Types of images supported by a smart image, The use and importance of sysprep, Which image types are best for you – Lenovo ThinkPad SL300 User Manual
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– Pre-existing recovery files in the service partition can be deleted, thereby eliminating console-side
recovery.
Types of images supported by a Smart Image
A Smart Image can contain three different types of images, each achieving different levels of portability:
• Ultra-Portable Image: This type of image contains hardware-independent operating-system modules,
application modules, and device-driver modules that are either developed by Lenovo or created
through the ImageUltra Builder program. Using operating-system modules that you develop through
the ImageUltra Builder program, you can create Smart Images that can be used on virtually any
personal computer platform, regardless of manufacturer. The only limiting factor is the licensing
agreement between you and the Microsoft Corporation related to the Product ID (PID) you assign to
the operating-system module.
Using ImageUltra-developed operating system modules, you can create Smart Images that can be
used across the Lenovo branded product line of personal computers. For a listing of Lenovo branded
HIIT-enabled personal computers, go to the ImageUltra Web site:
• Portable-Sysprep Image: This type of image is created by a third-party image-cloning tool, such as
Symantec Norton Ghost, Symantec DeployCenter or Microsoft ImageX, but modified by ImageUltra
Builder tools to enable the installation of additional modules created and managed by the ImageUltra
Builder program. The additional modules can be device-driver modules to enhance portability across
various hardware platforms or application modules to provide additional flexibility to meet the needs of
individual departments.
• Hardware-Specific Image: This type of image is created by a third-party image-cloning tool, such as
Symantec Norton Ghost or Symantec DeployCenter. It is a self-contained image, which does not enable
the installation of additional modules. The hardware configuration of the target computer must be the
same as the hardware configuration of the source computer used to create the image.
Additional detail about these image types are discussed later in this publication.
The use and importance of Sysprep
If you intend to use Portable-Sysprep Images or Hardware-Specific Images, you must have a thorough
knowledge of the Microsoft Sysprep tool. Unlike Ultra-Portable Images, Portable-Sysprep Images and
Hardware-Specific Images are based on images extracted from a source computer that have gone through a
Windows setup operation. Therefore, specific user and hardware information must be removed from the
source computer using the Sysprep tool before the image can be deployed to other computers.
Which image types are best for you?
The types of images you choose to deploy using the ImageUltra Builder program depend on the mix of PCs
used by your company, the investment you have in images created by third-party image-cloning software,
and the willingness of your IT staff to learn new methods for creating and modifying images.
For example:
• To maintain existing PCs for which you already have images, you might choose to convert existing
Hardware-Specific Images into modules that can be stored and deployed using the ImageUltra Builder
program.
• If you are planning to install assorted models of Lenovo branded PCs only, you might consider developing
Ultra-Portable Images using imported ImageUltra-developed operating-system modules that can be used
across the Lenovo branded product line regardless of hardware variations.
Chapter 1
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ImageUltra Builder capabilities
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