Using WDS to Deploy Virtual Machines
2010
Overview
By using WDS (Windows Deployment Service) Role you can deploy many OS to many VM using One Source, create new Test environments and Viirtualizing current Physical Servers. The source can be Virtual or Physical. You can create many Image files and locate them on the distributor server and from there you can spread them to other vms.
WDS Achievement:
You can achieve this task in three easy steps:
- Join your Server to your Domain.
- Configure the WDS Role.
- Add Images from the Windows 2008/R2 installation Disk\ISO
You also need to add the following files from the source folder:
- Boot.wim
- Install.wim
Note!
If you using 32\64-bit you’ll need to add the WIM files from both 32\64-bit disks.
Let’s create the New Server
Creating the WDS Server
- Create a new VM with Server2008R2 OS.
- Configure the OS Tasks (Clock, Updates, Static IP…and to your Domain!!)
- Install the WDS Role (Deployment Server + Transport Server)
- Open Rules- open Servers- WDS
- Open Server Configuration
- Rules->WDS-> Expend Servers->Chose your Server name ->Right Click and chose “Server Configuration ”
Configuring the new WDS Server
A new Wizard will open that helps you simplify the server configuration:
Step 1: You need to choose your Image’s location (Save it on other Physical partition from the Boot partition).
Step 2: you need to choose the way the server responds for clients requests (Choose the last option to accept all requests).
Step3: Choose to add new Images
A new Wizard will open to help you configure your new Images:
Step 1: We need to get the Boot.wim and theInstall.wim from the Windows Server2008R2 ISO
(Mount it on the Host)
DVD Drive ->Sources Folder
After you finish you need to provide a name for the Image Group, in our case we are using 2008R2 server so we can call the Group with the amazing name of “Server2008R2”.
Note!
Now the Server will mount all images and it can take up to 15 minutes
Step 2: Now we going to create a Capture Image
Open your Boot Images Folder ->Chose the Newly Image located first -> Right Click->Create Capture Boot Image
Note!
You need to add the Newly Capture Boot Image manually because you cannot see it after creation (Right Click->Add Boot Image->add the File you just created)
Step 3: After you finish with step 2, you can go to the “Install Images” Folder and see all SIX Servers installation types, for saving Space delete the unneeded Images!
Testing the new Server Configuration!
Now after we create the new Server and configured it to perform 100% we must test it out…so let’s start playing!
Step 1: Create a new VM
Here you need to perform the entire Configuration you do in an ordinary Creation of a new VM. But with only one Difference, in the OS installation options you must Choose the “Install an OS from a Network-Based Installation Server”
Note!
When you choose this option the Server will automatically configured the VM with a Legacy Network Card to support the WDS deployment
Step 2: Start your New VM and see that the VM is looking for a “Client MAC Address”, after a few seconds the VM will locate the WDS server and ask you to press F12 to continue the Installation process, choose the first option and not the “Captured Boot” (the capture boot will used only when we want to capture a new OS and not for Deployment!).
Note!
When the system will started you will ask to choose which OS you want to install from the 6 OS configured on the WDS Server from the Source folder.
Finish!
Capturing Operating System
Here we will learn how to Capture an OS that already running and deploy it on other VM’s.When we capture a OS we Capture it with all configuration and Rules applied, the only thing we need to do before Capturing is to run Sysprep on that OS to Remove all identifications from the machine and deploy it afterwards on other VM
Note!
You run Sysprep only on a dedicated server that you install for a capturing!
Step 1: Log-in to the OS you want to Capture (Web Server\Print Server….)
Step2: Run Sysprep on the OS
Search for “Sysprep” on you OS, it’s located in System32 folder and run it.
On the Wizard choose the following:
Choose “Enter System-out of the box” + Generate box + Reboot
Step3: When Restart the Machine Choose F12 and run the Capture Image we created when installing the WDS server for Capturing the Web Server.
Step 4: when the server is up a new wizard will open and ask you to choose:
Image Capture Source:
Volume to Capture: you want to capture the Boot Drive so choose the C drive
Image Name: Print Server
Image Description: @##$@
Image Capture Destination:
Location: choose any local drive with enough space on it.
The captured Image will save on the Destination you provide but that is not enough because you need to upload it to the WDS Server. Here you have two choices:
- Manually – after the captured Image created you simply can go and Move it to the WDS Server.
- Share the File created for the captured Image(.WIM file)
- Open the WDS Server and run the WDS role.
- Transfer the shared .WIM captured file into the Images folder.
- Now we need to upload the new Captured Image into the installation folder (That easy you can do it yourself…)
- You now have a new Image you can Deploy on other VM’s
- Automatically – the preferred option is to use the option the Wizard provides you with the Automatically Upload Image Checkbox. If you choose this option you need to specify the WDS FQDN or IP Address.
This job is done!
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