Rename Host in Windows UI doesn't update Fog database

[tatanas]

Hello,

I did not find specific information on this topic in the forum, so I am taking the liberty of asking the question.
When renaming a computer in Windows, its name is not updated in the FOG database. I would like to specify that I do not use the ‘Hostname Changer.’ Is there an option to allow this database update ?
If not, could it be a new feature ?

Thanks for your time.

[Tom Elliott]

@tatanas FOG can change the hostname at the client in a multitude of ways.

1. Early Hostname changing - This attempts to happen by the FOS system after a deploy by looking for the registry information on the machine and modifying the entry.
2. (Custom but simple enough) This can be done when a system is oob prepped and imaging completes (with what we call the post-deploy task) that loads through the partitions to locate the unattend file and dynamically modifying the hostname setting portion as required for that specific host.
3. FOG Client -> Hostname change

Why do i say this?

The whole point of FOG is to manage the machine, not let the machine manage FOG. We get some details from the machine during the registration, and at this registration you are defining what you want that name to be.

It doesn’t work the other way around. FOG UI was intended to be the central and mostly hands off approach to managing your registered machines up to and including hostname definitions.

Since you do not use the FOG Client (or at the least the hostname changer) I would note that it would make more sense to just put in your process to update the FOG UI for the host when you have to change it on the machine, just so the next time you have to image the machine, it has the “current” name automatically (as best it can) applied.

While a feature like this is technically possible, I believe in most use cases, the feature you’re requesting is not something I’m willing invest time into. There’s a lot of variables that go into this.

1. I’m not a C# coder. This feature would touch the client, to perform its checks back to the FOG Server. - While I’m not a C# coder, I cannot this is overly complex, just that I don’t have the knowledge or time to do so.
2. It touches the UI. In that we’d probably have to have a feature that is disabled by default, but could be enabled for organizations that would like to see this.

Now I’m not saying this isn’t a feature that is or isn’t worth completing or doing, just that I’m not (at least at this point) willing to put the time and effort into. If anyone else has any ideas and would like to work on such a feature I implore you to think about the structure and I will even help if asked.

[tatanas]

Thanks for your answer Tom.

I’m not a C# coder either so I won’t be able to help for the implementation of such feature client side (by the way, I’m using the fog client).
I understand the FOG philosophy and that’s hard enough to maintain this project alive.

Again thanks for the time you pass on this wonderfull project.

[george1421]

@tatanas Let me ask why are you renaming the host in the windows UI? Do you not know the actual name of the system at imaging time?

Second question: are you using the fog client service at all?