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Can't create net restore image 10.6.2 Server Utilities

The school I work with just bought 33 new imacs and 30 new macbooks all that have snow leopard instead of leopard.
Partially my fault cuz I didn't look at the order close enough. It isn't a total issue though because the parental controls on Snow Leopard really gave me the options I needed which is a plus.
My issue of course is getting an image to push out as I don't want to do them all by firewire/ethernet (laptops no long have firewire connections).
We have 10.5 servers so obviously the SIU on them will not let me image 10.6 machines.
Per some instructions on Apple's page, I loaded one of the 10.6 desktops with the 10.6.2 Server Admin tools.
I ran the SIU off of that system which did pick up the system I had in Target Disk Mode.
I just did the standard Net Restore creation, no additional packages or anything.
The system creates the image but then at stage 2 it always fails. Doesn't give me any useful info either, just says that it failed.
The Source machine for the image was also 10.6.2 (I know 10.6.3 is out but thought upgrading to 10.6.3 was the issue the first time I tried it).
I am thinking about getting a MAC Mini w/ Server 10.6 on it, but I don't want to drop the cash if it is going to have the same issue as the Client 10.6 machine had running the server admin tools.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks in advance for any help.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

marook

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Irwin W.

I have a 10.4 server in one office and can boot 10.5 and 10.6 no problem.

Do this:
-go to the Apple download site and grab 10.6.3 server combo update.
-mount the DMG
-download Pacifist from Versiontracker.com
-load the 10.6.3 pkg file in Pacifist
-extract the new image utility

You should now be ableto make an image and a boot image also.

dnetsol

ASKER

Marook - Just want to make sure I am going about this right. I put DeployStuido on the 10.5 Server, but I need to create the boot USB and boot the imac off of that in order to push the image to the DeployStudio Server, right?

dnetsol

ASKER

nappy_d : I do not see the System Image Utility as an option in the 10.6.3 server combo update under the applications folder or utilies.

dnetsol

ASKER

Nappy_d: ignore that last comment.. I downloaded the client update not server -.-

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marook

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SOLUTION

marook

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dnetsol

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@marook: I will give this a try tomorrow from the source emac.
@nappy_d: (just because I like cultivating multiple ways of doing things, IE always have a planB): When I extract the System Image Utility from the pkg and try to run it, it just jumps a couple times then goes away

Irwin W.

Here is another link to it from Version Tracker http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/17727

This way if Deploy Studio(which should work) is giving you too much trouble it will allow you to create a Netboot and Netrestore image for your 10.6 machines on your 10.5 server

dnetsol

ASKER

For those who come across this.
USer Deploy studio on the source machine to create the NBR file. Copy that to the netboot/deploy studio server. Boot from that which should boot you into the Deploy Studio thing, then create your master or restore.
Master creation took about 40 mins for 8 GB file. Restore took 5 minutes. Awesome!