CHAPTER 23

                                         DEPLOYING WINDOWS 2000 

 

 

Lesson 1:  Automating Installations

 

There are several methods to automate Windows 2000 installations.  When you must install

Windows 2000 on computers with varying configurations, scripting provides automation with

increased flexibility.  You will learn how the improved Setup Manager makes it easy to create

the Unattend.txt files that are necessary for scripted installations.

 

You can create or modify an answer file by using Setup Manager.  Although you can still use

Unattend.txt file created with a simple text editor, such as Notepad, you use Setup Manager

to reduce errors in syntax.

 

NOTE:  The sysdiff.exe utility is often used in conjunction with Setup Manager to install Windows

using different files.   The use of Sysdiff.exe has not changed from Windows NT.

 

***** DO SOME OF THE CLASSROOM EXERCISES ******

 

 

Lesson Summary:

 

Windows 2000 Setup manager Wizard makes it easy to create the Unattend.txt files that are

necessary for scripted installations.  Setup Manager provides an easy-to-use graphical interface

with which you can create and modify answer files and UDFs.

You must extract the file deploy.cab file on the Windows 2000 Professional CD-ROM.

The Setup Manager Wizard also creates the distribution folder that you use for the installation files.

 

 

Lesson 2:  Using Disk Duplication to Deploy Windows 2000

 

 

Disk imaging and duplication technologies are improved in Windows 2000.  One of the tools that

you will use  for disk duplication is the improved System Preparation tool (Sysprep.exe) that now

ships with Windows 2000.

 

First you need to install the disk duplication on a test computer.  Then you run Sysprep.exe on the

test computer to prepare the computer for duplication.

 

The System Preparation tool was developed to eliminate several problems you might encounter when

copying disks.  First of all, every computer must have a unique security ID (SID). 

 

 

 

 

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Installing Windows 2000 from a Master Disk Image

 

After running Sysprep on your test computer, you are ready to run a third-party disk image copying

tool to create a master disk image.   Save the new disk image on a shared folder or CD-ROM.  Copy

this image to the multiple destination computers.  If a Sysprep.inf file was provided, the Mini-Setup

wizard will be bypassed and the system will load Windows 2000 without user intervention.

 

When you use disk duplication, the mass storage controllers and HALs for the test computer and all

destination computers must be identical.

 

 

Lesson Summary:

 

The System Preparation tool (sysprep.exe)  prepares the master computer to be duplicated.

One of the primary functions of the System Preparation tool is to delete SIDs and all other user-specific

or computer-specific information.  You can use four switches to customize Sysprep.exe.

After you run Sysprep.exe on the master computer, you can use a third-party tool to capture the image

and copy it to the destination computer.

 

 

Lesson 3:  Performing Remote Installation

 

The most efficient method of deploying Windows 2000 Professional is to use remote installation.

 

Remote installation is the process of connecting to a server running Remote Installation Services, called

the RIS server, and then starting an automated installation of Windows 2000 Professional on a local

computer.  There are some RIS benefits:

 

  •   Enables remote installation of Windows 2000 Professional.
  •   Simplifies server image management by eliminating hardware-specific images and by

detecting Plug and Play hardware during setup.

 

 

 

 

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  •   Supports recovery of the operating system and computer in the event of computer failure.
  •   Retains security settings after restarting the destination computer.
  •   Reduces TCO by allowing either users or technical staff to install the operating system on individual

computers.

 

Examining the Prerequisites

 

RIS is available only on computers running one of the Windows 2000 Server family of products.  The

RIS server can be a domain controller or a member server.

 

***  DO THE CLASS EXERCISES ****

 

 

Understanding Client Requirements for Remote Installation

 

Client computers that support remote installation must have one of the following configurations:

 

A configuration meeting the Net PC specification

A Network interface card with a PXE boot ROM and BIOS support for starting from the PXE

Boot ROM.

A supported network interface card and a remote installation boot disk.

 

 

 Net PCs

 

The Net PC is a highly manageable platform with the ability to perform a network boot, manage

upgrades and prevent users from changing the hardware or operating system configuration.

 

 

The Network adapter must be set as the primary boot device within the system BIOS.

The user account that will be used to perform the installation must be assigned the user right “Log

on as a batch Job”

 

NOTE:  The Administrators group doesn’t have the right to log on to a batch job by default and

thus will need to be assigned this right prior to attempting a remote installation.

 

Users must be assigned permission to create computer accounts in the domain that they are joining. 

The domain is specified in the advanced settings on the RIS server.

 

 

 

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Creating Boot Floppies

 

You start the Windows 2000 Remote Boot Disk Generator by running Rbfg.exe.  The Rbfg.exe

file is located in the RemoteInstall\admin\I386 folder. On the Remote Installation Server.

 

 

Lesson Summary:

 

Remote installation is the process of connecting to an RIS server and then starting an automated

installation of Windows 2000 Professional on a local computer.

Log on a batch job, and users must be assigned permission to create computer accounts in the

domain that they are joining.

 

 

Lesson 4:  Upgrading Previous Versions of Windows to Windows 2000

 

 

You must also check the HCL or test the computer for hardware compatibility using the Windows

2000 Compatibility tool.

 

If Windows 95 and Windows 98 client systems are using incompatible or insufficient hardware, you

can still take advantage of the functionality of Active Directory directory services provided by a

Windows 2000 domain.

 

You can upgrade most client computers running older versions of Windows directly to Windows 2000.

 

 

Generating  Hardware Compatibility Report

 

You can generate compatibility report using the Windows 2000 Compatibility tool in two ways:

 

 

  • Run Winnt32/checkupgradeonly
  • Run the Chkupgrd.exe utility.

 

 

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Upgrading Compatible Windows 95 and Windows 98 Computers

 

  • Run the winn32.exe command
  • Accept the license agreement.
  • You must create a computer account on the domain.
  • You are asked to provide upgrade packs for any applications that might need them.
  • You are prompted to upgrade to NTFS.
  • Window 2000 Compatibility tool runs.
  • Upgrade finishes.

 

 

Installing the Directory Service Client

 

Windows 985 or Windows 98 computers that don’t meet the hardware compatibility

requirements can still take advantage of Active Directory directory services by using

Directory Service Client.

 

 

 

Lesson Summary:

  •   You must upgrade computers running Window NT 3.1 or Windows NT e.5 to Windows

NT 3.51 or Windows NT4, and then you can upgrade them to Windows 2000 Professional.

  •   Use the Windows 2000 Compatibility Tool to check the hardware.
  •   Client systems that test as compatible with Windows 2000, you run the Windows

2000 Setup program (Winnt32.exe) to complete the upgrade process.

  •   Windows 95 and 98 can use Active Directory directory services by using Directory

Service Client.

 

 

Lesson 5:  Installing Service Packs

 

Windows 2000 Professional eliminates the need to reinstall components after applying a service

pack and allows you to apply a service pack at the same time that you install Windows 2000.

 

 

 

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Slipstreaming Service Packs

Windows 2000 Professional supports service-pack slipstreaming, so service packs can be

integrated with the Windows 2000 Professional installation files.  To apply a new service pack,

run Update.exe with the switch distribution folder switch, where distribution folder is the name

of the folder that contains the Windows 2000 installation files.

 

 

Lesson Summary:

 

  •   Windows 2000 Professional simplifies the installation and maintenance of service packs and

supports service-pack slipstreaming.

  •   As you install Windows 2000, the appropriate files from the service packs are automatically

applied during the installation.

  •   Windows 2000 automatically recognizes that a service pack has been applied to the system

and copies the required files from either the Windows 2000 installation files or from the service

pack install location.