Overview of End-to-End Preinstallation

Mikael Nyström – TrueSec

MVP Windows Server – Setup/Deployment

Agenda

Overview

Windows Vista Preinstallation

Preinstallation Phases

Introduction to New Technologies

Call to Action

OverviewChallenges in Manufacturing Today

Windows installation routine targeted at end-user

Operating system installs are time-consuming and inefficient

Unattended installations require great expertise

OS design lacks flexibility needed by OEMs

Hardware dependencies

Limited servicing of captured OS image

Multiple images required for MUI and HAL support

Windows XP OPK toolkit lacks support for full end-to-end preinstallation scenarios

OverviewGoals of Windows Vista Preinstallation

Integrated suite of tools

Faster and more reliable deployment

Significantly reduce the number of images

Improve servicing of images

Comprehensive best practices

Operating System

Deployment Tools

Best PracticesInnovation and significant engineering investments in three key areas

Windows Vista PreinstallationOverview: Preinstallation Process

Phase 1 – Preinstallation Planning

Phase 2 – Preinstallation Preparation

Phase 3 – Preinstallation Customization

Phase 4 – Image Deployment

Phase 5 – Image Maintenance

Windows Vista Preinstallation

Phase 1

Preinstallation Planning

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 1 – Preinstallation Planning

GOAL: Become familiar with the new deployment technologies and develop implementation plan

Map existing processes and tools to Windows Vista

Choose the right deployment method

Speed: the time to manufacture and deliver

Volume: the number of manufactured computers

Customization: the amount of modifications made to the installed software

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 1 – Legacy Tools

OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK)

Tools

Documentation

What tools did I use in

Windows XP?

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 1 – Windows Vista OPK

Windows Vista OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK)

Improved tools and documentation that enable OEMs to

Deploy Windows onto new machines

Customize the end-user experience

Improved user guides provide

Technical guidance

Policy guidance

Technical reference for deployment tools

Windows Vista Preinstallation

Phase 2

Preinstallation Preparation

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 2 – Preinstallation Preparation

GOAL: Build infrastructure and developessential processes

Build a test deployment environment

Generally occurs in a lab

Install tools onto your technician computer

Define change control measures

Institute a process for replicating lab configuration into production

Windows Vista Preinstallation

Phase 3

Preinstallation Customization

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 3 – Preinstallation Customization

GOAL: Create a customized Windows image to deploy to new computers

Assemble hardware and run Windows Vista Setup

Build an answer file to customize a Windows installation

Install Windows using that answer file

Perform additional OS customizations

Prepare the installation to be imaged

Capture the image using the imaging toolset

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 3 – Legacy Tools

Setup Manager

Winnt32.exe

Sysprep

Third-party imaging tool

What tools did I use in

Windows XP?

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 3 – Tools – Windows Vista Setup

Windows Setup (Setup.exe)

Successor to Winnt32.exe

Application that runs on Windows PE

Image-based

Complete re-architecture to support deployment of syspreped images

Possible to deploy customized images

Setup “phases” and configuration passes replace text-mode and GUI-mode

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 3 - Windows Vista Setup Phases

Down-levelWindows PE (Windows Server

2003 SP1+)

Online

Configuration

Windows

Welcome

(OOBE)

Basic Setup GUI:

• Data Entry

• Disk Configuration

• Apply Image

• Prepare boot data

• Offline configuration pass

User-specific

configuration:

• End-user License

• Machine name

• Regional Settings

Configure

Components:

• Boot to “basic”

OS

• Apply license files

• Apply settings

from Unattend.xml

• Component

settings

• Windows

features

Make

installation

“unique”:

• Sysprep

specialization

• PnP /

Hardware

matching

Clean / UpgradeBare Metal

Install

Windows Vista PreinstallationMapping of Windows XP Answer Files to Configuration Passes

Legacy Windows Answer Files Windows Vista Configuration Passes

Unattend.txt generalize, specialize

Sysprep.inf generalize, specialize

Winbom.ini WINPE windowsPE

Winbom.ini FACTORY auditSystem, auditUser

Winbom.ini OOBE oobeSystem

Oobeinfo.ini oobeSystem

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 3 – Mapping of Legacy Answer Files

Relationship of Windows XP answer files to Windows Vista Setup

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 3 – Tools – Windows SIM

Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM)

UI interface for authoring Unattend.xml

Simplifies creation and maintenance

Configures settings and customizes deployments

Integrated context-sensitive help

Create configuration sets with Unattend.xml plus driver packages, language packs, and $OEM$

Managed API for automated creation of Unattend.xml answer file

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 3 – Tools – Sysprep

Prepare an operating system installation to be imaged

Modular architecture

Sysprep included as part of the operating system installation

Sysprep.exe orchestrates the image preparation process

New syntax mirrors unattended settings passes

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 3 – Tools – Imaging

Windows Imaging Format (WIM)

Tools (ImageX)

APIs

Enabling technologies

Enabling Technologies

WIM file-system filter

WIM boot filter

Four major components

ImageX

WIMGAPI

WIM File

Windows Vista Preinstallation

Phase 4

Image Deployment

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 4 – Image Deployment

GOAL: Deploy Windows on the factory floor

Deploy the image to client computers

Update deployed image

Change or update settings

Add drivers

Add hotfixes

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 4 – Legacy Tools

Third-party imaging tools

Used to deploy sysprepped image

Windows PE / DOS

Remote Installation Services (RIS)

What tools did I use in

Windows XP?

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 4 – Image Deployment

GOAL: Deploy Windows on the factory floor

Deploy the image to client computers

Image-Based Installation

Configuration Set Installation

Media Boot

Perform customizations to deployed image

Offline = perform customizations before booting into the image

Online = boot into the image on the factory floor, perform customizations, and run Sysprep /generalize(equivalent of “resealing” in Windows XP)

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 4 – Tools – Windows PE

Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)

Feature parity with Windows Server 2003 SP1 plus…

Booting from WIM

Driver injection / “hot” PnP Support

32-MB RAM Drive (writable scratch space)

New optional components

Wpeinit replaces factory.exe

New build tool - PEImg

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 4 – Tools – Windows Deployment Services

Replacement to Remote Installation Services

(RIS)

Available for Windows Server 2003 SP1 at

Windows Vista RTM

Key scenarios:

Deploy Windows PE to PXE booting client

machines

Platform technology that provides extensibility

Scalable PXE Server

Uses “Provider” logic

Published APIs

Windows Vista Preinstallation

Phase 5

Image Maintenance

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 5 – Image Maintenance

GOAL: Keep Windows image up-to-date

Updating an image = servicing

Updates are in the form of new software

Drivers

Hotfixes

Applications

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 5 – Tools – Windows XP

Update.exe

Offline updates to original source media using update.exe /integrate

Separate images for different HAL types

Separate images for different languages

Manual driver injection

Offline editing of the „DriverPaths‟ registry key

What tools did I use in

Windows XP?

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 5 – Tools – Package Manager

Package Manager (Pkgmgr.exe)

Tool for offline injection of

Windows hotfixes and service packs

Drivers

Language packs

Reduces installation time on the factory floor

Decreases complexity / risk associated with manual injection of drivers

Windows Vista PreinstallationPhase 5 – Tools – Package Manager

Distinction between online and offline servicing

Offline servicing = updating an image prior to installation onto new hardware.

Online servicing = updating the image post installation to new hardware

NOTE: Offline servicing may still have online actions that will take place on the next boot of the image.

Windows Vista PreinstallationPreinstallation Phases Review

Phase 1 – Preinstallation Planning

Phase 2 – Preinstallation Preparation

Phase 3 – Preinstallation Customization

Phase 4 – Image Deployment

Phase 5 – Image Maintenance

OPK

Setup

Windows SIM

Sysprep

Imaging

Windows PE

Windows Deployment Services

Imaging

Package Manager

Call to Action

Install the Windows Vista OPK

Get to know the new toolset and documentation

Map existing manufacturing processes to new deployment methods

Test, test, test…

Complete your evaluation

Questions?