Windows Vista Deployment &
Servicing Overview
Anders Björling
Microsoft Services
Agenda
 Introduction: Vista Goals, Vista
Overview
 Vista Deployment Technologies
 Windows Imaging Format & Tools
 Windows PE
 Image Based Setup (IBS)
 Unattended Setup
 Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
 Vista Servicing
Windows Vista Manufacturing
Goals
 Deliver Windows features for image creation,
modification and deployment
 Reduce the number of OS images required
 Improve PC imaging process through scripting
and deployment automation tools
 Enable both online and offline servicing of the
OS components and or images
 Single set of tools for Desktop and Server
 Improve documentation throughout the OS beta
cycle and through post RTM of the Vista OS
Windows Imaging
WIM Image Format
WIM is a file based image format

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Non-destructive application of an OS image
Partial volume captures
Single instance storage of file resources
Multiple images / volumes in a single WIM
container
Application to variable size target drives
Archive quality images – disk or file system
structures are not stored
Windows Imaging
WIM Image Format (Con’t)
 Highly compressed format
Single instance of duplicate files
 Spanned media support
WIMs can be split and applied from parts
(.swm)
 Bootable Image format

Support for booting WinPE from a WIM
Windows Imaging
Vista Image Sizes
Image
Client OS Installation
(x86fre)
install.wim
WinPE Image (x86fre)
boot.wim
Client OS Installation
(x64fre)
install.wim
WinPE Image (x64fre)
boot.wim
Beta 2 (build
5287)
1.7 GB
RTM Goal
123 MB
100-120 MB
2.0 GB
2.0 GB
200 MB
175 – 200 MB
1.7 GB
Windows Imaging (ImageX)
ImageX
Command line tool (no GUI tool available)
Basic operations include: APPEND, APPLY, CAPTURE,
DELETE, DIR, EXPORT, INFO, SPLIT, MOUNT(RW),
UNMOUNT
Imaging APIs (WIMGAPI)
Exposes all imaging functionality
Enables custom imaging applications and solutions
Documented within the Deployment tool kit
Enabling Technology (Filters)

WIM File System Filter: Allows images to be mounted and
modified
Demo WIM
Mount Vista WIM file
Unmount
Unattended Setup: Answer File
 A single universal answer file for the Vista OS
(Components, Servicing, and Applications installs)
 Standard XML file created in many ways:

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Script that calls the new Component Platform Interface API
Output of new Image Manager application
 Customizes images during setup OR offline
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passed to SETUP.EXE during Vista installation
passed to PKGMGR.EXE during Vista offline image
maintenance
 All XP functionality will be supported.

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Some XP Unattend.txt settings are the same
Some settings names have changed in Unattend.xml file
Answer Files In Windows XP
Windows XP Install
ANSWER FILES
Unattend.txt
Sysprep.inf
WinBom.ini
ooBeinfo.ini
WINDOWS SETUP
Windows XP
Installation
Multiple text files defined custom setup
changes
Archaic
Required Knowledge of multiple processes
and tools
Answer Files In Vista
Windows Vista Install
ANSWER FILES
Unattend.xml
WINDOWS SETUP
Configuration Passes
windows PE
Generalize
Specialize
auditSystem
auditUser
oobeSystem
Windows Vista
Installation
Multiple Files replaced a single XML
answer file
Simplifies customization process
Only one toll needed
All passes adressed in a single location
Demo Image Manager
Windows System Image Manager
Windows Vista Modularization
 Vista OS components are
installed and serviced
independently
 Components describe their
resources and
dependencies in XML
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Registry items
Configurable Properties
Files
Dependencies
 SKU XML Manifests define
components of a product
Vista Components
Shell
File
System
Networking
Media
Player
Audio
Modularization
 Vista is built from a set of components
 A Component consists of

A self describing manifest
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Resources to install the component

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with a unique versioned identity
Files, Registry Keys, Settings, Install Actions
List of other component dependencies
 Vista comprises of 3000+ unique components
 Installation and maintenance is declarative, not
procedural
Vista Servicing Overview
 Setup, Optional Components, Language
Packs, Hot-fixes, Out of Band releases use
the same infrastructure and tools
 Vista servicing is

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More robust (Transactional)
Order independent (install/uninstall)
Supports Image Servicing
Demo pkgmgr
WIM
PKGMGR
Windows PE
WinPE is…
An operating environment built from Vista
components
an integrated part of the setup environment
for Vista
a platform enabling IT Pros to build
deployment, recovery, imaging, and
diagnostics applications
a replacement for DOS boot disk scenarios
WinPE is not…

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a embedded operating system
a replacement client or server operating
system
Demo WinPE
Mount WinPE
Install drivers offline
Image-Based Setup (IBS)
 All Vista release will ship as a Sysprep’d image

Setup.EXE applies images
 Setup applies Images, using Unattend answer
files for custom installation

Setup customizes the image under WinPE before
applying the image to the PC
 Windows “Vista” Setup supports upgrading
FAT/FAT32 to NTFS, with the default format type
NTFS
 Two ways to “Install” Vista:
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
Apply the RTM image and use Unattend.xml to
customize setup.EXE
Install Vista, configure, capture, and deploy using
Vista Imaging tools (XImage)
Image-Based Setup Phases
Offline
WinPE
•Offline Pass
•WinPE Pass
•Adding
packages
•Data Entry
•Security
bulletins
•Drivers
•Setup
Selections
•Disk Prep
•Apply Image
•Prepare boot
data
On Line
Configuration
First Boot
OOBE
• Component
Configuration:
•Make device
“unique”
• Boot to “basic”
OS
• SysPrep
specialization
Machine OOBE
options and
settings:
• Apply license files
•Unattend.xml
• EULA accept
OOBEsystem pass
• Configuration
•AuditSystem
• Registration
• Unattend.xml
•Audituser
• Machine name
• Generalize
• Users
• Specialize
• Connectivity
• Regional Settings
Demo WIM
Different Phases
Windows Deployment Services
(WDS)
 Replaces Remote Installation Services (RIS)

RIS cannot deploy Vista
 Will be available for WS2003 when Vista client
RTMs
 Can install Vista, XP, WS2K3, and W2K images
 Uses WinPE as the boot environment on target
PC

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WinPE can be customized
WinPE is deployed as a compressed WIM image with
RAMDISK boot support
 WinPE-based WDS Client provides image
selection
 Native support for WIM images
WDS Operation Modes
Legacy RIS
Boot environment = OSChooser
Image Types: RISETUP and RIPREP
Administration experience = RIS toolset
WDS Mixed
Boot environment = OSChooser & WinPE
Image Types: WIM, RISETUP, and RIPREP
Administration experience = RIS toolset and WDS
MGMT
WDS Native
Boot environment = WinPE
Image Types: WIM
Administration experience = WDS MGMT
This is one-and-only mode in Longhorn Server
WDS Image Store Folder Structure
RIS EXECs for Imaging
PXE Boot Bin
Boot.WIMs
Image Groups
Install.WIMs
Database for WDS
RIS Image Selection Possibilities
RIS Images
WinPE UNATTEND.XMLs
Demo WDS
WDS