Definition of a smart image, Staging areas, Definition – Lenovo ThinkPad R400 User Manual
Page 16: Smart, Image, Staging, Areas
Definition
of
a
Smart
Image
The
ImageUltra
Builder
program
enables
you
to
store
a
variety
of
image-related
files
as
reusable
modules
in
a
repository.
Typically,
there
is
a
module
for
each
operating
system,
application,
and
device
driver.
These
modules
are
organized
by
maps
to
meet
the
needs
of
specific
users,
groups,
or
an
entire
enterprise.
A
single
base
map
can
contain
multiple
operating
systems
and
applications,
as
well
as
variations
based
on
language.
A
single
driver
map
can
contain
device
drivers
for
a
single
hardware
platform,
or
through
the
use
of
filters,
device
drivers
for
a
variety
of
hardware
platforms.
Delivering
the
maps
and
modules
to
a
target
computer
involves
two
steps:
deployment
and
installation.
At
the
beginning
of
the
deployment
process,
the
installer
selects
which
base
map
and
driver
map
to
use.
The
selected
maps
and
the
modules
defined
within
the
maps
are
copied
to
a
staging
area.
The
compilation
of
maps
and
the
modules
defined
within
the
maps
is
called
a
Smart
Image.
A
Smart
Image
has
the
following
characteristics:
v
It
is
the
source
from
which
a
specific
image
is
installed
on
the
target
computer.
v
It
provides
a
menu
system
during
the
installation
phase.
The
person
controlling
the
installation
process
makes
selections
from
the
menu
system
to
define
the
content
of
the
image
to
be
installed.
The
menu
entries
are
defined
in
a
base
map.
v
A
single
Smart
Image
can
contain
multiple
images
or
components
that
make
up
a
variety
of
images.
v
If
desired,
a
Smart
Image
can
reside
on
a
target
computer
after
installation
and
be
used
for
console-side
recovery
without
any
dependencies
on
an
active
network
connection.
v
Smart
Images
can
be
developed
to
provide
varying
degrees
of
portability
across
different
hardware
platforms.
Portability
is
the
degree
in
which
you
can
use
a
single
image
for
different
types
of
computers.
Staging
areas
A
staging
area
is
a
workspace
used
during
deployment
and
installation.
It
is
where
certain
modules
defined
by
a
map
are
unpacked,
where
ImageUltra
Builder
installation
files
are
stored,
and
where
installation
logs
are
created.
The
ImageUltra
Builder
program
can
use
two
types
of
staging
areas:
v
Service
partition:
The
service
partition
is
a
hidden
primary
partition
that
is
protected
against
normal,
end-user
read
and
write
operations.
This
partition
is
a
standard
Lenovo
®
factory-installed
feature
on
many
Lenovo
ThinkPad,
NetVista
®
,
and
ThinkCentre
computers.
As
shipped
from
the
factory,
the
service
partition
provides
built-in
recovery
and
diagnostic
capabilities.
When
a
pre-existing
service
partition
is
used
in
conjunction
with
the
ImageUltra
Builder
program,
the
deployment
phase
deletes
the
factory-installed
recovery
modules
and
replaces
them
with
appropriate
modules
and
maps
for
the
image
being
deployed.
If
a
service
partition
does
not
already
exist,
the
ImageUltra
Builder
program
creates
one,
if
needed,
as
part
of
the
deployment
process.
After
the
deployment
is
complete,
the
person
controlling
the
installation
process
(end
user
or
IT
professional)
can
initiate
the
installation
process
from
the
service
partition
immediately
after
deployment
or
at
any
point
in
the
future
without
any
dependencies
on
a
network
connection.
v
Network-staging
folder:
This
temporary
staging
area
is
for
a
direct-network
installation
only.
A
direct-network
installation
combines
the
deployment
phase
and
installation
phase
into
a
single
operation,
which
in
almost
all
cases
results
in
2
ImageUltra
Builder
Version
4.01:
User
Guide