Creating a Boot CD

If you have systems that are capable of booting from CD-ROM, you can create a CD with the Linux boot system. With your CD writer software, you need to create a CD using the ISO file called BOOTCD.ISO from the public\zenworks\imaging directory or from the ZENworks for Desk tops 4 Program CD. You also need the SETTINGS.TXT file, which holds the configuration for the boot CD, such items as prompt, size of Linux partition, and so on. You also need to include this SETTINGS.TXT file on the CD. Your CD writer software can include the SETTINGS.TXT file into the ISO image, or can write a multi-session CD. Obviously, your workstations will then need to support booting from a multi-session CD.

The SESSION.TXT file is an ASCII text file that holds key/value pairs that tell the boot system the configuration settings for the imaging engine. The following is a sample of the SETTINGS.TXT file:

# ZENworks Imaging settings.txt#denotes a comment#PROMPT should be set to YES if you want to configure# various parameters#PROMPT=YES#PARTITIONSIZE should be set to the Linux partition size# in MB, to be created on installPARTITIONSIZE=15#IPADDR should be set to the desired ip address of the# machine. To use DHCP comment out the line, or remove# it from the file.#IPADDR=137.65.138.128#GATEWAY is the router address for this machine. If# using DHCP,remove this line, or comment it out.#GATEWAY=137.65.139.254#NETMASK is this machine's subnet mask. If using DHCP,# remove or comment out this line.#NETMASK=255.255.252.0#PROXYADDR is the address of the server running ZENworks# Image Server nlmPROXYADDR=137.65.203.1#uncomment if you want to reboot manually.#MANUALREBOOT=YES

Creating a Workstation Image

Depending on your situation and setup, you can create a workstation image in one of several ways.

If the workstation is registered in the directory and has a Linux partition on it (see the section following about placing a Linux partition on a workstation), you can go to the Workstation object in the tree and set a workstation flag (in the ZENworks Imaging Configuration tab) to take an image on the next boot. The next time that the workstation boots, the Linux partition boots and then the imaging engine on the workstation contacts the imaging server. The server notes that the Workstation object has the flag set and requests that the workstation send an image. When the image is completed, the flag is reset in the Workstation object and the workstation continues to boot into the native operating system.

Be sure to disable or remove any boot manager systems such as System Commander. You do not want them in the image that you take, because when they are placed onto a workstation, they overwrite the ZENworks boot system and the connectivity between the workstation and the imaging server does not occur. This keeps you from having the features of automatic execution.

If the workstation is registered in the directory but does not have a Linux partition, you need to boot from the floppies, PXE, or the CD. Once the system is booted, you can let Linux proceed in automatic mode. This contacts the image server and takes the image as described in the previous paragraph.

If the workstation is not registered in the directory and yet it has a Linux partition installed, when the workstation boots into the Linux partition it contacts the imaging server, which runs its rules attempting to discover a matching image. If one is found, it images the workstation with the matching image. If you need to, boot the workstation from the floppies to get the imaging engine into manual mode and to avoid connecting to the imaging server.

If the workstation is not registered in the directory and does not have a Linux partition, you must boot from floppies (or CD) and then type manual when the Linux partition is booted. Then you type img mp <proxy address> <full path to image>. Don't forget that the path must use forward slashes and must include the server. The directories in the path must already exist. This takes an image of the workstation and places it on the imaging server.

NOTE

Whenever you take or place an image on a workstation, the ZENworks imaging engine does not take an image of the Linux partition or replace it with an image being brought down. The only way to place a Linux partition on a workstation is via the bootable floppies or another imaging program.

The imaging process reads files from FAT16, FAT32, NTFS 4, and NTFS5 systems and includes them in the image on a file-by-file basis. If the imaging system does not understand the partition type, it does a sector-by-sector copy of the partition.