Methodology of Image Deployment
Robert Collazo
Rasmussen College

Methodology of Image Deployment
When an IT director is deploying and image to multiple computers in a business setting, it is first important to communicate with the staff and managers to inform them when the deployment will be taking place. Second it is important to do an inventory of your assets, for a desktop deployment project, it is vital to have an up-to date inventory of the organization’s PCs and applications constantly. Also, an organization will need to conduct an inventory on a regular basis. Third you must consolidate your applications, Determine which applications will be allowed to be redeployed on new systems, and start a process of packaging or scripting those applications so they can be reinstalled quickly and consistently without user intervention. Fourth you must consolidate your hardware, Organizations typically have far too many different types of desktop and laptop PCs due to lack of centralized purchasing and regular hardware refresh. We have seen cases where as many as 180 hardware types were discovered.
My recommendation is to create a single operating system image that supports all hardware types. Fifth Establish an imaging process to create a standard image, once the hardware inventory is known, the next step in a deployment project is to establish an imaging process to produce a standard software image for the workstation. Sixth I would automate the preservation of local user data and preferences, Establish an automated process for capturing the user data settings and preferences from the current system, and restoring them onto the new system. And last but not least I would deliver an end-to-end process, Desktop deployment and management is a continuous exercise and does not stop when the initial project is finished. A robust, maintainable process is therefore