Windows 7 Deployment

Automated Installation and Deployment Windows 7

Roel van BuerenAlex de Jong

Agenda

• Imaging Approaches• Imaging C.R.A.P.• WAIK• MDT 2010 • WDS

Resources

Traditional vs. Modular Approach

Traditional Modular

• OS + Applications in 1 image

• Image per hardware type

• Time to integrate new hardware

• High maintenance

• Requires a visit to the desktop

• Storage requirements

• 1 base image (OS) for all hardware

• Apps/drivers delivered as add-ons

• Easily integrate new hardware

• Reduced maintenance costs

• Automated build process

• Easy to customise

Traditional Approach

• Quick Win• 1 x image per model• high maintenance

Traditional vs. Modular ApproachTime

Traditional Modular

Development

Deployment

Maintenance

Imaging Strategy

• Thick image– Core applications and language packs included– Updates included– Drivers included

• Thin image– Core applications and language packs NOT included– Updates NOT included– Drivers NOT included

• Hybrid image– Mixes thin and thick strategies

Imaging C.R.A.P.

Imaging C.R.A.P

• Disk Controllers drivers (STOP 0x0000007B)• HAL (Uniprocessor, Multiprocessor)• x64 and x86 support• Disk and Partition Setup• Windows Updates• Drivers (Out-of-the-box, ‘to be connected’

hardware)• Custom Registry Settings• Applications• AMD and Intel support

Platform Components

Windows Imaging (.WIM)

Microsoft Windows Imaging (WIM)• Microsoft’s own image format

• File-based disk imaging is a core capability of Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 2008

• Compared to sector-based formats, a WIM image is file-based

Microsoft Windows Imaging (WIM)• This WIM image format is hardware-

agnostic, meaning that you need only one image to address many different hardware configurations.

Microsoft Windows Imaging (WIM)• The WIM image format also lets you store

multiple images within one actual file. • For example, Microsoft can ship multiple

SKUs in one WIM image file. You store images with and without core applications in a single image file.

• Also, you can mark one of the images as bootable, allowing you to start a computer from a disk image contained in a WIM file.

Microsoft Windows Imaging (WIM)• The WIM image format enables compression

and single instancing, thus reducing the size of image files significantly.

• Single instancing is a technique that allows you to store two or more copies of a file for the space cost of one copy.

• For example, if images 1, 2, and 3 all contain file A, single-instancing stores a single copy of the file A and points images 1, 2, and 3 to that copy.

Microsoft Windows Imaging (WIM)• The WIM image format allows you to service an

image offline. You can add or delete certain operating system components, patches, and drivers without creating a new image.

• For example, to add a patch to a Windows XP image, you must boot the master image, add the patch, and then prepare the image again.

Microsoft Windows Imaging (WIM)• The WIM image format lets you install a disk image

on partitions of any size, unlike sector-based image formats that require you to deploy a disk image to a partition that's the same size or larger than the source disk.

WAIK

Windows Automated Installation Kit• The Windows® Automated Installation Kit

(Windows AIK) is a set of tools and documentation that support the configuration and deployment of Windows® operating systems.

Windows Automated Installation Kit• By using Windows AIK, you can automate Windows

installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, configure and modify images using Deployment Imaging Servicing and Management (DISM), create Windows PE images, and migrate user profiles and data with the User State Migration Tool (USMT).

• Windows AIK also includes the Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT), which enables IT professionals to automate and centrally manage the volume activation process using a Multiple Activation Key (MAK).

ImageX

ImageX

ImageX

ImageX

ImageX

ImageX

ImageX

ImageX

DISM

• Deployment Image Servicing and Management Tool

DISM

DISM

DISM

DISM

DISM

DISM

DISM

DISM

Platform Components

Attended Windows setup

Windows XP Setup Manager

Windows SIM

Unattended Windows setup

• Unattend.xml• AutoUnattend.xml

• As a rule, only answer files named Unattend.xml are used. • However, because some answer files include destructive

actions such as disk partitioning, you must rename your Unattend.xml file to Autounattend.xml in the windowsPE and offlineServicing configuration passes. These passes run when you first run Windows PE or Setup.exe.

• You typically use the Autounattend.xml file when you use the Windows Setup DVD boot method and supply an answer file on a USB flash drive (UFD) or floppy disk.

Unattend Windows setup







Windows SIM

Passes

• windowsPE • offlineServicing• generalize• Specialize • auditSystem• auditUser• oobeSystem

Windows PE

• Windows PE is a minimal Win32 subsystem with limited services, based on the Windows 7 kernel running in protected mode.

• It contains the minimal functionality that you need to run Setup, install Windows from a network share, automate basic processes, and perform hardware validation.

• Windows PE was developed specifically to address desktop and server deployment scenarios.

Windows PE

Passes – windowsPE

• Configures Windows PE options as well as basic Windows Setup options. These options can include configuring a disk or language settings.

Passes - offlineServicing

• Applies updates to a Windows 7 image.

• Also applies packages, including software fixes, language packs, and other security updates.

Passes - generalize

• The generalize pass runs only if you run sysprep /generalize. In this pass, you can minimally configure Windows 7 as well as configure other settings that must persist on your master image.

• The sysprep /generalize command removes system-specific information. For example, the unique SID and other hardware-specific settings are removed from the image.

Passes - specialize

• Creates and applies system-specific information.

• For example, you can configure:

– network settings– international settings– domain information.

Passes - auditSystem

• Processes unattended Setup settings while Windows 7 is running in system context, before a user logs on to the computer in audit mode.

• The auditSystem pass runs only if you boot in audit mode.

Passes - auditUser

• Processes unattended Setup settings after a user logs on to the computer in audit mode.

• The auditUser pass runs only if you boot in audit mode.

Passes - oobeSystem

• Applies settings to Windows 7 before Windows Welcome starts.

Mini Setup Phase = Specialize Pass• Windows XP

– driver installation– Joining domain– Sysprep.inf was the answer file for this phase

• Windows 7– This phase is now called the ‘Specialize’ pass– (Auto)Unattend.xml is the answer file for this pass

Mini Setup Phase = Specialize Pass

Windows SIM

Windows SIM

Windows SIM

Windows SIM

Windows SIM

Windows SIM

Windows SIM

Include custom files

• If you wish to include custom files to include in the Windows 7 installation (such as files in the program files, system32 folder, OOBE (Out Of Box Experience) etc.) then make a folder called $OEM$ inside the sources folder.

• From there, the following folder structures must apply (many changed from Windows 2000 and Windows XP $OEM$ days) …..


• \$$

Contains files that Windows Setup copies to the %WINDIR% (for example, C:\windows) folder during installation.

• \$$\System32

Contains files that Windows Setup copies to the %WINDIR%\System32 folder during installation.


• \$1

Represents the root of the drive on which you installed Windows (also called the boot partition) and contains files that Windows Setup copies to the boot partition during installation.

• \$1\Pnpdrivers

Contains new or updated Plug-and-Play (PnP) drivers. The user specifies the folder name in the Unattend.xml file for unattended installations. For example, this folder might be named \$OEM$ Folders\$1\Pnpdrvs.


• \drive_letter\subfolder

• A subfolder of the drive that contains files that Windows Setup copies to the subfolder during installation. Multiple instances of this type of folder may exist under the \$OEM$ Folders\drive_letter folder, for example, \$OEM$ Folders\D\MyFolder.

• \$$\Setup\Scripts\SetupComplete.cmd

Platform Components

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 (MDT 2010)

provides a common console with the comprehensive tools and guidance needed to efficiently manage deployment of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 is the recommended process and toolset to automate desktop and server deployment.

• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 provides detailed guidance and job aids for every organizational role involved with large-scale deployment projects.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010


MDT 2010 Requirements

• Microsoft Management Console (MMC) version 3.0

• Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 or later• Windows PowerShell™ command-line

interface (CLI) version 1.0 or 2.0, Community Technology Preview 3 (CTP3) or later

• Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) for Windows 7

Deployment scenario’s - LTI

• Lite Touch Installation• Allows selection of the level of automation• Has minimal infrastructure requirements• Supports deployments over a network using a

shared folder or locally using removable storage such as a CD, DVD, or UFD

• The deployment process can be initiated manually or automatically using Windows Deployment Services

• Requires little or no infrastructure to support deployment

Deployment scenario’s - ZTI

• Zero Touch Installation• Supports only fully automated deployments• Requires System Center Configuration Manager• Supports deployments only from System Center

Configuration Manager distribution points• The installation process can be initiated by System

Center Configuration Manager or Windows Deployment Services

• Requires an infrastructure sufficient to deploy operating system images

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

DeploymentWorkbench

WSF

WinPE

WinPE

Boot Image

Boot Image

Boot Image

Boot Image

Lite Touch Installation (LTI) deployments






Rules




Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010• MDT Teamblog:

http://blogs.technet.com/msdeployment/default.aspx






Platform Components





