How to Handle Non-Standard Devices During Automated OS Deployment
There are quite a few challenges that administrators have to face when designing an automated operating system deployment process. One of the most stubborn process challenges is handling the complex driver requirements created by non-model standard devices – whether peripherals or other non-model default devices integrated as expansion cards – in an organizationally responsible way. Because they are “impossible” to deal with, most organizational hardware independent OS deployment initiatives simply pretend that non–standard devices do not exist and leave the cleanup to the end user and/or the helpdesk. Then there are the device (thus driver) variances in the system models themselves…
The Model Myth
When designing an IT process to automate deployment of Window to managed systems it is essential that we first understand, and then manage the various hardware platforms that exist
Two opposing, operational forces are at work in modern organizational computing environments. First, we IT professionals – understanding the old systems management adage that “standardization IS manageability“- are motivated to order a very limited number of system models so as to simplify support of the deployed environment. In our view, one size fits all, or as close as we can come to that, would be ideal. Combatting our fascist-tendencies for establishing an organizational systems management nirvana are the system end-users. These users have different functional needs that create business requirements for system and peripheral diversity. This tendency creates pressure for your organization to purchase an ever-widening array of video/NIC/sound chipsets, disk controllers, printers, plotters scanners and various gizmos and doodads connected via USB and other bus technologies. Yikes! The implemented reality is somewhere in the middle, but industry tendencies are definitely trending in a direction of more device diversity…not less.
Even when an organization believes their computer systems to be “identical” as far as their hardware is concerned, non-standard devices still mean you have a lot more hardware platforms than the number of models would suggest. For instance, all the PCs may have the NIC card integrated in the motherboard but one PC may have an additional internal card added to an expansion slot because its integrated card malfunctioned. In this case the driver of the NIC card would differ and that machine would no longer have the same driver requirements as other systems of the same model. Laptops, formerly identical to other systems in your enterprise, may have had RMA motherboards installed that introduce new device/driver requirements. Business systems, especially servers and high-end work stations, can be ordered with a very wide array of optional devices, each with separate drivers – and possible multiple driver versions available. So, even in cases when you do have standardized hardware, you probably have de-standardized driver versions. But hey, you can only do what you can do…Right? That’s ok, because with a new technology called DeployExpert, you can do more than you ever thought possible, while having to DO a lot less! Interested?? Read on…
The first step to implementing a robust OS that is up to the realities of your IT enterprise’s hardware platform challenge is to automate the processes of classifying systems and gathering/assigning drivers. Automated systems management platform inventory analysis will digest all the hardware platform variations created by peripherals and other non-standard devices. This brings two important elements to the OSD process. First, you have situation awareness and maintain an ongoing understanding of what platforms are under management, which systems are organized into which platforms and how that changes day by day. Secondly, these hardware classes are rendered as “actionable data.” That means that the hardware grouping can be used in the automated decision making that is essential to a manageable true zero touch OSD process. Using this approach, the administrator would be able to deploy the image, which is created precisely for that hardware platform.
DeployExpert, a.k.a “DX”, integrates with SCCM (and leverages MDT 2010 SCCM integrated components) to make the OS deployment process a true zero touch affair. Using DeployExpert, getting the drivers required by both your core system models and non-standard devices is automated. One of several driver repository creation technologies that DX offers is the ability to “harvest” a sample set of drivers from a representative of each class. This allows you to quickly integrate a driver pack that is both Plug and Play ready and single-instanced into your SCCM driver repository and ultimately your OS image deployment task sequence.
The DeployExpert hardware independent deployment process supports ALL hardware device types including expansion cards, USB and Bluetooth devices. DX continually monitors managed systems and automatically identifies and handles the need to get new drivers, provides a “set it and forget it” OSD process and helps eliminate the hassle and expense associated with failed deployments. Check out the DeployExpert website if you would like to know more.
