I'm a desktop technician at a small company and I'm looking for advice on making our server setup and initial configuration more efficient. I've been relying on Acronis True Image for years, and it's been a lifesaver for us, handling everything from personal machines to enterprise workstations without a hitch. Typically, our servers have four partitions: OS, SQL, Logs, and storage. My current approach involves:
1. Creating an image of the blank OS with all necessary drivers and the latest patches, along with properly set up partitions.
2. Deploying this image onto other chassis of the same model and drive configuration.
3. Adjusting the hostname as required.
4. Installing our applications and setting up at the client site.
Given this process, do you think Acronis is still the best option? I'm also considering setting up a PXE option and looking into netboot.xyz for that, so any suggestions would also be appreciated!
5 Answers
The trend in the industry has been moving away from image-based installs due to their limitations. It might be worth exploring a scripted installation instead; there are tons of methods and products for that!
Be careful with duplicate Machine SIDs; they can cause issues if you don't use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit or a similar tool. But remember to use sysprep to generalize your image, as that removes the SID and other info that could cause problems.
Have you considered using a FOG server? It's open-source and free; very effective! While Acronis certainly works well, it can get pricey. You might also want to look into a traditional MDT server, though it can be tricky if you're not familiar with it.
We use Smart Deploy for our setups and I've been pretty satisfied with it! Might be worth a look for streamlining your process.
Given how quick patching is now, making server images might not be necessary anymore. For physical servers like Dell, we can just install via the lifecycle controller, set up roles, update drivers through iDRAC or DSU, run Windows updates, and it usually takes only 30-45 minutes, especially on VMs!
Exactly! Sysprep is the way to go; it clears out the SID, restores points, and even clears the event logs. Super important!