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What is PASS?

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Windows Deployment Services basic installation steps for Vista SP1 and XP Pro SP2 (Draft 1.0)

Tools Used in the Lab Setup:

1. Windows Server 2008 with SP1

2. Windows XP with SP2 (Reference Computer)

3. WDS (1.0)

4. Microsoft Deployment Tool updated 2008 (4.0)

5. Windows Automated Installation Kit (6.0.6001.18000)

Installation of WDS:

Pre-requisites:

1. Windows Server 2008 with SP1 (X86bit)

2. DHCP Configured

3. DNS Configured

4. AD DS

5. NTFS Partition

Steps for installing Windows Deployment Services

You can install Windows Deployment Services by using the Initial Configuration Wizard, Server Manager, or the command line.

• To install the role by using the Initial Configuration Wizard, click Add roles on the Initial Configuration Tasks startup screen. Click Next and then select Windows Deployment Services.
• To install the role by using Server Manager, click Add roles, which is located in the Roles Summary pane. Click Next and then select Windows Deployment Services.
• To install the role by using the command line, run one of the following two commands:
• For Deployment Server,run ServerManagerCmd -install WDS.
• For Transport Server, run ServerManagerCmd -install WDS-Transport.

During the installation, you have the following two role services to choose from. For a detailed comparison of these options, see the “Comparison of Deployment Server and Transport Server” chart in “Using Transport Server” at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=115298.

• Transport Server. To install this option, clear the Deployment Server check box on the second screen of the installation wizard. This option provides a subset of the functionality of Windows Deployment Services. It contains only the core networking parts. You can use Transport Server to create multicast namespaces that transmit data (including operating system images) from a standalone server. You should use this option if you want to transmit data by using multicasting, but you do not want to incorporate all of Windows Deployment Services.
• Deployment Server. To install this option, ensure that both Deployment Server and Transport Server are selected on the second screen of the installation wizard. This option provides the full functionality of Windows Deployment Services, which you can use to configure and remotely install Windows operating systems. Note that Deployment Server is dependent on the core parts of Transport Server.

Note

If you want to manage Windows Deployment Services on a remote server that is running Windows Server 2008, you can install the Remote Server Administration Tools. To do this, open Server Manager, right-click the Features node, click Add Features, and locate Remote Server Administration Tools. This will install WDSUTIL and the Windows Deployment Services MMC snap-in on the server.

Configuring Windows Deployment Services

After you install the server role, you must configure the server.

Known issues with configuring Windows Deployment Services

• Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) is not supported for this version of Windows Deployment Services.
• If you are running Windows Deployment Services and a non-Microsoft DHCP server on the same computer, in addition to configuring the server to not listen on port 67, you will need to use your DHCP tools to add Option 60 to your DHCP scopes.
• If DHCP is installed on a server that is located in a different subnet, you will need to do one of the following:
  • (Recommended) Configure your IP Helper tables. All DHCP broadcasts by client computers on UDP port 67 should be forwarded directly to both the DHCP server and the Windows Deployment Services PXE server. Also, all traffic on UDP port 4011 from the client computers to the Windows Deployment Services PXE server should be routed appropriately (these requests direct traffic, not broadcasts, to the server).
• Add DHCP options 66 and 67. Option 66 should be set to the Windows Deployment Services server, and option 67 should be set to boot\x86\wdsnbp.com. For more information, see “Managing Network Boot Programs” at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=115304.

Steps for configuring Windows Deployment Services

To configure the server role, use the following procedure. Then see the following section to add images to the server.

To configure Windows Deployment Services

1. Ensure that you are a Domain Administrator. 2. Click Start, click Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Deployment Services. 3. In the left pane of the Windows Deployment Services MMC snap-in, expand the list of servers. 4. Right-click the server, and then click Configure Server. 5. Follow the instructions in the wizard. 6. When the configuration is completed clear the Add images to Windows Deployment Services now check box and then click Finish. 7. If you want to modify any of the settings of the server, right-click the server in the MMC-snap in, and clicking Properties. I have kept the Remote Install folder on “E:\”  (you can choose any driver which is having Sufficient space to capture the images) Select Respond to all (Known and Unknown) Client Computers, later on you move all these Client to respective groups or OU in the AD.

If you have installed DHCP on WDS server then you need to select the both option)

Now that you have configured the server, you will need to add images using the following section.

Steps for adding images

You must add at least one boot image and one install image before you will be able to boot to the Windows Deployment Services server and install an image.

• Boot images. Boot images are images that you boot a client computer into to perform an operating system installation. In most scenarios, you should use the Boot.wim file from the Windows Server 2008 SP1 or Vista SP1 installation DVD (in the \Sources folder). The Boot.wim file contains Windows PE and the Windows Deployment Services client
• Install images. Install images are the operating system images that you deploy to the client computer. You can also use the Install.wim file from the installation DVD, or you can create your own install image.

To add the default images, use the following procedures.

• To add the default boot image included on the product installation DVD

1. In the left pane of the Windows Deployment Services MMC snap-in, right-click the Boot Images node, and then click Add Boot Image. 2. Browse to choose the default boot image (Boot.wim) on the Windows Server Vista SP1 DVD, located in the \Sources folder. 3. Click Open and then click Next. 4. Follow the instructions in the wizard to add the image.

• To add the default install image included on the product installation DVD

1. In the Windows Deployment Services MMC snap-in, right-click the Install Images node, and then click Add Install Image. 2. Specify a name for the image group, and then click Next. (in my case i have pointed to default “ImageGroup1”) 3. Browse to select the default install image (Install.wim) on the Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 DVD, located in the \Sources folder, and then click Open. 4. Follow the instructions in the wizard to add the images. 5. Now the Boot image and Install image available on the WDS for Windows Vista, I can perform a PXE boot on a client computer to install an windows Vista operating system.

Note: the above said two images (boot, install images are default image captured from Windows Vista DVD) these images cannot be used to deploy the multiple systems. If we want to install multiple systems by using install image then we need to create custom image – to create custom image steps as below:

Steps for Creating Custom install Image for Windows XP SP:

I. Create capture boot image by using the default boot image

II. Copy the new captured boot image into WDS boot image file

III. Goto reference PC do the sysprep and make it to PXE boot

IV. Boot the reference PC into PXE by pressing F12, select the Capture image to load.

V. After the capture image load it will pop up a window to capture a reference PC.

VI. Save the capture image on local Drive and upload to WDS server.

VII. The successful completion of upload image to WDS server, now we can use this image to deploy on multiple hardware in the network.

I. Create capture boot image by using the default boot image

Open WDS console and goto Boot Image folder, Right click on Default Boot Image and select Create Capture boot image.

Specify the image name and description and destination local to save the wim file. (I have chosen to save under E:\remoteinstall\boot\windowsxpsp.wim)

Copy the new captured boot image into WDS boot image folder; follow the steps as mentioned in the bellow given screenshot:

Select the captured boot image source location.

You can verify the image summary;

WDS copy the image to boot folder, it will take coupe of minute to complete the copy.

Click finish to complete the copy, now you can able to see the Boot image for Windows XP in the WDS boot folder:

Now you’re ready to capture the reference capture image to build the Windows XP SP2 install image.

Steps for creating an install image for Windows XP SP2

First make ready of the reference computer with Windows XP with Service Pack2 and update the necessary patches (before the start capturing the reference computer image, you need to run the Sysprep).

You can copy the sysprep.exe and Setupcl.exe from Windows XP source CD, you can find it under “D:\support\Tools\Deploy.cap” or create a folder “Sysprep” under “C:\Sysprep “ and Extract the Deploy.cap file to “C:\sysprep” by using winzip. You can also do the sysprep in GUI. I did it in GUI mode.

Open C:\Sysprep folder and double click on “sysprep.exe” system preparation tool 2.0 will open select the “use mini-setup” and click on “Reseal”

You will get a popup windows, click “OK” wait for second it will complete the Sysprep and shutdown the machine.

Now you are ready to capture the install image from reference PC and upload to WDS server.

Boot the Reference Windows XP System and select PXE boot by pressing F12 in the boot menu, then select the Capture image that created earlier.

Now the Windows XP client will start download the Boot image from WDS server.

The bellow given screenshot show the image download progress bar.

Once the download complete the client PC automatically reboot start Capture image process (you should disable the PXE boot or press Ese button while the PC reboot)

Click Next

Image Capture wizard prompt to select the volume to capture and image name, select “C:\” from the drop down box and type the image name then click Next

Another window popup to save the image. Select the local Drive on the reference PC to save the install image “C:\XPSP2Installimage\WinXPSP2.wim” (you may also save it on mapped drive, be safer side to save local drive:

Check the upload Image to WDS server: you need to mention the WDS server name or IP to make connection.

Clock on “Connect”

It prompted for credentials, provide a user name and password for an account with sufficient permissions to connect to the WDS server.

The validation success next drop down box will list the available image group, select the imagegroup1 and then click Finish.

Now the Install image will start Capture the reference PC and save it wherever you have given the path to save then it will upload into WDS server.

Just wait for couple of minute to complete 100%, after successful completion of upload you can go to WDS server and open WDS console to see the new install image, it will be available under Install image, InstallGroup1

Steps for installing captured XP image on the new Client PCs. Now you can boot the client PC into PXE and start installing windows XP SP2 from the WDS server.

Prerequisites for installing an install image:

• The client computer must be capable of performing a PXE boot.
• Your user account must be a member of the Domain Users group.
• The client computer must have at least 512 MB of RAM, which is the minimum amount of RAM for using Windows PE.
• The client must meet the system requirements for the operating system of the install image.

Boot the PXE client by pressing F12 and select windows boot image from the boot menu, it will take couple of minutes to start the installation image.

once you select the boot image it will start download the boot image to start the install image from WDS

Once it reach the 100% then automatically reboot to start install the windows XP

Select default language “English (US)” and Keyboard input method “US” then click Next

As soon as click Next, pop up prompt to enter the domain user name and password

If the user account is validated successfully, you get a windows which will show the list of available install image (in my case I got two image in the list, first one for Vista another one for Windows XP)

I have selected Windows XP install image, then click Next

Click Next

Now the windows XP installation will start

Once the installation finish automatically restart.

Enjoy the new windows XP installation.

Note: this article does not have fully automated script for the installation, I am planning to publish next post with detailed zero touch installations.

Disclaimer: I have prepared this article based on my experience, it may not suite for your environments, I request you to refer the http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc721929.aspx

If you find any error or changes do let me know.