I'm curious about best practices for managing golden images, particularly when it comes to updates. With the limitation of only 4 SYSPREPs, how often should updates be made? In our past experience, we had different systems which made it tricky. We simply used one image per system type and handled updates post-imaging, which saved a ton of time since we had pre-installed software. I'm considering a workflow where I create the image, clone it for backup, then SYSPREP the working version. When it's time to update, I'd revert to the clone and start the process again, keeping one SYSPREPed version as a reference. Any thoughts or suggestions?
5 Answers
My method is somewhat similar, but I prefer using VMs with snapshots. I create a master VM, prepare it, and then take a snapshot before sysprepping. After that, I go back to the original snapshot for updates, take another snapshot, and repeat. It’s a pretty straightforward cycle once you get the hang of it!
Actually, the SYSPREP limit is more than just 4; for Windows 8.1 and later, you can go up to 1001 times! I usually do my updates a couple of times a year depending on what’s needed. It’s important to keep up with updates to avoid any issues down the line.
Using a VM for your golden image is definitely the way to go! I set up mine and always snapshot before the SYSPREP step so that I can quickly revert and apply updates whenever necessary. It keeps everything streamlined for us!
I don’t often need to update golden images at my current job since we use pretty basic systems with just Windows, Office, and Dell’s tools installed right from the start. But when I used to, I relied on KACE 2000. I'd load the VM, make updates, sysprep it, and then capture the new image—that was pretty effective!
What’s the main goal with using a golden image? Generally, they make the deployment process much faster because you pre-install most software. I used to keep my golden image updated with critical Windows updates and common frameworks, while tools like MDT handled the rest. Now, imaging isn’t part of my job anymore since I’m more focused on field support, but that’s how I approached it.
Yeah, golden images really do speed things up. It’s super convenient to just deploy an image rather than configuring every single machine from scratch!
I do something like that too! Snapshots make it so easy to manage updates without losing the original state. Plus, it reduces the hassle in recovery.