D.1 Image Explorer (imgexp.exe)

Use the Image Explorer utility at a Windows workstation to view or modify workstation images, create add-on images, compress image files, and split images.

Although ZENworks Imaging Explorer looks and functions like Microsoft Windows Explorer in most situations, some functionality differences exist between the two programs. The following describes the key differences between how ZENworks Image Explorer and Microsoft Windows Explorer function:

IMPORTANT:When editing a base image, do not exclude BPB files from it or the device won’t be able to boot the new operating system after receiving the image.

The following sections describe the tasks that you can perform using the Image Explorer:

D.1.1 Starting Image Explorer (imgexp.exe)

The Image Explorer utility must be run on a Windows device. You need Samba running on the Linux imaging server where the utility file is located in order for the Windows device to have access to it.

There are no command line parameters for the Image Explorer utility.

  1. To start Image Explorer, run the following file:

    /opt/novell/zenworks/zdm/imaging/winutils/imgexp.exe
    

D.1.2 Opening an Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Click Open button. on the toolbar, browse for and select the image (.zmg) file, then click Open.

    Large image files might take a few moments to open.

D.1.3 Adding a File or Folder to an Open Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. In the left pane, browse to the partition or directory where you want to add the file or folder.

  3. Click Add File button. or Add Directory button. on the toolbar, browse to the file or folder, then click Add or OK.

D.1.4 Creating a Folder in an Open Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. In the left pane, browse to the partition or folder where you want to create the folder, click Create Directory button., type the name of the folder, then click OK.

D.1.5 Excluding a File or Folder from a File Set in the Open Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Select the file or folder, click Edit, click File sets, then select the file sets that you want the file or folder to be excluded from.

    This image has 10 possible file sets, labeled Set 1, Set 2, and so on. The files and/or folders that you selected in the main window is excluded only from the file sets that you select in this dialog box.

D.1.6 Marking a File or Folder for Deletion in the Open Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Select the file or folder, click Image, then click Delete.

    IMPORTANT:Deleting a file in the Image Explorer merely marks it for deletion; it can still be retrieved. A file marked as deleted is not removed from the image until the image is purged; files and folders marked as deleted are not restored during imaging.

D.1.7 Purging Files and Folders Marked for Deletion from the Open Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Ensure that the open image has been saved, click File, then click Purge deleted files.

  3. Browse to the image filename or specify a new image filename, then click Save.

D.1.8 Extracting a File or Directory from the Open Image to a Folder

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Click the file or directory, click File > Extract > As files, browse to and select a folder, then click OK.

D.1.9 Extracting a File or Directory from the Open Image As an Add-On Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Click the file or directory, click File > Extract > As add-on image, type the name of the new add-on image, then click OK.

D.1.10 Viewing a File from the Open Image in its Associated Application

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Click the file, then click File > Extract and view.

D.1.11 Saving Your Changes to the Open Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Click Save button. on the toolbar.

D.1.12 Creating an Add-On Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Click New button. on the toolbar, open Windows Explorer, browse to the files and folders you want the add-on image to contain, drag the files and folders into the right pane from Windows Explorer, then click Save.

D.1.13 Adding a Partition to a New Add-On Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Click New button. on the toolbar, click the root of the image, click Image, then click Create partition.

    You cannot add a partition to an existing add-on image or to any base image.

D.1.14 Compressing an Image

You can set compression options so that it takes less time to restore the image file and less space to store the file on your imaging server. You can compress an uncompressed image (including images created by previous versions of ZENworks) by 40 to 60 percent of the original file size.

The ZENworks Linux Management Image Explorer provides the following types of image compression:

Compressing an Open Image

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Browse for the image (.zmg) file, then click Open.

    Large image files might take a few moments to open.

  3. Click File > Compress image.

  4. Browse to a folder, specify a new image filename, then select a compression option:

    Optimize for Speed: Takes the least amount of time to compress, but creates the largest compressed image file.

    Balanced (Recommended): Represents a compromise between compression time and image file size. This option is used by default when an image is created.

    Optimize for Space: Creates the smallest image file, but takes longer to compress.

  5. Click Compress.

    Files marked for deletion in the image are removed during the compression operation.

Compressing Any Image without Waiting for the File to Fully Load into Image Explorer

You can set compression options to quickly compress an image file without waiting for the file to fully load into Image Explorer.

To use QuickCompress:

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Click Tools > click QuickCompress.

  3. Browse to the image file, browse to a folder, specify a new image filename, then select a compression option:

    Optimize for Speed: Takes the least amount of time to compress, but creates the largest compressed image file.

    Balanced (Recommended): Represents a compromise between compression time and image file size. This option is used by default when an image is created.

    Optimize for Space: Creates the smallest image file, but takes longer to compress.

  4. Click Compress.

    Files marked for deletion in the image are removed during the compression operation.

D.1.15 Splitting an Image

You can split an image file into separate files so that you can span the entire image across several CDs or DVDs.

When you split a device image and span it across several CDs or DVDs, you are essentially creating a base image on the first CD or DVD. The remaining CDs or DVDs are add-on images.

To restore a device image that has been spanned across several CDs or DVDs you should restore the first CD or DVD before restoring the remaining CDs or DVDs containing the add-on images. For more information, see Manually Putting an Image on a Device.

Restoring split Images is a manual task and can only be automated using scripted imaging. For more information, see Imaging a Device Using a Script.

To split an image:

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Click Tools > Image split.

  3. Specify an existing base image file to split, specify the directory in which to store the split images, then specify the maximum file size of each split-image file.

    Because images are split by placing individual files into different images, an image cannot be split if it contains any single file that is larger than the specified maximum file size.

  4. Click Split.

D.1.16 Resizing a Partition in an Image

For base images, you can edit the value in the Original size field to allow you to change how big the ZENworks Imaging Engine makes the partition when the image is restored.

For example, suppose you create a base image of a device with a 20 GB hard drive and you want to then put that image on a new device with a 60 GB hard drive. If you do not increase the size of the partition, the partition will be 20 GB, thus making the remaining 40 GB unusable.

However, if you increase the number in the Original size field to match the size of the new hard drive, the ZENworks Imaging Engine expands the partition when the image is restored so that you can use the entire drive.

To resize a partition:

  1. Start Image Explorer.

  2. Right-click a partition in the left frame, then click Properties.

  3. Increase or decrease the value in the Original size field.

    You cannot decrease the number in the Original size field to a smaller value that what is in the Minimum size field.

    The Original size field is not applicable for add-on images and cannot be modified for them.