12 steps to clone windows NT systems with Sysdiff.exe

SYSDIFF.EXE
The SYSDIFF.EXE utility lets you clone system modifications, applications, and changes--but not the NT operating system. You must install NT on the systems before using SYSDIFF.EXE for cloning; I explain a method for combining the NT installation and cloning process later. SYSDIFF.EXE can help make the necessary interface changes and connections to the network and shares. It can also help install application files and implement the necessary Registry changes associated with those files.

You can use SYSDIFF.EXE to perform these tasks in two ways, both of which I explain in this article. You can combine Registry changes and the binary files required to run the applications, putting them into a difference file (a file that identifies differences between the original and current configurations of the system being cloned) and then copy the difference file to the new system. Alternatively, you can use SYSDIFF.EXE to make only Registry changes. This approach creates an .INF file. You then copy the files by performing a backup and restore or by recording the files on a CD-recordable drive and copying them to the target system. Whether or not you include all the programs and auxiliary files, when you decide to clone your system, the most important part of the operation is the Registry.




SYSDIFF.EXE Prerequisites
For SYSDIFF.EXE to work correctly, several things are necessary, including

a master system with NT Server or Workstation 4.0 installed. You will make necessary changes on and add applications to this system.
a share on the server for the SYSDIFF.EXE application and auxiliary files, with sufficient space for all the applications to be installed on the master system. In this article, this share is in D:\BIN, shared as \\SERVER1\SOURCE.
SYSDIFF.EXE, which creates and applies the necessary files for cloning. It is on the NT 4.0 Server CD-ROM in the SUPPORT\DEPTOOLS\platform directory. Copy it to the share you've reserved on the server.
the snapshot file, which SYSDIFF.EXE creates to record the current system status (i.e., create the before picture).
SYSDIFF.INF, which controls what SYSDIFF.EXE looks for when it creates its snapshot and difference files. Copy this file from the CD-ROM to the share.
the difference file (i.e., the after picture), which SYSDIFF.EXE creates and which includes the changes made to the Registry, application files, and files associated with them.
the target systems, which already have NT installed. You'll copy the changes in the difference file to these systems.

If any of these parts are missing, preparing and implementing the clone installations will not work.


Step-by-Step Cloning: The Difference File Method

Here are 12 steps for cloning NT systems, using SYSDIFF.EXE to create a difference file that you'll copy to the target system.

1.Install NT Workstation or Server 4.0 on the master system. However, wait to install applications until step 5.
2.At the master system, map a drive letter to a share on the server (for example, X:\ is mapped to D:\BIN).
3.At the server, copy the SYSDIFF.EXE and SYSDIFF.INF files from the NT 4.0 Server CD-ROM in the SUPPORT\DEPTOOLS\PLATFORM directory to D:\BIN.
Tip: Run the SYSDIFF.EXE application from the server's shared directory. Store the snapshot and difference files in this directory, as well. You might get slightly better performance by running SYSDIFF.EXE from your local drive, but doing so requires more manual copying of files.

Warning: Putting the difference file on your local drive on the master system might cause SYSDIFF.EXE to create a monstrous file or even hang the process. The system might get caught in a loop, trying to copy the file it is copying to. To improve performance by using your local drive for storing the difference file, add the path in which the difference file will be stored to the SYSDIFF.INF file under the [ExcludeDirectoryTrees] section. Then, SYSDIFF.EXE will ignore and exclude the difference file from the snapshot and difference file process.

4.At the master system, run the command

SYSDIFF /SNAP X:\before.img

(you can use any 32-bit valid filename). This command takes a snapshot of the current NT installation and of all installed files and settings. The snapshot includes the directories and files, Registry, and .INI files.
When finished with the process, SYSDIFF notifies you with a "Snapshot complete" message in a dialog box. (You can use the procedures listed here to add software to an installed system. When you run the snapshot, it takes a current picture. From that point, adding other items produces a difference file.)

5.Set up NT on the master system the way you want, including (but not limited to) shares, printers, and network connections.
6.Make Registry changes on the master system by editing the Registry directly or through the Control Panel. (For more information about editing the Registry, see Christa Anderson, "Care and Feeding of the Registry," December 1996.)
7.Add software applications to the master system
8.Set up applications as you want, including default directories, toolbars, preferences, and other settings.

Warning: Before performing the next step to create the difference file, reboot the master system to ensure all functions relating to the application installation are completed and all files have been closed

9.Run the command

SYSDIFF /DIFF X:\before.img X:\after.img

at the master system, with X:\before.img being the snapshot file and path and X:\after.img being the difference file and path. (You can give the difference file any extension you want; I usually don't give it an extension, because of the difficulty in using the command line and the decimal place.) SYSDIFF.EXE takes a snapshot of the entire system again, compares the new snapshot to the old one and writes the difference file to the hard disk.

The difference file includes all changes, directories, and files and can be an extremely large file. The difference file includes the directories and files, Registry changes ,and .INI files. Once the difference file has been written to disk, a dialog box appears with a "Diff complete" message.
10.Install NT on the target system.

Warning: All systems receiving the difference file must have NT in a directory that has the same name on each system.

11.On the target system, map a drive letter to the snapshot/difference file location, such as X:\ mapped to the server's D:\BIN

12.Use

SYSDIFF/m/applyX:\after.img

(X:\after.img is the difference file and path) to apply the difference file to the target system. SYSDIFF.EXE copies all the binary files to the target system and then makes the necessary changes to the Registry and .INI files. The benefit of using SYSDIFF.EXE is that you don't need to use the application setup functions to install the applications.

As soon as you get one system started in the cloning process, you can start another. NT networking lets multiple systems access the same file. The only limitation to having multiple systems access the server is the amount of traffic each system generates.


Tip: At this point, you can simultaneously apply the difference file to as many NT systems as you can connect to the network. However, first test the process on one system to ensure that the procedure works exactly as planned. Then, attach to the network and clone away
#-)#-)#-)#-)#-)


HTH