Cloning/Imaging

[jefferj54]

I am not currently employed in the I.T. field but expect that to change. I am currious as to what type of cloning/imaging software you use at your workplace. Norton, Clonezilla, WDS/WDT??? Which ones should I be familiar with?

I would like to hear from a few techies about this.

Thanks,
joe.

 

[MidnightShadow]

I've used Clonezilla a few times, but we also use Acronis and I prefer Macrium over all of them. Those are probably the most common three used.

 

[PP Mguire]

We don't clone where I work, it's illegal. For home use I typically use Acronis because I'm lazy.

 

[MidnightShadow]

We don't clone where I work, it's illegal.

It's illegal? I'm confused by that...

 

[PP Mguire]

It's illegal? I'm confused by that...

I work for the government.

 

[MidnightShadow]

I work for the government.

So do I, but we still use images. Do you guys not image your workstations in case of failure?

 

[1etherer]

I work for the government.

cloning is not illegal... anywhere in the world...

Its just cloning an image you want to deploy on multiple machines or servers...

 

[PP Mguire]

So do I, but we still use images. Do you guys not image your workstations in case of failure?

We use SCCM for imaging purposes (Lockheed image, not OEM). Nothing is allowed to be cloned and if a drive dies it gets scrapped in a giant metal scraper. If you're caught using a cloning software on a device that is an imaged asset more than likely the worst that will happen is you lose your job. Although it does say in the handbook that you can get fined for copying government property yada yada. I suspect most of the legality issue comes with classified info handling and not your average joe ****.

 

[1etherer]

We use SCCM for imaging purposes (Lockheed image, not OEM). Nothing is allowed to be cloned and if a drive dies it gets scrapped in a giant metal scraper. If you're caught using a cloning software on a device that is an imaged asset more than likely the worst that will happen is you lose your job. Although it does say in the handbook that you can get fined for copying government property yada yada. I suspect most of the legality issue comes with classified info handling and not your average joe ****.

I understand that, but would be cloning a image for work purposes, not to take home or sell externally...

If you dont clone/ image then it must take you guys ages! to build servers etc...

 

[PP Mguire]

cloning is not illegal... anywhere in the world...

Its just cloning an image you want to deploy on multiple machines or servers...

K.

Walk into the datacenter across the hall from me, pop a spare drive in and clone some classified data. See what happens. Cloning a drive has more than one purpose than simply making a base image. In fact, we run SCCM here just to avoid that at all costs due to asset management and software asset management. Last time I checked copying copyrighted or classified government software/files was illegal..... If you work for a rinky dink company with a small IT side sure, do what you want and nobody will care (because making a baseline image of an OS isn't illegal). When you work at a place like here you have to mind your Ps and Qs and keep everything politically correct. I don't even bring my "questionably acquired" software from home here to run, even if all of my machines but 2 are off the network. Mainly because I have 2 Colonels behind me, FBI down the hall the other way, and nothing but DCMA around me.

To spell it out a bit further, you can't even be caught plugging your phone into an LMI asset to charge. You could lose your job. Thumb drives aren't permitted in a lot of areas and you'll get an email when you plug one in asking the purpose of it and if it's cleared for use.