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Understanding the Windows 7 Deployment Process (part 2) - Using Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit

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9/19/2011 6:27:12 PM

3. Using Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit

The Windows 7 Automated Installation Kit is a collection of tools and documentation that enable you to perform all the tasks essential to a Windows 7 workstation deployment. The same can be said of Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010, except that Windows 7 AIK does not include the planning and coordination framework for complex, high-volume deployment projects.

The most important tools included in Windows 7 AIK are as follows:

  • Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM) A graphical tool that creates distribution shares and answer files that administrators can use to customize Windows 7 installations

  • ImageX.exe A command-line tool that can capture, modify, and apply image files in Windows Imaging format

  • Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM.exe) A command-line tool that can mount, edit, and upgrade image files in the Windows Imaging format

  • Windows PE Core operating system files used to create bootable media

  • System Preparation (Sysprep.exe) A command-line program that prepares Windows 7 workstations for imaging, auditing, and deployment

Because Windows 7 AIK is a set of free-standing tools, it is highly flexible in its deployment capabilities. The basic deployment framework described earlier in this lesson applies, but with the Windows SIM tool, you can customize and automate your reference computer and target computer installations by creating answer files. Windows 7 AIK was largely created with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in mind, and it defines in its documentation two basic types of deployment:

  • Build-to-plan (BTP) Intended for building workstations in a standard, uniform configuration, the BTP deployment is one in which administrators build the reference computer by using an answer file and create an image, which they deploy to the target workstations unaltered.

  • Build-to-order (BTO) Intended for customized workstation builds, a BTO deployment is one in which administrators use an answer file to build the reference computer, deploy the resulting image on the target computers, and then boot the computers in audit mode to make further customizations.

The usefulness of these deployment types in an enterprise deployment depends on the types of images you plan to create. If you create a separate, thick image for each of your workstation configurations, you can deploy them to the target computers as is, using BTP deployment. If you choose to create thin images, or a single generic image that you plan to customize for each workstation type, you can use the BTO method and customize the target computers after you deploy the image.

The procedure for a BTO deployment of a bare-metal workstation using only the Windows 7 AIK tools can consist of the following steps:

  1. Install Windows 7 AIK on a build computer.

    The build computer is where you will create your answer files by using Windows SIM and your Windows PE boot media.

  2. Create a distribution share by using Windows SIM, as shown in Figure 6.

    Figure 6. A distribution share in Windows System Image Manager


    In Windows 7 AIK, a distribution share is a directory structure where you store any device drivers and applications that you want to deploy using the answer file. Unlike WDS and MDT 2010, this is not a deployment share where you store the image files you intend to deploy to your reference and target computers. Windows 7 AIK does not have a built-in deployment infrastructure. You either have to manage the image distribution process manually or use WDS or MDT 2010 to deploy your images.

  3. Populate the distribution share.

    Add the device drivers and applications you want to install using the answer file to the appropriate directories in the distribution share, creating subdirectories for each drive and application.

  4. Create and validate an answer file for the reference computer by using Windows SIM.

    Using an answer file, you can add device drivers and applications to the Windows setup procedure, as well as configure a multitude of operating system settings. You must also add the appropriate settings for the software components you stored in the distribution share, as well as any component settings you want to use to configure the operating system installation on the reference computer.


    Note:

    CREATING ANSWER FILES

    For complete documentation of the answer file creation process, see the Windows System Image Manager Technical Reference help file. For complete documentation of all answer file component and package settings, see the Unattended Windows Setup Reference for Windows 7 help file. Both of these help files are supplied with the Windows 7 AIK.


  5. Create a configuration set using Windows SIM, using the interface shown in Figure 7.

    A configuration set is a self-contained version of the files from the distribution share you referenced in the answer file, as well as the answer file itself. After you have created the configuration set, copy it to a removable medium, such as a USB flash drive.

    Figure 7. The Create Configuration Set dialog box in Windows SIM


  6. Boot the reference computer by using a Windows 7 installation disk and insert the removable medium containing the configuration set.

    The Windows 7 Setup.exe program automatically searches the removable drives on the system, locates the answer file, and installs Windows 7 on the reference computer using your customizations.


    Note:

    INSTALLING THE REFERENCE COMPUTER OVER THE NETWORK

    If necessary, you can also install the reference computer by placing the configuration set and the Windows 7 installation files on a network share. After booting the reference computer with a Windows PE boot disk, you map a drive letter to the share using the NET USE command and start the Setup.exe file manually, specifying the path to the answer file on the command line.


  7. Switch the reference computer to audit mode and prepare it for image capture using Sysprep.exe.

    Running Sysprep.exe with the /generalize parameter removes the computer-specific and user-specific settings from the installation, and the /audit parameter switches it from out-of-box experience (OOBE) mode to audit mode.

  8. Create a Windows PE boot disk containing the ImageX.exe utility.

    Windows 7 AIK includes the Windows PE boot files, but it does not provide a means of deploying boot files over the network. Therefore, to boot your workstations using only Windows 7 AIK tools, you must use the Copype.cmd batch file to create a build directory, add ImageX.exe, and then use the Oscdimg.exe program to package the build directory as a sector-based image file with an .iso extension. Then, you must burn the boot image file to a removable medium, such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or USB flash drive, using a third-party tool, which Windows 7 AIK does not provide.

  9. Boot the reference computer by using the Windows PE disk and capture an image of the reference computer by using ImageX.exe.

    Running ImageX.exe with the /capture command enables you to capture an image of the system and save it to a Windows Imaging file on a local disk, after which you can map a drive to your distribution share and copy the image file there.

  10. Boot the target computer by using the Windows PE disk and create a disk partition by using the Diskpart.exe command line utility.

    Windows Imaging files require you to create a formatted partition of appropriate size before you can deploy them. When you install a workstation by using the Windows Setup.exe program, you can configure the answer file to create the partition. When you use ImageX.exe to deploy an image, you must create the partition manually.

  11. From the Windows PE command line, apply the captured reference computer image to the target computer by using the ImageX.exe utility.

    To access the image file from a network share, you must map a drive letter to the share first, and then run ImageX.exe with the /apply parameter, specifying the path to the image file.

  12. Restart the target computer and allow it to boot in audit mode and make any additional configuration modifications.

    Audit mode enables you to start the workstation without completing the Windows Welcome user interface pages. You can then configure operating system settings or install applications on the target computer to create a customized configuration.

  13. Switch the reference computer back to OOBE mode and prepare it for delivery by using Sysprep.exe.

    Running Sysprep.exe with the /oobe parameter switches the computer from audit mode back to OOBE (Windows Welcome) mode. The /generalize and /shutdown parameters then leave the system ready for delivery to the end user.

This procedure describes one permutation of the deployment process using the Windows 7 AIK tools. Depending on the number of workstations you have to deploy and the degree of customization you require, you can modify this procedure considerably. For example, you can conceivably omit the reference computer installation entirely and use an answer file to install the target workstations.

It is relatively rare for administrators to complete a large workstation deployment with Windows 7 AIK alone. Many use WDS to deploy images over the network, or MDT 2010 for a more integrated solution, or both. However, it is difficult to deploy a large number of computers without using some of the tools in Windows 7 AIK, so it is well worth familiarizing yourself with them.

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