1 Release notes for Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Beta
Release date: 11-May-2011
Build: 169
2 Overview
We are pleased to announce the launch of Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Beta build. This is a comprehensive deployment solution that enables IT organizations to deploy or restore laptops and desktops quickly and easily.
Before you install the product, please carefully read the "Installation notes" and "Known issues" sections of this document.
3 What's new in Acronis Snap Deploy 4
The following new functionalities have been added:
ü Windows 7/2008 R2 support
ü Ability to deploy Microsoft Virtual Hard Drive (VHD) images
ü Failing Back to Unicast
ü Support for multiple NICs
ü GUI for Create Master Image and ASD agent in WinPE media
ü Acronis Customer Experience Program
ü Collect system information
ü Machine list and individual settings
ü Enhanced user interface
ü Ability to build PE media straight to the PXE Server and ISO format.
ü Sending WOL-packets through all available NICs on Deploy Server and WOL proxy agent.
ü New Acronis Backup and Recovery style installer
ü No reboot during installation
ü Smart Error Reporting
ü New license type support: Deployment License
ü Compatibility with Acronis Backup and Recovery image format
ü Common License Server for Acronis Backup and Recovery and Acronis Snap Deploy
ü Suitable and meaningful error messages
ü Enhancements:
o Support multivolume images
o Displaying local disks in Standalone Utility
o No need to remove master computer from AD
o Displaying transfer rate for deployment
o No password protection for booting OS
o Changing SID support in WinPE
o WinPE e-mail notifications
o Adding driver for WinPE media
For details on the new features, please refer to the feature description.
4 Installation notes
To install Acronis Snap Deploy 4, follow these steps:
1. Remove previous versions of Acronis Snap Deploy.
2. Remove all versions of Acronis Backup and Recovery.
3. Run the setup file.
4. Click Typical installation.
5. Accept the terms of the license agreement.
6. Import license keys from file.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions.
5 Feature description
· Ability to deploy from VHD
Master images are becoming old very fast. Application versions and paths needs to be updated. In ASD 3 this requires deploying,, updating and re-imaging a machine. ASD 4 allows you to choose a VHD image and deploy it directly.
· Support for multiple NICs
If a machine has multiple NICs (including Wi-Fi) in ASD 3, it takes more than one license from a license server (one for one NIC). In ASD 4 only one license is taken.
· Failing back to unicast.
If multicast doesn’t work in ASD 3, deployment cannot be completed. This is true even thought it would be possible to complete it via unicast. In ASD 4 it would possible to switch to unicast automatically if multicast is disabled
· Stream lined user interface
ASD 3 had several items in the welcome page and the user was confused about how to begin working; what sequence of event should be take. The new welcome screen has 3 main entrance points and the user can easily understand where to click. All wizards were redrawn in a new style.
· System report
It has the ability to collect system information not only in a Windows console , but also in Linux media.
· ACEP
In Acronis, all products except ASD have ACEP. This allows for gathering statistics on items our products use most often and what needs to be improved. Also it periodically sends logs that help find narrow places and fix them. Now ASD also has ACEP.
· GUI for WinPE media.
Linux-based media is known to have problems with new hardware. Therefore, support for new hardware is especially important for provisioning of new machines. In ASD 3 media there is only cmd. In ASD 4, Master Image Creator and Snap Deploy Agent were added to WinPE media. Functionality of WinPE media is now similar to Linux-based media functionality.
· Enhancement: No password protection for booting OS
In ASD3 password protection for the boot menu protects all menu entries, including booting to the OS. In ASD 4, booting the OS is always possible without entering password.
· Enhancement: Displaying local disks in Standalone Utility
In ASD 3, local disks are hidden when selecting an image for deployment for the bootable media. This confuses users because it makes them think that the disk is not recognized. In ASD 4, all disks are shown. However, the user is not able to select it. This is done to prevent choosing the disk with the image as a target.
· Select NIC for WoL
In ASD 3 there was the following issue: if a machine with WoL or DS has several NICs and each NIC is connected to different sub networks, then trying to boot the machine from one sub network could result in the wrong NIC being used. In ASD 4, WoL Proxy tries to boot the machine using each NIC that is installed.
· New installer in Horizon style
ASD3 installer asks user to install each of the components individually which takes time and requires understanding of the components. New ASD4 installer allows installing all components in one operation. Default mode doesn’t require the user to understand or choose ASD components.
Snap Deploy is treated as a single integrated product. The user only needs to know that he or she installs Snap Deploy as a whole, not separate components .
For advanced or experienced users, there is still a way to choose specific components.
Universal Deploy is now a part of Deploy Server and is installed with it automatically.
· No reboot during installation
None of ASD4 components require rebooting during or after installation, updates or upgrades. If stopping services or closing applications is necessary, an installer offers to do it, or propose to reboot afterwards as an alternative.
· New license type support: deployment license
In ASD 4, a new license type was added: deployment license. This license allows one successful deployment. If the same machine is deployed again, another per-deployment license is taken.
· Compatibility with ABR and ASD3 image format
It is possible to use backups created with Acronis Backup & Recovery (including incremental backups) for deployment through centralized deployment (using Deploy Server), Standalone deployment and WinPE CMD.
· Windows 7/2008 R2 support
Acronis Snap Deploy supports Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 as infrastructure platform and as operating systems to be deployed.
6 Known issues
§ Standalone utility has old styled pages. This issue will be fixed in the release.
§ WinPE ASDCMD email notification does not work for SMTP port 25.
§ Information about recent deployment (task name) disappeared and the time of last finished deployment changes to current after Agent reboots.
§ Access to network share in WinPE media does not work until you mount network share using command line utility.
§ Patching SID is not working under command line utility in WinPE media.
§ During installation and first run of a schedule task, a Windows Firewall security alert to confirm the firewall exclusions appears.
§ Page 'Configure Acronis PXE Server' does not refresh if new components were added via Bootable media\Configure user-initiated mode. To refresh the page, use F5 hotkey.
§ Management console hangs if you switching off\on custom deployment mode.
§ ABR media builder stops functioning after ASD was installed.
§ Collect System Information does not work under Windows XP/2003 operation systems.
§ Window "Connect to PXE" appears after turning off the custom deployment. This window is incorrect. It does not affect any functionality.
§ There is no visible progress while adding license keys and no possibility to interrupt the process.
§ If ABR10 LS is installed, ASD4 License Server is installed with errors and is nonfunctional until you repair it through installer.
§ Incorrect process for even-driven task is shown. It is always shown as real progress +100%.
§ Adding keys during installation lasts for a long time (about 30 seconds for 200 licenses)
7 Other Resources and Links
The following resources contain useful information about Acronis Snap Deploy 4:
· Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Beta User guide
· Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Beta forum page
· Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Beta for Workstations serial keys
· Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Beta for Servers serial number
· Acronis Snap Deploy 4 Beta online help