ECU cloning & flashing

Hi Guys,
First up I am totally new to this whole ecu cloning and flashing, so I hope you guys will bear with my sometime silly questions. I have done some reading (here and on the web) on this and am trying to figure out where to start. If anyone here will be so kind by helping me out with some advice on the following question will be great and a good start in the right direction. My work is mostly on trucks (MB,volvos etc) and what I think I want to start with is just cloning of ecus and basic flashing, tuning and modding (and maybe cars) I will get into when I am a bit more knowledgeable on the subject. With that in mind if someone can help on the following will be good:
1) Easiest hardware/software to get started on for a newbie? Alientech hardware seems to be the choice anyone has any other opinions on this?
2) For Alientech hardware, which would be better KESS or Ktag? I am leaning towards KESS since there work can be done via OBD and less mucking about with the internals of the ecu, however from what I gather Ktag gives a wider range of options in terms of what can be done.
3) Any other advice for a newbie would be much appreciated

Hope you guys will be able to point me in the right direction. 

you're asking a very complicated question...no 1 tool will get the job done done (easily)....example cloning ktag is good (for some ecu) ...flashing no....tuning you'll need different software. anyone that does this professionally will tell you it takes a lot of time and investment just to start.

Hi
you have 3 different disciplines there
cloning
flashing
tuning and modding
so you will need to take 3 different approaches - there is some overlap but not enough for one solution

to answer your kess/ktag question
kess is obd and ktag is bench read with a dismantled ecu However kess will not read the ecu's ktag will and visa versa
again there is a cross over of ecu's both will do
you need to identify the ecu's you will work with most and buy a tool that will do those ecus
anything you dont have coverage for send away to another shop until you have sent 10 away and then buy a tool for it

for cloning the best option is on the bench with is stripped out, good quality bench power supply and a multi eeprom programmer such as the vvdi prog will get you some way into it, sometimes it is easier to swap the chip to clone rather than reprogram.

for flashing then a dealer tool will do, you can buy the clone vocom and scania and get software from here

for mapping find a supplier of maps and buy his slave tool then all you need to do is read, upload download and program a 30-45 min process and your dealer has the trouble of making a good map

Hi James/Shawn,
Many thanks guys for replying, from your replies alone I realise I am only just scratching the surface of this. A lot more learning needed i guess. Also good that you have pointed out that its all different disciplines with some overlap, I thought they were all the same 

@james I think I will be looking at cloning and flashing for the time being. In terms of dealer tools I already have access to them, however  lately I realise there are some limitation to their functions especially when it comes to working on the ecus. I will take your advice and do a bit more research on which of the tools would best suited to the range of trucks that I am looking at. 

cheers guys and many thanks for the advice 

All dealer tools will flash new files in
For cloning if you Virgin ecu you can then program to vehicle as a new unit. 
So vvdi prog
Remove eeprom and clear data on used ecu
Dealer tool on vehicle with original ecu fitted find module swap/replacement and read out file or read out configuration numbers
Fit blank used ecu
Dealer tool complete module swap or program in config file
Then go into key matching to align or program keys/immobiliser