Re: Getting started with ADS

Hello Greg,

for WinPE you can find this in the documentation, below is a snip from the
online help:
--------
snip
Getting started using Windows PE in ADS
As described in the previous section, using Windows PE in ADS requires that
you obtain a bootable Windows PE image and add that image to ADS. A bootable
Windows PE image is one that can be used to start a computer and run Windows
PE. We recommend that you test a Windows PE image to make sure it runs on
your intended hardware before importing the image into ADS. You can do this
either by creating a bootable CD-ROM with the Windows PE files or by copying
the files to an active partition. Both methods are documented in the Windows
PE online Help (Winpe.chm). To use Windows PE with your hardware, you may
need to consult your OEM provider for instructions and materials. For
information about customizing Windows PE, such as adding drivers, see the
Windows PE online Help.

snip
--------


For the Deployment Agent is the information below:
--------
snip
Deployment Agent Builder service repository
The Deployment Agent Builder service uses a copy of operating system files
from the Windows Server 2003, Enterprise Edition CD to create Deployment
Agent images. These files are stored in the systemdrive\Program
Files\Microsoft ADS\WindowsCD\i386 directory. When the Deployment Agent
Builder service starts, it uses the files in this directory to populate the
Deployment Agent Builder service repository, systemdrive\Program
Files\Microsoft ADS\nbs\repository\Windows. You must not modify the \Windows
and \Deployment Agent repositories.

Supplementing the Deployment Agent repository
Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and independent hardware vendors
(IHVs) periodically release software to customers that is not included in
the retail versions of Windows. You can supplement the repository with this
software so that the Deployment Agent Builder service produces Deployment
Agent images that support additional hardware mass storage and network
adapter hardware that was not included on the Windows CD.

The Deployment Agent Builder service performs an ordered search of two
repositories to produce a Deployment Agent image. These repositories are
called the \PreSystem and the system repositories. The Deployment Agent
Builder service uses the first match that it finds in a repository. The
Deployment Agent Builder service does not cross reference files across
repositories.

The system repository is populated with files from the Windows CD. You can
automatically update this repository when service packs are released, as
described below. The \PreSystem repository is designed to be updated by the
Automated Deployment Services (ADS) administrator. Because the Deployment
Agent Builder service searches the \PreSystem repository before the system
repository, you can override the drivers in the system repository by placing
files in the \PreSystem repository. To populate the \PreSystem repository,
you copy the .inf and .sys files into systemdrive\Program Files\Microsoft
ADS\nbs\repository\User\PreSystem.

After you have updated the PreSystem directory, you must restart the
Deployment Agent Builder service and the device.

snip
------------------
But you are right, it is not to easy to find this information.

--
Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards - Alexander Ortha (Microsoft)

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

"Greg Chapman" <GregChapman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:F5A7B63C-D644-44C7-8067-C6C3CD0C9F85@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yes, this is 1.1 on SP1.

Now, what you're suggesting sounds reasonable but I have a Q about it:
Where would I have found this in the docs? I had the honest impression
from
them that none of this was necessary for a couple reasons:
- If you don't have PE, don't worry, we have the Deployment Agent to fall
back on
- No indication that pre-staging the ADS server with vendor drivers, etc.,
is necessary nor a hint that anything is required beyond the base ADS
install.

I'll take your suggestions and work that out but now I'm wondering what
else
is not clearly spelled out in the otherwise excellent documentation.
Please,
go ahead and paint me as an idiot so I can figure out what I should have
noticed already...if it's in there!

Thanks much, Alexander!

Greg Chapman

"Alexander Ortha [MS]" wrote:

Hello,

ok, first you should be use the ADS 1.1 version. This is the current
version
of ADS and you could download this from the Microsoft-Website.
Is your ADS server a Windows Server 2003 SP1?

In you case, I think you should check that all necessary drivers are
integrated into the DA. How can you do this is in the KB article 841550
described. In the most cases you need to add the NIC drivers and the mass
storage driver to the DA.

If this not help to solve you problem, please send the XML file.

--
Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Kind regards - Alexander Ortha (Microsoft)

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights.

"Greg Chapman" <greg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:2uke12lqc410k767r5m4ki1qb48ro1885o@xxxxxxxxxx
Working through the initial phases of learning Automatic Deployment
Services on Windows Server 2003 and I've run into a bit of a bugger
which I haven't figured out. I've been reading all I can in pursuit of
a solution and it's time to ask some experts.

When I attempt to capture an image using the default sample, the
sysprep phase runs fine, but the part of the sequence which issues the
boot-to-da command doesn't appear to work right.

When I watch the boot sequence on the destination agent, I can see the
PXE boot stub come up and get its address and see that it receives the
instruction to "boot to Deployment Agent". Perfect!

Then the damned thing reboots and the job fails because "the system
was rebooted".

At no time do I see anything like what I expected (of course, finding
out what to expect is a real mystery) since my expectations were for
something like this:

" Windows Automated Deployment Services
Deployment Agent Version 1.0 Build 0000-000000-0000

DEPLOYMENT SERVICES
Boot Selection: ramdisk(0)\windows
Boot Options: RDBUILD
RDGUID={E597073D-BCA9-4935-8257-25530A5677D0} RDSERVERS=192.168.100.5
FASTDETECT ONECPU
PXE Server: 192.168.1.5

LOCAL NETWORK CONFIGURATION (PXE BOOT)
IP Address: 192.168.100.100
Gateway: 192.168.100.200
Subnet Mask: 192.168.1.10
MAC Address: 00-10-5A-11-16

DEPLOYMENT AGENT STATUS
Connected {192.168.1.34}: Valid BMCP message received at
00:00:00"

I never see this. Why?

The controller is an HP DL380 G4 running Windows Server 2003 Ent
Edition. The system I want to image is a similar HP DL380 G4 running
W2k3 Standard. I'm depending on the built in PXE boot services and
image builder because I haven't a copy of Windows PE.

Thanks!





.

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