Description
This article was written to provide some assistance using Provisioning to deploy a base Windows 7 64-bit WIM image captured using IMAGEX. Files referenced within this guide are attached in the “DeployingIMAGEXusingLANDESK.zip” at the end of the article.
- For this demonstration, we will be using the attached Provisioning Template (1_IMAGEX_Windows7_64-bit ImageDeploy_HII_DOC-27038.xtp) that was created by modifying the template found in the following community article: http://community.LANDESK.com/support/docs/DOC-270838. Download the attached zip file to the core and check the properties of the ZIP file to make sure that it is NOT IN A BLOCKED STATE!
- Import the 1_IMAGEX_Windows7_64-bit ImageDeploy_HII_DOC-27038.xtp, using the Import templates button on the OSD\Provisioning tool bar
3. Now we need to Install 2 scripts and create Public Variables to satisfy this response to our template import.
4. The Install Scripts button (shown above) on the tool bar will be used to import the Diskpart_Script.txt and Win7x64Unattend.XML that will be injected and utilized during the provisioning process. The Win7x64Unattend.XML can also be found in the following article: http://community.LANDESK.com/support/docs/DOC-27038
5. Using the Install Scripts tool to import the Diskpart_Script.txt.
6. Using the Install Scripts tool to import the Win7x64Unattend.XML
7. Now we must create some Public Variables that exist in the Unattend.xml and Template. The toolbar button is displayed below. If you have an issue with the variables they can always be replaced with actual values in both the Template and Unattend.XML file to eliminate them as a potential problem when troubleshooting.
8. These variables are case sensitive with the Domain Information used in the Template and the remaining variables used in the Unattend.XML:
Domain, username and password for account that can join a device into the domain are used in the Template:
%Domain% Type: String
%LDUser% Type: String or Sensitive data
%LDPass% Type: Sensitive data
These variables are used in the Unattend.XML:
%AdminPass% Type: Sensitive data is the Local Administrator account password
%Win7ProdKey% Type String, Windows 7 Product Key, this may leverage a KMS server with other options: c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs
%ldHostname% Type: Database Value Replacement Value: "Computer"."Display Name"
9. Now we will review the Template that was imported in step 2 to identify the Action items that were created to use the IMAGEX imaging tool and Action Items that require input.
10. The Inject Script action will be used to deliver the imported Diskpart_Script.txt from step 5.
11. An Execute File Action Item will be used to execute DISKPART and leverage the script we injected in step 8.
12. The IMAGEX Action item image path will need to adjusted to match your environment, updated with the Validate TAB, and then Apply
13. An Execute File action will be used to run a BCDBOOT command after the IMAGEX command has completed.
14. An Inject Script Action item will need to be modified to deploy the Win7x64Unattend.XML file that was imported in step 6.
15. Additional action items in the System Configuration section can be tuned such as the 2 Agent installation Actions. These Action items as well as the Join Domain Action item also leverage the Public Variables that we created in step 8.
16. Now that the template is complete we can PXE boot the device that we would like to image, F8 and select WINPE Provisioning, login using an account with rights to the script that you would like to run, or choose WINPE Managed from the F8 menu to schedule the Template that you would like to use and add the device to the task.
17. You can open the template that was ran, if you see errors, and look at the History section to find out what caused an error if one occurred.
Additional Provisioning Information articles:
LANDESK Provisioning Landing Page
http://community.LANDESK.com/support/docs/DOC-23470
How to Capture a Windows 7 image with OSD in LANDESK® Management Suite 9.5, 9.0 SP2 and SP3: http://community.LANDESK.com/support/docs/DOC-23248
Use a DISKPART script in provisioning: http://community.LANDESK.com/support/docs/DOC-6447
Using IMAGEX with LANDESK: http://community.LANDESK.com/support/docs/DOC-6561
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd744531(v=ws.10).aspx
Creating the Partition Structure for the Hard Disks (Diskpart)
Applying Your Windows Images (IMAGEX commands)
Setting up a System Partition (BCDBoot command)
IMAGEX with a Single Partition
1. Some customers may choose to not follow the DEFAULT Microsoft* Windows* 7 installation process and create an image that only contains a single Windows 7 partition without the small System partition (usually 300-350mb). If you run disk manager on your own Windows 7 device you will probably see something similar to this:
A SYSTEM Partition and a C:\ Partition both on Disk 0, which is the Default.
2. If you choose to use this non-default method but also want to use the template provided in this document, you will want to remove the “Execute file bcdboot” ACTION from the OS Installation section of the template. You will also need to use a different Disk Part Script and an example has been provided in the attachment, "1_Part_Diskpart_Script.txt". Otherwise, each reboot will result in the display of an option to select a Windows 7 repair option as, well as the good OS.
For further information, please see the Microsoft tip: “Understand (and Get Rid of) the Mysterious Small Partition"
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/gg441289.aspx