I recently posted the following steps for imaging a system:

Load and configure OS on master machine
Load drivers on master machine
Load applications on master machine
Run sysprep to strip SID from machine
Create image via some resource (Ghost, RIPREP)
Deploy image via some resource (Ghost, RIS)

Everyone seemed OK with those steps, minus the need for sysprep to strip the
SID vs. a smaller utility.

What about the deployment phase? Can I assume there are only three
posibilities for a machine:

1. Boot media that starts the image deployment
2. PXE service that starts the image deployment
3. Some type of agent that exists on the machine to be imaged that can have
the image pushed to it

For a new machine with no OS, what are the options? Boot to PXE or boot
media correct? I can't push an image without intervention to a new machine wo
an OS can I?

kelly wrote:

Depends what toys you've got available, you can configure toys like
Altiris (providing the BIOS is set to boot PXE first) to attack new
machines with a new image, or if you want to play safe at least use the
MAC to identify the machine and spit out an image to it based on the MAC
with no other intervention other than entering the MAC required at the
server end, or any "management" PC you've got set up with the deployment
console, no need to physically visit the PC. Although both of these do
require PXE.

Anything else (other than comparable systems) I'd think there's no way
around some manual intervention the first time around to get them ready
to be "managed" in the future.