Remote Installation Services (RIS)

OK, this is actually quite simple. First you need to go here and follow the instructions.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/windows2000serv/deploy/depopt/remoteos.mspx

 

Done? Right. Now you have it installed you may find that when you try to image your first computer it fubarrs with an error about NIC drivers. Don't panic. Follow the guide here and you should be able to remedy the situsation.

 

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;246184

 

Happy? Is it installing the base image you created? Good.

 

Once the image is created simply add all of the drivers and software that you usually would to your images. After you have setup your PC navigate your way to \\risservername\reminst\admin\i386\ and double click on ripprep.exe.

This starts the remote installation imaging process. It is wizard based and very easy to follow. If it asks you to shut down some services simply fire up Task Manager and close them from there. Your PC will now image automatically.

 

Once it has finished imaging it will reboot and ask you to fill in all of the registration details, serial number etc. This is because it is script based and the default script it has created for this image contains non of this information. The scrip can get long winded and messy. To save you the hassel of creating it yourself I have included the best configuration below. Simply fill in the blanks.

*Important - The line near the bottom which reads

 

HalName=halaacpi.dll

 

MUST be the same as the one in the default file created by RIS. Some are different. Cut and paste it if you need to.

 

 

[data]

floppyless = "1"

msdosinitiated = "1"

OriSrc = "\\%SERVERNAME%\RemInst\%INSTALLPATH%\%MACHINETYPE%"

OriTyp = "4"

LocalSourceOnCD = 1

DisableAdminAccountOnDomainJoin = 1

 

[setupData]

OsLoadOptions = "/noguiboot /fastdetect"

SetupSourceDevice ="\Device\LanmanRedirector\%SERVERNAME%\RemInst\%INSTALLPATH%"

SysPrepDevice="\Device\LanmanRedirector\%SERVERNAME%\RemInst\%SYSPREPPATH%"

SysPrepDriversDevice="\Device\LanmanRedirector\%SERVERNAME%\RemInst\%SYSPREPDRIVERS%"

 

[unattended]

OemPreinstall = no

FileSystem = LeaveAlone

ExtendOEMPartition = 0

TargetPath = \WINDOWS

OemSkipEula = yes

InstallFilesPath = "\\%SERVERNAME%\RemInst\%INSTALLPATH%\%MACHINETYPE%"

LegacyNIC = 1

 

[userData]

ProductID=YOUR WINDOWS KEY

FullName = "Authorised User"

OrgName = "YOUR SCHOOL NAME"

ComputerName ="%MACHINENAME%"

 

[GuiUnattended]

OemSkipWelcome=1

OemSkipRegional=1

TimeZone=85

AdminPassword="YOUR LOCAL ADMINISTRATORS PASSWORD "

EncryptedAdminPassword=NO

 

[TapiLocation]

CountryCode=44

AreaCode=YOUR LOCAL AREA CODE

LongDistanceAccess="9"

 

[RegionalSettings]

LanguageGroup=1

SystemLocale=00000809

UserLocale=00000809

InputLocale=0809:00000809

 

[Display]

BitsPerPel = 32

XResolution = 1280

YResolution = 1024

VRefresh = 60

 

[Networking]

 

[NetServices]

MS_Server=params.MS_PSched

 

[identification]

JoinDomain = %MACHINEDOMAIN%

DoOldStyleDomainJoin = Yes

 

[RemoteInstall]

Repartition = Yes

UseWholeDisk = Yes

 

Home_Page=YOUR HOMEPAGE

Search_Page=www.google.co.uk

 

[Proxy]

Proxy_Enable=1

Use_Same_Proxy=1

HTTP_Proxy_Server=YOUR PROXY DETAILS:PORT NUMBER

Proxy_Override=

 

 

[OSChooser]

Description ="THE NAME FOR THIS IMAGE - MUST BE UNIQUE!"

Help =""

LaunchFile ="%INSTALLPATH%\%MACHINETYPE%\templates\startrom.com"

ImageType =SYSPREP

Version="5.1 (2600)"

SysPrepSystemRoot="Mirror1\UserData\WINDOWS"

HalName=halaacpi.dll

ProductType=0

 

Simply fill in the details where CAPS are used except for the line beginning SysPrepSystemRoot, and you're away.

You can also use the Setupmgr.exe tool from your Windows disk (in the support\tools folder) to create RIS files. You can also add printers by including the following lines.

 

[GuiRunOnce]

Command0="rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\server\printer"

Command1="rundll32 printui.dll,PrintUIEntry /in /n \\server\printer"

I've never used RIS (yet), just Ghost. If you want to re-image a full classroom is there anyway you can automatically set the machine names? At the moment, in my new school, they have to visit each machine to set the computer name.

 

Also, to take account of different hardware. Can you manually add drivers for different graphics and sound cards etc.

 

Thanks.

Hints and Tips:

 

1. Date you images on the description line. It is this line which appears on the image selection menu. It is less confusing if you have several images for one hardware type.

2. The .SIF files live in the following location \\risservername\remisnst\setup\(your language)\images\imagefolder\i386\templates

3. DO NOT delete the base image (the one you created by placing your Windows XP/2000 CD in the server) folder. All images rely on this and all will fail if it is removed and you will have to start from scratch.

4. Images are not compressed like Ghost so allow ample space on your server for them.

5. RIS images are self healing. If a windows file becomes coerrupted then a new one will be taken from the base image and used to replace the broken one (neat huh?).

6. If everything is working correctly then you will have to perform no post-config operations at all, and a user can be free to log on once the system has come online.

7. Setup a default user profile. The instaructions below are for Win 2k

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;305709

They used to work for XP but since XP SP2 they have become a little strange!.

8. Do not compress any files or folders on the PC to be imaged. It won't work if you do.

Images are not compressed like Ghost so allow ample space on your server for them.

 

Presumably one can use NTFS filesystem compression on the images to no ill effect?

I've never used RIS (yet), just Ghost. If you want to re-image a full classroom is there anyway you can automatically set the machine names? At the moment, in my new school, they have to visit each machine to set the computer name.

 

Also, to take account of different hardware. Can you manually add drivers for different graphics and sound cards etc.

 

Thanks.

 

When you create the computer account on the domain controller ensure you make the PC a 'Managed Computer' and enter in it's GUID (MAC) address. This will then tie in when imaging and automatically name the client during imaging.

Images are not compressed like Ghost so allow ample space on your server for them.

 

Presumably one can use NTFS filesystem compression on the images to no ill effect?

 

NO. It must be an uncompressed NTFS drive. But I will go away and double check.

Yup do Not use compressed drives. Do not compress any files or folders on the pc to be imaged either. It won't work if you do.

That sucks.

How much will two 80 GB drives set you back!!!

Cheapskate!

Are the installation files on the XP CD not compressed anyway?

 

And the fact that you only have 1 'image' of the OS to store, surely doesn't suck that much.

 

Andy.

Yes they are compressed. On the CD. During installation they are uncompressed. They are then used as 'reference files' so that all images you create that origionated from these files will always use the same ones, instead of copying them again and again for every image.

How much will two 80 GB drives set you back!!!

Cheapskate!

 

I wouldnt worry Geoff will probably use 6 old win 98 boxes together with a linux distro and share the file space over them all (or something of that nature)

How much will two 80 GB drives set you back!!!

Cheapskate!

 

I wouldnt worry Geoff will probably use 6 old win 98 boxes together with a linux distro and share the file space over them all (or something of that nature)

 

Beowolf cluster would be my bet

Gah I forgot about RIS images wanting to be on a seperate drive from the OS!!! I have just been trying to set it up on my new member server which is just the one 74 gig partition... Cant even get away with mapping a share

You don't partition your server OS? Naughty, naughty!

When I installed it I didnt see the point as it was just going to have exchange on it and a few printers :?

With Exchange it is best to have it live on its own partition in cases of emergencies anyway!!

The rule of thumb is to never install anything onto the server OS partiton. Let the OS have 20 GB and partiton the rest off.

Yep thats what I've been doing. 20Gb C: for Windows. 20Gb D: for User files. The rest as E: for Software which kinda covers everything else.

My other servers are setup like you say Chris just this one I didnt. I should be getting the rest of the servers in the near future so RIS can co habit with one of those. I may also move exchange onto another box with a bit more attitude so all is not lost .

Hi.

 

New here, so go easy

 

RIS actually works with a service called SISG (Single Instance Storage Groveller) and this means that you can have several "images" of XP on your RIS partition (and it should be on a separate partition from your boot/system one, preferably a separate physical disk) but that service will search those images and figure out when those multiple images are using the exact same file and keep only one copy of that file in a separate location, using instead of duplicate files a pointer to it from each copy it finds! This is where you should see significant disk space savings over keeping several ghost images on your server.

 

With Ghost images (and we use these too but are moving to RIS/RIPREP), you don't get this. So, on our new server we have an RIS volume and within this at the most three images. The SISG service reduces the size of these by marking out files that are identical and pointing to one file of that type. With Ghost you would have three separate images.

 

Why can't you use RIS on a system partition? Well, if you think, it "grovels" those similar files and makes a pointer to only one and shares that file out..what would happen on your system drive? Wouldn't like to say 8O

 

In all I think RIS is a great service (and free) so thanks for the articles and pointers.

 

Hopefully this has helped someone! lol!

 

Paul

Ah yes I remember the groveller now . Would be nice if that kind of magic could be used in other areas as well.

Guys do any of u have experience cloning either Acer 4601LCI laptops using RIS (as al I keep getting is a message saying that "THIS IMAGE DOES NOT INCLUDE THE NETWORK CARD DRIVES FOR THIS MACHINE, TRY ANOTHER IMAGE").

 

or

 

a broadcom 57xx network card which I think is whats in these (although they do have WiFi built in too).

This Knowledge Base article is what you need.

 

Don't forget to restart the RIS service

This Knowledge Base article is what you need.

 

Don't forget to restart the RIS service

ok m8 i'll give that a go ta