Re: Problem with the System Cloning Tool

Larry,

Did I get it right - you want to run everything from the device? And that is what you called "remotely", right?

What you described can be easy implemented within a batch file or any other script (WSH).
You don't need a special tool for that.
Just have an access to a network server share. You connect to it from the device from the batch file script and read/write some
parameters there that will affect the new name you are about to generate with newsid utility. If you use WSH and FileSystemObject
you will be able to implement all you want to in just a few lines on code.

--
Regards,
KM, BSquare Corp.


> I'm just investigating my possibilities. The best would have been a way for the cloning
> tool itself to generate sequential names but that doesn't seem very feasible. I do have
> remote connectivity. I could let the tool generate a fixed name, connect it to the
> network, and connect to it remotely and map a drive. Then I want to be able to do
> something like 'newsid' and change it's name 'manually'. Then connect the next system
> and do the same. So I'm looking for a tool like 'newsid' that I can run from a remote
> computer to change the name on the target computer.
>
> In article <eO8XwveSFHA.3144@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Km wrote:
> > From: "KM" <konstmor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: Re: Problem with the System Cloning Tool
> > Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 16:10:38 -0700
> > Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.embedded
> >
> > Larry,
> >
> > Sorry, I lost the point.
> > I had thought you problem was how to have a unique name specified per device and be
> able to connect to it and change the name as
> > you'd want it to be.
> > But seems like I was wrong and you were asking about the remote tool that would allow
> you to connect to a headless terminal. Is it
> > right?
> >
> > RDP, Telnet, Computer Manager, etc.?
> > Many remote tools are out there that will be helpful to you as long as you are able to
> connect to the computer remotely over NetBT.
> >
> > If I am wrong in my assumptions, please describe your problem and system/deployment
> setup and procedure.
> >
> > --
> > Regards,
> > KM, BSquare Corp.
> >
> > > You said "Then you connect to a machine resolving the name and change the
> name/reboot."
> > > That's kind of what I was looking for. How do I do that? I can use 'newsid' if I
> connect
> > > a keyboard and monitor but it doesn't look like I can do that remotely.
> > >
> > > In article <eZwX27dSFHA.3420@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Km wrote:
> > > > From: "KM" <konstmor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > Subject: Re: Problem with the System Cloning Tool
> > > > Date: Mon, 25 Apr 2005 14:37:45 -0700
> > > > Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.embedded
> > > >
> > > > Larry,
> > > >
> > > > How are you going to identify the client machine on the network remotely?
> > > >
> > > > You could connect to the machine by its IP address. But if you use DHCP you will
> have to
> > > either guess on the IP or use the server
> > > > logs if accessible.
> > > > Or you can have a static IP built-in but then don't turn on all the targets the
> same
> > > time on the same network.
> > > >
> > > > Alternatively, you can have a common name for all machines (again, don't turn them
> all
> > > on once) or uniquely generated during FBA
> > > > (you may or may not end up seeing the bug Rob reported). Then you connect to a
> machine
> > > resolving the name and change the
> > > > name/reboot.
> > > >
> > > > Another way of changing the network computer name manually would be connecting to
> the
> > > target over serial.
> > > >
> > > > But again, if you have a programming skills, I'd rather suggest you to write a
> tool to
> > > automate the process. This is all pretty
> > > > straight forward to implement with a script language and a server write access
> share.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Regards,
> > > > KM, BSquare Corp.
> > > >
> > > > > I was hoping for just a command line program that would change the computer name
> on a
> > > > > remote computer?
> > > > >
> > > > > In article <OmJqiS2RFHA.3336@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Km wrote:
> > > > > > From: "KM" <konstmor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > > > Subject: Re: Problem with the System Cloning Tool
> > > > > > Date: Fri, 22 Apr 2005 10:56:55 -0700
> > > > > > Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.embedded
> > > > > >
> > > > > > And just to add to that.. If you happened to get an IP for a device and NetBT
> works,
> > > > > then you can try to resolve the "<fixed prefix>
> > > > > > NN" netbios names on the network and the first unresolved one would show you
> the
> > > current
> > > > > number top. This will give a simple
> > > > > > incrementing procedure.
> > > > > > Adding proper error handling considering possible network problem would also
> help.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > --
> > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > KM, BSquare Corp.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > > Could you write a run once app, something that could contact a network
> > > > > > > service which arbitrate's network names, something in a vain of a DHCP
> > > > > > > server, or you could do it on the basis of IP address? So you plug the
> > > > > > > terminal into a network, get its IP address and set the name of the machine
> > > > > > > on the basis of its IP, that way you could rely on the DHCP server
> > > > > > > infrastructure to keep names unique. I don't think that there's an off the
> > > > > > > shelf way that you could do it, but writing your own shouldn't prove to be
> > > > > > > that difficult.
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > HTH,
> > > > > > > Rob
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > "Larry Waibel" wrote:
> > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > I'd like for my cloned systems to take on names that begin with some fixed
> > > prefix
> > > > > and then
> > > > > > > > have an incrementing number on the end. I don't see how I could automated
> that.
> > > My
> > > > > > > > systems are headless and keyboard-less. How can I change the computer
> name from
> > > a
> > > > > remote
> > > > > > > > network connected location?
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > In article <eNPZebrRFHA.3072@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Km wrote:
> > > > > > > > > From: "KM" <konstmor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > > > > > > > > Subject: Re: Problem with the System Cloning Tool
> > > > > > > > > Date: Thu, 21 Apr 2005 14:13:05 -0700
> > > > > > > > > Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.embedded
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Rob,
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > I am taking back some of my previous statements about how FBA generates
> > > computer
> > > > > names.
> > > > > > > > > A quick journey in to FBA just showed me that the algorithm is extremely
> > > simple.
> > > > > No use
> > > > > > > > of MAC, and the seed is the same but just
> > > > > > > > > updated with the local time current to the call.
> > > > > > > > > It they happened to use CRT's srand/rand then the generated
> pseudo-random
> > > names
> > > > > are not
> > > > > > > > random at all.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > Since all your target are the same it might have happened that you
> turned them
> > > on
> > > > > the
> > > > > > > > same time and get the same seed for some (15)
> > > > > > > > > of them.
> > > > > > > > > This is all just a guess of mine, of course.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > But I'd recommend you to come up with your own good algorithm for
> generating
> > > > > computer
> > > > > > > > names and use APIs like SetComputerNameEx.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > > > Regards,
> > > > > > > > > KM, BSquare Corp.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > PS. There are even some obvious bugs in the FBA gen name algorithm
> > > implementation
> > > > > but
> > > > > > > > this is irrelevant to your problem.
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > I'm using the System Cloning Tool to name my machines, now I seal the
> image,
> > > > > > > > > > clone the drives and put the drives in our terminals. However, on a
> sample
> > > of
> > > > > > > > > > only 80 images we've had about 15 network name clashes. Is there a
> setting
> > > > > > > > > > that I have to have change, or is there a top limit that the machines
> will
> > > > > > > > > > safely clone to?
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > My concern is that we are toying with the idea of using remote boot
> systems
> > > > > > > > > > that will have in the order of a 1000 units. Will we end up in the
> situation
> > > > > > > > > > where large numbers of our terminals will have name clashes?
> > > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > > > > Thanks for any information you might have.
> > > > > > > > > > Rob
> > > > > > > > > > --
> > > > > > > > > > .Net Development Engineer
> > > > > > > > > > ECM Systems Ltd
> > > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Can remotely add users on some XP machines, some I cant. Why?
    ... If you can logon locally or use Remote Desktop to do such on one of the ... administrator or power user on the target computer in order to create local ... user accounts which you probably can see via Computer Management if you have ... proper network connectivity. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • Offer Remote Assistance - "Permission denied" - Windows XP SP2
    ... We are having problems getting "Offer Remote Assistance" to work in our ... Access this computer from the network MYDOMAIN\Domain Admins,MYDOMAIN\Domain ... Back up files and directories Administrators ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.security_admin)
  • RE: Remote desktop over a VPN
    ... I understand the issue to be: you have created VPN ... from SBS to remote network, however you can not VPN to remote network from ... This issue may occur because the ISA Server Firewall Client program does ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: PID 1212 slowly maxing out?
    ... RpcSS.dll is related to DcomLaunch and RpcSs (Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service). ... I'm on a home network running on wireless. ... FastUserSwitchingCompatibility = Fast User Switching Compatibility ... Logical Disk Manager service ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: BT internal network problems.
    ... > have a persistant problem with connecting to a remote site on a BT ... >network can be unavailable for hours at a time. ... Whenever the link was down I did a tracert to the remote system. ... See my posts the past weeks, such as 'BT Yahoo packet loss', etc, etc. ...
    (uk.telecom.broadband)