Using DeployAnywhere with Ghost Standard Tools 3.x

Products

Ghost Solution Suite

Issue/Introduction

Some environments require the use of Ghost Standard Tools to image computers. However, it is unclear how to use DeployAnywhere to inject required production drivers post imaging.

Environment

Ghost Standard Tools 3.x

Cause

The following steps provide guidance on using DeployAnywhere with Ghost Standard Tools boot disks and imaging processes.

When using DeployAnywhere with Ghost Standard Tools, there are certain command line switches that are required to be executed by the user performing the imaging operation.

Ghost Standard Tools does not include a DriversDB (DeployAnywhere driver database). It is necessary to generate one and specify the path to its location using command line.

Resolution

The following steps assume Ghost Standard Tools 3.3 or later is already installed on a Windows server or workstation computer

Steps and commands may differ depending on environment and should only be attempted if you are thoroughly familiar with the commands and the product

Example commands are provided along with their syntax

All steps are performed with an administrator account logged on directly to the Ghost Standard Tools server/computer until step 7.

*Note: If you already have the needed/required production drivers downloaded and extracted, skip steps 1 and 2

Download needed matching production drivers from OEM manufacturer. The required critical drivers are for storage and network controller. In this example we have downloaded the storage and network controller drivers for Dell OptiPlex 5490:
Once downloaded, create a folder to extract the driver files from the downloaded .exe (or compressed file). In this example, we created a folder called 'DellOptiplexDrivers' in \Program Files (x86)\Symantec\ and extracted there:
Create a directory/folder named DriversDB under OEM in the Ghost Standard Tools installation path (OEM directory/folder should already exist):

\Program Files (x86)\Symantec\Ghost\bootwiz\OEM\DriversDB\

This will be our new DriversDB for Ghost Standard tools. However, we need to prepare this location and copy drivers over with step 4.
Open an administrator command prompt, then:

cd to \Program Files (x86)\Symantec\Ghost\
(the command below must be run from this directory):

Command Syntax:
DriverManager64.exe /DDB=<path_to_new_ DriversDB> /ADD=<path_to_root_folder_with_drivers>
(replace contents within <> with the paths created in the previous steps)

*Note:
<path_to_new_DriversDB> is the new DriversDB we will be preparing for DeployAnywhere created in step 3
<path_to_root_folder_with_drivers> is the path to extracted and needed production drivers from step 2. This folder can have any name as well as subfolders with additional drivers.

Command example:
DriverManager64.exe /DDB="C:\Program Files (x86)\Symantec\Ghost\bootwiz\OEM\DriversDB" /ADD="C:\Program Files (x86)\Symantec\DellOptiplexDrivers"
The DeployAnywhere driver database location should now be generated and have driver folders added along with a drivers.manifest.txt file:
Next we will need to create a new Boot Disk Configuration (or rebuild an existing) to include the newly added DriversDB OEM extension

Launch BootWiz.exe from the following directory on the Standard Tools installation server/computer: \Program Files (x86)\Symantec\Ghost\bootwiz

*Preboot installation environment (WinPE/LinPE) should be imported. If it isn't, import now

Right click on 'Configurations' and select 'New Configuration'. Alternatively, right click on an existing configuration and click 'Edit Configuration'

The first step of configuration requires a name (top) and selection of OEM extensions (bottom). You should notice a new OEM extension called DRIVERSDB. We will need this included as well as GSS, so be sure to select '<all>'

Finish the rest of the configuration steps as you normally would, then create a boot disk (or bootable media):
1. After booting a machine to the newly created boot disk and deploying an image, you now have the option to run DeployAnywhere against the DriversDB included in the boot disk.
  
  DriversDB will be located at the root of x: in the boot disk.
  
  Commonly Used Switches:
  
  /target= Drive letter of your windows installation, typically c:\ or d:\
  /ddb= Optional. Location of drivers database on the boot disk, in Ghost Solution Suite 3.0/3.1 the default location is \DriversDB
  /eval= Runs an evaluation of the hardware on the client machine. It will then compare this data to the Drivers Database. If this switch is present no changes will be made, if this switch is not present DeployAnywhere will write changes to the target sysytem to inject a driver if required.
  /logPath=Specifies the directory to output the log files.
  This is recommended/default command line to run DeployAnywhere in the pre-boot environment to inject drivers into deployed/imaged OS (DeployAnywhere64.exe is located in the x:\ghost directory on Standard Tools boot disks):
  
  DeployAnywhere64.exe /target=<path to target windows dir> /ddb=<path to driver database> /handleNonCriticalDrivers=minisetup /byPassDrvVali=All /notUseLegacyDriverInstaller
  
  Example of command usage: DeployAnywhere64.exe /target=c:\windows /ddb=x:\DriversDB /handleNonCriticalDrivers=minisetup /byPassDrvVali=All /notUseLegacyDriverInstaller