Adding a Windows Deployment Server to System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 R2

Administrators can add a Windows Deployment Services (WDS) server into System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) 2012 or later. VMM uses WDS to deploy a Windows with Hyper-V role or a Hyper-V server to a physical host. The WDS which is managed by VMM will deploy a virtual hard hard format to a physical host. In VMM 2012 R2, it supports WDS which is installed in Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2. To add a WDS server into VMM 2012 R2, administrators have to install the WDS role before adding into VMM 2012 R2. In this lab, I will install a Windows Deployment services in a Windows Server 2012 R2 and add it into VMM 2012 R2.

Goal

• Installing and configuring a Windows Deployment Services (WDS) in a Windows Server 2012 R2
• Adding a Windows Deployment Services (WDS) into a VMM 2012 R2

Lab environment

• 1 VMM 2012 R2 named VMM01 which is joined test.tls1.lab domain
• 1 WDS server named WDS01 which is joined test.tls1.lab domain
• The VMM environment is based on "Installing System Center Virtual Machine Manager 2012 R2 in Windows Server 2012 R2"

Prerequisites

• VMMAdmin is a local administrator of WDS01

Lab

Installing Windows Deployment Services
1. On VMM01, log in as VMMAdmin.
2. Launch "Server Manager".
3. On "Dashboard" window, click "Add other servers to manage".

4. On "Add Servers" window, next to "Name (CN)", enter "WDS01".
5. Click "Find Now".

6. Select "WDS01", click ">" to add a computer.

7. Click "OK".
8. On "Server Manager" window, click "All Servers".
9. On "SERVERS" pane, right-click "WDS01", select "Add Roles and Features".

10. On "Before You Begin" window, click "Next".
11. On "Installation Type" window, select "Role-based or feature-based installation" and then click "Next".

12. On "Server Selection" window, click "Next".
13. On "Server Roles" window, check "Windows Deployment Services".
14. On "Add Roles and Features Wizard" window, click "Add Features".

15. Click "Next".
16. On "Features" window, click "Next".
17. On "WDS" window, click "Next".

18. On "Role Services" window, make sure "Deployment Server" and "Transport Server" are checked.

This is the requirement of a WDS server to add into VMM 2012 R2.

19. Click "Next".
20. On "Confirmation" window, click "Install".

21. On "Results" window, click "Close".

22. Right-click "WDS01", select "Restart Server".

23. Click "OK".

Configuring WDS
1. On VMM01, log in as VMMAdmin.
2. Launch "Windows Deployment Services" tool.

If "Windows Deployment Services" tool isn't installed on VMM01, perform "Install-WindowsFeature WDS-AdminPack" on PowerShell to install it.

3. On "Windows Deployment Services" console, right-click "Servers", select "Add Server".

4. On "Add Servers" window, select "Another computer" and then enter "WDS01".

5. Click "OK".
6. Right-click "wds01.test.tls1.lab", select "Configure Server".

7. On "Before You Begin" window, click "Next".
8. On "Install Options window, select "Integrated with Active Directory" option.

9. Click "Next".
10. On "Remote Installation Folder Location" window, leave default path, click "Next".

11. Click "Next".
12. On "System Volume Warning" window, click "Yes".

In production environment, the remote installation folder should be placed on non System Volume.

13. On "PXE Server Initial Settings" window, still select "Do not respond to any client computers" option, click "Next".

14. On "Operation Complete" window, un-check "Add images to the server now" option, click "Finish".

Adding WDS into VMM console
1. On VMM01, log in as VMMAdmin.
2. Launch "Virtual Machine Manager Console".
3. Select "Use current Microsoft Windows session identity" option, click "Connect".

4. On "Virtual Machine Manager" console, select "Fabric".
5. Select "Infrastructure > PXE Servers".
6. On "Home" menu, click "Add Resources > PXE Server".

7. On "Add PXE Server" window, next to "Computer name", enter "WDS01".
8. Next to "Use an existing Run As account", click "Browse" to select "VMM Admin".

9. Click "Add".

As a result, the WDS server, WDS01, has been added into VMM console.

In production environment, administrators have to configure a DHCP option for PXE server in a DHCP host.

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Installing and Configuring Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2012 - Part 3

In part 2, MS02 was performed initial configuration of Windows Deployment Services. In this part, we will import a boot image in WDS.

Import a boot image in WDS

A boot image is Windows PE platform. Windows Deployment Services server will send the boot image through network to computers. Computers enter Windows PE platform for us to install the Windows. We can find it in a Windows installation DVD.

1. On MS02, log in as Domain Administrator.

2. Insert "Windows 8 Enterprise x64" DVD.

3. Launch "Windows Deployment Services".

4. Expand "Servers > MS02.corp.contoso.com > Boot Images".

5. Right-click "Boot Images", select "Add Boot Image".

6. On "Image File" window, click "Browse".

7. Navigate to "D:\Sources" folder, select "boot.wim", click "Open".

D drive is a DVD drive of MS02.

8. On "Image File" window, click "Next".

9. On "Image Metadata" window, next to "Image name" and "Image description", enter "Windows 8 PE (x64)".

Remark: To deploy Windows 8 OS, we need the boot.wim from Windows 8 installation DVD. If we use the boot.wim from older version Windows, it fails to deploy the OS.

10. Click "Next".

11. On "Summary" window, click "Next".

12. On "Task Progress" window, click "Finish".

Remark: If you need to Windows 8 x86 OS to a computer, you also need to import boot.wim of Windows 8 x86 version in WDS.

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Installing and Configuring Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2012 - Part 2

In part 1, I installed Windows Deployment Services in MS02. In this part, I will configure the Windows Deployment Services in MS02.

Initial configuration of Windows Deployment Services
1. On MS02, log in as Domain Administrator.
2. Launch "Windows Deployment Services".
3. Expand "Servers > MS02.corp.contoso.com".
4. Right-click "MS02.corp.contoso.com", select "Configure Server".

5. On "Before You Begin" window, click "Next".

6. On "Install Options" window, select "Integrated with Active Directory".

7. On "Remote Installation Folder Location" window, leave default path, click "Next".

Remark: Make sure the remote installation folder must be under NTFS volume.

8.  On "System Volume Warning" window, click "Yes".

The remote installation folder should be stored on a separate volume or disk. In my lab environment, there is 1 hard disk with 1 volume in MS02.

9. On "PXE Server Initial Settings" window, select "Respond to all client computers (known and unknown)".

10. Click "Next".

Remark: This option respond the known computers, which are created in Active Directory, or unknown computers to install the Windows image by network.

11. On "Operation Complete" window, clear "Add images to the server now" check box.

12. Click "Finish".

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Installing and Configuring Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2012 - Part 1

Windows Deployment Services is a role of Windows Server 2012 for deploying operating systems to a workstation by network. It supports the following operating systems for deployment.

• Windows XP
• Windows Server 2003
• Windows Vista
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows 7
• Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows 8
• Windows Server 2012

In Windows Server 2012, it supports to deploy Windows on ARM machines.

Installing Windows Deployment Services

Lab environment

Server Name: DC01.corp.contoso.com

Server Roles: Domain Controller with DNS

IP Address: 192.168.2.10

Server Name: MS01.corp.contoso.com

Server Roles: DHCP

IP Address: 192.168.2.11

Server Name: MS02.corp.contoso.com

Server Roles: Windows Deployment Services

IP Address: 192.168.2.12

The Active Directory, DNS and DHCP are functioning. All servers were joined to corp.contoso.com domain. The DHCP pool of this network is 192.168.2.100 - 192.168.2.200.

I will install and configure Windows Deployment Services in MS02.

1. On MS02, log in as Domain Administrator.

2. Launch "Server Manager".

3. On "Dashboard" window, click "Add roles and features".

4. On "Before You Begin" window, click "Next".

5. On "Installation Type" window, select "Roles-based or feature-based installation".

6. Click "Next".

7. On "Server Selection" window, click "Next".

8. On "Server Roles" window, check "Windows Deployment Services".

9. Click "Add Features".

10. Click "Next" twice.

11. On "WDS" window, click "Next".

12. On "Roles Services" window, check "Deployment Server" and "Transport Server".

Normally, When you deploy WDS in your Active Directory environment, both roles services are required. However, If you just install "Transport Server" role service, you need to write a custom PXE provider, and register the provider with Windows Deployment Services because Transport Server only contains the PXE listener.

Reference:

Using Transport Server

For more information:

Windows Deployment Services Server Components

Customizing Windows Deployment Services

13. Click "Next".

14. On "Confirmation" window, click "Install".

15. On "Results" window, click "Close".

Remark: We can perform "Install-WindowsFeature -Name WDS -IncludeManagementTools" in PowerShell to install Windows Deployment Services.

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!

Installing and Configuring WDS and MDT 2012 Update 1 on Windows Server 2008 R2 Part 6

In part 5, I updated the task sequence and created the Windows PE images. In this part, I will upload the boot images to Windows Deployment Services and deploy Windows 7 to a workstation named WS01.

Configuring Windows Deployment Services

In part 1, MS01 was installed Windows Deployment Services but it wasn't configured. I will configure the Windows Deployment Services and upload the boot images into MS01.

1. On MS01, log in as Domain Administrator.

2. Launch "Windows Deployment Services".

3. Expand "Servers > MS01,MDTLAB.LOCAL".

4. Right-click "MS01,MDTLAB.LOCAL", select "Configure Server".

5. On "Before You Begin" window, click "Next".

6. On "Remote Installation Folder Location" window, next to "Path", enter "E:\RemoteInstall".

7. Click "Next".

8. On "PXE Server Initial Settings" window, select "Respond to all client computers (known and unknown)".

Remark: If you select "Respond only to known client computers", you need to create a computer object in Active Directory Users and Computers before deploying Windows to a workstation.

For more information:

Prestage Client Computers

Deploying Vista - Part 18: Managing Windows Deployment Services

9. Click "Next".

10. On "Operation Complete" window, clear "Add images to the server now" check box.

11. Click "Finish".

12. Right-click "Boot Images", select "Add Boot Image".

13. On "Image File" window, click "Browse".

14. Navigate to "E:\DeploymentShare\Boot" folder.

15. Select "LiteTouchPE_x86.wim", click "Open".

16. Click "Next".

17. On "Image Metadata" window, click "Next".

18. On "Summary" window, click "Next".

19. On "Task Progress" window, click "Finish".

Remark: We can add more than 1 boot image in the server.

Deploying Windows 7 image to a workstation

Now, the Windows Deployment Services is functioning. I will try to deploy Windows 7 image to a workstation, WS01. Because WS01 is a virtual machine in Hyper-V, I need to add a legacy network adapter in a VM.

1. Power on WS01.

2. Press 'F12" to start network boot.

Remark: If we imported more than 1 boot images in the Windows Deployment Services server, it provides a menu for us to choose which boot images.

We need to select the right version of boot images for deploying x86 or x64 Windows.

3. On "Microsoft Deployment Toolkit" window, click "Run the Deployment Wizard to install a new Operating System".

4. On "User Credentials" window, enter "User Name", "Password" and "Domain" to connect the network shares.

5. Click "OK".

Remark: For security reason, we should create a build account for MDT deployment in production environment.

6. On "Task Sequence" window, select "Windows 7 Enterprise x86 deployment".

7. Click "Next".

8. On "Computer Details" window, enter "Computer name" and "Domain to join".

9. Click "Next".

10. On "Move Data and Settings" window, click "Next".

11. On "User Data (Restore)" window, click "Next".

12. On "Local and Time" window, click "Next".

13. On "Ready" window, click "Begin".

The Windows deployment is being processed.

14. When Windows deployment finished, click "Finish".

Other parts

Installing and Configuring WDS and MDT 2012 Update 1 on Windows Server 2008 R2 Part 1

Installing and Configuring WDS and MDT 2012 Update 1 on Windows Server 2008 R2 Part 2

Installing and Configuring WDS and MDT 2012 Update 1 on Windows Server 2008 R2 Part 3

Installing and Configuring WDS and MDT 2012 Update 1 on Windows Server 2008 R2 Part 4
Installing and Configuring WDS and MDT 2012 Update 1 on Windows Server 2008 R2 Part 5

This posting is provided “AS IS” with no warranties, and confers no rights!