FOG does in fact work with RAID drives and Windows Server operating systems.
What kind of errors are you facing when attempting to register your server?
Something you may consider is building a custom kernel to include the RAID drivers for your server.
Also take a look here… thus prooves Server operating systems CAN be backed up, troubleshooting just has to be done 
[url]http://fogproject.org/forum/threads/howto-make-image-of-windows-server-machine.124/[/url]
Check on the server itself, look in the folder /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/
there should be a file named to that of your mac address, simply delete the file and try again.
I can confirm that Virtual box uses the same Intel e1000 device driver, however it uploads in only 20 minutes, A LOT faster than VMWare.
I prefer VirtualBox anyway, I’m going to stick with it!
I have not adjusted the passwords but I know there is a section of the Web GUI where you can set the characters accepted for a password.
Click on Other Settings, then FOG Settings, 3/4 of the way down the page
User Management
FOG_USER_MINPASSLENGTH
FOG_USER_VALIDPASSCHARS
default is set to 1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWZXYabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz_hB()^!
try setting it to 1234567890ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWZXYabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz_hB()^!@#$%^&*-=+
I saved the changes and it accepts the characters but again, I’ve not tried adjusting passwords.
highly unlikely that anything is obstructing the path, the ESXi server and the FOG server are on the same switch within my office, eliminating the outside signal has not effect on the EXSi upload speeds 
I was more of hoping there was a driver I could compile, or perhaps I had a setting wrong in the ESXI but it is pretty easy to set up and not much to alter.
Anyway I’m about to upload an image form Virtualbox shortly, I’ll let you know if the problem is persistent.
Yeah I figured out how to change the drive, but it doesn’t help any that the virtual machine I have set up started on a SCSI style and it’s been a pain to get it to do anything other. If I decide to use VMWare again I’ll give the IDE solution a shot. Using the SCSI drives has made it ANYTHING but fun to work with virtual machines and it’s even more of a pain to import to another virtual set up.
I’m actually working with an EXSi Server, latest version, I work through the vSphere client console, latest version, to talk to my virtual machine and upload, but I use RDC to connect to the machine and install drivers and such.
Personally I prefer to use Virtual Box, this image was started for me and I’ve run into a number of problems and since scrapped the project and started a set up with VirtualBox. However I think it uses the same e1000 driver as VMWare
FIRST OF ALL, use methods you are familiar with. There is nothing more frustrating than beating your head against a wall to accomplish something you know NOTHING about. if you are familiar with the sysprep process, then you can begin to tweak it. Until you have a firm grasp of the features and what they do, it can be very daunting and troublesome. There are a MILLION walk throughs that will show you the sysprep process, but nothing can prepare you like jumping in and getting dirty. Something to note is that the methods you are reading about work in THEIR environment and may not transpose well to yours. Be prepared to alter the unattend.xml file to suit your specific needs.
Sysprep is easy, setting up your answer file is where it starts to get rough.
I use the registry to install my drivers and make them available on the systemroot in a drivers folder.
look for the DriverGrabber at the end of the post, if you have machines currently setup, run this on each different model, it will harvest the drivers for you and make it easy to deploy later.
[COLOR=black][FONT=Calibri]sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown /unattend:c:\windows\system32\sysprep\unattend.xml[/FONT][/COLOR]
As for kernels, you only have to build a kernel if your drivers aren’t supported. First try to image, if you run into issues, then build a custom kernel. I had to do so with the use of a VMWare server because it uses special SCSI drives. [url]http://fogproject.org/forum/threads/request-for-kernel-compiling-info-please-read.4045/[/url] Second post, Ozzy has made a FANTASTIC walktrough for compiling and enabling a custom kernel. You can specify a kernel for your special units when you register so you don’t have to change the kernel, just make another available too.
If you are interested I am working on a walk through for my corporation as I am the first to adapt FOG in the imaging process, but I have a feeling the rest of the corporation will change their tune. I am almost 1 month into my imaging and I am almost completely finished, they have yet to start. If you are interested in my walk trough I would be more than happy to share with you, it is a work in progress though.
here is a snippit on the sysprep process.
[code]
Step Two – Sysprep
You only need to create a sysprep unattend.xml file if you want your install to finish at a “login stage” instead of a “manual complete Windows install stage” – I recommend using a unattend.xml.
On another machine download and install Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows
7.
Important Note: I’m told If you are building a 32bit image then you will need to install and configure on a 32-bit OS, same for the 64-Bit. But it’s easy to convert an x32bit XML into an x64Bit XML file or the other way around. Just change all “x86″ records in the XML to “x64″ will make a 32-bit XML into an x64 bit XML.
Launch the AIK, click File, Select Windows Image, and Navigate to your Windows 7 Installation CD and open the folder Sources. You will see a list of folders and files, look for install.wim and select it, in the next window select Windows 7 Professional and click ok. Click File, New Answer File.
On the left pane at the bottom you will see the Windows 7 image listed with some folders underneath, Components and Packages, Expand the folder for Components.
•Find x86_Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP_6.1.7600.16385_neutral, right mouse click and tell it to add to Pass 3 Generalize.
•Below the security setting you just added is x86_Microsoft-Windows-Security-SPP-UX_6.1.7600.16835_neutral, right mouse click and add it to Pass 4 Specialize.
•Find x86_Microsoft-Windows-Deployment_6.1.7600.16835_neutral, right mouse click and add to Pass 4 Specialize.
•Find x86_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_6.1.7600.16835_neutral, right mouse click and add to Pass 4 Specialize.
•Add this same x86_Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup_6.1.7600.16835_neutral to Pass 7 oobeSystem.
•Find x86_Microsoft-Windows-International-Core _6.1.7600.16835_neutral, right mouse click and add to Pass 7 oobeSystem.
Now we have a Generic answer file but we must modify it for our location and give it some information.
•In the middle pane labeled “Answer File” and expand Generalize and click on the Security-Neutral. On the right hand pane set SkipRearm to 0.
•Expand Specialize and expand the Deployment section. Set ExtendOSPartition to TRUE, this will give the partition the extra space on the drive at the end of the partition. Right mouse click RunSynchronus and insert a new command. Click on the newly created command; set Action in the right pane to AddListItem, Order 1, Path insert the following command net user administrator /active:yes, and finally WillReboot to Never.
•Click on Security and set SkipAutoActivation to FALSE, we can only activate our codes against our KMS server, DO NOT USE A KEY!!! If you MUST use a key use a generic one, search google, use this one FJ82H-XT6CR-J8D7P-XQJJ2-GPDD4
•Click on Shell-Setup, set ComputerName *, let it randomly generate a name, FOG will change it anyway. CopyProfile to FALSE, I do this manually, DisableAutoDaylightSavingsTime to FALSE. We will activate against KMS later, set RegisteredOrganization to Microsoft, and RegisteredOwner to AutoBVT, and finally set the TimeZone to Eastern Standard Time.
•Expand oobeSystem, click on the International-Core, and set all language to en-US.
•Click on Shell-Setup and set the Time Zone, Organization, and Owner information.
•Expand the Shell-Setup. Click AutoLogon, set Enabled to FALSE, LogonCount to ANY number > 0, and the Username as administrator.
•Click on OOBE, set HideEULAPage TRUE, NetworkLocation Work, ProtectYourPC 3.
•Expand UserAccounts, click on AdministratorPassword and set your password, this will encrypt the password. Right mouse click LocalAccounts and Insert New Local Account.
•Expand LocalAccounts and click on the newly created item. Set Action to AddListItem, Description Local Administrator, DisplayName Administrator, Group Administrators, Name Administrator.
Save your answer file in a safe place.
This is how my Answer file is set up; this is the “technical run order”.
1.Set Owner Information.
2.Enable the administrator account and set password.
3.Skip Activation.
4.Hide License Info.
5.Protect PC = 3 (configure later).
6.Network Location = Work (for sharing purposes).
7.Set Language to enUS.
8.Show Windows Live and wireless setup = false.
9.Skip Rearm = 0 (Setting this to 1 allows you to run sysprep more than 3 times on a machine, but I would recommend NOT using it, only use it for sysprep practice. It has a hard limit of 9 resets that can NOT be avoided). I would set up a VIRTUAL machine and install in that environment, I would save snapshots before I sysprep so I could fall back on the snapshot to try again if I messed something up rather than starting with a whole new image.
Sysprep takes sometime to master, and even then there is still a lot to learn. There are a lot of settings that can really goober up your install, or make the unattend.xml fail during set up. TAKE SNAPSHOTS it will be your saving grace!
Copy the finished unattend.xml to the “system32\sysprep” folder – keep a backup!!!
[/code]
AGAIN THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS, don’t shoot me if it doesn’t work. It works in our corporation with our specific set up.
I install the drivers from the Drivers folder on the system root, this causes some longer load times on the first initial boot, you can use Snap-ins or scripts to set up and install your drivers if you like. I just have not worked with the system yet, and the registry is familiar to me.
DriverGrabber (save drivers before you wipe)
Site: [url]http://integrator.siginetsoftware.com/index.php?addons&id=242[/url]
Download: [url]http://integrator.siginetsoftware.com/data/downloadaddon.php?id=242[/url]
Use the program to harvest drivers from your currently active machines. If you want to register your drivers before installation:
[FONT=Calibri]In [B]HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version[/B] click on “DevicePath” and enter “C:\Drivers” (remember the entries must be separated by a semicolon). [/FONT]
I use WOL, it works intermittently.
It’s just a problem with WOL being un reliable.
I manage the wake up and shut down of my machines everyday with WOL and to my experience, a lot of the problems that I face are the end user manually powering down the unit and not the software/OS.
I’d be for figuring out how to make this work better.
Thanks for this great guide Ozzy, I used it to create a custom kernel for my VMWare server using SCSI drives!!!
First of all I want to give props to Ozzy, he did an AMAZING job on his custom kernel guide. I used it to set up drivers for my SCSI drives that VMWare insists upon using. However I run into problems uploading, the speeds are painfully slow. So I was wondering if anyone has anyone found a setting for the VMWare e1000 network card? What do I need to update?
I get painful upload speeds and I am interested in increasing the speeds, I have added the VMXNET 3 driver but I have not switched to it yet; I was going to give this a shot tomorrow, but I was curious what others would recommend.
With the stock e1000 I start out at a decent speed of 1GiB/min but it quickly drops to down around 500MiB and eventually falls around 100MiB and it takes almost 8 hours to upload an image 
What recommendation did you try?
Did you add the delay to the init.d file or did you change the way the job starts? I would like to find out if the “[I][SIZE=12px]start on (local-filesystems and net-device-up IFACE!=lo)” [/SIZE][/I][SIZE=12px]works or not :)[/SIZE]
Sorry my fingers tend to get a little excited. What I was trying to say is I haven’t been given a solid answer if sysprep is required with FOG.
I sent the walkthrough to your inbox, some of it may not be required, if you are not a novell environment, and somethings may need tweaked but this will give you a base to work from.
I’m trying to work with the sysprep so I don’t have to use FOGPrep
[quote]WIN7 only, Version .32, and frankly I hate to admit it but I haven’t found enough info on sysprep to learn how to use it.[/quote]
Then stop and learn, it is an integral part of imaging with the latest versions of windows. However I receive mixed signals on wheather it is entirely required with FOG imaging. It’s a good idea because some software and hardware will be dependent on a CMID (ClientMachineID) which is unique to each machine and running the sysprep process frees this information to be registered by the current machine. Sysprep can only generally be ran a total of 3 times, that is why I make the recommendation I do with the Virtual set up , that way you can take snapshots and revert back when your sysprep doesn’t work.
Also KMS activation will only allow one CMID to be registered, each machine has to be unique to activate.
I have a walkthrough I have been working on for my co-workers who have yet to even set up a fog server, so it’s probably a huge waste of time but I could let you take a look at it as it details the sysprep process with FOG 0.32 very well if you are interested.
As far as your fog server reporting it’s freespace, it’s typically wrong, I have one image under 30 gb on my server and it thinks that 95% of the freespace is full… silly server, not really a big deal so I haven’t looked into resolving this but I know a few others have.
the problem is with the way that ubuntu loads the tftp client, it starts the service too early and an ip address is not assigned.
This is a commonly known issue with that distribution, and a search would reveal a number of posts that have already been created for that specific problem, and the resolve we have is to delay the start of the service.
you can either run a command to restart the service
[B]sudo service tftpd-hpa restart[/B]
or you can put a delay to start the service
edit your /etc/rc.local and include
/bin/sleep 30 && /etc/init.d/tftpd-hpa restart
I found a resolve that I keep posting but no one ever tells me if it works or not…
I am experiencing this problem in Ubuntu 12.04 Desktop (package: tftpd-5.2-1ubuntu1). The tftpd daemon does not start when the computer starts up, even though the tftpd-hpa job starts. As far as I can tell, the problem is that the tftpd service is starting before the network is properly configured. The problem seemed to go away when I changed the line
start on runlevel [2345]
in /etc/init/tftpd-hpa.conf to
start on (local-filesystems and net-device-up IFACE!=lo)
here is the post [url]http://fogproject.org/forum/threads/have-to-manually-start-dhcp-and-tftp-service-after-each-reboot.4232/[/url]
and another
[url]http://fogproject.org/forum/threads/pxe-e32-tftf-open-timeout.4146/#post-11644[/url]
where I keep doing the good Samaritan thing and doing the searching for you, I don’t mind but this is getting a bit ridiculous.
Did that second recommendation ever work?
[FONT=Consolas]I am experiencing this problem in Ubuntu 12.04 Desktop (package: tftpd-5.2-1ubuntu1). The tftpd daemon does not start when the computer starts up, even though the tftpd-hpa job starts. As far as I can tell, the problem is that the tftpd service is starting before the network is properly configured. The problem seemed to go away when I changed the line
start on runlevel [2345]
in /etc/init/tftpd-hpa.conf to
start on (local-filesystems and net-device-up IFACE!=lo)[/FONT]
[FONT=Consolas]?[/FONT]
Awesome glad you got it working! That was the next place to look, when computers want to image but you haven’t set any tasks for them, you can browse to the /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/ and delete the mac address named files.
I will warn you, don’t delete the default file, you’ll anger the linux gods
It really helps to let us know what kind of troubleshooting steps you have taken up to this point so we don’t suggest something already attempted.
it seems you can disable that message, my concern is to why you are receiving this message.
Anyway I found some information here that may be of service
There is a way to turn off the message. it is basically a “quiet” command. I’m more interested in solving the issue, which appears to be a video card problem.
You can try creating a custom kernel and adding your drivers to the kernel so it can function properly, or you can disable the message.
Now being because you did not state what linux flavor you have chosen to work with FOG, I’m going to assume it is a debian revision.
add drm_kms_helper.poll=0 to the kernel line in /boot/grub/menu.lst.
If you are using a later revision of Ubuntu or anything with Grub2, you will not have a menu.lst, you need to create a config file “modprobe.conf” in directory /etc/modprobe.d/ and add the following line (note you need to start the line with the options command) and save
options drm_kms_helper poll=0
These bottom solutions are only a Band aid, to resolve the issue, build a custom kernel.
The image files are physically stored in the /images/ folder of the root directory.
You say that you deleted the image, where did you delete it from? The web GUI? if so, try deleting the corresponding folder in the images folder, if not, try deleting the image form the Image Management, click the “show all images” link and then the pencil to edit the image, and finally click delete on the left hand side and then check the images folder to see if the corresponding folder has been removed, if not, manually remove it.
If this doesn’t resolve the issue take a look here: [url]http://www.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=Boot_looping_and_Chainloading[/url]
Yes all this is edited on the server itself, look on the main drive of the linux server, on the root directory you will see the tftpboot folder, if not, stop and re-install fog again because something wasn’t done correctly.
in linux the root of the drive is /, it doesn’t use “drive letters”, it uses absolute postion, sda0, sda1, etc.
so when something say /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg
/ is equivalent to “C:” on windows, so look on the root drive, /, and the tftpboot folder should be located here.
okay, so I found the section in MOD_HostNameChanger.cs in the folder /usr/src/fog_0.32/FOG Service/src/FOG_HostNameChanger
I have added these two lines
regKey = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@“SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon”, true);
regKey.SetValue(“AltDefaultDomainName”, newname);
regKey = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@“SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon”, true);
regKey.SetValue(“DefaultDomainName”, newname);
to the class
[code]
private void doDefaultMode( string newname)
{
RegistryKey regKey = null;
log(MOD_NAME, “Using default fog method.”);
regKey = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@“SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters”, true);
regKey.SetValue(“NV Hostname”, newname);
regKey = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@“SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ComputerName\ActiveComputerName”, true);
regKey.SetValue(“ComputerName”, newname);
regKey = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@“SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ComputerName\ComputerName”, true);
regKey.SetValue(“ComputerName”, newname);
regKey = Registry.LocalMachine.OpenSubKey(@“SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon”, true);
[/code]
being the registry values I am wanting to change are in [B]HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\DefaultDomainName[/B] and [B]HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\AltDefaultDomainName[/B]
and I want to populate it with the same information being supplied in the rest of the registry keys.
Do I need to compile this and push it, or is saving the configurations going to be good enough?
I already built my image, do I need to update the fog client on my images and push it out again?
Sorry not done anything like this before don’t want to break anything and I want it to work 