Messages

1

General Discussion (Public) / Re: Cloning

« on: October 16, 2017, 06:32:53 PM »

yes that is correct, but the issue is related on how to create and reuse a single image for Windows 7 and Windows 10 for all windows machines  without having to worry about drivers, where a service or server can provide them for you when deploying the images onto any windows device.

2

IPTV / What to do and not to do with IPTV networks

« on: October 16, 2017, 06:28:14 PM »

When setting up a network for IPTV, you typically want to segment/separate the network via VLAN. Primary you want to use high powered GE switches (i.e Cisco Catalyst 3850 or 6850) in order to handle the high bandwidth traffic that IPTV produces (3Mbps-15Mbps) per channel. You can always groom or trans-rate (aka lower bit rate) every channel with a transcoder, but thats for another topic/discussion.  Depending on the size of the network/distribution tree you want to have in place a RP (Rendezvous Point) to control the traffic; including implementing PIM-SM and IGMP snooping. You typically want to also avoid many network configurations to provoke collisions, packet loss and/or flooding. This includes, mis-configuration of firewall and Vlans, avoid Port mirroring, avoid using non-IGMP snooping switches and HUBS/dummy swithces.

3

General Discussion (Public) / Re: Cloning

« on: October 08, 2017, 06:24:46 PM »

This would be use for multiple customers that use different PC machines as digital media players The main purpose of these devices is to playback content onto a display to either the general public or internal company for advertising purposes. These players are usually on a closed network or client network, but on a different VLAN, but usually NOT part of the domain. The configuration of these devices (aka imaging) is the make them dummy devices without any interruptions.

The current process goes as followed:
1. Buy a PC player (i.e. Seneca Hdn, Intel NUC, Chromebox etc.)
2. Create image (i.e. disable firewall, disable updates, disable notifications, create auto login, enable RDP or NOT, disable certain services etc.) from one machine.
3. Upload/Copy image to WDS (Windows  Distribution System) that stores the image.
4. Deploy/Download image from WDS to the same PC machine (same hardware, drivers etc.) onto multiple machines
Note: This is to avoid having to manually configure each setting over and over again on each machines; especially when the client ordered over 1,000 players.

The Goal:
Is to deploy the same image onto other PC machines without having to worry about drivers being an issue. Online they state their is something called MDT (Microsoft Deployment Toolkit) that handles the drivers, but not sure if this is the best practice?

4

General Discussion (Public) / Cloning

« on: October 03, 2017, 05:58:17 PM »

What is the best way to clone a base windows image to be mass deployed onto different variations of PC devices without having to worry about driver compatibility; but being able to install the drivers within the masses automatically. The goal is to image multiple PC's without having to configure them individually a certain way; such as making changes to the group policy, services, registry, msconfig, firewall, task scheduler etc. I understand Windows offers WDS to capture and deploy windows images within the masses, but that only allows the same windows image to be deployed to the ONLY same type of PC based on motherboard specs.