A.1 File Sets

File sets allow you to create subsets of an image for applying to different devices. This is done by using a file set number that represents a version of the image where certain content is excluded.

When you create an Image bundle in ZENworks Control Center, you must select a file set number. By default, file set 1 is selected. In Image Explorer you can exclude content from file sets. For example, if you create a bundle that includes file set 1, any content in Image Explorer that has file set 1 in the Sets Excluded From column is excluded from the bundle.

A separate image file is not created for a file set; instead, a file set contains internal attributes representing the excluded information. Even though a file set does not exist as a separate, physical image file, it is accessed as though it is, placing the image on the receiving device, minus the excluded files. The advantage this provides is that it allows you to create an image and modify it slightly for various devices, instead of creating separate images for each device.

An image has 10 possible file sets, labeled Set 1, Set 2, and so on. Each of the 10 file set numbers initially represents the original image. When you assign any file or directory in the image to a file set number (using Image Explorer), that file set number then represents a subset of the image, which you can select when creating an Image bundle.

Because there are only 10 file set numbers available, after you have assigned all 10 file set numbers to various files or directories in the image, you no longer have a file set that represents the full image. Therefore, reserve file set 1 as the image file set where no files or directories are excluded.

You can represent a file set in long or short forms. For example, file set 1 can be represented as follows:

  • Long form: -set=1

  • Short form: -s:1

IMPORTANT:Because file sets only concern excluded files, any files added to the image through Image Explorer are added to all existing file sets. If you do not want new files included in a particular file set, you must use Image Explorer to exclude these new files from that file set.