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Using MDT 2010 to Deploy Windows 7 to a VHD

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I was getting caught up on some blog reading over my lunch hour and noticed a new post by the Deployment Guys on their blog. If you didn’t know, with Windows 7, you can now boot from VHD; there is even a trick to make Windows Vista boot from VHD. Booting loads the VHD and uses your physical hardware, its a great way multi-boot a computer into an OS that is VHD aware. In the Microsoft world, at this point in time, this means Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

The post from the Deployment Guys blog explains how to deploy Windows 7 using Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 (MDT 2010) to a computer and instead of deploying to Disk 0 Partition 1, it is set to deploy to VHD file.

How to Setup MDT to Create a Boot from VHD Deployment

So how do we do this? Here’s the point form version. (You can get pictures from the Deployment Guys blog)

  1. Create a task sequence to deploy Windows 7
  2. You are going to insert 3 steps in the Pre-Install \ New Computer only phase
  3. Edit the task sequence that changes how the drive is partitioned (I presented how to do this at TechDays Ottawa). In this case we don’t want to partition or format the drive. Disable this task sequence.
  4. Insert a Set Task Sequence Variable Step named Set Boot VHD Location. You set the location of the VHD file is by setting the Task Sequence Variable to BootVHDLocation and set the Value to the location where you want the file to exist. (for example C:\Boot1Windows7.vhd) Ensure that the file you named in the variable doesn’t already exist.
  5. Insert a Set Task Sequence Variable Step named Set Boot VHD Size. Set the task sequence variable to BootVHDSize and set the value to the maximum size you want the VHD to be. Ensure you have enough space to grow to the maximum.
  6. Insert a Run Command Line Step and call it Setup VHD. The command line is cscript.exe “%SCRIPTROOT%\ZTIDiskPartVHD.wsf (There is no start in value.)
  7. Download the script ZTIDiskPartVHD.wsf and copy is to your Distrobution$\Scripts folder. The link to the script is at ZTIDiskpartVHD.zip
  8. Run your task sequence on a computer and it will install Windows 7 into a VHD.

This doesn’t work on machines that use Bitlocker to encrypt the drive.

The full article can be found at: http://blogs.technet.com/deploymentguys/archive/2009/03/03/deploying-win-7-to-boot-from-vhd-with-mdt-2010.aspx. They have pretty pictures to help you out.

This is a really smart way to boot into different environments. You can have different VHD images for different tasks, ie. One for programming, one for gaming, etc. Pretty sweet and easy to deploy when using MDT

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Configuring Study Group

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The OWSUG is looking people who might be interested in joining a SharePoint Services 3.0 certification study group. The details and information about it are below:

Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 Configuring Study Group!

We are pleased announce that we are now accepting applications to join our TS: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, Configuring  certification study group.  The previous OWSUG.ca study group was very successful with over 85% of the participants obtaining the certification by the end of the study group.

Content

The focus will be on preparing to pass the Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, Configuring to achieve the Microsoft Technology Specialist for Configuring Windows SharePoint Services 3.0.  Topics include Deploy, Monitor, Configure and Administer Windows SharePoint Services. Windows® SharePoint® Services 3.0 Inside Out will be provided.

Schedule

Sessions take place on Tuesday evenings from 6:00 PM until 8:30 PM at CTE Solutions’ Ottawa facility beginning March 17th, 2009 and continuing until June 2nd, 2009 for a total of 12 sessions (30 hours).

Objectives

  • Individual:

    • Prepare for the sessions by reading the training material content on the study group schedule

    • Develop and improve skills with Windows SharePoint Services 3.0

    • Obtain the TS: Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, Configuring certification.

    • Group:

      • Review the content, perform demonstrations and review exam practice questions.

      • Have all participants pass the exam before June 30th, 2009.

      • Mentors

      The study group will be mentored by OWSUG.ca volunteer Islam Gomaa.  The expectation will be for all participants to actively engage in the group sessions (i.e. this is not a course).

      Apply

      To apply please send an email to [email protected].  Additional registration details will be sent only to people that pre-register. 

      Positions will not be held before deposit and fees have been received.

       

      Proudly Sponsored By

      CTE Solutions

      Windows Server Administration 70-646 – Chapter 2 Lesson 1

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      This lesson covers IPv6 and its use in Windows Server 2008.

      Using IPv6 in Windows Server 2008

      IPv6 Addresses problems in IPv4

      • Automatic Address Configuration – Stateful hosts use DHCPv6. Stateless hosts configure themselves.
      • Header Size – Non-essential and optional fields are found in extension headers.
      • Routing Table Size – Designed to be more efficient.
      • Network Level Security – IPSec is now mandatory.
      • Real Time Data Delivery – payload encryption does not affect QoS.
      • Removal of Broadcast Traffic – Neighbour discovery replaces ARP broadcasts, ICMPv4, Router Discovery and ICMPv4 redirect messages.
      • IPV6 Address Structure
      • IPv6 Address Syntax

      IPv6 is a 128-address divided into 16-bit boundaries. Each 16 bit block is converted to a 4 bit hex number and colons are used to separate the bits. Leading zeros can be removed and long sequences of zeros can be compressed. For example 21cd:0048:0000:0000:03ac:ae45:8e4c can be expressed as 21cd:48::3ac:ae45:8e4c

      IPv6 Address Prefix

      Like we do in IPv4 and express subnets as 192.168.12.0/24, we can also do this in IPv6 and would look like 21cd:53::/64

      IPv6 Address Types

      • Unicast
      • Multicast
      • Anycast

      IPv6 Unicast Addresses

      • Global
      • Link-Local
      • Site-Local
      • Special
      • Network Service Access Point and Internet Packet Exchange mapped addresses

      Planning an IPv4 to IPv6 Transition Strategy

      Those Strategies include:

      • Dual Stack Transition
      • Configured Tunneling Transition
      • Automatic Tunneling
      • 6to4
      • Teredo
      • Intra-Site Automatic Tunnel Addressing Protocol

      Implementing IPv4-to-IPv6 Compatibility

      • IPv4 Compatible Address
      • IPv4 Mapped Address
      • Teredo Address
      • ISATAP Addresses

      Using IPv6 Tools

      Ping works by specifying the IPv6 address. IPconfig /all will show you the IPv6 setting and IPv4 settings. Netsh interface ipv6 – ipv6 added to netsh interface commands specifies the IPv6 stack

      Configuring Clients through DHCPv6

      Configuring a DHCPv6 scope is very much the same as configuring an IPv4 DHCP scope. Page 87 of the book goes through a great description of configuring DHCPv6. Remember the 80/20 rule.

      Planning an IPv6 Network

      There are three steps to planning your IPv6 network. First step is to identify and analyze hardware requirements. Look at all the hardware you have and identify if it will all work with IPv6. If not, will you replace this hardware or continue to support the hardware.

      The second step is to analyze software and application requirements. Does everything work with IPv6? If not, how will you support these applications?

      Finally your last step is to document the requirements. How many sites are there, how should the prefix allocation be delegated, etc. These three steps will take a lot of time but once complete, you can draw up the project plan. Project planning isn’t covered in this lesson.

      That’s all for Chapter 2, Lesson 1. There is a lot of information to digest there and for most of us, its relatively new and will take some time work through and understand it. Lesson 2 of the chapter covers Configuring DNS.

      *Disclaimer:

      My notes in helping me prepare for the 70-646 Exam, PRO: Windows Server 2008, Server Administrator are just those, notes and I am trying to help highlight what is covered in the book, not replicate it. If you want to pass the exam, you will need more than just these notes to pass. I suggest you get a good book and get familiar with the product. The expectation is that you have about one year of experience with Windows 2008 Server (your mileage may vary) when writing this exam. The book I am using  for my preparation and where I am drawing the information for these notes is the Microsoft Press book, MCITP Exam Prep 70-646: Windows Server Administration; ISBN: 0735625107.