Acronis is known for its top-notch backup and restore solutions, ready to help you return a system to a functional configuration. One of its applications is Acronis Snap Deploy, a tool dedicated mostly to the business environment, providing a fast and cost-effective way to deploy an operating disk image to multiple computers, regardless of their hardware structure.
What this application actually does is generate a disk image of a system configuration (called the ‘master system’) and then deploy it to other workstations in the same network. The built-in wizards are ready to guide you through each step, making every task easy to carry out.
Using the advanced technology that Acronis relies on, the software can create a facsimile of a system (where the ‘Management Agent’ is installed), configurations and installed programs included.
Alternatively, you can instruct it to generate a bootable disk, which can be used for installing a master image on the local or a remote machine or creating an image of the host system. The output can be saved locally or transferred to a removable drive or a network shared location. Machines can also be booted from Acronis PXE Server, provided this utility is installed.
All the machines in the network can be administered centrally with the help of the ‘Management Console’ (displays status, progress, identification data and configuration details), while the ‘OS Deploy Server’ allows you to organize deployment tasks. This latter component can initiate deployment procedures on demand (manually) or automatically, due to its scheduling capabilities. Also, the wake-on-LAN function helps you awaken any PC in the network.
Thanks to its versatile configuration options, Acronis Snap Deploy can provide business users with the perfect disk imaging tool. Its flexibility allows you to quickly return a system to its original configuration, no matter its specifications and customize workstation settings for any PC in the network.
Using Acronis’ own award-winning disk imaging technology, the product creates an exact disk image of the standard configuration, including the operating system and all applications.
It then deploys that image to multiple systems simultaneously, making it ideal for rapid bare-metal installations of PCs and servers.
Acronis Snap Deploy also provides configuration management tools to configure system settings, manage files, and execute applications on systems throughout the network.
- High-Performance Dispatch:
- From a central administration point, you can deploy a master image – including Operating System and applications – to multiple PCs or servers across your network simultaneously, via multicast or unicast. It’s fast and easy.
- Hardware Versatility:
- If you need to deploy your image to PCs with different hardware architectures, no problem. Acronis Universal Deploy ensures that your new systems boot up correctly even if they’re running on dissimilar hardware.
- Flexible Deployment Options:
- Deploy on your own terms! Acronis Snap Deploy gives you plenty of options, including manual, automatic, user-initiated and scheduled deployment. Additionally, Wake-on-LAN automatically boots powered-off machines. And standalone image deployment lets you deploy an image even if your network is down.
- Machine-Specific Configuration:
- You can assign individual settings to each PC or server to ensure they all receive an appropriately tailored configuration. The new list of machines allows monitoring of progress and status, as well as pre-configuration of new machines identified by their MAC address.
- Post-Deployment Customization:
- As soon as you finish a deployment, Acronis Snap Deploy allows you to easily modify Windows settings, such as computer name, IP configuration or SID, in order to offer your end-users optimal customization and ensure unique names on your network.
- Boot Up on Your Own Terms:
- To be ready for deployment, you can boot your machines from customizable media such as CD, DVD, flash drive, or from Acronis PXE Server with network boot. Acronis Snap Deploy lets you choose between both Linux and WinPE bootable environments. And it allows you to add necessary drivers to WinPE media to ensure it works on your new hardware
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