New to JAMF...What method do you guys use for imaging?

[Rosko]

Hey Everybody,

We are new to JAMF and have been using DeployStudio for imaging which used a slimmed down OS NetBoot Image and/or the same image on a flash drive, but with our move to JAMF we are wondering what method you guys are using for imaging your systems?

During our JAMF POC we tested with a NetBoot image, but didn't like the fact that we had to completely boot to a network OS and then run Casper Imaging. If we could do a "slimmed" down version like DeployStudio that would be perfect, but we haven't had any luck with that. Do you guys use Flash Drives with a complete OS and Casper Imaging? What about a second (or third) partition just for imaging?

Looking to get an idea what you (the experience JAMF users) use everyday for imaging.

[nkalister]

we don't have a robust network, so we can't image from a network distribution point or boot with net boot. We boot the macs using a cut down OS X installation on USB with a 2nd partition on the USB stick for the local distribution point.

[rtrouton]

I'm using DeployStudio instead of Casper Imaging in my own shop. DS works fine in combination with Casper.

[Matt]

We have a large community but still don't use NetBoot due to some Redtape. Currently, we use USB drives imaged for use with Casper Imaging.

[mm2270]

We also use DS here and works pretty well with Casper Suite, but you do have to make a few adjustments to account for the few things Casper Imaging does automatically that DeployStudio does not, such as getting a newly imaged Mac enrolled with your JSS. Pretty simple to do, but worth noting.
We also do not use NetBoot here to image because our imaging is being done all over the country and the world by techs and by an outsourced service. So its all contained into a bootable disk with the pkgs and scripts, DeployStudio RunTime, etc. Our primary Mac guy built a disk restore process that gets sent to everyone in IT that needs it each time we need to update the process. It wipes and sets up a disk or partition for a standalone imaging process.

[Chris_Hafner]

There are many ways to do this and ours will be different from yours. We moved from DS to Casper some time ago and never looked back. Then again, we have a robust network and NetBoot to Casper Imaging works beautifully. Honestly the DS netboot is just a properly slimmed down network OS. You can get very similar results from almost any netboot, though there is a request thread for JAMF to provide such a tool already. Here are a few other ways of dealing with booting

1) HDD: You can easily put Casper Imaging on any bootable device. HDD, USB flash or external, FW, TB drives, etc...
1a) You can even setup an external drive as a remote distribution point so that you can quickly image or thin image a unit without much network bandwidth being used at all. This also allows you to stay modular in your package creation as you can always update the external DP easily!

2) You can keep using DS, but you lose a LOT of functionality and flexibility when your not using Casper Imaging.

3) Thin imaging... though you still need to have something booted, thin imaging doesn't replace the OS. Rather you would set it up to modify, upgrade and replace various components on an already functional system. This requires a little more setup but many institutions swear by it as there is a lot less overhead to the process.

In and amongst these there are many many variations (you'll find them all over JAMFNation). Everyone has a different situation.

[RobertHammen]

Guess this depends on your environment, and whether you have labs of machines or BYOD devices. Some sites use NetBoot with Casper Imaging, some use Thin Imaging (and booting from an external HD w/a copy of the CasperShare), yet others use Thin Imaging via a QuickAdd.pkg. There's no "best" way, just the best way which works for you.

If you have new machine deployments I'd consider the thin approach... just update/patch and configure the good 10.8.x OS and Recovery partition that already exists. Amazing how much time you save not screwing around with putting down an OS and whether you got Recovery HD deployment correctly configured/working...

[John_Wetter]

I agree with Robert that thin is probably the way to go if starting fresh. We are still laying down a base right now. We use a Netboot set, but as already mentioned, a well scrubbed Netboot set can be quite good.