Welcome
OS Deployment
BigFix OS Deployment, which is part of the BigFix Lifecycle Management suite, provides a consolidated, comprehensive solution to quickly deploy new workstations and servers throughout a network from a single, centralized location. This solution saves time and money, enforces a standardized and approved image, and reduces risks associated with non-compliant or insecure configurations.
Reimaging
Reimaging is the process of saving the user state on a computer, installing a new image on it, and then restoring the user state.

BigFix Documentation Homepage
BigFix 10 Lifecycle Documentation
Welcome to the BigFix Lifecycle documentation, where you can find information about how to install, maintain, and use BigFix Lifecycle.
BigFix Platform
BigFix Query
Lifecycle overview
BigFix Lifecycle is single-agent, single-console technology that provides near real-time visibility into the state of endpoints.
Lifecycle guides in PDF format
Following is a list of links to the BigFix Lifecycle guides in PDF format:
Software Distribution
Use the BigFix Software Distribution applications to deploy software to endpoints across your network from a single location. Maintain control and visibility into software delivery and installation. Device owners can use the Self Service Application to manage software and other BigFix actions that are deployed to them as offers.
OS Deployment
BigFix OS Deployment, which is part of the BigFix Lifecycle Management suite, provides a consolidated, comprehensive solution to quickly deploy new workstations and servers throughout a network from a single, centralized location. This solution saves time and money, enforces a standardized and approved image, and reduces risks associated with non-compliant or insecure configurations.
- Product overview
- Configuring the OS Deployment Environment
  To start working with OS Deployment, run the configuration Fixlets and tasks listed in the Setup Node.
- Managing MDT Bundles and Deployment Media for Windows targets
  To perform OS Deployment of Windows operating systems, you prepare your deployment environment and resources using the Bundle and Media Manager Dashboard.
- Managing Drivers for Windows Deployments
  The Manage Images and Drivers node includes tasks to prepare and import drivers for deployment to Windows targets.
- Managing Linux OS Resources and Deployment Media
  You can import Linux OS Resources needed to create network boot media and to capture and deploy Linux images
- Managing Images
  The Manage Images and Drivers node includes tasks to capture, import and manage images for deployment to targets.
- Upload Mode
  By default, the OS images are permanently stored in the BigFix root server.
- Reimaging
  Reimaging is the process of saving the user state on a computer, installing a new image on it, and then restoring the user state.
  - Reimaging Windows Systems
    You can specify different options which will affect the reimaging process on the target.
  - Reimaging Linux Systems
    You can reimage Linux systems by deploying images that you previously imported from installation media.
  - Managing templates
    When you save a template, all input fields and options selected are stored for future use.
- Installing Windows 10/11 or Windows Server using in-place upgrade
  To upgrade your existing Windows systems to Windows 10/11 or Windows Server you can use the in-place upgrade fixlets.
- Bare Metal deployments
  You can install and manage BigFix for OS Deployment servers and create profiles for bare metal deployments.
- Monitoring Deployment Activities
  You can track and monitor all deployment activities in your Endpoint Management network.
- Maintenance and troubleshooting
  You can monitor deployment activities, correct exceptions and adjust configuration settings specific to your environment through dashboards and tasks available for these purposes.
- Setting up OS Deployment in an air-gapped network
  You can choose to configure your OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging site in an air-gapped network.
- Deprecated and Superseded functionalities
  This topic lists the functionalities that are still present in OSD, but are deprecated.
- Create Ubuntu OS Resources manually
Remote Control
BigFix Remote Control application helps to communicate between different components, clients, and endpoints within BigFix environment.
Power Management
Use Power Management to control, monitor, and manage conservation policies in your deployment.
Server Automation
Server Automation provides powerful automation. You can use it to sequence automation actions in steps across multiple endpoints.
Profile Management
Profile Management is a WebUI-based feature of BigFix Lifecycle. It provides Security Administrators the capability to define and deploy security policies to Windows 10 and macOS devices.
BigFix Remediate
BigFix MCM

Reimaging

Reimaging is the process of saving the user state on a computer, installing a new image on it, and then restoring the user state.

You can reimage Windows or Linux systems by choosing previously uploaded images from the Image Library.

When you reimage a computer you can upgrade the operating system or install a later service pack, but you cannot downgrade architectures or operating systems. For example, you cannot reimage from Windows 8 to Windows 7 (independently of the architecture), and you cannot deploy a 32-bit image on a target running a 64-bit operating system.

On Windows systems, you cannot reimage a server class operating system to a client class operating system and vice-versa.

On Windows systems, reimaging can be completed using multicast distribution if your network infrastructure supports it. To reimage in multicast, the targets must be connected to relays that are also Bare Metal Servers, and at least one reimage profile must be available for the image you want to deploy.

Reimaging a Linux system means refreshing the Operating System on a computer with an active BigFix Client. The machine identity is preserved during the migration.

On Linux systems, reimaging requires the Linux Image provider component which you must install on those relays that manage the targets that you want to reimage. If the Linux targets are connected to a relay that is a Bare Metal Server, this component is not needed. To install and use this component, see Managing the Linux Image provider.

From the Image Library Dashboard, choose a source image and click Deploy to Computer.

In the dialog, you can customize a variety of settings and options and create deployment actions that reimage a computer with the specified settings. You can save the customized options as a template that you can use again in the future. The reimaging process on a Endpoint Management client creates multiple actions to download and customize all files needed. When the download is complete, reimaging begins. The status on the Endpoint Management Console is visible at the end of the reimage process, when the new operating system is successfully started.

The image library dashboard