Renaming computers
-
Is there a way for me to rename my computers from Windows and then have it update in FOG. Right now, when I rename them, they reboot back to the old name because the push comes from FOG. I need it to go the other way. The computers get imaged in my office and then taken to their final destination and they also get moved around a good bit and the naming scheme is based on location. I know I can just open fog via a web browser and search for the computer and rename it that way, but for whatever reason it seems easier to do it within Windows to me.
Unsure of FOG version (if it matters) though it is older and they are Windows XP.
-
At the moment - I’m pretty sure this is a no. As you say, it is delivered from Fog to the client not the other way round.
I’d assume this is by design too - as Fog is the ‘management’ interface then, and allows a central way of managing devices rather than machines being changed remotely ad-hoc.
-
Ok, that was the impression I was under. I just know that I have to touch every computer (all 600) and was hoping to be able to name them from within Windows and push that back to FOG. Instead I’ll have to find the name on the computer, open a web browser, browse to FOG, search for it there, and then rename it. It probably isn’t much more work, it just seems like it. I guess I can just take a laptop with me and use that to have FOG open the whole time. Thanks for the reply.
-
[quote=“JMacavali, post: 3574, member: 1142”]…It probably isn’t much more work, it just seems like it. I guess I can just take a laptop with me and use that to have FOG open the whole time. Thanks for the reply.[/quote]
Just curious, but what are the naming conventions your going from/to? -
Currently I have them named by the tag number we assign to them. I want to include the room number as well once it’s determined where they will be placed.
-
[quote=“JMacavali, post: 3884, member: 1142”]Currently I have them named by the tag number we assign to them. I want to include the room number as well once it’s determined where they will be placed.[/quote]
How did you manage to do that? Currently I am so close; I can join the domain automatically but I need to use the asset tag as the computer name instead of the mac address.
-
I type it in when I image the computer for the first time…
-
I don’t know of a way to do this from Windows to Fog as like was said above Fogs hostname changer dictates that side of things.
@Kansuke, it sounds like the way you’re using the hostname within fog is not quite right. You mention
[QUOTE]I can join the domain automatically but I need to use the asset tag as the computer name instead of the mac address. [/QUOTE]The mac address is how fog identifies an individual machine but the hostname can be anything you like so theres nothing stopping you from naming the machine based on asset tag. You can do this when you first associate the machine with fog either at the pc when doing full host name and registration or via the web gui.
@Jmacavali: If you do need to rename again once the pc is imaged say once you’ve deployed to a specific room, a simple way might be to maintain the host list in a csv file in the format required by fog to import and export hosts. You can get an example from wiithin fog itself. Put that csv file on a share accessible by all involved and have them update the hostname based on the room they put the machines in and then import the host.csv file back into fog once done
Still a manual process but quicker than doing within the GUI one by one.
Another alternative which would avoid the need to rename the machines at all would be to use fogs groups function. Just name the pcs as normal via asset tag and once you know what room they’re in put them in a group by that name. Doesn’t help you if you want the names to show up in AD or something with the room name appended but if you need a quick way to determine location its a simple workaround.
I’ve found with fairly regular kit moves even in a site of only 300 odd machines that a naming convention based on location is a pain in the rear end. Much better to name based on serial number or asset tags (which don’t change) and use fog or OU’s within AD to group the machines logically. Just my tuppence worth.
Tom
-
Tom, thank you for the information. Just some fyi stuff…I have about 600 computers, 5 buildings, 1100 or so users, and I am the only tech guy…:eek:
Anything I can do to make my job eaiser is a must. Thanks again for the suggestions.
-
[quote=“Kiweegie, post: 4285, member: 149”]I don’t know of a way to do this from Windows to Fog as like was said above Fogs hostname changer dictates that side of things.
@Kansuke, it sounds like the way you’re using the hostname within fog is not quite right. You mention
The mac address is how fog identifies an individual machine but the hostname can be anything you like so theres nothing stopping you from naming the machine based on asset tag. You can do this when you first associate the machine with fog either at the pc when doing full host name and registration or via the web gui.
@Jmacavali: If you do need to rename again once the pc is imaged say once you’ve deployed to a specific room, a simple way might be to maintain the host list in a csv file in the format required by fog to import and export hosts. You can get an example from wiithin fog itself. Put that csv file on a share accessible by all involved and have them update the hostname based on the room they put the machines in and then import the host.csv file back into fog once done
Still a manual process but quicker than doing within the GUI one by one.
Another alternative which would avoid the need to rename the machines at all would be to use fogs groups function. Just name the pcs as normal via asset tag and once you know what room they’re in put them in a group by that name. Doesn’t help you if you want the names to show up in AD or something with the room name appended but if you need a quick way to determine location its a simple workaround.
I’ve found with fairly regular kit moves even in a site of only 300 odd machines that a naming convention based on location is a pain in the rear end. Much better to name based on serial number or asset tags (which don’t change) and use fog or OU’s within AD to group the machines logically. Just my tuppence worth.
Tom[/quote]
Tom, I understand about the mac address but when you go under host management, the host names are their mac addresses by default. What I need is a way for fog to grab their asset tags on the fly and name the hosts using those instead of mac addresses. There has to be an automated way of doing this rather than having to do manual registration_when you have to image a bunch of pcs at a time it does add up… -
@Kansuke
how are you adding hosts into fog then? I take it you mean you’ve got the mac address in both host name and mac address fields of the UI? Presumably this is through quick association at boot? Given the number of pcs you’re supporting I understand a visit to each to perform full host registration would be time consuming in the extreme. The only other way I can think of doing this (others here may have better/more clever ideas however) is to use the hostimport.csv. You’d still need to marry up the mac address to the asset tag though. Is the asset tag one you’ve applied yourself or one from the pc manufacturer which could be picked up via WMI or similar?
Tom
-
Fog polls the computer for DMI information, including the Asset Tag info from the BIOS during registration, but after the host has been named. You probably just need to update the fog scripts inside the init.gz (/tftpboot/fog/images/init.gz) to update the database with the asset tag as the host name at the end of registration and before the machine is imaged.
This sounds like a possible plug-in/add-on idea.