Creating image, restoring image, IDE2USB.

I have two of these IDE2USB adapters and Acronis True Image Corperate v8.0.

http://www.pcmicrostore.com/PartDetail.aspx?q=p:10502660;c:36142


My current cloning process:

Example: 10 desktop computers, same chipset/hardware.

I am able to setup 1 of the 10 computers with WinXP SP2, run sysprep, and boot from the TI boot cd and create an image to a external HDD, a windows share, or a Netware server that is running CIFS. I then boot each machine from the TI boot cd and restore that sysprep'd image to each desktop. Works great.

What I want to do:

I would like to do what I do above, but instead of having to turn on each machine, I would like to remove the HDD's from the other 9 computers and restore the HDD image from my laptop running the Windows version of TI to each HDD i connect using the IDE2USB adapter. I think I can do this with clone disk, but I do not fully understand how this process works. Also, I'm not sure the cloned HDD would retain the correct partition imformation.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

Hi tech guy - Cloning with True Image requires that the physical source and destination HD's are connected to the PC during the the cloning process.

But fear not - instead of cloning, simply restore the source image onto the destination HD.

1) Sysprep and store the HD-image somewhere.
2) Attach the empty HD to your laptop.
3) Restore the HD-image onto the empty HD.
4) Go to 2.

 

I have also included my sysprep.inf file. I have a sysprep.inf template, I use this on every machine, but modify it how I need it. The [Unanttened] portion should accomadte a machine with a larger hdd or more memory. Does everything look ok here? Should I be able to use this sysprep file with my previous post?? Ok here it is, feel free to use it.


; XP Pro SP2 Base Image.
; File created 4.12.05.


[Unattended]
;OemSkipEula specifies whether the end user accepts the End-User License
;Agreement (EULA) included with Windows.
OemSkipEula=Yes
;InstallFilesPath specifies the location of files necessary for installation
;during Mini-Setup, such as the language files, so that the installation does
;not stop to prompt
;for end-user input.
InstallFilesPath=C:\sysprep\i386
;ExtendOEMPartition extends this destination partition into any
;available unpartitioned space that physically follows it on the disk.
ExtendOEMPartition=1
;Keep page file automatically regenerates the system's page file to
;accommodate differences in the amount of RAM between the master computer
;and the destination computer.
KeepPageFile=0
;Reset source path pecifies the location of the Setup files in the registry.
ResetSourcePath=C:\I386

[GuiUnattended]
;AdminPassword sets the Administrator account password.
AdminPassword="password"
;Enables Setup to install encrypted passwords for the Administrator account.
EncryptedAdminPassword=NO
;Auto logon 3 times to change some settings once computer
;is up and running.
AutoLogon=Yes
;Specifies the number of times that the computer automatically logs on using
;the specified Administrator account and password.
AutoLogonCount=3
;Specifies whether unattended Setup skips the Regional and Language Options
;page in GUI-mode Setup and Mini-Setup.
OEMSkipRegional=1
OEMDuplicatorstring="XP PRO Image."
;Specifies the time zone of the computer's location.
TimeZone=20
;Specifies whether unattended Setup skips the Welcome page in GUI-mode Setup
;and Mini-Setup.
OemSkipWelcome=1

[UserData]
;Specifies the Product Key for each unique installation of XP.
ProductKey=1234-1234-1234-1234
;Specifies the end user’s full name.
FullName="None"
;Specifies an organization’s name.
OrgName="None"

[TapiLocation]
;Specifies the country/region code to use for telephony.
CountryCode=1
;Specifies the area code for the computer's location.
AreaCode=847

[RegionalSettings]
;Specifies the language group for this installation.
LanguageGroup=1
;Specifies the language/locale to install.
Language=00000409

[Identification]
;Specifies the name of the workgroup in which the computer participates.
JoinWorkgroup=Workgroup

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=Yes

[IEPopupBlocker]
;Specifies the sites allowed by Pop-up Blocker.
AllowedSites = http://www.google.com/
;Specifies whether or not to block pop-ups.
BlockPopups = Yes
;Specifies the level of Pop-up Blocker filtering.
FilterLevel = Medium
;Specifies whether or not to show the Information Bar when pop-ups are blocked.
ShowInformationBar = Yes

[Sysprep]
;Generates the entries in the [SysprepMassStorage] section from the Plug and
;Play hardware IDs specified in Machine.inf, Scsi.inf, Pnpscsi.inf, and
;Mshdc.inf, and installs each of these mass-storage controllers.
BuildMassStorageSection = Yes

[SysprepMassStorage]

 

MiniMax "Hi tech guy - Cloning with True Image requires that the physical source and destination HD's are connected to the PC during the the cloning process."


Ok, I have 2 of the IDE2USB adapters, so I would have the physical source and destination HD's connected to my latptop via the USB adapters. Would cloning work? Would the cloned drive retain the partition information? ie: C:\WINDOWS


Thanks for the help ladies and gents!

 

A clone is a clone is a clone is a clone ...

 

I find it faster to clone this way. Before I posted my question Itried my idea, and it did work. I was doing about 6 minutes through my LAN to a Windows share, using USB I have got it down to about 3 minutes. Anyone else use this method? Any other sugestion for cloning/syspreping with TI?

 

"Physical connection" can be virtualized also

Have a look at iSCSI - this is SCSI over TCP/IP. You could set up a linux or windows machine that is an iSCSI target.

From the computers you work on you could connect this "target" using an iSCSI initiator. For the computer it now seems that is is physically connected to the remote machine with the iscsi target.

problem is, I don't know how to support iSCSI in an acronis boot disk - maybe it could be done with BartPE, I've never tried...

 

I just was checking some google results. I've read you need at least a 1000MB switched network for something like this. Do you have any experience using iSCSI, if so what is your network/hardware config?

 

Yes, gigabit is recommended for maximum speed - but then again, iSCSI is normally used in very expensive/fast serverfarms with 10.000 RP drives. 100 mbit will do fine for a normal environment

iSCSI needs an initiator (see it as a virtual scsi adapter for your PC) and iSCSI "targets", scsi devices connected to ethernet.

Have a look at these:

Microsoft iSCSI Initiator - this is your "virtual scsi card" for windows, you can link iSCSI capable drives to this.

and then try this as a "software" target - you can use any drive in your machine as a iSCSI target, or even make a virtual drive residing in a single file: StarWind

There is better target software but this will give you an idea.

I've read on the forum that Acronis will implement iSCSI initiator in the rescue disk.