Infrastructure Prerequisites and Configuration

Infrastructure setup:

Configure iPXE/sources/windows directory to be accessible via SAMBA (Create directories if they don’t already exist)

    [sources]
    path = /srv/httpboot/ipxe/sources
    guest ok = yes
    writable = yes
    browsable = yes
    printable = no

Configure iPXE/sysprep directory to be accessible via SAMBA (Create directories if they don’t already exist)

    [sysprep]
    path = /srv/httpboot/ipxe/sysprep
    guest ok = yes
    writable = no
    browsable = no
    printable = no

Configure iPXE menu item and get sources for WinPE
- Get Memdisk
  - Obtain Syslinux package http://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/
  - Extract package
  - get ‘memdisk’ from syslinux-v.vv/memdisk/
- Prepare iPXE structure TODO
  - Log into PXE server and cd to iPXE directory
  - Copy memdisk file into sources directory
- Create iPXE menu item for WinPE
  - Menu section: item winpex64 WindowsPE_amd64
  - Label:
    :winpex64 initrd http://server/ipxe/sources/windows/winpe_amd64.iso kernel http://server/ipxe/sources/memdisk iso raw boot

Admin Workstation prep:

Get Windows AIK and install on admin workstation http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5753
Build Windows_PE environment and create ISO
Generate WinPE directory structure * Open Start / Windows AIK / Deployment Tools Command Prompt copycmd amd64 c:\winpe_amd64
Copy additional tools and customize our working directory * Always enter WinPE (don’t prompt for key press) del c:\winpe_amd64\ISO\boot\bootfix.bin
Edit the Boot Image ``` # Mount the WIM file dism /mount-wim /wimfile:c:\winpe_amd64\winpe.wim /index:1 /mountdir:c:\winpe_amd64\mount

# Modify startnet.cmd to mount shares and call scripts
C:\winpe_amd64\mount\Windows\System32>notepad startnet.cmd

# Add Driver Files
dism /image:c:\winpe_amd64\mount /add-driver /driver:”path to drivers directory” /recurse /forceunsigned

# Add VBScripting
dism /image:c:\winpe_amd64\mount /add-package /packagepath:"C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\amd64\WinPE_FPs\winpe-scripting.cab"
dism /image:c:\winpe_amd64\mount /add-package /packagepath:"C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\amd64\WinPE_FPs\en-us\winpe-scripting_en-us.cab"

# Verify Packages list
dism /image:c:\winpe_amd64\mount /get-packages

# Commit changes
dism /unmount-wim /mountdir:c:\winpe_amd64\mount /commit
C:\winpe_amd64>copy winpe.wim ISO\sources\boot.wim
```   1. Build the WinPE ISO

 ```
 oscdimg -n -b c:\winpe_amd64\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_amd64\ISO c:\winpe_amd64\winpe_amd64.iso
 ``` 1. Build base WIM and capture it (using the WinPE with imagex PXE boot)   1. Install windows on a VM   1. Sysprep the install   1. Boot the VM into windows PE PXE   1. Capture the image into a wim file 1. Build sample sysprep unattend.xml file

Some additional reference notes:

Install WAIK on a windows 7 or 2008 R2 Server

Enter WAIK Command Prompt On your technician computer: click Start, All Programs, Windows AIK, right-click Deployment Tools Command Prompt, and Run as administrator

# Cope WinPE files - This creates the winPE directory and copies necessary files to it
copype.cmd x86 c:\winpe_amd64

# Copy the out of the box winPE WIM to the ISO folder
copy c:\winpe_amd64\winpe.wim c:\winpe_amd64\ISO\sources\boot.wim

# Mount winpe WIM
dism /mount-wim /wimfile:c:\winpe_amd64\iso\sources\boot.wim /index:1 /mountdir:c:\winpe_amd64\mount

# Inject Drivers into WIM
dism /image:c:\winpe_amd64\mount /add-driver /driver:"c:\drivers" /recurse /forceunsigned

# Add the vb scripting to WinPE
dism /image:c:\winpe_amd64\mount /add-package /packagepath:"C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\amd64\WinPE_FPs\winpe-scripting.cab"
dism /image:c:\winpe_amd64\mount /add-package /packagepath:"C:\Program Files\Windows AIK\Tools\PETools\amd64\WinPE_FPs\en-us\winpe-scripting_en-us.cab"

# Verify VB Scripting is installed
dism /image:c:\winpe_amd64\mount /get-packages

notepad C:\winpe_amd64\mount\Windows\System32\startnet.cmd

wpeinit
net use s: \\10.10.1.7\ipxe
s:\sources\microsoft\evm.bat

To Commit Changes to the WIM

dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\winpe_amd64\mount /Commit

To discard change made to the WIM

dism /Unmount-Wim /MountDir:C:\winpe_amd64\mount /discard

To Create the ISO image

oscdimg -n -bc:\winpe_amd64\etfsboot.com c:\winpe_amd64\ISO c:\winpe_amd64\winpe_amd64.iso

Copy iso image to

copy c:\winpe_amd64\winpe_amd64.iso  <PXE Server>/srv/boot/ipxe/sources/microsoft

Refresh PXE Server in EVM
To rename a WIM files information (Useful if you need to rename the image to match a template name)
```
imagex /info win2k8.wim 1 "win2008r2" "Windows 2008 R2 x64"
```
To cleanup stale mounts
```
dism /cleanup-wim
```

Automated Process Overview

Create VM based on a blank Windows template
Generate config files and drop on share (sysprep/directory-based-on-MAC-address/files)
image.bat (batch file to run the imaging process)
diskpart.txt (partitioning model)
unattend.xml (sysprep unattend file)
Boot VM via Network - just like linux install
Client PXE stack automatically chains up to ipxe (no EVM involvement here)
iPXE selects correct image based on mac address (same thing as used
WinPE Booted
startnet.cmd (on ISO) calls image.bat (on share) (shown in admin workstation prep above) 1. disk wiped 1. partitions created, formatted and mounted 1. system imaged 1. unattend file deployed 1. bootloader installed 1. Callback to EVM ##### Still researching 1. WinPE Shutdown
EVM powers on VM normally (not network boot)
System runs through sysprep using unattend.xml file and reboots
System boots into a working Windows System
Done!