Changing the location where the Deployment Solution 8.x images are stored

Products

• Deployment Solution

Issue/Introduction

This article provides guidance on how to change the location where the Deployment Solution 8.x images are stored.

Environment

DS 8.x

Resolution

NOTE 1: The most important thing to understand is that the DS images are stored under the Altiris Agent in a folder eventually shared as "Deployment", and from there, under Task Handlers\Images.  All of the imaging tasks are hard coded to look for this folder, not as a variable.  Thus, you can't easily move the images.

NOTE 2:  DS will store images under the Package share along with all other packages and will be subject to very similar limitations.

Understanding the above limitations you still have a few options:

1. Use a program that re-directs folder contents like "LinkD" or "mklink".
2. Use HTTP imaging, where IIS controls the destination folders via aliases.
3. Manually script the process (script tasks).  This is not supported by Symantec, though the script task functionality itself is.

Each of these will be discussed briefly below:

1 Use a program that re-directs the image data to another location

One such program is a Microsoft-supplied program is called LinkD and it may work for you.  Instructions for using one version of this app are below:

1. Create an image folder on the drive you want to store images on. (i.e. D:\images)
2. Move the content of "C:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NScap\bin\Deployment\Packages\Images" to the image folder you just created.
3. Delete the Images folder in the NSCap share
4. Run these commands
   • cd "C:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\bin\Deployment\Packages"
   • mklink /D /J Images D:\Images
   • if mklink is not working please see the Additional Information below for instructions on using linkD.exe
5. This will create a soft link between the Images folder on the NSCap share and D:\Images.

2. Use HTTP Imaging
This is the next best method per Broadcom/Symantec recommendations, for it is built-in to the product and it is supported.  Imaging can be a bit slower using this method, but the process allows for direct storage of images in any folder, without using GUIDs and such to identify them.  IIS is used to create an Alias to point to a folder you create, and then when you capture the image, and you'll point to that alias, and voila, the image is there.

For setting up the Alias in IIS, refer to KB article Configure IIS to allow Ghost image capture and deployment via HTTP

3.  Manually script the process
This method bypasses the Symantec default jobs and uses some level of scripting you will need to make.  For instance, you may map a drive using VBS, then run Ghost manually with the same script, or something of that nature.  You will be responsible for ensuring the script works, the user rights are in place, etc., and doing it this way will allow you to be able to completely control the destination of the images.  Using this method is completely unsupported by Broadcom/Symantec.

Additional Information

If you want to use linkD.exe instead of mklink in step 1 .4 above:

1. 1. Download linkd.exe from this kb (attached below)
      
      • This is a Microsoft executable downloaded from their website.  If a newer version is needed, search their site for the latest download.
   2. Run linkd.exe to create an NTFS Junction Point redirecting the original image folder to the new one you created:
      • c:\>linkd.exe "C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\Task Handler\image" "D:\image"