Chapter 3, Unattended Installations of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server

       Chapter 3, Lesson 1

       Preparing for an Unattended Installation of Windows 2000 Server

       1.    Creating the Answer File

|1|               A.      Overview of an answer file

                           1.       A customized script that allows you to run an unattended installation of Windows 2000 Server

                           2.       Answers questions that Setup prompts you for during installation

                           3.       Sample on the Windows 2000 Server installation CD‑ROM

                           4.       Different names for different programs

 

          Note  Refer to the table on page 100 for information about each of the following filenames.

 

                                     a.      <filename>.txt

                                     b.      Winnt.sif

                                     c.       Sysprep.inf

                           5.       Same format used for each type of answer file

                           6.       Contains multiple optional sections that you can modify

                           7.       Tells Setup how to interact with the distribution folders and files

|2|               B.      Answer file format

                           1.       Consists of section headers, keys, and values for keys

                           2.       Most section headers predefined

                           3.       Answer file keys and values

                                     a.      Every key must have a value.

                                     b.      Some keys are optional.

                                     c.       Some keys have default values that are used if the key is omitted.

                                     d.      Keys are not case sensitive.

                                     e.      The Unattend.doc file on the Windows 2000 Server installation CD‑ROM has detailed information about the answer file keys and values.

 

          Note  Running Setup.exe or 2000rkst.msi from the \Support\Tools folder installs the Windows 2000 Support Tools in Support.cab, but it does not extract the Unattend.doc file or any other compressed files in Deploy.cab.

 

                  C.      Methods for creating an answer file

|3|                        1.       Using Setup Manager

                                     a.      Available on the Windows 2000 Server installation CD‑ROM in the \Support\Tools\Deploy.cab file

                                     b.      Used to perform a number of tasks

 

          Note  Refer to the list of Setup Manager tasks on pages 103–4.

 

                                     c.       Adds consistency to the process of creating or updating the answer file

                                     d.      Cannot be used to specify all answer file settings or optional components, create Txtsetup.oem files, or create subfolders in the distribution folder

                                     e.      Commonly used Setup Manager specifications

 

          Note  Refer to the table on page 104 for information about each of the following parameters.

 

                                              (1)     Upgrade option
                                              (2)     Target computer name
                                              (3)     Product ID
                                              (4)     Workgroup or domain
                                              (5)     Time zone
                                              (6)     Network configuration information

|4|                        2.       Creating the answer file manually

                                     a.      You can use a text editor such as Notepad.

                                     b.      Although most section headers are predefined, you can define additional section headers.

                                     c.       You can customize the default answer file, Unattend.txt, that comes with Windows 2000 or write a new one based on samples provided in your text.

 

          Note  Appendix B, “Sample Answer Files for Unattended Setup,” includes sample answer files that are appropriate for common installation configurations.

 

       2.    Creating the Distribution Folders

                  A.      Overview of the distribution folders

                           1.       Installing Windows 2000 Server

                                     a.      Distribution folders allow you to install Windows 2000 Server on multiple computers over a network.

                                     b.      Distribution folders typically reside on a server to which the destination computers can connect.

                                     c.       You can use one set of distribution folders and multiple answer files for different system implementations.

                           2.       Balancing loads

                                     a.      You can create distribution folders on multiple servers.

                                     b.      You can run Winnt32.exe with up to eight sets of distribution folders.

                                     c.       Each set of distribution folders contains the Windows 2000 Server installation files as well as any device drivers and other files needed for installation.

                           3.       Creating distribution folders

                                     a.      Create a share on the distribution server.

                                     b.      Choose different names for each share to help differentiate among multiple distribution shares.

                                     c.       Copy the contents of the \i386 folder to the distribution share.

 

          Note  The distribution share to support a default installation of Windows 2000 Server requires about 313 MB of disk space.

 

|5|               B.      Structuring the distribution folders

                           1.       The \i386 folder

                                     a.      Primary distribution folder

                                     b.      Contains all files required to install Windows 2000 Server

                           2.       The \$OEM$ folder

                                     a.      Located directly beneath the primary distribution folder

                                     b.      Provides the necessary folder structure for supplemental files to be copied to the target computer during setup

                                     c.       Contains the optional file Cmdlines.txt, which contains a list of commands to be run during the GUI Mode phase of the setup process

                           3.       The \$OEM$\textmode folder

                                     a.      Contains new or updated files for installing mass storage device drivers and HALs

                                     b.      Files must be listed in the [OEMBootFiles] section of the answer file.

                           4.       The \$OEM$\$$ folder

                                     a.      Corresponds to the contents of the %windir% environment variable

 

          Note  In Windows 2000, %systemroot% is equivalent to %windir%.

 

                                     b.      Contains the operating system files that are copied to the various subfolders when Windows 2000 is installed

                           5.       The \$OEM$\$1 folder

                                     a.      Points to the drive on which Windows 2000 is installed

                                     b.      Equivalent to the %systemdrive% environment variable

                           6.       The \$OEM$\$1\Drivers folder

                                     a.      Allows you to place new or updated Plug and Play device drivers and their supporting files in and below this folder

                                     b.      Copied to the \%systemdrive%\drivers folder on the target computer

 

          Note  The \$OEM$\$1\Drivers folder replaces the Display subfolder and Net subfolder used in Windows NT installations.

 

                           7.       The \$OEM$\$1\Sysprep folder

                                     a.      Contains the files needed to run the Sysprep utility

                                     b.      Must contain Sysprep.exe and Sysprepcl.exe

                           8.       The \$OEM$\<drive_letter> folder

                                     a.      Copied to the root of the corresponding drive in the target computer

                                     b.      Can create subfolders within this folder

       Chapter 3, Lesson 2

       Automating the Installation of Windows 2000 Server

|6|     1.    Performing an Unattended Installation

|7|               A.      Bootable CD‑ROM

                           1.       The computer must support the El Torito Bootable CD‑ROM (no emulation mode) format to boot from the CD‑ROM drive.

                           2.       The answer file must be named Winnt.sif and be placed on a floppy disk to be inserted into the floppy disk drive as soon as the computer boots from the CD‑ROM.

                           3.       The answer file must contain a [Data] section with the required keys specified.

|8|               B.      Winnt.exe

                           1.       Used for MS‑DOS and Windows 3.x

                           2.       Example: Winnt /s:z\i386 /u:z:\unattend.txt /t:c

                  C.      Winnt32.exe

                           1.       Used for Windows 32-bit operating systems

                           2.       Example: Winnt32 /s:z:\i386 /unattend 10:z:\unattend.txt /tempdrive:c

       2.    Automating the Installation of Windows 2000 Server

|9|               A.      Comparing installation methods

 

          Note  Refer to the table on page 122 for details about when to use each of the following installation methods. The first four methods are discussed in more detail in the following sections.

 

                           1.       Syspart

                           2.       Sysprep

                           3.       SMS

                           4.       Bootable CD‑ROM

                           5.       RIS

 

          Note  Although RIS is not covered in detail in this course, it is mentioned here for comparison purposes.

 

|10|              B.      Syspart

                           1.       Included as a parameter of Winnt32.exe

                           2.       Used on a reference computer to complete the first phase of installation

                           3.       Can be used if the reference computer and the computers on which you will complete the installation do not have similar hardware

                           4.       Requires two physical disks

                           5.       Can be used if you require a similar installation on hardware types in which the HALs or mass storage controllers differ

                           6.       Running Syspart

|11|                                a.      Example: winnt32 /unattend:unattend.txt /s:<install_source> /syspart:<install_target> /tempdrive:<install_target> /noreboot

 

          Note  Refer to the list on pages 124–25 for information on parameters used in the above example.

 

|12|                                b.      Results on drive and in the Boot.ini file

                  C.      Sysprep

|13|                       1.       Overview

                                     a.      Sysprep is a tool that facilitates creating a disk image of your Windows 2000 Server installation.

                                     b.      Sysprep prepares the hard disk on the master computer so that the disk imaging utility can transfer an image of the hard disk to other computers.

                                     c.       To use Sysprep, the master computer and target computers must have identical HALs, Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) support, and mass storage devices.

                                     d.      Sysprep allows you to configure a master image containing the necessary components for a member server.

                                     e.      If your environment includes multiple types of hardware-dependent systems, you can use Syspart in conjunction with Sysprep to create a master for each type.

 

          Note  You can also use Sysprep to create an installation of Windows 2000 Professional.

 

|14|                       2.       The Sysprep process

|15|                                a.      Sysprep duplication

                                              (1)     Install Windows 2000 Server on a computer with hardware similar to the intended target computers.
                                              (2)     Log on as Administrator when you install and customize Windows 2000 Server and the associated applications.
                                              (3)     Run a client audit to verify that the image configuration is correct.
                                              (4)     Prepare the system for duplication by running Sysprep with the optional Sysprep.inf file.
                                              (5)     Use an imaging utility to duplicate the system.

 

          Note  Components that depend on Active Directory services cannot be duplicated. Local users and groups should not be created on the member server because new SIDs will not be assigned to these user and group accounts.

 

|16|                                b.      Sysprep files

                                              (1)     The Sysprep.exe file prepares the operating system for cloning. Sysprep.exe has three optional parameters: -quiet, -nosidgen, and -reboot.

 

          Note  Refer to the table on page 129 for information about the parameters that can be used when running Sysprep.

 

                                              (2)     The Sysprep.inf file is an answer file used during the cloning process to provide unique configuration information for each of the target computers.

 

          Note  Refer to the example of the Sysprep.inf file on pages 130–31 for more details about the file contents.

 

                                              (3)     The Setupcl.exe file processes Sysprep.inf to determine pages for the Mini-Setup wizard and starts the wizard.

|17|                                c.       Mini-Setup wizard

                                              (1)     The wizard starts the first time a computer boots from a disk that has been duplicated by using the Sysprep tool.
                                              (2)     The wizard gathers information needed to customize the target computer.
                                              (3)     You can bypass the screens in the wizard by specifying certain parameters within the Sysprep.inf file.

 

          Note  Refer to the table on page 132 for information about the parameters that you can set in the Sysprep.inf file.

 

                           3.       Running Sysprep

|18|                                a.      Running Sysprep manually

                                              (1)     Create a Sysprep folder at the root of the drive.
                                              (2)     Run Sysprep from a command prompt with the Sysprep folder.
                                              (3)     If running Sysprep without the -reboot switch, shut down the computer when prompted, and then use the imaging tool.
                                              (4)     If running Sysprep with the -reboot switch, the computer reboots automatically and the Mini-Setup wizard runs. Audit the system, and then run Sysprep without the -reboot switch. Shut down the computer when prompted, and then use the imaging tool.

 

          Note  You can add a Cmdlines.txt file to the Sysprep folder to be processed by Setup. The file will run post-Setup commands, including those required for application installation.

 

|19|                                b.      You can use the [GuiRunOnce] section of the answer file to create an installation that completes Setup, automatically logs on to the computer, runs Sysprep in quiet mode, and then shuts down the computer.

|20|                       4.       Using Sysprep to extend disk partitions

                                     a.      Configure the partition on the master computer hard disk to the minimum size required.

                                     b.      Modify the answer file used to create the master image by including the FileSystem=ConvertNTFS option in the [Unattended] section.

                                     c.       Install Windows 2000 Server to the master computer and create an image of the drive.

                                     d.      Place the image on a target computer that has the same-size partition as the master computer.

                                     e.      After you reboot the target computer, the Mini-Setup wizard will begin and the partition will be extended.

|21|              D.      Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS)

                           1.       SMS allows you to maintain control over the upgrade process.

                           2.       Before you use SMS to perform an upgrade, assess your existing network infrastructure, including bandwidth, hardware, and geographical constraints.

                           3.       Use SMS to perform managed upgrades of Windows 2000 Server to multiple systems.

                           4.       Use SMS only for installation to computers that contain a previously installed operating system and that are running the SMS client agent.

|22|              E.      Bootable CD‑ROM

                           1.       Setting the BIOS order

                                     a.      Network adapter

                                     b.      CD‑ROM

                                     c.       Hard disk

                                     d.      Floppy disk

                           2.       Using a bootable CD‑ROM

                                     a.      Your computer’s BIOS must support the El Torito Bootable CD‑ROM (no emulation mode) format.

                                     b.      The answer file must contain a [Data] section with the required keys.

                                     c.       The answer file must be named Winnt.sif and be located on a floppy disk.

                           3.       Installing from a bootable CD‑ROM

                                     a.      After the Windows 2000 Server installation CD‑ROM has been inserted into the CD‑ROM drive, reboot the system.

                                     b.      After the system reboots, insert the floppy disk that contains the Winnt.sif file. Once the computer reads the floppy disk, the disk should be removed.

       Chapter 3, Lesson 3

       Automating the Installation of Server Applications

|23|    1.    Using the Cmdlines.txt File

                  A.      Contains commands that are executed during the GUI Mode phase of the installation process

                  B.      Used in certain circumstances

                           1.       When you are installing components from the $OEM$ subfolder of the distribution folders

                           2.       When the application you are installing does not configure itself for multiple users

                           3.       When you want to log on as a service and you want your changes replicated to all users

|24|              C.      Uses specific syntax

 

          Note  Refer to the example on page 139 for the syntax used in the Cmdlines.txt file.

 

                  D.      Runs as a service rather than as a logged-on user with network capability

|25|    2.    Using the Answer File

                  A.      The [GuiRunOnce] section of the answer file contains a list of commands that are executed the first time a user logs on to the computer after Setup runs.

                  B.      If an application forces a reboot, the reboot needs to be suppressed.

                  C.      Use alternatives if you cannot suppress a reboot.

                           1.       Try repackaging the application into an MSI package or an SMS Installer package.

                           2.       Place a command for a tool or an application that forces a reboot at the end of a set of RunOnce commands.

                  D.      If an application requires a Windows Explorer shell in order to be installed, you cannot use the [GuiRunOnce] section.

                  E.      Applications that use the same type of installation mechanism might not run properly if a /wait command is not used.

       3.    Installing Applications

|26|              A.      Using application installation programs

                           1.       The preferred method for preinstalling an application is to use the installation routine supplied with the application.

                           2.       The application must be able to be installed in quiet mode.

                           3.       Setup parameters vary among applications.

 

          Note  You must meet the licensing requirements for any application you install, regardless of how you install it.

 

|27|              B.      Using a batch file to control how multiple applications are installed

                           1.       Allows you to control how individual applications are installed

                           2.       Can be run from the [GuiRunOnce] section of the answer file

                           3.       Ensures that your applications install sequentially and that each application is fully installed before the next application begins its installation routine

                           4.       Using a batch file

|28|                                a.      The batch file should contain command lines in a specific format.

 

          Note  Refer to the sample on page 142 for details about what syntax to use within the batch file.

 

                                     b.      The batch file should be copied to the distribution folder or to another location that can be accessed during installation.

                                     c.       An entry for the batch file should be added to the [GuiRunOnce] section of the answer file.

                                     d.      The .lnk file should be copied from the source computer to the \$OEM$\$1\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup folder