Acronis Snap Deploy - 4.0 Operation Manual
Acronis Snap Deploy 4
User Guide
Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011. All rights reserved.
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Table of conte nts
1 Introducing Acronis Snap Deploy 4 .........................................................................................7
1.1 Overview .................................................................................................................................... 7
1.1.1 What is Acronis Snap Deploy 4....................................................................................................................... 7
1.1.2 Who needs Acronis Snap Deploy 4 ................................................................................................................ 7
1.1.3 Acronis Snap Deploy 4 infrastructure ............................................................................................................ 7
1.2 What you can do with Acronis Snap Deploy 4 ........................................................................... 7
1.2.1 Taking an image of the master system .......................................................................................................... 8
1.2.2 Deployment to specific machines (immediate, manual, and scheduled deployment) ............................. 8
1.2.3 Deployment to any rea dy machines (event-driven deployment) ............................................................... 9
1.2.4 Stand-alone de pl o yme n t ................................................................................................................................ 9
1.2.5 Deployment with individual deployment settings ........................................................................................ 9
1.2.6 User-initi a te d de plo yme n t (cu st o m de p l oym e nt) ...................................................................................... 10
1.2.7 Deployment of a disk volume and MBR ...................................................................................................... 10
1.2.8 Command-line mode and scripting under WinPE ...................................................................................... 10
1.3 Features of Acronis Snap Deploy 4 ..........................................................................................11
1.3.1 New: List of machines ................................................................................................................................... 11
1.3.2 New: List of deployment tasks ..................................................................................................................... 11
1.3.3 New: Per-deployment lic e nsing ................................................................................................................... 12
1.3.4 New: Support for the VHD format ............................................................................................................... 12
1.3.5 New: Graphical user interface in WinPE ...................................................................................................... 12
1.3.6 New: E-mail notifications about deployment ............................................................................................. 13
1.3.7 New: Compatibility with Acronis True Image, Acronis Backup & Recovery 10, and Acronis Backup &
Recovery 11 backups ................................................................................................................................. 13
1.3.8 New: Support for multiple network adapters ............................................................................................. 13
1.3.9 Multicast TTL and network bandwidth throttling ....................................................................................... 13
1.3.10 New: Falling back to unicast ......................................................................................................................... 13
1.3.11 Encrypted communication ........................................................................................................................... 14
1.3.12 Password protection ..................................................................................................................................... 14
1.4 Supported operating systems fo r im a ging and deployment ...................................................14
1.5 Licensing policy ........................................................................................................................15
1.5.1 Machine licenses and deployment licenses ................................................................................................ 16
1.5.2 Server licenses and workstation licenses .................................................................................................... 16
1.5.3 Lice nses for Ac ronis Univ ers al De ploy ......................................................................................................... 16
1.5.4 Trial version of Acronis Snap Deploy 4 ........................................................................................................ 17
1.6 Upgrading to Acronis Snap Depl oy 4 .......................................................................................17
1.6.1 Upgrading licenses ........................................................................................................................................ 17
1.6.2 Upgrading components ................................................................................................................................ 18
1.7 Technical Support ....................................................................................................................18
2 Understanding Acronis Snap Deploy 4 .................................................................................. 19
2.1 Terminology .............................................................................................................................19
2.2 Components .............................................................................................................................20
2.3 Support for file systems and storage media ............................................................................21
2.3.1 Supported file systems .................................................................................................................................. 21
2.3.2 Supported media ........................................................................................................................................... 21
2.4 Supported types of disk and firmware interface .....................................................................22
2.5 Usage .......................................................................................................................................23
3 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
2.5.1 Offline imaging .............................................................................................................................................. 23
2.5.2 Online imaging ............................................................................................................................................... 24
2.5.3 Deployment ................................................................................................................................................... 24
2.6 What is Acronis Universal Deploy ............................................................................................25
2.6.1 Acronis Universal Deploy purpose ............................................................................................................... 26
2.6.2 Acronis Universal Deploy general principles ............................................................................................... 26
2.6.3 Acro nis Universal Deploy and Microsoft Sysprep ....................................................................................... 26
2.6.4 Getti n g Acronis Univer sa l Deploy ................................................................................................................ 26
2.7 How to .....................................................................................................................................27
3 Getting started with Acronis Snap Deploy 4 .......................................................................... 28
4 Installation of Acronis Snap Deploy 4.................................................................................... 39
4.1 Supported operating systems ..................................................................................................39
4.2 Used ports and IP addresses ....................................................................................................39
4.3 Typical installation ...................................................................................................................40
4.4 Custom installation ..................................................................................................................40
4.4.1 Installation procedure ................................................................................................................................... 41
4.4.2 Common installation configurations ........................................................................................................... 42
4.4.3 Installation of components ........................................................................................................................... 43
4.5 Other ways of installation ........................................................................................................46
4.5.1 Installing components remotely .................................................................................................................. 46
4.5.2 Extracting the components of Acr onis Snap Depl oy 4 ............................................................................... 48
4.6 Upgrading Acronis Snap Deploy 4 ...........................................................................................48
4.6.1 Upgrading from a previous product version ............................................................................................... 48
4.6.2 Upgrading from the trial to full product version ......................................................................................... 49
4.7 Uninstalling Acronis Snap Deploy 4 .........................................................................................49
5 Using Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Management Console .............................................................. 51
5.1 Connecting to a machine .........................................................................................................51
5.1.1 Connect to a local machine .......................................................................................................................... 51
5.1.2 Connect to another machine ....................................................................................................................... 51
5.2 Browsing logs ...........................................................................................................................53
5.3 Checking for software updates ................................................................................................53
6 Using Acronis Snap Deploy 4 License Server .......................................................................... 54
6.1 Understanding Acronis Snap Deploy 4 License Server ............................................................54
6.2 Adding licenses by using Acronis Sn a p Deploy 4 Management Console .................................54
6.3 Viewing information about licenses ........................................................................................55
6.4 Removing licenses....................................................................................................................56
6.5 Adding licenses in the command-line mode ...........................................................................56
6.6 Using Acronis Snap Deploy 4 License Server Management Tool.............................................57
7 Deployment tools ................................................................................................................ 59
7.1 Bootable components .............................................................................................................59
7.2 Creating a bootable media ......................................................................................................59
7.2.1 Creating an Acronis bootable media ........................................................................................................... 60
7.2.2 Creating a WinPE-based bootable media .................................................................................................... 63
4 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
7.3 Configuring Acronis PXE Server ...............................................................................................66
8 Creating a master image ...................................................................................................... 67
8.1 Preparation of the master operating system ..........................................................................67
8.2 Online vs. offline imaging ........................................................................................................68
8.3 Performing online imaging ......................................................................................................68
8.4 Performing offline imaging ......................................................................................................68
8.5 Steps of the Master Image Creator wizard ..............................................................................71
8.5.1 Disks or volumes to image ............................................................................................................................ 71
8.5.2 Image name and location ............................................................................................................................. 72
8.5.3 Options of imaging ........................................................................................................................................ 73
8.5.4 Comments and summary ............................................................................................................................. 76
9 Validating a master image .................................................................................................... 78
10 Deploying a master image .................................................................................................... 79
10.1 Files supported as master images ...........................................................................................79
10.2 Licenses for deployment ..........................................................................................................80
10.3 Deployment templates ............................................................................................................80
10.3.1 Creati ng a de plo ym e nt tem pl a te ................................................................................................................. 80
10.3.2 Config u ri ng de fa ult de p lo ym e nt s e tt i ngs .................................................................................................... 98
10.3.3 Managing deployment templates................................................................................................................ 99
10.4 Deployment through a deployme nt t a sk .................................................................................99
10.4.1 Prerequisites ................................................................................................................................................ 100
10.4.2 Deployment to specific machines .............................................................................................................. 100
10.4.3 Deployment to any ready machines .......................................................................................................... 106
10.4.4 Booting the target machines ...................................................................................................................... 108
10.4.5 Opera tions wi t h deploym ent tasks ............................................................................................................ 111
10.4.6 Deployment behind an NAT device ........................................................................................................... 111
10.5 Stand-alone deployment .......................................................................................................112
10.6 User-initiated deployment (custom deployment) .................................................................113
10.6.1 Understanding user-initiated deployment ................................................................................................ 113
10.6.2 Considerations when using a PXE server ................................................................................................... 115
10.6.3 Setting up the user-initiated deployment mode ...................................................................................... 115
10.6.4 Changi ng pa r ame te rs of the use r -initiated deployment mode ............................................................... 118
10.6.5 Switching off the user-initiated deployment mode.................................................................................. 118
11 Managing the list of machines (the Machines view) ............................................................ 119
11.1 Adding machines....................................................................................................................119
11.2 Groups of machines ...............................................................................................................120
11.3 Actions on machines ..............................................................................................................120
11.4 States and results for machines .............................................................................................121
12 Individual deployment settings .......................................................................................... 122
12.1 Enabling, disabling, and resetting individual settings............................................................122
12.2 List of individual settings .......................................................................................................122
13 Managing deployment tasks (the Deployment tasks view) .................................................. 124
13.1 List of deployment tasks ........................................................................................................124
5 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
13.2 Actions on deployment tasks.................................................................................................124
13.3 States and results for deployment tasks ...............................................................................125
14 Command-line mode and scripting under WinPE ................................................................ 126
14.1 Command-line syntax ............................................................................................................126
14.1.1 Supported commands ................................................................................................................................ 126
14.1.2 Common parameters (parameters common for most commands) ....................................................... 128
14.1.3 Specific parameters (parameters specific for individual commands) ..................................................... 129
14.1.4 Usage examples ........................................................................................................................................... 134
14.2 Sample scenarios ...................................................................................................................134
14.2.1 Deploying images assigned to target machines ........................................................................................ 134
14.2.2 Creating images assigned to target machines .......................................................................................... 135
15 Collecting system inf o rma tion ............................................................................................ 137
6 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
1 Introducing Acronis Snap Deploy 4
1.1 Overview
1.1.1 What is Acronis Snap Deploy 4
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 is a flexible, efficient software solution for deployment of a fully configured
operating system (with or without application software and any other data) to multiple machines.
Because the product uses disk imaging technology, it is ideal for rapid bare-metal installations and
flexible centralized provisioning.
1.1.2 Who needs Acronis Snap Deploy 4
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 is primarily designed to be used by:
§ Small and medium-size businesses:
§ IT service providers
§ Hardware retailers
§ IT departments of larger corporations
§ Schools and universities
§ R&D and software testing labs
The enterprise features of Acro nis Snap Deploy 4 (scheduled deploy ment, support for Preinstallat io n
Environment, command-line interface, and scripting, to name a few) can help automate the tasks of
the IT department in large enterprise environments.
1.1.3 Acronis Snap Deploy 4 infrastructure
Components of the Acronis infrastructure are installed on Windows machines. Managing the Acronis
infrastructure is performed by using Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Management Console.
A reference image, called the master image, can be taken in Windows, in the Acronis environment,
or in Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) that contains components of Acronis Snap
Deploy 4.
Deployment is performed in the A c ronis environment or in WinPE that contains components of
Acronis Snap Deploy 4. In either environment, Acronis Snap Deploy 4 provides the graphical user
interface (GUI). In addition, command-line mode and scripting are supported in WinPE.
A dedicated bootable utility enables fully-functional deployment with GUI on a stand-alone machine
(a machine that is isolated from th e ne twork or is included in a network without Acronis Snap Deploy
4 infrastructure).
1.2 What you can do with Acronis Snap Deploy 4
This section describes typical usage scenarios for Acronis Snap Deploy 4.
7 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
1.2.1 Taking an image of the master system
First, you create the desired system configuration and save the image of the system hard disk to a
network folder, detachable media (such as a USB hard d rive) or removable media (such as a DVD). An
image, also called a master image, is a file that contains the system in a packaged form.
Scenarios
Scenario 1
Each department in your organization, such as accounting, sales, and technical support, uses a
fixed set of applications for daily work.
You create a library of master images. For example, you create one image for each department.
You then deploy these images to new hardware without having to manually configure the
operating system and applications.
Scenario 2
You need to deploy a standard configuration included in a master image, to machines with
different hardware.
You use the separately-sold Acronis Universal Deploy add-on. This add-on configures Windows
system drivers so that Windows is able to boot on dissimilar hardware. Without this add-on, the
motherboard, processors, and mass-storage devices of the imaged and the target hardware must
be identical. The same applies to non-Windows operating systems.
1.2.2 Deployment to specific machines (immediate, manual, and scheduled deployment)
You can perform deployment to a specific list of machines with known physical addresses (called
MAC addresses). The deployment can run immediately after you set it up, on a sched ule, or when
you start it manually.
These ways of deployment are also known as manual deployment and scheduled deployment.
When the deployment is about to start, the software will power on the target machines with
predefined MAC addresses by usin g the BIOS Wake-on-LAN (WOL) functionality.
Machines in another subnet can be woken u p through a component called Wake-on-LAN Proxy,
which is delivered with Acronis Snap Deploy 4. The machines typically boot into the PXE server that is
installed in the same subnet.
Machines that do not support Wake-on-LAN can be booted into the Acron i s environment manually
before the deployment starts. Such machines will also be deployed, provided that they are listed for
deployment.
Scenarios
Scenario 1. An organization receives a shipment of machines from a manufacturer along with the list
of their MAC addresses. The IT department has to deploy the operating system to the new hardware.
Scenario 2. An Internet café, school or university lab has 100 machines with known MAC addresses.
The nightly deployment of the initial standard image on these machines is needed.
8 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
1.2.3 Deployment to any ready machines (ev ent -driven deployment)
You can set up deployment to star t wh en a specific number of any machines become ready. Unlike
deployment to specific machines (p. 8), this way of deployment does not require knowing the MAC
addresses of the machines.
The software counts how many machines have connected to the deployment server and starts
deployment when the number of machines you specified (for example, 10) is connected.
This way of deployment is also called event-driven deployment or deployment upon an event.
You can specify a time-out period. After the time-out, deployment will start on the machines that are
ready despite the fact that the predefined number is not reached.
Scenario
Your organization receives 100 machines from a manufacturer. You want to deploy the operating
system and programs to all these machines at once.
1. You set up a deployment operation that waits until any 100 machines are ready.
2. You boot each machine into the Acronis environment, by using either Acronis bootable media or
Acronis PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) Server.
3. Acronis Snap Deploy 4 uses multicasting to perform the deployment to all machines at once.
1.2.4 Stand-alon e deployment
The administrator might need to perform deployment to a machine that is isolated from a network
or is included in a network without an Acronis Snap Deploy 4 infr ast ructure (such as the deployment
server or the license server). A dedicated bootable utility enables a fully-functional deployment with
the graphical user interface on a stand-alone machine.
The master image for deployment can be located in a network folder or on a removable drive (such
as a DVD) on the machine you are performing deployment to. The image cannot be located on the
local hard disk of the machine, because deployment usually involves overwriting the contents of the
disk.
The Universal Deploy add-on is unavailable for stand-alone deployment.
1.2.5 Deployment with individual deployment settings
You can set up individual deployment settings (p. 122) for a machine. These settings will override the
general settings of the deployment operation (the deployment template).
Scenarios
Scenario 1
You want to perform deployment to several machines. For each machine, you want to assign a
specific name, rather than an automatically-generated name.
1. You enter the MAC addresses of the machines so that they all appear in the list of machines.
2. You select each machine in the list and specify an individual setting: the machine name.
3. You set up a deployment operation. Other deployment settings will be the same for all machines.
9 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
Scenario 2
You want to perform deployment to a big number of machines. For one of those machin es, h owever,
you need to perform deployment to the second hard disk, rather than to the first har d disk.
1. You enter the MAC addresses of all machines so that all machines appear in the list of machines.
2. You specify an individual setting for the correspondi n g machine: to deploy to the second hard
disk.
3. You set up a deployment operation to perform deployment to the first hard disk. Deployment to
that specific machine will be performed to the second hard disk.
1.2.6 User-initiated deployment (custom deployment)
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 can be configured in such a way that users will be able to deploy and redeploy their machines with o n e click on the boot menu.
This way of deployment is also called custom deployment.
Scenarios
Scenario 1
Software testers have to deploy clean operating systems or preconfigured systems on test
machines.
A test team leader creates a custom bootable media or a PXE package that provides a fixed set of
choices on the target side. A test team member reboots a test machine and selects what to
deploy from the boot menu with one click. The deployment starts immediately. The choices can
be various operating systems, various editions of the same operating system, the same operating
system with various settings or various applications, to name a few. The deployment proceeds
independently on each machine.
Scenario 2
In a university or school lab, switching between exercises requires reconfiguring the machine
entirely. Students can switch or restart exercises without the teacher’s assistance. If a student
messes up the machine (for example, deletes a file or changes configuration), the student can
choose a self-restore option from the boot menu.
1.2.7 Deployment of a disk volume and MBR
You do not necessarily have to deploy the entire disk. Provided that the master and the target disks
have a similar partitioning scheme, you can image and deploy only the system volume or only the
data, depending on your needs.
When deploying a volume, Acronis Snap Deploy 4 can also deploy the master boot record (MBR) of
the disk on which the original volume is located.
1.2.8 Command-line mode and scripting under WinPE
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 provides a com mand-line utility that can be added to a bootable media based
on Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE). The administrator can create such media on a
physical drive or place it to the PXE server.
10 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
Having booted a machine into Windows Preinstallation Environment, the administrator can perform
imaging or deployment in the command-line mode or execute scripts.
Scenarios
Scenario 1
The administrator needs to deploy a different image to each machine on the network.
The administrator writes a deployment script that can read the target machine’s MAC address
(for example, 01-02-03-04-05-06) and pull an image whose name matches the MAC address (for
example, image-01-02-03-04-05-06.tib) The image can be located in any convenient location,
such as a network share.
The administrator then runs the script on any number of target machines to deploy the
corresponding image to each of them.
Scenario 2
The administrator needs to start imaging or deployment automatically each time a machine
boots from the PXE server.
The administrator creates an imaging or deployment script, adds the script to the PE and includes
the script in the startnet.cmd file. On booting into the PE, the operation will be performed
automatically.
Scenario 3
The administrator needs to automatically execute pre-deployment operations (disk partitioning,
for example) on the machines on the network.
The administrator creates a script that performs pre-deployment operations, adds the script
along with deployment script to t he PE and includes both scripts in the startnet.cmd file. On
booting into the PE, both operations will be performed automatically.
1.3 Features of Acronis Snap Deploy 4
1.3.1 New: List of machines
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 provides the Machines view (p. 119). T his view contains a list of all machines
that you added for deployment or that have ever been deployed.
In this view, you can:
§ View and edit the list of machines.
§ Check which machines are ready for deployment.
§ Examine the current state of the deployment operation, and the result of the last deployment.
§ Add machines for subsequent deployment by specifying the machines’ MAC addresses.
§ Specify individual deployment settings (p. 9).
§ Set up deployment for one or more machines.
§ Organize machines into groups.
1.3.2 New: List of deployment tasks
Centralized deployment is performed by a deployment task. Acronis Snap Deploy 4 provides a list of
deployment tasks in the Deployment tasks (p. 124) view.
11 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
In this view, you can:
§ View and edit the list of tasks, i n cluding scheduled tasks and tasks that perform deployment
when a specified number of machines are ready.
§ Edit tasks; for example, to change the list of machines to perform deployment to.
§ Start any task manually; for example, to perform deployment outside the normal schedule.
§ Examine the current state of the task and the result of the last run of the task.
1.3.3 New: Per-deployment licensing
In addition to per-machine licensing, Acronis Snap Depl oy 4 supports per-deployment licensing.
A deployment license enables you a single successful deployment to a particular machine. A machine
license enables you an unlimited number of deployments to a particular machine.
For more details, see “Licensing policy” (p. 15).
Scenario
You provision machines to end use rs by deploying the operating system with the necessary software
to a machine and then shipping the machine to the end user. Because you are planning to perform
deployment to each machine only once, you want a cheaper license for the machine.
You buy a number of deployment licenses based on the number of machines that you want to
provision. A deployment license becomes used only if the deployment to the corresponding machine
has been successful.
1.3.4 New: Support for the VHD format
In addition to using its own format for an image, Acronis Snap Deploy 4 can perform deployment
from a Virtual Hard Disk (VHD) file. Such file stores contents of one or more disks. It can be created in
Windows Server 2008 and Windows 7.
Scenario
You saved the disks of one of your machines to a VHD file by using the Windows Backup program.
Now you want to deploy that machine to other machines.
When setting up the deployment, you specify the VHD file as you would specify an image file created
by Acronis Snap Deploy 4. When performing the deployment, the softwa re c an change the settings
for the machines being deployed.
1.3.5 New: Graphical user interface in WinPE
A bootable media based on Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) now provides a graphical
user interface (GUI) similar to that in an Acronis bootable media.
By using the GUI, you can take a master image and perform deployment.
You may want to use a WinPE-based media if the Acronis media cannot recognize a specific device,
such as an exotic storage device.
A WinPE-based bootable media also provides a command-line utility (p. 10) for performing imaging
and deployment.
12 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
1.3.6 New: E-mail notifications about deployment
When using the command-line mode (p. 10), you can set up e-mail notifications about the result of
each deployment operation.
Scenario
In Scenario 1 or Scenario 2 described in “Command-line mode and scripting under WinPE” (p. 10), the
administrator also wants to receive e-mail notifications about deployment.
The administrator includes in the deployment script a command that set s up the parameters of the
e-mail notifications, such as the administrator’s e-mail address and the parameters of the mail
server.
An e-mail notification is sent after each deployment command. Each notification contains the MAC
address and IP address of the corres p onding machine and whether the deploy ment h a s been
successful.
1.3.7 New: Compatibility with Acronis True Image, Acronis Backup & Recovery 10, and Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 backups
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 can use as a master image a disk-level backup created by the Acronis True
Image, Acronis Backup & Recovery 10, or Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 product family.
1.3.8 New: Support for multiple net work adapters
A machine license is bound to the machine’s network adapter (also known as network interface card,
NIC).
If the machine has more than one netwo rk adapter, Acronis Snap Deploy 4 ensures that only one
license is assigned to the machine. No extra license will be consumed if you add or remove a network
adapter.
To make sure that only one license is assigned to the machine, do not remove all network adapters at
once.
When using the Wake-on-LAN functionality for the machine, the software sends a special packet,
called the magic packet, to all network adapters of the machine.
1.3.9 Multicast T TL and network bandwidth throttling
Deployment configuration has a parameter that specifies time to live (TTL) for multicast packets. By
using this setting, you can limit the distribution of multicast packets via gateways.
By setting the permitted bandwidth, you can limit the network usage during d eployment.
1.3.10 New: Falling back to unicast
To make deployment to multiple machines faster, Acronis Snap Deploy 4 multicasts the contents of
the master image (the deployment stream) across the network. This way, deployment can run
simultaneously on all machines ev en though the deployment stream is sent only once.
13 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
If the network restricts multicasting, Acronis Snap Deploy 4 can automatically switch to the use of
unicast instead.
When using unicast, Acronis Snap Deploy 4 sends a copy of the deployment stream to each machine.
This way, the network becomes more loaded, so the deployment process may take longer.
1.3.11 Encrypted communication
Components of Acronis Snap Deploy 4 communicate to each other by using the Sec u r e Sockets Layer
(SSL) cryptographic protocol. Encryption starts on the first (earliest) stage of the connection attempt,
so all data transferred in the next steps (including data required for client authentication) is
encrypted.
After the components of Acronis Snap Deploy 4 are installed, encrypted communication between the
components is enabled automatically.
The contents of the master image are transferred unencrypted.
1.3.12 Password protection
Master images taken with Acronis Snap Deploy 4 can be protected with a password to prevent
unauthorized deployment.
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 also supports password-protected backups created with the Acronis True
Image, Acronis Backup & Recovery 10, and Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 product family.
To prevent Acronis bootable components from unauthorized execution, the bootable components in
the Acronis boot menu can also be protected with a password. The user will be asked for the
password when selecting a bootabl e component. No password is required to start the operating
system on the machine.
1.4 Supported operating systems for imaging and
deployment
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 provides f u l l-featured imaging and deployment of the operating sys tems listed
in the table that follows.
For most operating systems, yo u can change settings such as the name that the mac hines will have
after the deployment.
Deploying an operating system requires a license. Depending on the type of operating system, you
need a server license or a workstation license. For details about licensing, see “Licensing policy” (p.
15).
Operating system Imaging and
deployment
Changing
settings
License type
Windows Server 2 0 08 R2 Yes Yes Server
Windows Server 2008 (x86, x64) Yes Yes Server
Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2 (x86, x64) Yes Yes Server
Windows Server 2003 R2 (x86, x 64) Yes Yes Server
14 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
Windows Small Business Server 2011 Yes Yes Server
Windows Small Business Server 2003 Yes Yes Server
Windows Storage Server 2003 R2 Yes Yes Server
Windows Server 2003 x64 Editions Yes Yes Server
Windows 7 Home Basic (x86, x64) Yes Yes Workstation
Windows 7 Home Premium (x86, x64) Yes Yes Workstation
Windows 7 Professional (x86, x64) Yes Yes Workstation
Windows 7 Ultimate (x86, x64) Yes Yes Workstation
Windows Vista Home Basic (x 86, x 64) Yes Yes Workstation
Windows Vista Home Premium (x86, x64) Yes Yes Workstation
Windows Vista Business (x86, x64) Yes Yes Workstation
Windows Vista Ultimate (x86, x64) Yes Yes Workstation
Windows XP Home Yes Yes Workstation
Windows XP Professional Yes Yes Workstation
Windows XP Professional x64 E dition Yes Yes Workstation
Windows XP Professional Service Pa ck 2 Yes Yes Workstation
Windows XP Professional Service Pack 3 Yes Yes Workstation
Windows 2000 Server Yes No Server
Windows 2000 Advanced Server Yes No Server
Windows 2000 Professional S ervice Pack 4 Yes No Workstation
Windows NT/4.0 Server Yes No Server
Windows 98/Me Yes No Workstation
Linux (kernel: 2.4.9 – 2.6.x) Yes No Server
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 enables, with certain limitations (some operations or options will not be
available), imaging and deployment of any PC-based operating system. For example, Windows
98/NT/ME, NT/4.0 Server, Windows 2000, and Linux (kernel: 2.4.9 – 2.6.x) can be deployed only as is;
on-the-fly settings adjustment is not performed.
The Acronis Universal Deploy option is not applicable to the Win dows 2000, Windows 98/NT/ME,
and Windows NT/4.0 Server oper ating systems.
1.5 Licensing policy
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 licensing is based on the number of machines (servers or workstations) that
you deploy. For example, to deploy a system on 100 machines, you need 100 licenses.
15 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
1.5.1 Machine licenses and deployment licenses
In terms of the number of allowed deploym ents, a license can be one of two types:
§ A machine license enables an unlimited number of deployments to a particular machine. You
may want to use this type of license if you perform deployment to the same machine on a
regular basis.
§ A deployment license enables a single successful deployment to a machine. You may wa nt to
use this type of license if you perform deployment to the same machine once or infrequently. If
deployment under a deployment license fails, you can perform another deployment under the
same license.
You can obtain a license key that corresponds to a number of deployment licen ses .
When setting up a deployment o peration, you can choose (p. 94) whether a deployment license can
be automatically used instead of a machine license, or conversely.
1.5.2 Server licenses and workstation licenses
In terms of the operating system you can deploy, a license can be one of two types:
§ A server license enables deploying a server operating system.
§ A workstation license enables deploying a workstation operating system. A workstation license is
needed to deploy a disk or volume that does not contain an operating system, if the target
machine has not been assigned a machine license before.
Linux is considered as a server operating system. See also the complete list of supported server and
workstation operating systems (p. 14).
If Acronis Snap Deploy 4 fails to identify the type of operating system, the operating system is
considered as a workstation operating system.
When setting up a deployment o peration, you can choose (p. 94) whether a server license can be
automatically used instead of a workstation license for deploying a workstation operating system.
1.5.3 Licenses for Acronis Universal Deploy
Acronis Universal Deploy is an add-on to Acronis Snap Deploy 4 and has its own license keys .
The Acronis Universal Deploy licenses are counted, used and upgraded i n the same way as the
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 licenses:
§ Acronis Universal Deploy has licenses for server and workstation operating systems.
§ A Universal Deploy license can be per-machine (allowing an unlimited number of Universal
Deploy steps) or per-deployment (allowing a single Universal Deploy step).
You need one Universal Deploy license per target machine.
You do not need a license to install Universal Deploy. However, do not forget to add the Universal
Deploy licenses to the license server before starting the deployment. If the licenses are not found
during deployment, the Universal Deploy step will be skipped.
16 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
1.5.4 Trial version of Acronis Snap Deploy 4
The Acronis Snap Deploy 4 trial version has all the functionality of the full version.
To use the trial version, you need to obtain a trial license. You can obtain a server or workstation trial
license.
A trial license enables you an unlimited number of deployments on up to five machines for 15 days.
No trial license for Acronis Universal Deploy is available.
To upgrade from the trial to full version you do not need to re-download the software. Simply buy
the full licenses and import them to the license server. Acronis Snap Deploy 4 will start using a full
license as soon as the corresponding trial license expires.
1.6 Upgrading to Acronis Snap Deploy 4
To upgrade from Acronis Snap Dep l oy 3 to Acronis Snap Deploy 4, upgrade both the licenses and the
software components.
1.6.1 Upgrading licenses
To upgrade the licenses of Acronis Snap Deploy 3, buy the necessa ry number of upgrade licenses and
import them to the license server.
You should buy one upgrade license for Acronis Snap Deploy 4 (ASD4) per eac h l icense for Acronis
Snap Deploy 3 (ASD3) that you have. After you import the upgrade licenses to the license server, you
will be able to perform deployment to any machine by using Acronis Snap Deploy 4.
It does not matter whether the ASD3 license is itself an upgrade license for an even earlier version.
The following table illustrates how the various combinations of licenses will be upgraded. Use this
table to calculate the number of upgrade licenses that you need.
You have You buy and import You now can
ASD3 full license
Available
ASD3 full license
Assigned to Machine1
ASD3 upgrade license
License(s) for an earlier version
Available
ASD3 upgrade license
License(s) for an earlier version
ASD4 upgrade license Perform deployment to any ta r g et machine
ASD4 upgrade license Perform deployment to any ta r g et machine
ASD4 upgrade license Perform deployment to any ta r g et machine
ASD4 upgrade license Perform deployment to any target machine
Assigned to Machine1
No license ASD4 full license Perform deployment to any ta r g et machine
17 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
1.6.2 Upgradi ng compo nen ts
Install the components of Acronis Snap Deploy 4 over those of Acronis Snap Deploy 3.
If all components of Acronis Snap Deploy 3 are installed on the same machine, simply run the setup
program of Acronis Snap Deploy 4 on that machine. During installation, you can add the upgrade
licenses.
If components are installed on different machines, upgrade t h e license server first, by running the
setup program of Acronis Snap Deploy 4. When upgrading the license server, import the upgrade
licenses. Then, upgrade other components on the machines.
Upgrading Acronis PXE Server remov es any components of Acronis Snap Deploy 3 th a t ar e uploaded
to the PXE server. To continue using the PXE server, you need to upload the new components (p. 66)
to it.
Components of versions of Acronis Snap Deploy earlier than 3 are incompatible with Acronis Snap
Deploy 4. You need to remove those components before installing Acronis Snap Deploy 4.
1.7 Technical Support
Maintenance and Support Program
If you need assistance with your Acronis product, please go to http://www.acronis.com/support /
Product Updates
You can download the latest updates for all your registered Acronis software products from our
website at any time after logging into your Account (https://www.acronis.com/my) and registering
the product. See Registering Acronis Products at the Website (http://kb.acronis.com/content/4834)
and Acronis Website User Guide (http://kb.acronis.com/content/8128).
18 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
2 Understanding Acronis Snap Deploy 4
This section describes the com pon ents of the Acronis Snap Deploy 4 infrastructure and their
interaction.
2.1 Terminology
The following table lists the common terms and descriptions used in this document.
Master system The system to be deployed.
Master image (Image)
Online imaging Taking a master image while the master system is in a production state (the operating
Offline imaging Taking an image while the master machine is bo oted into the Ac r onis environment or
Deployment Transferring the operating system, applications, and data from t he master image file to
Stand-alone
deployment
Target disk The physical disk to be deployed to (an internal hard disk of the target machine).
A file that contains the master system in a pack aged form. The file has the .tib
extension.
system is running on the master machine).
Windows Preinstallation Environment.
a physical hard disk (see “Target disk”). In most cases, deployment is performed by
multicasting th e master image t hrough the net work.
Deployment to a machine isolated from a network or included in a network without
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 infrastructure. Stand-alone deployment is performed locally by
using a bootable component of Acronis Snap Deploy 4.
Target machine
(Target)
Deployment template
(Template)
The hardware to perform deployment to.
Configuration parameters of the deployment operation:
§ Path to the master image
§ The operation mode, such as whether to use multicast or unicast and how to handle
the target disk free space
§ Settings to be applied to the deployed systems, such as machine names and user
accounts
§ Operations to be performed on the deployed systems, such as transferring files,
running applications, shutting down, or restarting
Once you save a deployment template, you can use it in the future.
19 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
Administrator
User-initiated
deployment mode
User
The person who has rights to manage the Acronis Snap Deploy 4 infrastructure.
The mode when deployment can be initiated on the side of the target machine.
The person on the side of the target machine who starts the user-initiated deployment.
This term relates to the user-initiated deployment mode only.
2.2 Components
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 includes the following components:
Components for Windows
These are components that are installed on machines running Windows a nd pro vi de Acronis Snap
Deploy 4 infrastructure.
§ Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Management Console is an administrative tool for remote access to
Acronis servers and Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Management Agent.
When disconnected from the Acronis components, the console allows only for the installation of
product components on remote machines and for the creation of bootable media.
§ Acronis Snap Deploy 4 OS Deploy Server (the deployment server) is a component that performs
centralized deployment t hro u gh the network with the help of Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Agents. The
deployment server is installed with the Acronis Universal Dep lo y add-on, which enables
hardware-independent deployment of an operating system.
§ Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Management Agent is a component that takes an image of the master
system in Windows environment und er the administrator’s control through Acronis Snap Deploy
4 Management Console.
§ Acronis PXE Server allows booting machines over the network into Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Agent,
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Master Image Creator, or Windows Preinstallation Environment. The
machines must support PXE. Using Acronis PXE Server considerably reduces the time required for
booting multiple machines as compared to using bootable media. It also eliminates the need to
have a technician onsite to install the bootable media into the system that must be booted.
§ Acronis Wake-on-LAN Proxy is a component that enables Acro n i s Snap Deploy 4 OS Deploy
Server to wake up the target machines located in another subnet.
§ Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Licens e Server is a component that tracks licenses of Acronis products.
Bootable components
These are components that are available in the Acronis environment or Windows Preinstallation
Environment. A machine must boot into the corresponding compone nt w hen you need to perform
imaging or deployment.
§ Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Agent is a bootable component that performs deployment to a target
machine under the control of Acronis S nap Deploy 4 OS Deploy Server.
There are two ways to load Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Agent on target machines: locally from
bootable media or remotely by using Acronis PXE Server.
20 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
§ Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Master Image Creator is a bootable, locally controlled component that
creates an image of the master system.
There are two ways to load Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Master Image Creator on a master machine:
directly from bootable media or remotely by using Acronis PXE Server.
§ Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Standalone Utility is a bootable component that enables fully-functional
deployment with a GUI on a stand-alone machine (a machine isolated from the network or
included in a network without Acronis Snap Deploy 4 infrastruct u r e).
The only way to load Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Standalone Utility is from an Acronis bootable media.
§ Acronis System Report is a bootable component that collects information about the machine
and saves this information to a locally-attached USB drive.
There are two ways to load Acronis System Report: directly from an Acronis bootable media or
remotely by using Acronis PXE Server.
2.3 Support for file systems and storage media
2.3.1 Supported file systems
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 provides f u l l-featured imaging and deployment of the following file systems:
§ FAT16
§ FAT32
§ NTFS
§ Ext2
§ Ext3
§ Ext4
§ ReiserFS
§ Reiser4
§ Linux SWAP
§ XFS
§ JFS
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 can perform imaging and deployment of corru pted or unsupported file
systems by using a sector-by-sector approach. This approach usually leads to a bigger size of the
master image and makes the imaging or deployment process longer. A volume with an unsuppor te d
file system cannot be resized during deployment.
2.3.2 Supported me dia
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Master Imag e Creator and Acronis Snap D eploy 4 Management Agent can
save an image:
§ In a network folder.
§ On an internal hard disk of the master machine.
§ On USB and FireWire (IEEE-1394) storage devices (hard drives, flash drives) attached to the
master machine.
§ On DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, or recordable Blu-ray Discs (BD-R, BD-RE) loaded in the
media drive of the master machine.
21 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
A sizeable image can be split between multiple media automatically.
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 O S Deploy Server can deploy images located:
§ In network folders.
§ On an internal hard disk of the deployment server.
§ On USB and FireWire (IEEE-1394) storage devices (hard drives, flash drives) attached to the
deployment server.
§ On DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, or recordable Blu-ray Discs (BD-R, BD-RE) loaded in the
media drive of the deployment server.
The best practice is keeping images on the deployment server’s hard d i sk. This minimizes network
traffic during deployment.
The image created on removable media has to fit into one media disk. To deploy an image spread
over two or more CDs, DVDs or other media, copy all parts of the image to the same folder on the
deployment server or to a network folder.
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Standalone Utility can deploy images located:
§ In network folders.
§ On USB and FireWire (IEEE-1394) storage devices (hard drives, flash drives) attached to the
managed machine.
§ On DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD-R/RW, or recordable Blu-ray Discs (BD-R, BD-RE) loaded in the
media drive of the managed machine.
The image created on removable media has to fit into one media disk. To deploy an image spread
over two or more CDs, DVDs or other media, copy all parts of the image to the same folder on an
external drive or to a network folder.
2.4 Supported types of disk and firmware interface
Acronis Snap Deploy 4 can perform imaging and deployment of basic disks whose partitioning
scheme is master boot record (MBR). Such disks are also called basic MBR disks.
You can perform deployment to a basic MBR disk or to an empty, uninitialized disk.
Dynamic disks and disks whose partitioning scheme is GUID Partition Table (GPT) are not supported
for imaging and deployment.
To be able to boot into the operating system after the deployment, the machine must have the basic
input/output system (BIOS) firmware interface. Booting a machine that has the Unified Extensible
Firmware Interface (UEFI) mode enabled is not support ed.
Tip: To perform imaging and deployment of UEFI-enabled machines or of dynamic and GPT disks, you can use
the Acronis Backup & Recovery 11 product. Namely, you can “image” the machine by creating a disk-level
backup of it, and then perform “deployment” to the target machine by recovering data from the backup. This
way, you can image a supported operating system on a BIOS machine and deploy it to a UEFI-enabled machine.
For more information, including the list of supported operating systems, refer to Help for Acronis Backup &
Recovery 11 (look for “UEFI”).
22 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
2.5 Usage
This section gives a general ide a of using the product and does not contain the detailed instruction s
on how to perform operations. Never theless, advanced users are welcome to use this section as a
step-by-step quick start guide. The details can be found in the further sectio ns.
2.5.1 Offline imaging
Offline imaging means that the master system is stopped and the master machine boots into the
Acronis environment or into Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE).
To perform offline imaging
1. Configure the master system.
2. Install Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Management Console.
3. Do one of the following:
§ Create a bootable media (either an Acronis media or a WinPE-based media) with Acronis
Snap Deploy 4 Master Image Creator.
OR
§ Install Acronis PXE Server, connect the console to the PXE server and upload Acronis Snap
Deploy 4 Master Image Creator.
4. Depending on your choice in the previous step, boot the machine i n to Acronis Snap Deploy 4
Master Image Creator from the bootable media or from the PXE server.
5. On the master machine, follow the instructions of the Master Image Creator wizard to configure
and launch the imaging operati on. The image can be saved in a network folder, on detachable
media (such as a USB drive), or removable media (such as a DVD). To access the network from
the bootable environment, you must have a DHCP server or configure the network settings of the
master machine manually.
Offline imaging
23 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
2.5.2 Online imaging
Online imaging means that the master system is imaged live (without restarting the machine or
suspending operations). Online imaging can be performed remo te l y whenever you need. The
disadvantage is that you have to install imaging software that is included in the master image. This is
not always rational.
To perform online imaging
1. Configure the master system.
2. Install Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Management Console.
3. Install Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Management Agent on the master system either locally by using
the setup program, or remote ly by us ing Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Manageme nt Conso le.
After Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Management Agent is installed, you can image the master system
online (without restarting the machine) at any time.
4. Connect the console to the master system, click Create image -> Next -> A master ima ge . Follow
the instructions of the Master Image Creator wizard to configure and launch the imaging
operation. The image can be saved in a network folder, on detachable media (such as an USB
drive) or on removable media (such as a DVD).
Online imaging
2.5.3 Deployment
This section illustrates the Acronis components functionality by the example of deployment that you
start manually. For details about the ways of deployment, see “Deploying a master image” (p. 79).
This procedure presumes that you have installed Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Management Console and
created a master image.
To perform deployment
1. Install Acronis Snap Deploy 4 License Server. Import licenses to the license server. Install Acronis
Snap Deploy 4 OS Deploy Server.
24 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
2. Do one of the following:
§ Create bootable media (either Acronis media or WinPE-based media) with Acronis Snap
Deploy 4 Agent.
OR
§ Install Acronis PXE Server, connect the console to the PXE server , and then upload Acronis
Snap Deploy 4 Agent.
3. Depending on your choice in the previous step, boot the targe t mac hines into Acronis Snap
Deploy 4 Agent from the bootable media or from the PXE server.
You must have a DHCP server or configure the network settings of the target machines manually
to enable the target machines to connec t to A cronis Snap Deploy 4 OS Deploy Server.
4. Connect the console to Acronis Snap Deploy 4 OS Deploy Server. Go to the Machines view.
5. Make sure that the target machines are displayed in the list and have the Ready state. This
means that the machines are connected and ready for deployment.
6. Select th e mach in es , clic k Deploy image on the toolbar, and then follow the Create Deployment
Task Wizard instructions to configure and launch the deployment operation. When prompted
about when you want to run the deployment, select Now.
Deployment that starts manually
2.6 What is Acronis Universal Deploy
This section describes the Acronis proprietary technology that helps you to deploy and boot
Windows on dissimilar hardware. Acronis Universal Deploy saves you from configuring a new master
system for each make of hardware you need to perform deployment to.
If you plan to deploy Windows to multiple machines that are identical to each other but differ from
the master machine hardware, deploy the master image to one of the identical machines by using
Acronis Universal Deploy. This will adjust Windows to the dissimilar hardware. Then, create a master
image of the adjusted system and d eploy that image to the identical machines.
The Acronis Universal Deploy option is not available in the stand-al one deployment (p. 9) mode.
25 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
2.6.1 Acronis Universal Deploy purpose
An image of a system can be deployed easily on the hardware where it was created or to identical
hardware. However, if you change a motherboard or use another process or version, the deployed
system could be unbootable. An attempt to transfer the system to a new, much more powerful
machine will usually produce the same result. This is because the new hardware is usually
incompatible with the most critical drivers included in the image.
Using Microsoft System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) does not solve this problem, because Sysprep
permits adding drivers only for Plug and Play devices (such as sound cards, network adapters, and
video cards). As for the system Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) and mass-storage device drivers,
they must be identical on the source and the target machines; see Microsoft Knowledge Base,
articles 302577 and 216915.
Acronis Universal Deploy techn ology provides an efficient solution for hardware-independent system
deployment by adding the crucial Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) and mass-storage device drivers.
2.6.2 Acronis Universal Deploy general principles
Automatic HAL and mass-storage drivers selection
Acronis Universal Deploy searches the Windows default driver storage folders (in the master image
being deployed) for HAL and mass-storage device drivers and installs drivers that better fit the target
hardware. You can specify a custom driver repository (a network folder or a CD) which will also be
used for driver searches.
Tip: The Windows default driver storage folder is determined by the DevicePath value in the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion registry key. This storage folder is
usually WINDOWS\inf.
Manual selection of mass-storage device driver
If the target hardware has a specific mass-storage controller (such as a SCSI, RAID, or Fibre Channel
adapter) for the hard disk, you can install the appropriate driver manually, bypassing the automatic
driver search-and-install procedure.
Installing drivers for Plu g an d Pla y dev ic es
Acronis Universal Deploy relies on built-in Plug and Play discovery and configuration process to
handle hardware differences in devices that are not critical for the deployed system startup, such as
video, audio and USB. Windows tak es control over this process during the logon phase, and if some
of the new hardware is not detected, you will have a chance to install drivers for it later manually.
2.6.3 Acronis Universal Deploy and Microsoft Sysprep
Acronis Universal Deploy is not a system preparation tool. You can apply it to any system image
created by Acronis products, but you cannot apply it to images of systems prepared with Microsoft
System Preparation Tool (Sysprep).
2.6.4 Getting Acronis Universal Deploy
Acronis Universal Deploy is an add-on to Acronis Snap Deploy 4. It is purchased separate ly and has its
own license.
26 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
For information about purchasing Universal Deploy, visit the Acronis Snap Deploy Web page.
2.7 How to
How to image a machine without installing additional software to it?
Perform offline imaging (p. 68).
How to image a machine without restarting it?
Perform online imaging (p. 68).
How to prepare deployment tools?
Create bootable media (p. 59) with Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Agent. The machines will boot from
these media.
How to deploy an image to a list of specific machines?
Use the The machines listed below option in the Create Deployment Task wizard (p. 102).
Specify the list of machines to perform deployment to.
How to deploy an image to a number of any machines?
Use the Any machines ready for deployment option in the Create Deployment Task wizard (p.
106). Specify the number of machines to wait for.
How to deploy an image in the absence of a network connection?
Use Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Standalone Utility (p. 112).
How to enable users to start deployment on t he ir own?
Set up user-initiated deployment (p. 113).
How to view the status of mass deployment?
Open the Deployment tasks view (p. 124).
How to view the list of machines?
Open the Machines view (p. 119).
How to add or remove licenses for de ployment?
Open the Licenses view (p. 54).
27 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
3 Getting started with Acronis Snap Deploy 4
This section describes how to install Acronis Snap Deploy 4 and perfo rm a simpl e deployment.
By following the procedures in this section, you will:
a) Install and start Acronis Snap Deploy 4.
b) Create a master image of a machine.
c) Deploy the master image to the same or a different machine.
Step 1. Installing Acronis Snap Deploy 4
In this step, you will install Acronis Snap Deploy 4 in a typical conf i guration. For the complete
description of installation methods and procedure s, see t he installation section (p. 39).
Before installation, make sure that:
§ You have a machine running a modern version of Windows, such as Windows 7 Professional. For
the list of operating systems where you can install Acronis Snap Deploy 4, see “Supported
operating systems” (p. 39).
§ You have the setup program . You can download the setup program from t h e Acro n i s product
download Web page.
§ You have one or more license keys for Acronis Snap Deploy 4. You can buy full license keys or
obtain trial ones by going to the Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Web page. The type of license (“for
Server” or “for Workstatio n”) determines the type of operating system that you can deploy.
On the machine where you want to install Acronis Snap Deploy 4, do the followin g:
1. Log on as an administrator and start the setup program.
2. Click Install Acronis Snap Deploy 4.
3. Accept the terms of the license agreement, and then click Next.
4. Click Typical.
28 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
5. Click Add license, and then specify the license keys. You can type the license keys manually or
import them from a text file.
6. Specify whether the machine will participate in the Customer Experience Program (CEP).
7. Click Install.
Step 2. Starting Acronis Snap Deploy 4
On the machine where you installe d Acronis Snap Deploy 4:
§ On the desktop, click Acronis Snap Deploy 4.
When Acronis Snap Deploy 4 starts, the welcome screen appears.
Step 3. Creating a bootable media
In this step, you will create a bootable media that enables creating master images and performing
deployment.
On the machine where you installe d a n d started Acronis Snap Deploy 4, do the fol l owing:
29 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
1. On the Tools menu, click Create bootable media.
2. In the list of comp onents, s elec t Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Agent and Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Master
Image Creator.
3. In Network settings, in Server name/IP, specify the name of the machine where you installed
Acronis Snap Deploy 4.
4. Choose to create the media on a CD or DVD. Insert a blank CD-R/RW or DVD-R/RW.
Tip. If no CD-RW, DVD-RW, or a similar optical disc drive is present on the machine, you can
choose to create an ISO file that you can later burn to an optical disc on another machine. You
can also create the media on a USB drive. For details, see “Creating a bootable media” (p. 59).
5. Click Create.
Step 4. Creating a master image
In this step, you will create an image of a machine and save the image to a USB hard disk.
Choose a machine whose image you want to create. No license is required for imaging the machine.
However, a server or a workstation license will be used for deploying the machine, depending on
whether the machine is running a server operating system (such as Windows 2008 Server or Linux) or
a workstation operating system (such as Windows 7). For the list of server and workstation operating
systems, see “Supported operating systems for imaging and depl oyment” (p. 14).
30 Copyright © Acronis, Inc., 2000-2011
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