Restoring an image file onto client computers

GhostCasting

Restoring an image file onto client computers

To restore an image file, you must first start a GhostCast session on the GhostCast Server. Once you create a session, connect the client computers to the GhostCast session.

To restore an image onto client computers using the GhostCast Server

  1. Click Restore Image to send an image file to all connecting clients.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • In the Image File box, type the name and full path of the image file containing the image.

    • Click Browse to find the location.

  3. On the File menu, click Image Description to view or modify a description of the image file.

    The disk or partition settings must be selected. If the file selected is not a valid image file, an error message appears.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • To restore an image of an entire disk, click Disk.

    • To restore an image of a partition and select the partition from the image file, click Partition.

  5. Click Accept Clients to accept the client computer into the session.

    The Accept Clients button becomes active when all required boxes are filled out.

  6. Join the client computers to the GhostCast session.

  7. Click Send to start the image restore and the GhostCast session when all of the required clients have joined the session.

The progress indicator shows the status of the GhostCast session as it proceeds, along with other image file and transfer details. The statistics shown are based on the image file size and reflect the sizes after compression. The speed shows the actual amount of data being sent over the network in megabytes-per-minute from the image file. The client status changes to In Progress.

If you close the GhostCast Server or turn off the computer once a GhostCast session has started, the GhostCast session stops and a warning message appears.

You must start Ghost.exe on the client computer and join the clients to the GhostCast session.

To join a GhostCast session to restore an image file to client computers

  1. On the client computers, use the Ghost Boot Disk to start Ghost.exe.

  2. On the Ghost.exe menu, click GhostCasting, then select one of the following:

    Multicast

    Connect to the session using Multicasting

    Direct Broadcast

    Connect to the session using Direct Broadcasting

    Unicasting

    Connect to the session using Unicasting

  3. In the GhostCast Session Name to Join dialog box, type the session name.

  4. Click OK.

  5. Select the disk to restore.

  6. Click OK.

  7. Select the partition to restore, if required.

  8. Click OK.

  9. Click Yes to indicate that the computer is ready for the image restore to begin.

    The IP and MAC addresses of the client computers that are connected and waiting for the GhostCast session to start appear in the Connected Clients list along with their status.