Automating installation

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Posted on Wednesday, November 4, 2009
This article was posted in Microsoft
[2.1] Types of automated installation
  • Remote Installation Service (RIS) introduced in Windows 2000 – for use with multiple PCs for automatic deploy
  • Disk imaging (cloning) which uses reference PC – for use with PCs that have similar hardware
  • Unattended installation – use when you have lots of PCs with network cards that are not PXE-compliant
[2.2] Create answer files with Setup manager
  • Answer files are automated installation scripts used to answer the questions that appear during a normal Windows XP Professional installation
  • Answer files are used with all methods of unattended installations. To create answer files you use Setup manager (setupmgr)
  • To use setup manager you need to extract it from \support\tools\deploy.cab found on installation CD
  • There is a sample answer file on the installation CD, unattend.txt
  • Through answer file you can configure
    • Mass storage devices
    • Plug and Play devices
    • HALs
    • Set passwords
    • Configure language, regional, and time zone settings
    • Display settings
    • Converting to NTFS
    • Installing applications can choose from the following options
      • Use cmdlines.txt to add applications during GUI portion of the setup
      • Within answer file configure [GuiRunOnce] section to install an application the first time a user logs on
      • Create a batch file
      • Use the Windows installer
      • Use sysdiff tool to install applications that don’t have automated install procedures
[2.3] Using RIS (Remote Installation Service)
  • You can configure RIS server to distribute 2 types of images:
    • CD based image
      • Contains only Windows XP OS
      • Copies all files to the target PC before commencing installation of the Windows XP OS
      • Created automatically during installation of RIS
    • A Remote Installation Preparation (RIPrep) image
      • Can contain both Windows XP OS and applications
      • This images is based on pre-configured computer
      • Copies only files needed for installation on given PC, thus faster than CD based image which copies everything
      • Can be deployed to the clients that have the same HAL and HD controller
      • Must be created manually, not automatic like CD based image
  • For RIS you need DHCP, DNS and AD configured on your network
  • RIS server uses Boot information negotiation layer (BINL) for initial contact, then TFTP is used to transfer bootstrap image
  • RIS and DHCP server need to be authorized in AD, RIS server is authorized through DHCP manager
  • The following services are run as part of RIS: BINL, SIS, SIS Groveler, TFTP
  • To configure RIS server use risetup.exe
  • NTFS is required to store image files with at least 2Gb free space on separate from OS partition
  • RIS template files are used to specify installation parameters, default file is ristndrd.sif
  • You need following user rights to install images using RIS
    • Create Computer accounts
    • Logon as batch job (Administrator doesn’t have this right by default)
  • For non-PXE network cards use rbfg.exe utility to create RIS boot disk (this utility doesn’t support all network cards)
[2.4] Using disk images
  • Uses reference computer HD image that needs to prepared first with sysprep which needs to be extracted from deploy.cab found in installation CD
  • Source and target computer must satisfy
    • Both computers must have the same HD controller
    • Both computers must have the same HAL
    • Plug and Play devices may not be the same as long as there are drivers for all of them
  • You will need to extract sysprep utility from the deploy.cab
  • Sysprep strips user personal data from the installation image
  • After you copy the installation image to the destination PC a mini wizard runs (unless you have an answer file)
  • Sysprep modes:
    • Audit: allows for the verification of hardware and software installation by a system builder while running in factory floor mode. Audit boots allow a system builder to reboot after factory floor mode has completed its automated pre-install customization, in order to complete hardware and software installation and verification, if necessary.
    • Factory: allows for the automated customization of a pre-install on the factory floor by using a Bill of Materials file to automate software installations, software, and driver updates, updates to the file system, the registry, and INI files such as Sysprep.inf. This mode is invoked via the “sysprep -factory” command.
    • Reseal: is run after an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) has run Sysprep in factory mode and is ready to prepare the computer for delivery to a customer. This mode is invoked via the “sysprep -reseal” command.
    • Clean: Sysprep will clean the critical device database. The critical device database is a registry listing of devices and services that have to start in order for Windows XP to boot successfully. Upon setup completion, the devices not physically present in the system are cleaned out of the database, and the critical devices present are left in tact. This mode is invoked via the “sysprep -clean” command.
[2.5] Unattended installation
  • With this method you use a distribution server or Windows XP installation CD on it to install Windows XP on target PC
  • The distribution may have answer file
  • The target computer must be able to connect to the distribution server over the network (if used)
  • End user interaction levels:
    • Fully automated installation
    • GUI attended installation
    • Read only installation
    • Hide pages installation
    • Provide defaults installation
[2.6] Installing applications with Windows Installer Packages
  • Microsoft installer (MSI) files – provided by software vendor
  • Repackaged application (MSI) – do not include native Windows installer packages, used to provide applications that can be cleanly installed
  • ZAP files – used when you don’t have MSI files and install applications using native setup program
  • MSP files (modification files) – provide paths to installed Microsoft software, must be assigned to MSI file at deployment
  • Windows installed packages work as
    • Published applications – not advertised, can be installed through Add/Remove programs. They can also be installed through opening of a document that uses uninstalled published application.
    • Assigned applications – advertised through programs menu, installed next time user starts the PC, before log on prompt appears
  • Please note that Windows Installer packages cannot be published to computers in Windows XP, all other options are OK, i.e. you can assign applications to computers and assign/publish applications to users
  • You can create your own MSI files using VERITAS Software Console or WinINSTALL LE Discover
  • You create GPO for MSI package which is to be published or assigned. If it is for a user, User Configuration\Software Settings\Software, if it is a computer Computer Configuration\Software Settings\Software
  • Using AD you can uninstall old application, upgrade on top of old application. Computers can accept only mandatory upgrades, users support both optional and mandatory upgrades.
  • If you have multiple versions of the same software, you will need to configure install order and/or whatever it is a mandatory install
  • You need AD to deploy packages which are found on a share on a file server
  • Msiexec.exe – provides the means to install, modify, and perform operations on Windows Installer from the command line. For example you can force end user to enter CD key for the software that is being installed

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