Anyone create reports for what’s in each image that you create? Here’s an idea of what I mean: https://stctxeoo634hyvxzda.z8.web.core.windows.net/MicrosoftWindowsServer/WindowsServer/2022-datacenter-g2/20240826.9/. If you’re doing something similar - what are you exporting and what format are you creating reports in?

If people don't keep records of what is in the image, is it still called image management?

I am just using a simple powershell report that dumps the installed applications out to a text file at each stage in my Packer builds which gets saved as an artifact in Gitlab. I like the detailed report in your example though, might take some inspiration from it.

right, and that gives you a view on what is in the image and allows to keep track... I had customers that created the image from memory (not kidding), telling they know what is in there and how to build it.. what can go wrong 😉 LOL

Years and years ago, I was on the end of trying to troubleshoot that. After about a day, I was able to narrow it down to 4 Citrix hosts in each datacentre would behave differently. Turns out the guru image builder didn't build all hosts the same, despite having a very detailed build sheet..... I've been a very strong advocate of automation ever since!!

OS info, WU, Apps, Features, Capabilities, Services, Scheduled tasks, File Type Associations, Provisioned apps

@CMonty I was once tasked to build a nuclear emergency environment (spins up when something happens and people from various expertise + military come together to handle the disaster) there was a 30min hard demand of getting things up and running in case of a disaster (people travel from all over Benelux to one place where this was running disconnected from any network - Horizon VDI environment in a bunker so to say) Admin had the brilliant idea to build by hand, "it's just a few apps, I know how to set it up"... I reminded him, a nuclear plant exploded or we got attacked and you think you got the peace of mind to build a VDI image? we used (it was years ago) RES Automation Manager to build and deploy, first live test everything was up in 28 minutes. I too am an advocate of automation...

Any Posh script around that would create a similar report to the one Aaron posted?

I use Packer to build an image with GitHub Actions. and use PowerShell commands to export the installed software and versions. This example looks great

we keep a change log on the image as well as automation scripts that way in case someone had to do a out of band update or similar its caught, combination of automatic updates to it as well as manual. Theory being before you recut the image you'd check that for anything needing to be added.

We have the packer configuration, the Ansible playbook, and any other changes to images is recorded in an Update Log within the image (Notepad FTW). Most settings and configuration changes are via GPOs whenever possible.

@Aaron Parker we have done something. At the Moment it is a Report for IT Glue. We are tracking all changes in images. Managed by us and also managed from customersq

Automation is your best report.