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Ghost 10 COM Interface (Read 15086 times)
Pleonasm
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Ghost 10 COM Interface
Feb 20th, 2006 at 12:45pm
 
The thread Ghost 10 Scripting With VBS implies that there exists a COM (component object module) interface for Ghost 10 which would allow the product to be invoked and used through a Visual Basic script.

I have sent the author an email requesting additional information.

Does anyone else know more about this?
 

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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #1 - Feb 20th, 2006 at 9:15pm
 
bump above the spam
 
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jf38081
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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #2 - Feb 21st, 2006 at 4:54pm
 
Hi there - I'm trying to accomplish the same thing.  Have you heard back from the author? 

I followed the link, but I couldn't find the docs/Automation folder that the author referenced. 

Basically I want a batch file that will cause ghost to clone a disk on a regular schedule.

I can't even find any other refernces to the com library the author was using. 

Any more leads on your end?
Thanks
Jim
 
 
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Pleonasm
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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #3 - Feb 21st, 2006 at 5:55pm
 
Jf38081, yes, the author of the thread did kindly respond to my email.  He indicated that the documentation and example VBS scripts are in the \Docs\Automation\Examples folder on the CD.

However, I do not see this folder on either the Symantec Recovery Disc (i.e., the Ghost 10 recovery environment) that is included with Norton SystemWorks 2006 Premier, nor on the Norton SystemWorks 2006 Premier disc itself.

Is this folder present on the product CD for Ghost 10 proper?
 

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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #4 - Feb 21st, 2006 at 11:07pm
 
So you think this is only on the CD?  I have Ghost 9 only and I can't find it.
J
 
 
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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #5 - Feb 21st, 2006 at 11:47pm
 
Yes, on the Ghost 10 CD there is a docs\automation\examples folder.  It contains four files:
addimagejob.vbs.example
copyvolume.vbs.example
createimagenow.vbs.example
removealljobs.vbs.example

They look like Norton LiveState vbs scripts to me from the comments.  Here is the text from createimagenow.vbs.example:

'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
'
' Symantec LiveState Recovery 6.0 Automation
'
' Copyright (c) 2003-2005 by Symantec Corporation
' All Rights Reserved
'
' THIS SCRIPTING EXAMPLE IS PROVIDED IN CONJUNCTION WITH YOUR LICENSE FOR SYMANTEC
' LIVESTATE (TM) RECOVERY SOFTWARE PRODUCTS, AND MAY BE USED ONLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH
' THAT SOFTWARE, UNDER THE TERMS OF THE END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT THAT ACCOMPANIED
' THE SOFTWARE. THIS SCRIPTING EXAMPLE IS PROPRIETARY SYMANTEC PROPERTY.  YOU MAY NOT
' COPY, DISTRIBUTE, LICENSE OR SUBLICENSE THE SCRIPTING DOCUMENTATION.
'
'-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------
'
'  Example Script: Create an image of system drive to a passed-in network folder

<< snip >>
 

Ghost4me  Ghost 9, 10, 12, 14, 15.  Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7
 
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Pleonasm
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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #6 - Feb 22nd, 2006 at 7:27am
 
Ghost4me, if we can learn more about the Ghost 10 COM interface, it opens the doors wide for customization of the product.  Additionally, it may provide more insight into the 'inner workings' of "hot imaging," a topic that has been of interest on this forum.

I have found no documentation on the Symantec website concerning this capability, unfortunately.
 

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John.
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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #7 - Feb 22nd, 2006 at 8:14am
 
I don't really know anything else.  However the Symantec LiveState product consists of two products -- a server version of Ghost and the client version(s).  As I understand it, you manage the clients from the server software.  The server probably triggers a vbs script on the client to initiate the Ghost operations.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=createimagenow
 

Ghost4me  Ghost 9, 10, 12, 14, 15.  Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7
 
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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #8 - Feb 23rd, 2006 at 7:30am
 
Quote:


1) The PDF file of that link seems inaccessible.

2) Looking at the HTML presentation of the PDF file, as offered by Google, doesn't reveal any documentation of the COM interface.

Still searching,
Michael Bednarek
 
 
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Pleonasm
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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #9 - Jan 14th, 2007 at 11:12am
 
Pages 17 and 18 of the PowerQuest V2i Protector document contain some (limited) information about writing VBScripts to run Ghost.
 

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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #10 - Jan 14th, 2007 at 2:05pm
 
Quote:
"... on the Ghost 10 CD there is a docs\automation\examples folder.  It contains four files:
addimagejob.vbs.example
copyvolume.vbs.example
createimagenow.vbs.example
removealljobs.vbs.example

They look like Norton LiveState vbs scripts to me from the comments..."

I thoroughly searched my Norton Save & Restore installation CD, but turned up no *.vbs files of any kind, and D:\NSR11.0\DOCS\ACROBAT was the only subfolder in such a path.

EP
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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #11 - Jan 15th, 2007 at 3:57pm
 
El_Pescador, I can also confirm that the VBScript files for Ghost 10 are not on the Norton SystemWorks 2006 Premier CD.  Apparently, these files are only included on the Ghost 10 product CD.
 

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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #12 - Jan 15th, 2007 at 7:13pm
 
Pleonasm wrote on Jan 15th, 2007 at 3:57pm:
"... I can also confirm that the VBScript files for Ghost 10 are not on the Norton SystemWorks 2006 Premier CD..."

My examination confirms yours for both the SystemWorks 2006 Premier CD itself and for its accompanying Symantec Recovery Disk CD.

EP
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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #13 - Jan 27th, 2007 at 3:05pm
 
I spent several hours investigating and testing some of the facets of the VBScript interface to Norton Ghost 10, and it is indeed extensive.  In brief, any functionality accessible through the application interface can also be employed in a script.

Why use Ghost 10 through a script?  There could be many situations where it is beneficial  For example:
  • If you wish to run an application immediately before (or after) a recovery point is created, these other task can precede (or follow) the invocation of Ghost 10 in a script.
  • If you want to manage the set of recovery points according to your own preferences, this can be accomplished.
  • If you want to run a Ghost 10 backup job at an interval that is not supported in the Ghost 10 scheduling facility (e.g., on Friday at 10:00a except if it is the last day of the month), the script could be run once an hour as a Windows XP scheduled task and - when the designated time arrives - then start the Ghost 10 backup job.
  • If you want to automatically mount a recovery point, this appears to be possible.
  • If you want to set the throttle speed of a Ghost 10 backup job depending upon variable conditions, this appears to be possible.
  • Although I did not test it, it appears that the user can alter the criterion upon which an incremental job is launched.  The ChangeLimitMB property of the DriveChangesMonitor object indicates the number of MBs of change that trigger the event.
The documentation provided by Symantec for the scripting facility of Norton Ghost includes a few examples to get you started, plus descriptions of each object, property, and method available.  If you have a moderate amount of VBScript experience – and some patience for testing and learning – it is quite possible to programmatically use Ghost 10.

P.S.:  On a subjective note, running Ghost 10 in a script is fun!  There is a lot here that I have not yet explored….
 

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Re: Ghost 10 COM Interface
Reply #14 - Jan 30th, 2007 at 7:39am
 
For those exploring the realm of Ghost 10 VBScripts, it may be helpful to know that the .PQJ files in "C:\Program Files\Norton Ghost\Agent\Schedule" are XML representations of each scheduled job.  These files may be opened and viewed with Notepad.  Of most significance is that the names of the XML tags appear to exactly match the objects and properties used by the scripting interface.  In this way, a user can discern the mapping between the options within a scheduled job and the corresponding objects/properties.
 

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