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Wireless restoring an OS on a remote computer (Read 7680 times)
Brian
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Wireless restoring an OS on a remote computer
Nov 3rd, 2011 at 1:10am
 
This is an interesting way to use Image for Linux. Two computers, A and B. B is situated at the far end of the house and has had its Win7 partition imaged. The image is stored in A. Both computers have wireless NICs and there is a WPA2 secured network. There are no wires from either computer to the router.

From A you can send a psexec cmd file to B which initiates an IFL restore of the OS partition. You don't have to physically access B for the restore.
 
 
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NightOwl
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Re: Wireless restoring an OS on a remote computer
Reply #1 - Nov 4th, 2011 at 10:35am
 
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Brian

Quote:
Wireless restoring an OS on a remote computer

I see you have been experimenting  Wink -- thanks for sharing--good to know one can use a wireless connection!

Any comments on speed?  How long does the process take over the wireless connection vs  restoring from a local HDD on the system?

Did you do this both directions--create an image of B to A as well as restore the image from A to B?

Quote:
From A you can send a psexec cmd file to B which initiates an IFL restore of the OS partition. You don't have to physically access B for the restore.

So, A is running Windows--or do you have to boot A to Image for Linux first? 

And, is B running Windows at the time Image for Linux takes over?

Does Image for Linux have the ability to image the remote system if the remote system is running Windows--or does it close down Windows and boot to Image for Linux to create the image?

I know, I know--so many questions  Wink !
 

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No question is stupid ... but, possibly the answers are Wink !
 
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Brian
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Re: Wireless restoring an OS on a remote computer
Reply #2 - Nov 4th, 2011 at 7:49pm
 
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NightOwl

Questions are good!

It was a fun procedure and not something that you would do by choice as Wireless N speed for the restore was around 3 MB/sec. Even so, I can restore a fairly basic WinXP partition in less than 10 minutes. A wired network would restore five times faster and internal HD to HD would be faster again.

A is my computer. I can be running WinXP or Win7 for the procedure. B is my son's computer, running WinXP or Win7. Yes, I can create images of his computer partitions without leaving my computer. The images can be written to his or my computer. Wired or wireless network. I use IFW rather than IFL to create the images as it is easier and can be done without his computer restarting.

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/kb/article.php?id=358

A Linux OS has to be used to create the special IFL ISO which will subsequently be use to create Windows "bootfiles". In Linux you can add scripts containing your wireless information (SSID, WPA2 password), network username, password, IPaddress of computer A and restore command line. In Windows this ISO is used to create the final 3 bootfiles which are copied to a folder in computer B.

http://www.terabyteunlimited.com/howto/howto-ifl-bootfile.htm

Computers A and B are both running a Windows OS. Computer A sends a psexec batch file to computer B. This file runs the 3 bootfiles in computer B causing a restart into IFL where networking is established and the restore occurs. When the restore has completed computer B restarts into the restored OS.

IFL and IFD create and restore images outside of Windows. IFW is the only one that will image the running OS. IFW can restore OS images but it has to be done outside of Windows in a WinPE.

Although the above IFL test was done using a wireless network the method is the same if using a wired network. A wired network is preferable because of speed.

 
 
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Brian
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Re: Wireless restoring an OS on a remote computer
Reply #3 - Nov 4th, 2011 at 8:11pm
 
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NightOwl

Lately I have been using IFW to do the above procedure. Restore an OS image on computer B without leaving computer A (the image is in computer A). Wireless can't be used with IFW when it is offline. A wired network is needed.

I'm using the Active@ Boot Disk I mentioned some weeks ago. It is installed in a 250 MB partition on my son's computer and contains IFW and a batch file which establishes networking and runs an IFW restore. I send a psexec batch file to his computer which causes BootNow to restart his computer into the Active@ PE and the restore occurs.

I like Active@ PE. I have one on my HD and I use it to restore my OS images. I can't see the Active@ partition from Windows as it's deliberately not in the MBR but I can copy restore batch files into the partition by using TBOSDT. So if I wanted to restore yesterday morning's image I'd copy the relevant batch file to the Active@ partition and restart the computer into Active@. All of this is automated, a double click and that's it. I restore an OS image a few times a month so automation is very handy.

WinPE doesn't support WPA2 security and that's why a wired network is necessary. Linux does support WPA2 security and IFL can do it as it is running in a Linux environment.

 
 
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