Common installation configurations

Acronis Snap Deploy 6 components can be installed in various configurations, to distribute various components and features among the machines on the network.

  1. The minimal configuration that enables only offline imaging and stand-alone deployment consists of:

    • Management Console

  2. The minimal configuration that enables offline imaging, stand-alone deployment, and deployment through the network with OS Deploy Server consists of the following components:

    • Management Console
    • License Server
    • OS Deploy Server

    On the target machines, no Acronis components are required.

  3. The configuration that adds the network boot of the target machines to the functionality described in (b):

    • Management Console
    • License Server
    • OS Deploy Server
    • Acronis PXE Server

    The components can be installed all on the same machine, or on different machines. On the target machines, no Acronis components are required.

    This is the recommended elementary configuration that enables most of the Acronis Snap Deploy 6 functionality. This is the configuration for typical installation.

    If physical access to the powerful server is limited, you can install the console on a separate machine. Another common configuration is:

    Workstation:

    • Management Console

    Server:

    • License Server
    • OS Deploy Server
    • Acronis PXE Server

    Generally, you can install all Acronis servers on separate machines. In this case, you will have to connect the management console to each server separately to manage the server. With all servers on one machine, only one console connection is needed.

    If the target machines do not support PXE, you can install Management Agent on them and turn on the machines before starting the deployment.

  4. To add to any configuration (a)–(c) the online imaging ability and the ability to validate images integrity, install Management Agent.

    Online imaging means that the master system is imaged live (without restarting the machine or suspending operations). You can perform online imaging remotely, by connecting the console to the management agent installed on the master machine. The management agent will be included in the master image and deployed to all target machines.

    However, having excess software in the master image is not always rational.

    We recommend that you create a master image by using the bootable component called Master Image Creator. Nevertheless, having at least one management agent on the network (not necessarily on the master machine) makes sense. You will be able to validate (check) the integrity of your images by using the management agent.

  5. To add to OS Deploy Server an ability to perform deployment in another subnet (across a network switch) in configuration (b) or (c), install Acronis Wake-on-LAN Proxy on any server in the subnet where the target machines are. No additional actions are required.

    Acronis Wake-on-LAN Proxy has to be installed only if:

    • You are going to perform deployment to a specific list of machines.

    AND

    • All or some of the target machines are in a subnet other than OS Deploy Server.