Server Deployment Options - Symantec ALTIRIS DEPLOYMENT SOLUTION 6.9 SP4 - V1.0 Manual

Server deployment options

Altiris Deployment Solution™ from Symantec User's Guide
Synchronized server date and time. Deployment Server automatically sets the
server's date and time after installing or imaging (as part of the configuration process).
Deployment Agents include an option to disable this feature (it is off by default).
Enhanced scripting capabilities. You can deploy multiple tasks per deployment job
and boot to DOS multiple times when configuring and deploying a clean server.
Deployment Server also lets you view and debug each step in the deployment script,
and track each job to provide a history of tasks for redeploying a server.
Deployment Server includes features to automatically reconfigure and redeploy new
servers. If you are using Initial Deployment to automatically re-image new servers or
run installation scripts, you can (1) safeguard against mistaken disk overwrites, or (2)
run automatically for every server not identified as a managed computer in the
database. These contrasting settings are based on polices you define for managing
servers in your organization.
Example: If you rely on PXE to boot the new server and you want to deploy new servers
automatically without halting the process, you must change the default settings in the
PXE Configuration Utility. In contrast, if you want to ensure that the server waits before
being deployed (or waits a set time before proceeding) to avoid erroneous re-
deployment, you must set the options in the Advanced section of Initial Deployment.
Halt the initial deployment of servers
When a server boots from a PXE server or from Automation (if the option is set),
Deployment Server recognizes it as a new computer and attempts to configure the
computer with sample jobs. See
feature to prohibit servers from being deployed automatically.
1. Click Initial Deployment and select Properties.
2. Click the Advanced tab.
3. Select the Servers check box and click OK.
Initial Deployment does not run for any computer identified in the console as a server.
Change PXE options for initial deployment
If installing a server using a PXE Server, the server attempts to install, but does not run
automatically using default settings. It waits until a boot option is selected from the
client computer. You can change the default setting in the PXE Configuration Utility to
allow Initial Deployment to run automatically and not wait for user intervention.
1. Click on Start > All Programs > Altiris > PXE Services > PXE Configuration
Utility.
2. Click the DS tab.
3. Select a pre-boot operating system from the Initial Deploy boot option drop-
down list.
4. Click Execute Immediately.
Initial Deployment runs automatically for every identified server.
5. Click Save.
6. Click OK.
Sample jobs on page 196. Initial Deployment includes a
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