Update old Images with VM

[SMoRZ3]

Hi all,
I’ve just recently been researching imaging and fog…

We’ve been using it for a while, but we have many model specific images that are now out of date. Would it be possible to image a VM with an older image, run updates, and then re-upload it and have it work with the original real hardware again? This would be for XP machines. Could this be possible with syspreping (something I never heard of until last week, sheesh!)?

I’ve been trying to search the forums for answers, but I’m guessing my syntax isn’t correct because I haven’t gotten any relevant hits.

Thanks.

[ssx4life]

this is possible

all you need to do is capture a VM BEFORE you run sysprep (or mysysprep.exe if using my guide). Then run sysprep, capture your image and roll it out to your equipment.

In 6 months from now if you want to update the image simply roll back to right before you ran sysprep (or myspsprep) and run updates, make changes. then RE-SAVE the image, run sysprep, upload, and deploy.

Hope that makes sense

edit to clarify if you are building a universal image this is possible. I’ve never pulled a hardware specific image into a VM, that’s a bit unique of an idea.

[SMoRZ3]

We have a ton of Dell Optiplex GX620’s. I’ve made an image that works, but is behind on winupdates and the like. I pulled this image from FOG onto a VM (VirtualBox), but it doesn’t seem to work. Windows boots, but it won’t let me use the keyboard or mouse or anything.

When you say capture, do you mean take a snapshot?

[ssx4life]

If your images begin in a VM then you can quickly take a snapshot using their built in tool.

If you built your image on the GX620 I think you are stuck (sadly). You could download an image to a PC (say your GX620 image) Run updates on it, and then re-upload it to the server.

Hope this helps.

[SMoRZ3]

Yeah, all the images have been made on the actual hardware. I’m just starting to try the VMs since Win7 seems to almost require it… I just gotta get that darn pesky XP Pro OEM disk…

I guess I can grab 1 of each model PC, I was just trying to find a quicker/easier solution.

Thanks!

[chad-bisd]

I think if the base install on the real hardware has all of the drivers loaded and available, you can deploy that image to a virtual machine and sysprep it to remove all the hardware specific information, but leave the drivers still available for when you deploy it back to real hardware.

This would be my experiment:
[LIST=1]
[]Deploy Fog image to virtual machine
[]Clone virtual machine
[]Update clone (software, windows updates, etc)
[]run sysprep /generalize to remove hardware specific info
[]Upload to [B]new[/B] image definition within Fog
[]Deploy new image to real hardware
[*]See if the devices are recognized and the drivers found and auto installed
[/LIST]
Not having done this yet, I can’t tell you how it would work. If you do the experiment, let us know your results. At some point, I’ll be doing this to update images instead of hauling machines out of the storage closet I hope.

[SMoRZ3]

Well, unfortunately I get stuck right at the get-go. The image takes on VM, but I can’t use my keyboard or mouse at the log-in screen to even do anything. I’ve tried a few things, but can’t get it to work. Could this be because we have never syspreped any images before uploading them to fog for deployment?