What cloning software do you recommend?

I use GPARTED.  It's open source; free.  I used Ghost in the past and it was a bit easier but I'm now used to GPARTED and I like it just fine.  It has a decent GUI and allows you to re-size, copy, move, create and delete partitions.  You can set flags and disk labels.  It works faster than Ghost did.  

There were times when the cloning would fail but I would go to the GPARTED support forums and they had good help there.  They also have good documentation and tutorials on their Website.

Biggest limitation - it only clones disk to disk.  Can't store the image on the network or CD's like you could with Ghost.  So I have one or two drives set aside just to store images.  When I have an image of a model, I reduce it to its minimum size and copy it to an image drive.  I can have 4 different PC models stored on each image drive.

I list each PC model specs and build info (apps, customizations, updates, etc) on a spec sheet.  The spec sheet is rubber banded to the image drives.  

When I need to build a PC in a hurry I grab the image drive, copy and size-up the appropriate model partition to the new hard drive and tape a copy of the appropriate model spec sheet to the new PC build.  After deployment I use the spec sheet to update my equipment database.

I feel overly wordy.  Hope someone finds this useful!

Drive Clone Pro - Although in truth it's very rare nowadays that we need to clone drives (maybe one in the past year or two). We use network services to deploy Ops and Apps, and ustate migration to move user files and personal settings between drives. 

Yeah, I've heard good things about it.  Like any of these tools, the most important thing is that you can use whatever tool you settle on.

A side note, multicast support is very important on any network that will require heavy ghosting / imaging.  I took that for granted on a wired network, and now that I often work more on wireless networks with no multicast support, I long for the good ole days!

Looking for infomation on FOG for disaster recover for servers and workstations and for deployment.  Want to store on the network.  Very new to this, would like some input.  Thanks for any replies

CALIFMARY:

I use GPARTED.  It's open source; free.

Open source is only "free" when your time is worth nothing!

While I prefer gparted for partitioning (and QTparted for the GUI interface), I didn't notice that it was faster.

dbarlamas:

Looking for infomation on FOG for disaster recover for servers and workstations and for deployment.  Want to store on the network.  Very new to this, would like some input.  Thanks for any replies

If you've got a power user/guru available you can get some great results just with the linux/bsd command line program 'dd'.

http://www.debianadmin.com/recover-data-from-a-dead-hard-drive-using-dd.html

It's not pretty to work with but all it takes is a live rescue disc to get started.  If out of the box solutions aren't working for you this can be a last resort.  (one with a highly technical learning curve though, no pretty point and click available)

awalshe09:

If you've got a power user/guru available you can get some great results just with the linux/bsd command line program 'dd'.

http://www.debianadmin.com/recover-data-from-a-dead-hard-drive-using-dd.html

It's not pretty to work with but all it takes is a live rescue disc to get started.  If out of the box solutions aren't working for you this can be a last resort.  (one with a highly technical learning curve though, no pretty point and click available)

I sort of disagree with this "not pretty to work with" statement.  dd is a very elegant (i.e. "simple") tool.

Sure, dd may not be not intuitive to, say, your grandmother, but it is a very elegant tool if you realize the core thing that it does and doesn't do. Linux/UNIX is built on the philosophy that you understand these "simple" raw tools and then string them together in a way that lets you accomplish exactly what you need to do. If one tool doesn't do it for you, you use a symbol like a  | or a > mark.

There are a lot of other simple kickass tools built on top of dd, like ddrescue. ddrescue is a godsend when dd craps out because of hard drive issues.

Hello, I am trying to get FOG running at our non profit.  Ran into some snags, was hoping that you may know someone that I can contact for help.?  Did you ever get it going in your organization?  I am specifically having problem with the image upload.  Let me know and I can give you specifics if you have time.  Thanks.