Lenovo ThinkPad SL300 - Manual (Page 20)

after installation on a non-Lenovo branded computer. After 30 days, Microsoft will require you to register
the operating system and computer to activate the image. The same Ultra-Portable Image will only work
for 14 days when installed on a non-Lenovo branded Windows Vista or Windows 7 computer. After 14
days, Microsoft will require you to register the operating system and computer to activate the image.
An Ultra-Portable Image enables you to use a driver map to control the level of the device drivers deployed
at the target computer. However, if you are deploying the image to Lenovo branded personal computers, you
have the option of using the Lenovo-factory-installed device drivers already contained in the service partition
or the Hidden Protected Area (HPA) of the target computer. Using the factory-installed device drivers
simplifies the image building process because you do not have to concern yourself with driver maps and
device-driver modules. However, for all practical purposes, using the factory-installed device drivers limits
the portability of the image to Lenovo branded personal computers because those are the only personal
computers that have a service partition or HPA that contains device drivers. In most cases, it is best to
manage your device drivers through a driver map. Not only does using a driver map enhance portability, but
it enables you to standardize device drivers, thereby reducing diagnostic time if a problem arises.
An added benefit of using your own driver map is that you can use the Image-Ultra Builder program for
recovery purposes if a hard disk fails and requires replacement. Because the driver map deploys the
device drivers as part of the Smart Image, no preexisting drivers need to be present at the target computer.
Therefore, by using a driver map, the Smart Image can be installed on a new hard disk drive.
Portable-Sysprep Image
Using the supported third-party image-cloning tools (Symantec Norton Ghost, Symantec DeployCenter, or
Microsoft ImageX) in conjunction with the ImageUltra Builder program, you can create a Portable-Sysprep
Image that can be deployed across a wider range of hardware than a traditional image.
Anatomy of a Portable-Sysprep Image
In contrast to an Ultra-Portable Image, a Portable-Sysprep Image is a “snapshot” of a source computer hard
disk contents. The source computer is set up to match the desired configuration of the target computers.
However, because Windows setup has been run on the source computer, specific user and hardware
information (such as the user ID, passwords, and network settings) is recorded in the source computer
registry. The Microsoft Sysprep tool must be run on the source computer to erase this information before
third party imaging software is used to extract the image.
By implementing a few minor variations during the development of a traditional image, you can enable
the image to use application or device-driver modules to append the image during the deployment and
installation process. These variations are discussed in detail in Chapter 8 “Preparing source files for
modules” on page 123.
After creating the image using Symantec Norton Ghost or Symantec DeployCenter, you use the ImageUltra
Builder program to create and build a base operating-system module from the image. The module is
automatically stored in the ImageUltra Builder module repository during the module-building process.
After a Portable-Sysprep Image has been deployed to the target computer hard disk, a mini-setup runs
during the installation process. Any device drivers that are defined in the driver map are copied to the C
drive and made available to the mini-setup. The mini-setup prompts for specific user information and
performs a limited hardware query. Although the mini-setup makes allowances for minor variations in the
hardware (such as audio, video, and so on), it does not deal effectively with different core chipsets. Because
a Portable-Sysprep Image does not have to go through a complete Windows setup, the Windows setup time
is typically reduced to 10 minutes or less. The ImageUltra Builder program enables you to predefine default
user settings or implement a process that prompts the person installing the image to provide all necessary
user settings near the beginning of the installation process. These settings are stored and provided to
the mini-setup program when needed.
6 ImageUltra Builder Version 5.01 User Guide