ss:"Running Dir on %NAME%"

dir
 Building and scheduling jobs 216
Copying a file

. \WLogevent.exe -c:0 -l:1 -ss:"Finished with the DIR command on

%NAME%"

Copying a file
Copy all types of files to managed computers. You can send selected files or
directories to a computer or computer group.
Send files to client computers by adding the Copy File to task when building new
jobs. Use the Copy File to operation (see Remote operations using Ghost Solution
Suite ) to copy files quickly from Computers pane in the console.
See “Building new jobs ” on page 167.
To copy a file
1 Select either the Copy File or Copy Directory option. When you select the
Copy Directory option, select Copy Subdirectories to copy all subdirectories.
2 Enter the directory path and name of the file or directory. The Source path
defaults to the Ghost Solution Suite Share , but you can enter or browse to a
file or directory.
To copy files or directories through the Ghost Solution Suite Server from the
Ghost Solution Suite Share , you can enter a relative path in this field. To copy
files or directories directly from the Ghost Solution Suite Share to the managed
computer, you must enter the full UNC path name.
See “Copy file to advanced ” on page 217.

Note: When entering the source path for copying files through the Ghost Solution
Suite Server, you can only access the shared directories through an established
user account. Specifically, you can only use UNC paths when you have
sufficient authentication rights established.

3 Select the Allow to run in automation check box to run this task in automation
mode.

Note: This option is only applicable for Linux and WinPE automation.

4 Type the destination path. The Destination path field automatically enters a
sample path, but you can enter the directory path you require. If the destination
path does not exist on the destination computer, it is created.
 Building and scheduling jobs 217
Copying a file

5 Click Advanced to specify additional features to copy files through the Ghost
Solution Suite Server or directly from a file server. Click Next.
6 (Optional) Set Return Codes.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
7 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job. The file is sent to
the specified location when you run this task.
See “Modifying tasks in a deployment job” on page 219.

Using location variables

Location variables are being added to the Ghost Solution Suite Server for the Copy
Files feature, letting you enter a token variable instead of requiring a complete
location path when copying files to a managed computer (a client computer running
the Ghost Solution Suite).
Ghost Solution Suite supports long names in the REM replacetoken command. If
your file name includes spaces, enclose the file name in quotes so that it handles
correctly.
The current variables include:
Temp. Enter Temp in the Destination path to set the Temp directory (identified in
the system path) for the managed computer. Example: Instead of entering
C:\windows\temp\setup.exe in the Destination path, enter temp:setup.exe.

Copy file to advanced

Table 5-17 Copy file to advanced

Field Description

Copy files using Ghost Solution Suite This option distributes software packages
Server through the Ghost Solution Suite Server to
the managed computer, requiring two file
copy transactions if the Ghost Solution Suite
Share is on another file server. Use this
option for Simple installs to take advantage
of security rights defined by the Ghost
Solution Suite Server. You can use a relative
path name entered in the Source Path field
in the Copy Files dialog. This is the default
option.
 Building and scheduling jobs 218
Power control

Table 5-17 Copy file to advanced (continued)

Field Description

Copy directly from file source Click this option to copy packages directly
from the Ghost Solution Suite Share , sending
only one copy across the network. It copies
the file directly to avoid running through the
Ghost Solution Suite Server and diminishes
processor output. Because the Ghost Solution
Suite Agent doesn't recognize shared rights
and is not guaranteed to have a mapped drive
to the data source, you need to identify a user
name and password for the data share
computer from the target computer. This
option also requires a full UNC path name in
the Source Path field in the Copy File dialog.

File Source logon Enter the user name and password for the
client computer and the Ghost Solution Suite
Share . Both must have the same user name
and password (this is not an issue if both exist
in the same domain).

Note: Windows 98 computers have security limitations when copying files directly
from the source to the Ghost Solution Suite using the UNC path name. We
recommend that you use the Copy files using Ghost Solution Suite Server option
for these types of computers or plan a proper security strategy for direct copying.

Power control
Start the computer using Wake on LAN or run standard power control options to
restart the computer, shut down, or log off the current user.
Wake up, shut down, or log off client computers by adding the Power Control task
when building new jobs. See “Building new jobs ” on page 167.
To manage power control
1 Create a job.
2 Click Add > Power Control.
3 Select an option: Restart, Shut down (if available), Log off, or Wake up
(send Wake-On-LAN).
4 Select Force application to close without a message, if required. Click Next.
 Building and scheduling jobs 219
Waiting

5 (Optional) Set Return Codes.

See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
6 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job.

Waiting
Use the Wait task to boot a computer in the automation mode and wait for user
interaction.
To use the Wait task toolbar
1 Create a job.
2 Click Add > Wait.
The Wait dialog appears.
3 Select the appropriate pre-boot environment from the drop-down list. Click
Next.
4 (Optional) Set Return Codes.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
5 Click Finish. The task appears in the Task list for the job.

Modifying tasks in a deployment job

You can build jobs by adding or modifying deployment tasks. You can modify the
tasks in a job that is already scheduled on any computer. The job will run the
modified tasks according to the previously set schedule.
If the task (image, batch file, executable, and so on) is saved in the product directory,
it appears on your Resources list in the Shortcuts pane. Simply drag it to an
existing job to add it.
To add a task to a job immediately
1 In the Jobs pane, double-click the job you want to modify.
2 Click Add and select another task from the menu.
3 Follow the basic instructions on each dialog provided for each task. Select the
type of task you want to add and follow the directions.
4 After finishing task configuration, a new task appears in the Jobs list.
5 Change the order of the tasks using the up and down arrows. The tasks run
in the order listed.
 Building and scheduling jobs 220
Modifying tasks in a deployment job

Use the steps below to copy and paste tasks within the same job, or from one job
to another. You can use CTRL+C and CTRL+V to copy and paste tasks.
To copy and paste a task
1 In the Jobs pane, click the job that contains the task you want to copy.
2 In the Details pane, right-click the task, and select Copy. (To copy multiple
tasks, press the CTRL key and select the desired tasks. The tasks that are
highlighted are copied when you select Copy.)
3 In the Jobs pane, click the destination Job where you want to paste the task.
4 Right-click in the Details pane and select Paste. The tasks appear at the
bottom of the task list, and use the condition settings of the current job.
5 Change the order of the task using the up and down arrows. The tasks run in
the order listed.
To modify a task in a job
1 In the Jobs pane, double-click the job you want to modify.
2 Select the desired task from the list.
3 Click Modify and follow the directions to make the required changes. Click
OK.
To remove a task from a job
1 In the Jobs pane, double-click the job you want to modify.
2 Select the task you want to remove from the task list. Click Delete.
3 Click OK.
Use the steps below to copy and paste tasks within the same job or from one job
to another. You can also use CTRL+C and CTRL+V to copy and paste tasks.
To copy and paste tasks
1 In the Jobs pane, click the job that contains the task you want to copy.
2 In the Details pane, right-click the task and select Copy. (To copy multiple
tasks, press the CTRL key and select the desired tasks. The tasks that are
highlighted are copied when you select Copy.)
3 In the Jobs pane, click the destination Job where you want to paste the task.
4 Right-click in the Details pane and select Paste. The tasks appear at the
bottom of the task list and use the current condition settings of the destination
job.
5 Change the order of the tasks using the up and down arrows. The tasks execute
in the order listed.
 Building and scheduling jobs 221
Creating new script files

To add a new task to an existing task list

1 Select a job from the Jobs pane.
2 Click on one of the tasks within the job and add a new task. The new task is
inserted above the task you highlighted, and all other jobs shift down by one
position.
3 Use the up and down arrows to change the order of the tasks within the job.

Modifying multiple modify configuration tasks

If you have scheduled multiple Modifying Configuration tasks to a computer group,
you can double-click Modify Configuration in the task list of the Details pane to
modify each computer's configuration settings independently.
In the Jobs pane, click the job with a Modify Configuration task. Double-click the
Modify Configuration task.
A message appears. Click YES to modify configuration settings individually for each
scheduled computer. Click NO to modify the Modify Configuration task when the
job is scheduled again (the current job sends modified configuration files already
created).
If you click YES, a Modify Job Wizard appears with a list of each managed computer
scheduled to change configuration settings. Select one or more computers and
click Next.
To modify multiple modify configuration task
1 In the Computer Configuration Properties property page, modify the settings.
Click Next.
See “Computer configuration properties” on page 103.
2 Set Return Codes.
See “Setting up return codes ” on page 223.
3 Click Finish.

Creating new script files

You can create script files and directly schedule the script file to run scripts on any
computer or computer groups.
 Building and scheduling jobs 222
Copy and paste jobs and job folders

To create new script files

1 Go to View > Shortcuts View.
2 Click Resources in the Shortcuts view to move the focus to the Resources
view.
3 Go to File > New > Script File.

Note: The Script File option is activated only if the focus is on the Resources
view.

A script file is created by default at the root of the resources. The default file
name is Batch.bat.
4 Right-click the Batch.bat file, and select Modify.

Note: You can rename the batch file by right-clicking the file and selecting
Rename.

5 Type the script in the open file, and save it.

6 Drag the Batch.bat file to a computer or computer group where you want to
schedule the job.
7 Specify the scheduling options, and click OK.
See “Building and scheduling jobs ” on page 159.

Copy and paste jobs and job folders

Jobs or job folders (including their subfolders) can be copied to any other job folder
in the left pane of the Jobs pane of the Ghost Solution Suite Console. A Job folder
can only be copied to a root level folder, which has a limit of 30 subfolders, and
cannot be copied to a child level folder.
If you copy a job or folder with the same name as the destination job or folder, the
copied job or folder is automatically named Copy of <job or folder name>. This
feature can only be performed by administrators or users who have permissions to
create jobs or job folders.
To copy jobs and job folders
1 In the Jobs pane, right-click a job or job folder you want to copy, and click
Copy.
2 In the Jobs pane, right-click the destination job folder and click Paste.
 Building and scheduling jobs 223
Importing and exporting jobs

Importing and exporting jobs

Jobs can be exported to back up the Ghost Solution Suite Server data or to share
jobs between Ghost Solution Suite Server installations.
To import jobs
1 Right-click in the Job pane, and select Import
or
Click File > Import/Export > Import Jobs.
2 Browse to or enter the path and name of an existing import file (a .BIN file).
3 Select Import to Job Folder to import the jobs to an existing folder in the Jobs
pane. If you have a folder already selected, it appears in the edit field.
4 Select Overwrite existing Jobs and Folders with the same name to replace
identical jobs and folders.
5 Select Delete existing Jobs in folder to overwrite and replace all jobs in the
selected Jobs folder. Click OK to import the job(s).
To export jobs
1 Right-click the job or Jobs folder you want to export and select Export.
or
Click File > Import/Export > Export Jobs.
2 Select the destination folder and enter a file name.
3 Click Export subfolders to export all folders subordinate to the selected job
folder.
4 Click OK.

Setting up return codes

When you create a task in a job, you can define a response to specific return codes
generated from that task after it runs. You can determine the response if the task
runs successfully or if the task fails. You can also set up custom return codes
generated from scripts or batch files that are unique to your environment or
deployment system.

Note: Return code handling cannot be set up for jobs created in the New Job Wizard.
 Building and scheduling jobs 224
Setting up return codes

When creating a task, the Return Codes page appears so you can set a response
if the task was successful or to determine a default response if the task failed.
Because Ghost Solution Suite Server returns a 0 (zero) if the task runs successfully,
any other return code value denotes some type of failure in running the task. As a
result, in the Success field you can select an action if the return code is 0 (zero),
or select an action in the Default field if the return code is not a 0 (zero).
Return codes are first evaluated to be successful (zero) or failed (non-zero). If the
task returns as successful, it runs the action specified in the Success field. If it is
not successful, it determines if the return code has been assigned a custom code
value. If the return code is defined as a custom code, the selected action for that
custom code runs. If no custom code is assigned to the return code, the action set
in the default runs.

Note: If you are using LogEvent and WlogEvent in Scripts, you can generate return
codes only when the level 3 message is specified. Specifying a severity level 3
causes the script job to fail and lets you respond using this return code feature.

Return code actions

For both successful tasks (in the Success field) and failed tasks (in the Default
field), you can specify the following actions:

Stop This action stops the job after the task runs.
Subsequent tasks do not run.

Continue This action lets the subsequent tasks in the

job continue after the task runs.

Select a job. This action lets you select existing jobs to run
after the task completes.

These actions also apply to custom return codes designed specifically for your
system.

Custom return codes

In the Other return codes field, you can view custom return codes set specifically
for your system. You can add return codes by clicking Add below the Other return
codes field, or by clicking Master Return Code.
Type a custom code in the Code field, select a response action from the Response
list, select the result from the Result list to specify the interpretation of this return
code as Success or Failure, and provide a message in the Status field.
These custom codes can respond to any return codes set up in scripts or batch
files in the Run Scripts task, or these custom codes can respond to system return
 Building and scheduling jobs 225
Setting up return codes

codes thrown from the Ghost Solution Suite Server or external codes generated
when distributing applications, personality settings, or disk images. Any task can
have custom codes that respond to different return code values.

Master Return Code List. This is a list of all the return codes existing in
the Ghost Solution Suite Database. You can
add, modify, and delete the codes and their
values so that setting codes for other tasks
is easier.

Add This lets you add a new custom return code

for the task. You can also add the return code
to the Master Return Codes list.

Modify This lets you modify the return codes listed

in the Other return codes field. The changes
you make do not update the Master Return
Codes list.

Delete This lets you delete return codes listed in the

Other return codes field, but not from the
Master Return Codes list.

To set up master return codes

The Master Return Code List dialog lets you:
■ Add, modify, and remove return codes in the master list.
■ Select return codes for the current job from the drop-down list.
To add master return codes
1 Select a job from the Jobs pane.
2 Click Add in the right pane to add a task. Select the task. The Task dialog
appears.

Note: You can add Master Return Codes for all tasks except Get Inventory.

3 Click Next until the Return Codes page appears.

4 Click Master Return Codes. The Master Return Code List dialog appears.
5 Click Add. The Add Return Code dialog appears.
6 Enter the return code in the Code field and click OK. The code is added to
the master list.
 Building and scheduling jobs 226
Setting up return codes

To modify Master Return Codes

1 Click Modify. The Modify Return Code dialog appears.
2 Enter data in the Response, Result, and Status fields and click OK. The code
is modified.
To delete master return codes
1 Select the code you want to delete and click Delete. A warning message
appears to confirm the deletion.
2 Click Yes. The selected return code is deleted from the Master list.

Note: The OK and Cancel options in the Master Return Code List dialog apply
to the return codes selected. If no return codes are selected, or none exist in
the list, OK is disabled. Click OK on the Master Return Code List dialog to add
the selected return codes to the current job.

To set up return codes, you need to determine how to respond to the Ghost Solution
Suite Server success return code (zero) in the Success field, how to respond to a
failure return code (a non-zero) in the Default field, and how to respond to a custom
or externally generated return code defined in the Other return codes field.
The following example describes how to set up a simple process to deal with custom
and system return codes, and how to interpret the status of user-defined return
codes:
To set up return codes
1 In the Success drop-down list on the Return Codes page, keep the default
value Continue. This lets the job continue running additional tasks in the job
after successfully completing this task.
2 Click Add to add custom return codes. The Add Return Code dialog appears.
3 In the Code field, enter a value of 10 (ten).
4 Click the Response drop-down arrow and select Continue from the list.
5 Click the Result drop-down arrow and select Success from the list. Even if
the return code was not zero, which is success by default, the task is considered
a success as per the user's choice.
6 Enter a description for the return code in the Status field. This is the message
that appears when the task within a selected job runs.
 Building and scheduling jobs 227
Sample jobs

7 Select the Add to Master return code list check box to add the custom code
to the master return code list. The code is listed in both the Other return codes
and Master Return Codes lists. This is useful if you want to use the return code
again. Click OK.
8 If the code you added already exists, a message dialog displays the return
code and asks if you want to replace it. Click Yes to replace the return code,
and click No to return to the Add Return Code dialog.
9 Select the Select a job option from the Default drop-down list to select a job
to run when a default condition is reached. The Select a Job dialog appears,
letting you select an existing job that runs if the task returns a failed system
return code (non-zero) or a return code not defined as a custom return code

Note: The status of the tasks executed in a job also appears in the history of a
computer.

Sample jobs
Sample jobs are installed with each Ghost Solution Suite Server system, letting
you quickly modify or add parameters, or to run the sample jobs as they are. During
installation, jobs are automatically imported from the samples.bin file to the Ghost
Solution Suite Server system where they can be viewed in the Samples folder in
the Jobs area of the Ghost Solution Suite Console. Click each job and identify its
features in the Description field of the Details pane.
Jobs in each folder marked with an asterisk (*) require input parameters or other
minor modifications added before running on your system. These modifications let
you add parameters to the job, such as user name and password or other required
data for the job to be functional. Jobs requiring input parameters or customizing do
not function properly if you do not edit the job with the information specific to your
environment.
All files without an asterisk (*) can be used to perform the identified functions without
modification. However, if the job conditions are not met or are not consistent with
the computer type, you may get an error.

Note: When upgrading versions of Ghost Solution Suite , we recommend that you
copy and rename modified sample jobs to avoid overwriting by new sample jobs.
 Building and scheduling jobs 228
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery (BESR) sample jobs

Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery (BESR)

sample jobs
Ghost Solution Suite includes several BESR sample jobs.
For more information on BESR, see http://www.symantec.com and search for
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery.

Initial deployment
Initial Deployment is a default job designed to help in the process of setting up
computers that do not exist in the Ghost Solution Suite Database. Initial Deployment
lets you define how computers are initially set up after being identified by the Ghost
Solution Suite Server.
You can define various computer configuration sets and deployment jobs for the
user during startup, letting the user select the computer settings and hard disk
images, software, and personality settings for their specific needs and environment.
New computers appear in the New Computers group in the Computers pane of
the Ghost Solution Suite Console.
To access Initial Deployment, double-click Initial Deployment from the Jobs pane
or right-click Initial Deployment and click Properties. The Properties of Initial
Deployment dialog appears.
Initial Deployment is ideal for small-scale deployments, from 1 to 10 computers.
We do not recommend this feature for large deployments -- from 10 to 100
computers -- or mass deployments -- from 100 to 5000 computers. We also do not
recommend this feature where you use virtual computers, customized jobs, and
the computer import feature.
Although Initial Deployment is commonly used on computers that support PXE, you
can also configure a boot disk to run Initial Deployment. In this case, the image you
deploy must include automation pre-boot environment so that post imaging tasks
can run successfully. Installing an Automation Partition on the client computer's
hard disk ensures that future imaging deployment jobs run successfully.

Note: To completely deploy and configure a computer using Initial Deployment, you
must define at least one Configuration and one Job.

Initial Deployment consists of a dialog with the following tabs with separate features
to deploy new computers:
■ Configurations
 Building and scheduling jobs 229
Configurations

■ Jobs
■ Advanced

Configurations
Click the Configurations tab on the Initial Deployment dialog to configure different
sets of computer properties. Each configuration set is presented to the user as a
menu. The user can select the configuration set designed for their environment.
Compare the Configurations tab with the Jobs tab. See Jobs.

Note: If you do not create any configuration sets, the deployment process
automatically sets TCP/IP information to use DHCP and names the computer to
match the computer's asset tag, serial number or MAC address -- in that order,
depending on what is available.

To create configurations
1 Double-click Initial Deployment in the Jobs pane drop-down list. The
Properties of Initial Deployment dialog appears.
2 Click the Configurations tab.
3 Click Add. A configuration set appears in the Configurations menu field. The
Configuration page of the New Job Wizard appears.
4 Enter values to set computer and network properties for new computers. See
Modifying configuration for a list of property categories.
5 Click Add again to configure another set of property settings. You can add
multiple configuration sets for the user to select from a menu after connecting
to Ghost Solution Suite Server. You can modify, rename, or delete a selected
configuration set.
6 After setting the properties, click Apply.
7 From the Default Menu choice drop-down list, select a configuration set as
the default.
8 Click the Timeout after ___ seconds and proceed check box and specify the
time after which you want to run the default job.
9 Click OK, or click the Jobs tab to define a task.
 Building and scheduling jobs 230
Jobs

Advanced Configuration
Click Advanced on the Configurations tab to open the Advanced Configuration
dialog. This dialog lets you set advanced configuration settings for client computers
and provides different options for processing jobs for client computers.
■ Select Process this job as each client becomes active. This job is processed
only when clients become active.
■ Select Process this job in batch mode. This job is processed for a batch of
clients for the Minimum clients specified and after the specified Timeout in
minutes.
■ Select Hold all clients until this time. You can specify the Start time for this
job, which runs for all clients at the specified time.
■ Click OK.

Jobs
Click the Jobs tab on the Initial Deployment dialog to add existing jobs or create
new jobs to run on the new computer. The jobs you add or build using this dialog
are listed in a menu and presented to the user during startup. The user can select
the deployment jobs to image the computer and install applications and personality
settings. Compare the Jobs tab with the Configurations tab. See “Configurations”
on page 229..
To create Initial deployment job
1 Click Initial Deployment in the Jobs pane drop-down list. The Properties of
Initial Deployment dialog appears.
2 Click the Jobs tab.
3 Click New to build a new job. The Select a job dialog appears. See “Building
new jobs ” on page 167.Select a folder in which you want to create the job. Click
OK. The Job Properties dialog appears.
4 Click Add Existing to add an existing job.
5 From the Default menu choice drop-down list, select a job as the default.
6 Click the Timeout after ___ seconds and proceed check box and specify the
time after which you want to run the default job. The default setting is 60
seconds.
7 Click OK, or click the Advanced tab to stop servers or workstations from
running configuration task sets and jobs automatically. See also Sample jobs.
 Building and scheduling jobs 231
Advanced

Advanced
Click the Advanced tab to set options to stop Initial Deployment from automatically
running the default configuration task sets and jobs. This avoids accidental
re-imaging or overwriting of data and applications for either workstations, such as
desktop and laptop computers, or servers, such as Web and network servers
identified by Ghost Solution Suite Server.
When a computer not yet identified by the Ghost Solution Suite Database is first
detected, it is placed in the New Computers group and an Initial Deployment
configuration set and job is run. However, in many cases you do not want Web or
network servers to be automatically re-imaged without confirmation from IT
personnel.
■ Select Servers to stop servers from automatically running Initial Deployment
configuration jobs. Servers are identified as the managed computers running
multiple processors or identified as a specific server model from specific
manufacturers. Example: Both an HP Proliant computer and a Dell computer
with multiple processors are identified as servers. Identifying a computer as a
server by the operating system cannot be accomplished for new computers until
the server operating system has been installed.
■ Select Workstations/Clients to force desktop and laptop computers to stop
before automatically running Initial Deployment.