Windows Imaging Software

[kaplin42]

Question for fellow techs.

We are looking into finding some new imaging software. Right now we are using Altiris, but it's a little more than we need, and a little more cludgy than we would like.

Must be able to deploy hardware independent unattended OS installs.
Must be able to create and deploy .msi packages of various pieces of software.
Logging (specifically error) would be a huge bonus. In Altiris, if a job fails it just says error 99, at which point I have to keep myself from going Office Space on our deployment server.
Report logging would be great. Who is running what version of software x.

Any thing that you guys use would be appreciated. We are in the research phase currently and looking at all options. Also wouldn't hurt if this worked with OSX and iOS as well.

[QuikSsurfer]

We use SCCM (OSD)... works for everything you described.
How large is your environment?

[kaplin42]

Originally Posted by QuikSsurfer

We use SCCM (OSD)... works for everything you described.
How large is your environment?

Medium size environment....2000 - 2500 machines.

[Fish]

We use PXE and SCCM for Windows deployment and management. And DeployStudio for OSX deployment and management. SCCM now does limited OS X management as well, but it takes a lot of configuring to make it work. DeployStudio also works with Windows/Linux. But is limited on how much it can manage Windows/Linux.

But deploying hardware independent images depends more on how you prepare the images, as opposed to what deployment option you use.