Windows Vista Deployment
Tools
Anders Björling
Senior Consultant
Microsoft
Agenda
Windows Imaging Format (WIM) files
Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
Windows Automating Installation KIT
(WAIK)
System Image Manager (SIM)
ImageX
Windows PE
USMT 3.0
Going Out on a WIM
File-based Image Format
Introduced with SMS 2003 OSD Feature Pack
*Store Multiple Images within one actual file
File based imaging
Enables compression and single instancing
(a technique which allows you to store two or
more copies of a file for the space cost of one
copy)
Service an image offline
Install a disk image on partitions of any size
Provides API for WIM image for developers
Non-destructive deployment
Why Do I Care?
Vista ships on a WIM (Install.WIM)
Windows PE ships on a WIM inside the
WAIK (Winpe.wim)
What Else Has Changed?
Going away:
Unattend.txt, Sysprep.inf, Winbom.ini,
Cmdlines.txt => unattend.xml
WINNT.exe, WINNT32.exe, and source-based
installs => setup
SYSOCMGR => OCSETUP (online)
ocsetup.exe "DHCPServer" /quiet /norestart
SYSOCMGR => PKGMGR (offline)
pkgmgr /o:"C:\wim_mount\;C:\wim_mount\Windows"
/n:"C:\unattend.xml"
HAL
HAL independence
One image can support all hardware
No support for non-ACPI hardware
BUT: One Hal for 32 bit arch and one Hal for
64 bit arch
Image-Based Setup (IBS)
All Windows Vista release will ship as a
Sysprep’d image (install.WIM)
Setup applies (install.WIM) Images, using
Unattend answer files (Unattend.XML) for
custom installation
Windows Vista Setup supports upgrading
FAT/FAT32
to NTFS, with the default format type NTFS
Two ways to “Install” Windows Vista:
Apply install.WIM and use Unattend.XML to
customize setup.EXE
Install Vista, configure, capture, and deploy using
Vista Imaging tools (ImageX)
Tools of the Trade
Digging into the tools
Introduction
Design Goals
Deliver great ‘in-box’ OS provisioning solution
Deliver platform components to enable custom
solutions
Remote boot capability
Plug-in model for PXE Server extensibility
Client-server communication protocol
Unify on single image format - WIM
Improve management experience
MMC (UI) and command-line tools
Migration / Co-existence path from RIS
Introduction
Product Technology Roadmap
Historically
• 3 overlapping solutions
• Dissimilar infrastructures
• Gaps in functionality
SMS 2003
10/03
Address critical shortterm SMS & ADS needs
Unify infrastructure, consolidate
to 2 clearly differentiated solutions
• Address key SMS & ADS
customers needs
• Still have overlapping solutions
and dissimilar infrastructures
• WDS platform designed for IT Generalist /
MORG, LORG & core OEM scenarios
• SMS designed for MORG & LORG advanced
scenarios
• ADS scenarios largely incorporated into SMS
SMS 2003
OSD FP
SMS
v4
Q404
SMS v4 OS
Deployment builds
on WDS
VSMT
ADS 1.0
9/03
Q404
ADS 1.1
WDS
RTW
RIS in
WS 2003
CY 2003
Transfer
technology
2004
2005
Longhorn Client
Timeframe
WDS in LH
Server
Longhorn Server
Timeframe & Beyond
Introduction
Release Roadmap
WDS Server
WDS MGMT
OOB Hotfix for Server 2003 SP1
WDS Server
WDS MGMT
Server 2003 SP2
WDS Client
Windows Vista
Longhorn Server
WDS Client
WDS Server
WDS MGMT
BETA
Q2 2006
RTM
Q3 2006
Q4 2006
H1 2007
H2 2007
Scenarios
New Machine Deployment
End-to-end solution for clean installs
Bare metal
Machine re-provisioning
Deployment of Windows Vista, Longhorn Server,
Windows XP, Win2K3, and Win2K
Full sysprep image support (in WIM format)
New client application replaces OSChooser
PXE boot and non-PXE boot options
Fully automated installs from the moment of
power on
Integration with Active Directory
Scenarios
PXE Boot of Windows PE
Common WinPE uses
Custom deployment solution
Recovery environment
RAMDISK boot support for WinPE 2.0
Improved download speeds
Adjustable TFTP block size
WIM format provides compression and single
instancing
Simplified MGMT tasks for adding / removing
images
May be achieved without Active Directory
Scenarios
Extensibility Points
Scalable PXE server built on unified architecture
Replaceable plug-ins augment core networking
functionality
Published APIs
Able to run without Active Directory
WinPE PXE boot files for 3rd party PXE Server
use
Client < - > Server communication protocol
Develop custom deployment application
SMS & BDD use extensibility points
Scenario Walkthrough
End-to-End Deployment
Installing the server
Configuring the server
Adding images
Deploying a client
Maintaining images
Installation
Configuration
Image Add
Deployment
Maintenance
Scenario Walkthrough
Installing the Server
Methods of installation
Server 2003 = install the hotfix / service pack
Longhorn Server = install the server role
Actions
Copy server binaries
Create services
Installation
Configuration
Image Add
Deployment
Maintenance
Scenario Walkthrough
Configuring the Server
Initialize the server
‘REMINST’ share and folder structure created
TFTP root established
Services started
Authorizing the server in DHCP no longer a
requirement
Installation
Configuration
Image Add
Deployment
Maintenance
Scenario Walkthrough
Adding Images
Boot Images
WinPE 2.0 in WIM format
Image usually contains
WDS Client (setup binaries)
PXE boot binaries
Install Images
Sysprepped OS image in WIM format
Basic option – pull images from DVD
Custom option –Admin specified WIM files
Installation
Configuration
Image Add
Deployment
Maintenance
Scenario Walkthrough
Image Deployment
Choose a boot method for WinPE
PXE boot
Other media – CD, DVD, hard drive, UFD, etc…
Complete WDS Client installation screens
Complete first boot actions (OOBE)
Installation
Configuration
Image Add
Deployment
Maintenance
Scenario Walkthrough
Image Maintenance
Creation of custom sysprepped images using the WDS
image capture utility
Updates include drivers, language packs, and hotfixes /
QFEs
Offline servicing = updating an image prior to installation
onto new hardware
Bring image offline and service on WDS Server
Online servicing = updating the image post installation to
new hardware
Use Windows SIM to create unattend files and apply packages during
deployment
Installation
Configuration
Image Add
Deployment
Maintenance
Windows Deployment
Services
Transition from RIS
Upgrade from and Co-existence with RIS
Modes of WDS Operation
Legacy
Mixed
Native
WDS binaries
but RIS
functionality
OSChooser
RISETUP and
RIPREP
MGMT
through RIS
utilities
“Best of both
worlds”
WinPE and
OSChooser
RISETUP, RIPREP
and WIM
MGMT of new:
WDS MMC / CLI
MGMT of legacy:
RIS utils
No RIS
functionality
WinPE only
WIM only
MGMT through
WDS MMC / CLI
Transition
Only mode available
on LH Server
End-To-End Walkthrough
Option 60
Client
DHCP
PXE
ROM
2. Boot
Image
Selection
3. Image
Selection
and Apply
Port 67
Option 60
PXE
Request
MMC
CLI
Management Interface (API)
Service
WDS Server
DHCP
Discover
1. PXE Phase
WDS
Server
(PXE)
BINL
…
Port 4011
Unattend
RPC
Network
Network
Layer
Layer
WDS
WDS
Image
Image Store
Store
Files
Reg
Credentials
Image
Metadata
REMINST
TFTP of PXE boot files and WinPE
SMB download of install image
Boot
Images
Active
Directory
Windows Automated Installation
Kit (WAIK)
Imaging
Setup
Windows System Image Manager
XImage
Installs on Windows Longhorn, Windows Vista, Windows
XP SP2 (.NET Framework 2.0 required)
A suite of tools designed to help OEMs and large
enterprises deploy Windows Vista.
Automated Installation Kit
System Image Manager (SIM)
Replacement for Setup Manager
Interacts live with a “catalog” of an
installation
Generates unattend.XML
Built in validation of unattend.xml
Can be confusing at first
Unattend.XML
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v3">
<settings>
<component name="setup">
<UserData>
<AcceptEula>yes</AcceptEula>
<FullName>Windows User</FullName>
<ComputerName>winvista-beta1</ComputerName>
<ProductKey>ABCDE-FGHIJ-KLMNO-PQRST-UVWXY</ProductKey>
</UserData>
<AutoLogon>
<Logon UserName="username" Password="password" Count="3" />
</AutoLogon>
<ImageInstall>
<Image>
<InstallTo DiskID="0" PartitionID="1" />
</Image>
</ImageInstall>
</component>
</settings>
</unattend>
System Image Manager
Tools of the Trade: ImageX
Command line tool for WIM management
Learn to use this
Mount Windows PE to a directory to modify
Mount a Windows Vista WIM to insert an
unattend file
Mount a Windows Vista WIM to insert a
script,file
or hotfix
Split a WIM into distribution chunks (CD size)
Capture/Apply a disk
Contains an API
Image Editing
Enabled with file system mini-filter (wimfltr.sys)
Mount an image to a specified folder
Images must be mounted to an existing file system
Allows for read or read/write access to an image
Changes are queued and can be committed or discarded with an
unmount operation
Mounted Image
2
Mount
Windows
Program Files
Temp
tmp files 3
4
Images
Commit
vista.wim
Users
1
Mount(RW)
ImageX
MUI Support
Multi-language support (MUI)
Windows Vista is language-neutral at its core
No localized versions
Multiple language packs available for
Enterprise
Languages can be added and removed
Pkgmgr additional language
Windows PE
Bootable, special purpose Windows
environment
Not DOS
Use for these Windows Vista tasks
Installation
Troubleshooting
Recovery
Windows PE 2.0
Now available to everyone for deploying
Windows Vista!
Key part of the Windows Vista deployment
and recovery process
“Hot” (online) Plug n Play support Can be
serviced offline just like Windows Vista
Inject drivers, add or remove optional
components offline (PEIMG)
Inject drivers online (Drvload)
Boot from RAM with compressed WIM
image
Creates a writeable 32MB ramdisk
Windows PE 2.0
Things you can do
Can format partitions with NTFS
Network access using Windows Vista drivers
Can use VBScript for complex tasks
Extensible with XML
Unattend.xml on WinPE
Tools for Working With
Windows PE
Windows PE tools
DiskPart
Drvload (Online)
Oscdimg
PEImg (Offline)
BCDEdit
Edits the Boot Configuration Data (BCD)
Use to add Windows PE to the boot menu
Windows PE
User State Migration Tool 3.0
Support for Windows Vista and Office 2007
Integrates with Configuration Manifest
Infrastructure (CMI) for migrating OS settings
to Windows Vista
New XML-based configuration files
Encryption capability
Minor command line changes
One part of a larger migration engine
Is the workflow, not the logic
USMT 3.0 Requirements
Sufficient disk space for saved state data
Source computer
Windows 2000 Professional
Windows XP Home, Windows XP
Professional, Windows XP Professional x64
Windows Vista, Windows Vista Itanium,
Windows Vista x64
Destination computer
Windows XP versions
Windows Vista versions
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or later
ScanState and LoadState
ScanState
Collects files and settings from source
computer
Controlled by XML files
Creates USMT3.MIG file
LoadState
Controlled by XML files
Reads USMT3.MIG file
Restores saved state onto destination
computer