Lenovo ThinkPad R400 - Manual (Page 49)

Access to the service partition is controlled by a boot-manager program.
The network-staging folder
The network-staging folder has one purpose; during a direct-network installation,
it provides a temporary storage area on the network to unpack the maps and
modules that control the installation of the image. By default, a separate
network-staging folder is created for each target computer in the NETDEPL folder
located under the repository being used. The name assigned to the network
staging folder is based on the last 11 characters of the target computer MAC
address.
Note: If necessary, you can define a location outside of the repository where the
network-staging folders will be created. See “Controlling write-access to
your repository during a direct-network install” on page 189 for more
information.
Unlike deployment to a service partition, the person at the target computer who is
controlling the direct-network deployment makes choices from the installation
menu system before any modules are sent to the target computer. Then, only those
modules required for the selected image are obtained from the repository,
unpacked dynamically, and installed on the target computer. The target computer
must remain connected to the network throughout the entire deployment and
installation process. When the installation process is complete, the network-staging
folder is automatically erased.
A direct-network deployment does not require that a service partition be present
on the target computer. The use of a service partition is optional, and if used, its
only purpose is to store maps and modules for client-side recovery. A service
partition is not used as a staging area during a direct-network installation process.
v If you do not want maps and modules copied to a service partition, you
minimize the deployment time, but you will not have client-side recovery for the
image you deployed.
v If you want only those maps and modules that are required to recreate the
installed image copied to a service partition, deployment time will be longer, but
you will have client-side recovery for the specific image that is installed on the
target computer.
v If you want the complete Smart Image copied to a service partition, deployment
time will be longer yet, but you will have client-side recovery for any of the
images that can be installed from the Smart Image.
For additional information about these settings, see “Base-map settings” on page
67, and look for the information about the Image Cleanup tab.
Deployment and installation overview
This section provides an overview of the various deployment and installation
processes.
Standard network-deployment process with local installation
The following illustration shows the standard network-deployment process with
local installation. Notice that the service partition is used as the staging area for all
maps and modules required for the Smart Image.
Chapter 3. Staging-area behavior and logic 35