Novell Documentation: Novell Small Business Suite 6.5 - ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Workstation Imaging

ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Workstation Imaging

The Workstation Imaging component allows, you as the administrator, to create and deploy images of workstations throughout your network. Using this component, you can take an image of a well-configured and efficient workstation and then apply that image to any workstation in the network. You can use Workstation Imaging for initial setup of new workstations or to restore a workstation to properly functioning status.

ZENworks Desktop Management also ships with ZENworks Preboot Services which, when installed, allows workstations to implement the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE). Using PXE, a workstation can boot, request, and run the Preboot Services client. When running the PXE client, the workstation, even if unattended, can request and load the ZENworks Workstation Imaging environment, which is based on the Linux kernel and, subsequently, poll the ZENworks Imaging Server for imaging work.

This section contains the following information:

What Operations Can Be Performed with Workstation Imaging?

Using Workstation Imaging, you can:

Take an image of a workstation and store it on the same workstation (locally) or on an imaging (proxy) server.
Create an "add-on" image of selected files.
Customize an image.
Compress an image to minimize storage space.
Retrieve an image that has been saved to a workstation (locally) or an imaging (proxy) server and restore it to a workstation. You can do this manually at each workstation or automatically from ConsoleOne.
Use a workstation or server policy to define imaging operations.
Create a script to customize and automate how you perform imaging operations.
Restore an image to many workstations simultaneously in a multicast session.
View information about the partitions and storage devices on a workstation.
Create, delete, and activate partitions.

Installing Workstation Imaging

ZENworks Workstation Imaging requires elements installed both on the network server and on user workstations. This section provides links to more information where you can learn about both.

Installing on the Back End

Workstation Imaging is installed on a network server you install the ZENworks Desktop Management Services software and choose the Imaging Server and PXE Server options in the installation wizard. This installs the ZENworks Imaging Server and PXE server.

For more information, see "Desktop Management Server Installation Procedure" in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide.

Installing on Workstations

Workstation Imaging files and programs are installed on a user workstation when you install the Novell Client and subsequently update it with the Desktop Management Agent installation. You must select the Workstation Imaging component during the installation of the agent.

For detailed prerequisites and instructions for installing the Novell Client, see "Installing Novell Clients" in the Novell Client for Windows Installation and Administration Guide.

For more information about installing the Desktop Management Agent, see "Installing and Configuring the Desktop Management Agent" in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide.

The Desktop Management imaging engine that performs the actual imaging of a workstation is a Linux application. Therefore, the workstation must be temporarily booted to Linux while the imaging is performed. This can be accomplished by setting up a Linux partition on the workstation by using Linux boot disks or boot CDs or by using Preboot Services (PXE), which will download the Linux boot environment from a previously installed PXE server.

For information on setting up a workstation for imagining, see "Setting Up Workstations for Imaging" in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Administration Guide.

For more information about setting up Preboot Services on workstations, see "Using ZENworks Desktop Management Preboot Services" in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Administration Guide.