Description
To show how Ivanti EPM can be used to recycle existing information from the Ivanti EPM Database back into a newly re-imaged computer.
For this document, I chose to use the Windows "Description" inventory data, but the methodology could certainly be applied to any number of other useful pieces of Inventory data - the possibilities are endless!
Background
In a former environment, I used a VBScript for Device Name (NetBIOS/hostname) creation after OSD. The PC naming convention is to use a 3-digit alpha code unique to each physical location, and the last six digits of the onboard Ethernet MAC address. The alpha code is determined in VBScript by obtaining the IP address of the Ethernet adapter and matching the 2nd octet up to a string in a dictionary.
For example:
Arapahoe Ridge High School = ARH - network is 10.66.x.x - VBScript says if 2nd octet is 66 then device name will begin with ARH
Pioneer Elementary School = PIE - network is 10.67.x.x
Manhattan Middle School = MAM - network is 10.68.x.x
So device names end up being ARH3CF1BF, PIE789FAC, MAM82EF08, etc.
This naming convention is EXCELLENT when it comes to writing LANDESK scopes, queries, Active Directory automation, and custom scripts that must know the physical location of the computer. This convention is TERRIBLE for actual identification of a single machine in the flock.
That is what Microsoft created the "Description" for, AKA the SRVCOMMENTvalue data in the HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Lanmanserver\Parameters\ registry key. Computers need a standardized network name that makes scripting easy, AND a Friendly-Name that is useful to us Humans.
When reimaging a whole lab like the BOH Library, it's time-consuming to go around and re-describe each computer, especially when the description is the same as it was before.
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HOW-TO for Provisioning (added September 13, 2011, tested on 9.0 SP2 and SP3)
Attached to this document is a Provisioning "Include" template for 9.0 SP2/SP3 - it greatly simplifies the Description injection over the Classic OSD method outlined in the next section. It uses no INI or BAT files, requires no image modifications, and occurs in WinPE before an image ever boots up.
The Include template performs the following steps, and should be added to the Post-OS Installation phase at some point after the new OS image has been laid down to C: and the volume is writable:
Step 1 - Back up the SYSTEM registry hive to SYSTEM.BAK
Step 2 - REG.exe mounts the SYSTEM registry hive as OSDSYSTEM
Step 3 - REG.exe writes the new Description to the registry, using a Variable called "DeviceDescription" which references "Computer"."Description" from the DB
Step 4 - REG.exe unmounts the OSDSYSTEM registry hive.
That's it! All you have to do is import the attached Include and include it in your Post-OS Installation phase of a Provisioning template.
Voila! Every time you reimage a computer, Ivanti EPM can now recycle the current Description from the DB.