🧭 End-to-End Workstation Deployment Process

This document provides an overview of the full workstation deployment lifecycle, from image capture to end-user production handoff. It serves as a reference index and policy for all team members and project stakeholders involved in device rollout and replacement.

⚠️ Critical Warning:
Once this process has begun, no updates or configuration changes should be made to any client-facing applications or system-level configurations. If changes are introduced after image capture, the entire process must restart from Chapter 1: Image Capture, ensuring the new image includes those changes.

📘 Process Chapters & Documentation Index

📦 1. Image Creation & Capture

• Guide: Imaging a System with Disk2VHD / DISM
• Tools: Disk2VHD, DISM, sysprep, unattend.xml
• Captures the operating system image from source system to .vhdx or .wim
• Verifies boot and partition structure integrity (GPT conversion, EFI layout)

☁️ 2. Upload to Azure File Share

• Guide: Uploading Captured Image to Azure Storage
• Storage account: clientosimages01e2usdtc
• File share: client-os-images-01
• Each image stored in its own PSA-labeled folder

🧪 3. Offline Boot & Testing (Optional VM Validation)

• Guide: Booting & Validating Offline Image Before Cleanup
• Hypervisor: ELDERBRAIN
• Test image boot on an isolated VM environment before generalization
• Confirm conversion, EFI boot, and OS integrity

🧼 4. Generalization & Sysprep

• Guide: Generalizing an OS Image for Deployment
• Clear agent tokens (NinjaRMM, Veeam, Blackpoint, MSP360)
• Disable telemetry
• Sysprep with unattend.xml to skip OOBE and finalize image

🏷️ 5. Post-Image Workstation Organization

• Guide: Post-Image Workstation Preparation & Inventory Staging
• Device naming, NinjaRMM validation, physical labeling
• Staging in inventory area for production deployment

🔁 6. Profile Backup & Restore

• Guide: Restore User Profiles With ProfWiz
• Profile backup from original devices
• Domain join and restore via ProfWiz
• Align workstations into proper OUs unless stated otherwise in SOW

🧪 7. Application Testing & Readiness

• Guide: Client Application Testing (Pre-Deployment)
• Verify all business apps operate correctly without hardware peripherals
• Smoke test with known credentials or test data

🔄 8. On-Site Workstation Swap & Validation

• Guide: On-Site Workstation Swap & Field Validation
• Field team performs workstation swap
• Reconnect all hardware
• Final round of application and peripheral testing
• Target: 30 minutes per workstation max

✅ Final Notes

• All stages must be followed sequentially
• Deviating from the documented steps may result in profile loss, app malfunction, or failed deployment
• Once application testing is passed, deployment is complete and system is considered production-ready

For any updates to critical applications or configurations post-image, restart at Chapter 1 to capture a new baseline. This ensures consistency and prevents mismatched environments across the deployment.