Hardware Independent Imaging (HII)

Overview

HII is a process within Provisioning that allows you to use one image for hardware across multiple vendors and models. HII can be used with any imaging tool (ghost or imagex for example) and

Technical Explanation

1. When you deploy an image created using HII, the imaging script boots the device to the
   Windows preboot environment. In the preboot environment, the HII tool will select the
   appropriate HAL .dll file and load it.
2. The OS is installed on the device, but before the OS boots, the HII imaging script
   determines which drivers are required by the device and copies the driver files to the
   device's hard disk.
3. The drivers are added to the device's registry, so that when the OS boots the Windows
   setup detects the new drivers, installs them, and configures the device with the drivers.
4. Windows then restarts with the drivers running, and the Management Suite agent is
   installed.

Landesk Community Documents and Discussion

• HII Quick Start Guide
• Adding setup.exe drivers to HII

Procedures

Managing the HII driver library
Using HII with Windows 7
Using HII with Windows XP

Issues

• On Windows 7, HII copies the folder structure of the drivers to the proper folder but none of the files are copied (and the drivers are therefore not installed). It is unclear if this issue will be fixed by the latest MCP Landesk patch or if there is something else wrong with the process.
• Add LANDesk Article on workaround