MCSE Window®s 2000 Professional Exam Cram™ 2 (Exam 70-210) [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Automating the Installation of Windows 2000 Professional

When you use any of the three attended installation options, someone must be in front of the computer to answer all the installation prompts. This is a very inefficient means of installing Windows 2000 Professional when you need to install the operating system on many computers. The following sections discuss how to use Setup Manager, the System Preparation tool, and RIS to automate the installation process.

Using Setup Manager to Create an Unattended Installation

The Setup Manager utility answers the installation prompts and saves the answer results in an answer file called unattend.txt. Windows 2000 can then use unattend.txt during the installation to configure the screen resolution and other typical hardware and operating system settings. This tool is much improved in Windows 2000 and adds more options and greater flexibility than its predecessor. Setup Manager can now do the following:

Agree to the EULA

Create a distribution share point

Create a listing of unique computer names for a uniqueness database file (UDF)

Add third-party Plug and Play drivers and other resources

Add printers, scripts, batch files, and other commands to the distribution share

You must extract Setup Manager from a .cab file on the Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM. Setup Manager enables you to create an unattended installation answer file that is named unattend.txt by default. You can also create an answer file manually, without using Setup Manager, but Setup Manager makes the process easier. To extract Setup Manager, you perform the following steps:

Insert the Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM into the computer and select the deploy.cab file, which is located in the Support\Tools folder.

Double-click the deploy.cab file to view the contents.

Right-click setupmgr.exe and select Extract. From the Explorer menu choose a location to which to extract the file. Right-click setupmgx.dll and extract this file to the same location as setupmgr.exe.

You can now create the answer file. To do so, you double-click the setupmgr.exe icon to launch the wizard. The setupmgr.exe utility is a multipurpose tool because you can use it to create answer files for several types of unattended installations. This chapter concentrates on a Windows 2000 unattended installation. You need to perform the following steps to create an answer file:

Double-click the setupmgr.exe icon to start the utility.

Click Next to pass the welcome page.

Select the Create a New Answer File radio button (which is selected by default) and click Next.

The next page displays which product the answer file installs. There are three choices: Windows 2000 Unattended Installation, Sysprep Install, and RIS. Select the Windows 2000 Unattended Installation radio button and click Next.

Choose the Windows 2000 Professional radio button and click Next.

The next page displays several options regarding user interaction. Typically, no user interaction is required. If, however, you want the installation to stop so you can enter the computer name, select Hide Pages. This option hides all pages in which answers were provided but stops at any areas that you have left blank. Select the Fully Automated radio button and click Next.

Select the check box to agree to the EULA and click Next.

Enter a name and an organization and then click Next.

Enter the computer names or import a comma-delimited file that contains all computer names that should be used for the installation of new computers. Optionally, you can select the Automatically Generate Computer Names Based on Organization Name check box. Checking this results in a combination of the organization name that you entered in the dialog box and a unique alphanumeric combination (for example, que-1AD2RT). Use either method and then click the Next button.

Enter a password that the local administrator of the computer will use and then click Next.

The password can be up to 127 characters long.

Select display settings such as color, screen area, and refresh frequency. Unless all computers have identical video cards with identical monitors, you should set these fields to Use Windows Default. Click Next to continue.

This page provides two options for network settingsTypical and Custom. If you select Typical, Microsoft Client, File and Print Sharing, and Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) are installed. In addition, the client is configured as a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) client. If you need to enter a static IP address or add or subtract network services, use the Custom option; select Typical or Custom and click Next.

The Workgroup or a Domain page appears next. If the computer is to join a domain during the installation, you must enter the name of the domain as well as a username and password of a user who has the right to add workstations to a domain. Fill in the appropriate fields and click Next.

The Time Zone page appears next. Choose the time zone in which the computer is located and click Next.

You've reached the end of creating a basic answer file. If you need to add other drivers or scripts, select the Yes, Edit the Additional Settings radio button. For the purposes of our discussion, select No, Do Not Edit the Additional Settings and click Next.

Use the next page to create a distribution share for the Windows 2000 Professional files or to create an answer file that you will use in conjunction with the CD-ROM distribution. For demonstration purposes, select Yes, Create or Modify a Distribution Folder and then click Next to continue.

If you choose to create a distribution share, you must name the answer file winnt.sif, and you must place it on a floppy disk. A CD-ROMbased installation looks for the presence of this file on a floppy disk and uses it to provide an unattended installation via the CD-ROM distribution.

The next page offers suggested locations and folder names for the distribution share point. If you have already created the distribution share, select Modify an Existing Distribution Folder. If you select this option, just the answer file is created. Accept the default by clicking the Next button.

If you need drivers for a hardware Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) controller card, add them here. Click Next to continue.

If you need a third-party Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) for multiple-processor support or other configurations, add that now and click Next.

If you need to run a batch file after the installation is done, add those files in the Additional Commands page and click Next.

The OEM Branding page appears next. It allows you to replace the default bitmaps that are displayed during the installation process with custom bitmaps and logos. Click Next to continue.

The Additional Files or Folders page appears. Use this page to specify where to place files on the computer and install any third-party Plug and Play drivers that don't come with Windows 2000. Click Next.

You're almost finished. Enter a name for the answer file and the location of the distribution share. The default name for the answer file is unattend.txt. In a working environment, you should change this name because setupmgr.exe takes a basic answer file from the Windows 2000 CD-ROM that overwrites the one you create. Click Next.

Copy the distribution files from the Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM to the distribution share. Put the CD-ROM in the computer and click Next. The files are copied to the distribution share.

The last page displayed is a summary page of the files that you created. Click Finish.

Now that you have created the answer file and the distribution share, let's put it all together to see how to launch an unattended installation of Windows 2000 Professional. To master this task, you must understand a few switches that are involved. winnt.exe has multiple switches to control its functionality. The following is a list of switches that relate to unattended installations:

/u:answer file
This switch is used for an unattended installation. file contains answers to the installation prompts.

/s:sourcepath
This switch points to the location of the Windows 2000 installation files.

/udf:id
This switch is used in conjunction with a UDF file, which overrides the values of the answer file. You typically use this file to provide unique configuration parameters during the installation process. id designates which settings contained in the UDF file should be used.

/unattend
This switch is used with winnt32.exe to create an unattended upgrade to Windows 2000.

You use these switches in combination with one another to launch an unattended installation of Windows 2000 Professional via Setup Manager. To launch an unattended installation, you need to follow these steps:

Use a network boot disk to connect the target computer to the network.

Use the net use command to map to the distribution share point, using an available drive letter.

Switch the command prompt to the mapped drive letter (such as I:) and launch the installation by using winnt.exe. The following example launches an unattended installation for a computer called machine1:

I:\WINNT.EXE /s:I:\i386 /u:unattend.txt /udf:machine1,unattend.udf

You should practice using Setup Manager several times, choosing different options each time, to see how the results vary. You should also remember that you can use Setup Manager to create answer files for System Preparation tool installations, which are described in the following section, and RIS installations, which are discussed a bit later in this chapter, in the section "Using RIS."

Using the System Preparation Tool

The System Preparation tool prepares a master image of a computer that contains Windows 2000 Professional and any software applications that users might need. You can use this tool in conjunction with third-party disk imaging software. Disk imaging software makes an exact mirror image of whatever is on the computer, including all the unique parameters of Windows 2000. Each Windows 2000 computer has its own unique security identifier (SID) and its own unique computer name. Other computers can't use these settings. If you applied to several computers an image that contained these unique settings, the computers would all have the same computer name and the same SID. The System Preparation tool removes all the unique parameters from a Windows 2000 computer before the computer is imaged. The tool is very easy to use, but you must follow several specific steps to use it.

The first step is to create a folder called sysprep in %SystemRoot% (for example, c:\sysprep).

To use the System Preparation tool, you must extract it from the deploy.cab file and place it in the sysprep folder. You need to perform the following steps to extract sysprep.exe and a helper file called setupcl.exe:

Insert the Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM into the computer and select the deploy.cab file, which is located in the Support\Tools folder.

Double-click the deploy.cab file to view the contents.

Right-click sysprep.exe and select Extract. Use the Explorer menu to extract the file to the sysprep folder that you created. Right-click setupcl.exe and extract it to the sysprep folder.

The next step is to install and configure all applications that must be in the disk image. When you have accomplished that, you can run sysprep.exe in the sysprep folder. sysprep.exe removes all unique parameters from the computer and then shuts down the computer. You need to reboot the computer with a disk image boot disk and create an image of the computer.

After you have applied an image to a computer, the Mini-Setup Wizard runs. It prompts you to put back the unique parameters that you took out. The SID is generated automatically at this point. However, you have to set the following:

Computer Name

User Name

Product ID

Regional Settings

Company Name

Network Settings

Time Zone

Place Computer in a Workgroup or Join a Domain

As you can see, you need to enter a fair amount of information for every computer to which you apply the image. You can use Setup Manager to create an answer file that must be named sysprep.inf (a renamed version of the unattend.txt answer file) and is used for automating disk imaging installations. This file provides these settings to the Mini-Setup Wizard to answer all the installation prompts. The end result is an unattended install of the image.

You must place sysprep.inf in the sysprep folder or on a floppy disk, which are the default locations where the Mini-Setup Wizard looks for the answer file (it checks the sysprep folder first) after you have applied the image. Also, you should apply the image to computers with similar hardware. When you apply the image, sysprep.exe triggers Plug and Play into action. Plug and Play can resolve some differences in hardware. However, if the hard disk controller and the HAL on the image are different than those on the computer to which you are applying the image, the image installation fails. For example, if you create the image on a computer that contains an HAL for a computer with multiple processors but you are applying the image to a single-processor computer, the installation fails.

Using RIS

You can use RIS to deploy Windows 2000 Professional over a network from a remote installation server. RIS integrates a few of the installation methods discussed so far in this chapter into one tight bundle. You can use it to install Windows 2000 Professional to a computer with a blank hard drive or to reinstall Windows 2000 Professional to repair a corrupted installation.

The main goal of RIS is to reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) by having one central location for either the end users or administrators to install Windows 2000 Professional. To install Windows 2000 Professional using RIS, a user presses the F12 key during the boot process to find RIS and start the installation. Four steps are involved in making RIS work: configuring the clients, configuring network servers, installing and configuring an RIS server, and creating Windows 2000 Professional images. The next few sections uncover the details of these areas.

Configuring Clients

You can have a client computer connect to an RIS server in two ways. The first method is to install a peripheral connection interface (PCI) network adapter that contains an onboard preboot execution (PXE) ROM chip. You then have to configure the computer's BIOS to boot from the PXE network adapter. When the computer boots from the PXE network adapter, it attempts to get an IP address from a DHCP server. When the network adapter has an IP address, the user is prompted to press the F12 key to locate an RIS server.

In the second method for connecting a client computer to an RIS server, if the network adapter is not PXE compliant, you can use an RIS boot disk with some network adapter manufacturers such as 3Com and Intel. You can use the rbfg.exe utility to create an RIS boot disk. After you have installed RIS, you can find the utility at RemoteInstall\Admin\i386\rbfg.exe.

Configuring Network Servers

Before you can install and configure RIS, several prerequisites must be in place on the network. The following is a list of the requirements the network must meet before you install RIS:

DHCP server
The client needs to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server during the boot process. You cannot configure RIS until a DHCP server is available. A Windows 2000 DHCP server cannot give IP addresses to clients unless it is authorized to do so. You need to perform the following steps to authorize the DHCP server:

Open the DHCP Manager Microsoft Management Console (MMC) by selecting Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, DHCP.

Select the DHCP node and choose Action, Manage Authorized Servers from the menu.

Click the Authorize button and enter the hostname or IP address of the DHCP server. Click OK to close the dialog box.

Active Directory and Domain Name System (DNS)
When the network adapter has an IP address, it needs to find an RIS server. The client finds an RIS server by querying a DNS server to find where an Active Directory server (domain controller[DC]) is located. Active Directory then tells the client where an RIS server can be found.

A separate disk partition for RIS images
RIS demands its own partition. You cannot install RIS on a system or a boot partition, which usually the means that you cannot use the C: drive partition. RIS stores its system images using single instance storage (SIS). SIS technology stores only one copy of each file; duplicate copies are not stored on disk but are referenced using pointers to the single copy that is already stored on the hard drive, to save disk space. This is why RIS needs its own partition.

When you have met these three conditions for an RIS installation, you need to make sure a separate partition is available (or will be created) for RIS. It is recommended that you reserve at least 2GB for an RIS partition.

Installing and Configuring an RIS Server

You can install RIS on a Windows 2000 DC or on a Windows 2000 member server if you have met all the prerequisites. After you have installed the service, you must configure it. You need to perform the following steps to install RIS:

Log on to the server as an administrator.

Open the Control Panel (by selecting Start, Settings, Control Panel) and double-click Add/Remove Programs.

Click the Add/Remove Windows Components button and select the Remote Installation Services check box.

Insert the Windows 2000 Server CD-ROM. The service is copied to the server, and you are prompted to reboot the server after the service has been installed.

After you have installed RIS, you must run risetup.exe to respond to clients' requests for an RIS server and to put the initial image of Windows 2000 Professional on the RIS server. The initial image is simply a copy of the I386 folder found on the Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM.

You need to perform the following steps to configure RIS:

Select Start, Run. Type risetup.exe and then click the OK button.

The Remote Installation Services Setup Wizard presents a welcome page that reminds you of some of the prerequisites for RIS. Click the Next button.

By default, the wizard offers to create the RIS folder structure and files on the C: partition (even though the wizard itself reminds you that this can't be done). Choose a drive letter for a nonsystem partition into which the files can be placed and click the Next button.

The next dialog box asks if the RIS server should respond immediately to client requests before you have even finished the configuration. Leave the check box unselected. You can select it when you further configure the RIS server's properties, using the Active Directory Users and Computers console.

The next dialog box asks where the system should look for the Windows 2000 Professional installation files. Type the drive letter for the CD-ROM drive and the path to the installation files (for example, D:\I386). Click Next.

The next dialog box suggests a folder name for the initial image. Each image that is created has its own folder. Use the default name provided or enter a different name and then click Next.

The next dialog box asks you to provide a descriptive name for the image. Use the default or enter a different name. Click the Next button to get to the finish line.

You're at the end. The final dialog box summarizes the parameters that you selected. Click the Finish button. risetup.exe copies the contents of the I386 folder to the folder structure that you just created and completes the installation process.

When the installation is finished, you need to configure the RIS server to respond to RIS clients. You have to log on as a domain administrator to complete this step. You need to launch the Active Directory Users and Computers console by selecting Start, Programs, Administrative Tools, Active Directory Users and Computers. Next, you need to double-click the Domain Controllers container if RIS was installed on a DC; otherwise, you need to double-click the Computers container to locate the RIS computer. Next, you right-click the RIS Server Computer object and select Properties. You then select the Remote Install tab from the Properties page. On this tab, you select the Respond to Client Computers Requesting Service option, as shown in Figure 6.1.

Creating Windows 2000 Professional Images

The Remote Installation Services Setup Wizard creates the first image of Windows 2000 Professional for you. However, that image provides only an attended installation of the operating system. You can create additional images that contain the operating system as well as any necessary applications and configuration. RIS installs a utility called riprep.exe that you can use to create images of the operating system and any installed applications. The functionality of riprep.exe is similar to that of a third-party disk imaging application. However, riprep.exe has some limitations. It can only make an image of the C: partition of a computer. If a computer contains a C: partition and a D: partition, only the C: partition is part of the image. Also, when you apply the image to a computer via RIS, any existing partitions are deleted. The entire hard drive is repartitioned as a single partition and is then formatted with NT File System (NTFS). If you can work within those limits, you can easily configure and deploy riprep.exe images.

You need to perform the following steps to create a riprep.exe image:

Connect the computer that you are imaging to the network.

Install Windows 2000 Professional and any applications that users may need. Connect to the REMINST share point on the RIS server. Run riprep.exe from \RIS Server\REMINST\Admin\I386\riprep.exe.

The Remote Installation Preparation Wizard is launched. when it asks you on which RIS server the image should be placed and the name of the folder to which the image should be copied, provide the appropriate information.

Provide a user-friendly name for the image (such as Marketing or Sales).

After you complete these steps, riprep.exe copies the image to the designated RIS server. However, riprep.exe acts a lot like sysprep.exe. In addition to creating an image, riprep.exe removes the unique attributes, such as the SIDs and the computer name. When the RIS client downloads the image, the Mini-Setup Wizard asks you to put back what was taken out.

You can use Setup Manager to create answer files for RIS images.

Downloading an RIS Image to a Client

After you have configured an RIS server with several images, users can boot their computers from the network adapter and press F12 to find an RIS server. The server then displays a welcome screen; a user simply presses Enter to bypass this screen. Next, the user must log on to the domain. When he or she is logged on, the user sees a list of images to choose from. The user selects an image from the list, and RIS reformats the entire drive and downloads the image to the target computer. After about 30 to 40 minutes, the user has a clean installation of the operating system and applications.