Domain Join issue

[Ejrapurado]

This is simple; we have done this hundreds of times, I have done about 100 so far in our deployment.

Step 1: Remove the XP machine from the domain. (Note the name: FINANCE1)
Step 2: Ghost Image the machine
Step 3: Boot the machine, let it discover the hardware, etc. etc.
Step 4: Activate Windows 7 to your KMS server.
Step 5: Rename machine to OLD XP machine name FINANCE1.
Step 6: Add machine to the domain.

Done!

Ok when you say Remove XP machine from the domain, do you mean just disjoining it from the domain on the machine? Is there anyway we can do this during the sysprep phase? We have an image that already has everything that we want on it. I think that removing the machine from the domain is the part that we need automated. We have over 500 PC's to be done and only 1 guy that is gonna do it so i want to try and make it as easy as possible for him.

What i'm trying to do is have an image ready that will;
1. prompt for computer name - tech inputs computer name
2. remove the computer from the domain
3. then join to the domain.

I might be asking much. He may just need to remove the PC from the domain before re-imaging. I can just get him to run a script for it so it will save him from having to click in and do it manually.

If you have any other suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks.

Ed.

 

[WindowsStar]

I would say Step 1 is hard to automate that would make anything any faster (Does that make sense). What I mean is you could write a script to unjoin it from the domain but it is just as fast to unjoin it then shutdown or in your case reboot to your WinPE CD or whatever you are going to use to Ghost the machine. So Step 1 is really easy and fast.

Step 2 though Step 6 could be automated and I have done it but it will take you weeks of testing and testing and then it most likely will not work perfectly in the field. The 3 weeks of development and then the 2 weeks of testing and then the 2 weeks of fixing bugs is 7 weeks were 1 tech would have completely upgraded 280 machines in that amount of time and would be half way done with your 500 machines. I would just write down good instructions and have them go by the steps and in 14 weeks you will be done. (Assuming you work 8 hour days).

 

[WindowsStar]

The Steps I gave you with the Ghost image are really fast. Get the name, unjoin the machine, boot to WinPE, Ghost the machine with Windows 7, reboot, wait for hardware, reboot, activate and add to the Domain; all in about 15 minutes. It goes really fast.

Edit: 1 Tech at 15 minutes a machine, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, in 3.5 week you would have 560 machines done.

 

[Ejrapurado]

Hey guys thanks for all your help. We've decided to go down WDS path..

 

[WindowsStar]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc771670(WS.10).aspx

Just a bit of a warning on going this way.

1) All computers will be loaded from scratch; this means a 30 to 45 minute load depending on hardware (in the real world it will be longer say 60 minutes). #Plus you must remember this is going across your network and will slow everything on the network down. If you do this during the day it can be a major problem.
2) You will have to re-install all software; this can take a lot of time 30 to 90 minutes, depending on what software you are loading. If you have special settings this can be a problem automating or getting right (major headaches). The #Plus above same applies.
3) If the system cannot find a driver for say your SATA driver the system will crash and you will have to go to the machine to fix it.
4) If there is any kind of error in the install it will halt and you will have to go to the machine to fix it.
5) You have to provide ALL and I mean ALL drivers for every computer and every possible combination on the RIS server before you install if it is missing one you will get a failed load or a load that will not boot correctly, etc. etc.

We tried this over and over to make it work. The prep time for the servers and the slow deployment time takes way to long and you are much better using a pre-built image and deploying it with staff. All this is from someone who has "been there done that" many many times.

Please note you must have DHCP and DNS working perfectly (In our case we could NOT use our *IX based DHCP and DNS servers and had to install Windows DHCP & DNS servers. PXE must be working perfectly as well.

You are much much better off using my post #20 it will be faster and you will have a lot less problems and each machine will take less than 15 minutes. Just my 2 cents and a HUGE heads up. -WS

 

[Ejrapurado]

See the problem is we have multiple sites that span across Australia. And we only have 2 onsite guys. The deployment shouldnt be a problem and if indeed ghost will be quicker, we will use this method for deployment. The other issue i am looking at is for future rebuilds. We have a few pc's that REGULARLY (as in weekly) have to be rebuilt due to the nature of their use. Now since we only have 2 onsite tech's this means it could take them up to a week to get out to users. WDS should allow us to guide the customer to pxe boot the machine then we can automate the rebuild after that.

 

[WindowsStar]

See the problem is we have multiple sites that span across Australia. And we only have 2 onsite guys. The deployment shouldnt be a problem and if indeed ghost will be quicker, we will use this method for deployment. The other issue i am looking at is for future rebuilds. We have a few pc's that REGULARLY (as in weekly) have to be rebuilt due to the nature of their use. Now since we only have 2 onsite tech's this means it could take them up to a week to get out to users. WDS should allow us to guide the customer to pxe boot the machine then we can automate the rebuild after that.

Check out the software Deep Freeze for your machines that need to be rebuilt all the time. This software locks the machine so you don't have to rebuild them all the time due to their use.

Faronics Deep Freeze Windows Editions - ABSOLUTE System Integrity