SMS Vs. Ghost Cast Server? Thoughts?

[Prizmm]

My team manages educational institutions and we are looking for a better way to manage desktops. The two products that we have come up with so far are SMS 2003 and Norton Solution Suite 8.2(Ghost cast server). I am looking for feedback on the two products and how they differ? Usability, price, migration, etc. we really want to be able to push out images and updates quickly and efficiently. Thanks

 

[tbrennans]

Well along with SMS 2003 osd feature pack :

http://www.microsoft.com/smserver/downloads/2003/osdfp.asp

1e made this enhancement

http://www.1e.com/SoftwareProducts/OSDBranch/Index.aspx

and from 1e:
Quote "FYI - with OSDBranch we multicast a 1Gb OSD image to 20 machines in our lab in 20 mins"

from another test:

It uses Powerquest Multicasting, Virtual Boot floppies and shell scripts to control it. 1.8GB image file to 9 client machines on 100-full.

4:42 begin script to initiate imaging
4:42:30 end script, clients restarts
4:44:15 imaging begins
4:48 imaging ends, restarts
4:50:30 mini-setup ends, restarts
4:52:15 autologon/join domain ends, restarts
4:53:45 ready to use

Not having used either, I have not verified....

1e will have a multicast ready if not already, in a few days following mmc in Vegas (at least that what Phil Wilcock of 1e said on the 12th.)

 

[tbrennans]

of course the powerquest test is in reference to
Symantec, and now rolled into newest Ghost product suite…


that test was just donr by an admin in his own lab where he posted "his" results, and was not done by symantec