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🧭 End-to-End Workstation Deployment Process

Introduction

Workstation Lifecycle: The Image Playbook is DTC’s no‑nonsense recipe for shepherding a workstation from “in production” to “on the shelf” without data‑loss drama. The whole flow is anchored by MSP360 Backup, steered through a single NinjaRMM script, and rounded out with a bootable recovery environment you can fire up from USB—or, soon, straight off the network.

Our approach has four actionable pillars:

Pillar What Happens Why It Matters
Capture A point‑in‑time image is created before lifecycle day. Gives us a clean restore target even if the device blows up tomorrow.
Protect That image backs up nightly—cloud, local, or both—until the project wraps. We always have a “latest” snapshot. No retention fuss; keep all versions until the new box is live.
Restore We boot a recovery ISO/USB (and, in the future, a netboot.xyz entry) and push the image back. Bench at Ridgebrook or on‑site—same end result.
Generalize (Optional) Sysprep cleanup for gold‑image scenarios. Modern EFI + Intune/Ninja handle cloned disks fine, so skip it if you’re just swapping hardware.

Note on Restore Docs: Click‑by‑click guides for On‑Site Restoration Imaging and Ridgebrook Bench Imaging are still being written. Conceptually, it’s simple: pick the right repository, hit Restore, done.

The Workhorse Script: “Workstation Lifecycle – Step 1 Capture”

Deployed via NinjaRMM, the script:

  1. Installs MSP360 if missing.

  2. Signs the agent into our staging account ([email protected]).

  3. Creates one backup job per run:

    • Staging Job ☁️ (cloud to Ridgebrook)

    • Staging Job Local 📂 (SMB share on‑site)
      Re‑run to add the second path—both jobs live happily together and run every night.

Once the first backup completes successfully, we consider that workstation protected. Every subsequent nightly backup is gravy; we keep every version until the replacement project is finished.

Recovery Environment

Our custom DTCBeSure ISO/USB includes:

  • MSP360 restore console

  • Dell Family Driver Pack (current at time of ISO creation)

  • Optional Sysprep automation script

We show you exactly how to inject fresh drivers, but there’s no scheduled “annual refresh” yet—just rebuild the ISO whenever you need newer drivers.

What’s on the Roadmap

  • netboot.xyz Entry – A menu option to PXE‑boot the same recovery image when USB sticks aren’t handy. (Planned, not live.)

  • Detailed Restore Chapters – Step‑by‑step for both on‑site and Ridgebrook workflows.

  • Automation Tweaks – If EFI/management behavior changes, we’ll revisit whether the Generalize step stays optional.

Current To‑Do List 🛠️

Status Task
⏳ Build latest MSP360 recovery ISO and test it (USB boot).
⏳ Draft On‑Site Restoration Imaging guide.
⏳ Draft Ridgebrook Bench Imaging guide.
🗓️ Prototype netboot.xyz integration (upload ISO, add menu entry, lab‑test PXE).
🔄 Rebuild ISO when a new Dell Family Driver Pack is released or hardware requires it.

Where We’re Headed

By the end of this playbook you’ll have a rinse‑and‑repeat workflow that:

  • Captures every workstation before retirement.

  • Backs up the image nightly with zero fuss.

  • Restores it on your bench or in the field—USB today, network boot tomorrow.

Let’s dive into Chapter 1: Capture and get those first images rolling. 🚀

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