Setting up a RIS server

[savage1]

Hello All,

I have read several post in this forumn that relate to what I want to do. However, this is my first time setting up a RIS server and would like to have all my ducks in a row so to speak before I attempted it.

I worked with a very tallented consultant a few months back and he reffered to this forumn as to where he learned how to do it. Basically he set an image up for us that worked with any machine it wasnt vendor specific. The image also was slipstreamed except for the drivers, which I would like to implement that, because I am lazy and hate looking for updates and drivers etc.

I think I can manage the slipstream with the CD portion as the instructions are very good in the unattended section. What I dont understand is how he got the image on the RIS server, so if any of you would be willing to help me or show this horse to the water so to speak, I would greatly appriciate it.

[cluberti]

It depends on what type of image you are attempting. Since it isn't platform-specific, most likely we're talking about a "flat-file" image, not a riprep image. To create a flat image in RIS, go to the server and type risetup - it'll bring up a wizard and ask you for the location of the installation folder for the version of Windows you'd like to use RIS to install (\i386 for x86 or \amd64 for x64). This creates a basic RIS install of that version of Windows, and places it in the OSChooser list.

There are lots of things you can do to automate RIS, including modifying the OSChooser screens themselves - remember that a RIS install is close to an unattended CD install, but not quite. Almost everything you can do in an unattended CD install you can do via RIS, and sometimes more. I strongly suggest customizing an unattended CD installation the way you'd like first, and then start "grafting" that into a flat-file RIS installation. This is a huge topic, and one not easily covered in a post on a message board .

[savage1]

Yes, you are correct about the OS chooser, because we have several flat images as you put it in the OS chooser after you f12 the system.

So if I get the cd set up how I want it, all I then need to do is a risetup and that will pull the info off the cd I created and put it on the RIS server and I should be good to go?

[cluberti]

Not necessarily - risetup will only copy the relevant files from i386 to the RIS server. You'll have to go into the image folder it creates and re-modify it (and the answer file in \<imagename>\i386\templates) to get things working as your CD does. Once you've done it on a CD install, it's pretty easy to look at a RIS install and go "oh, so I put these files and scripts here, and modify the answer file to look somewhat like the CD winnt.sif, and I'm good to go". Basically like that .

[savage1]

Ok I kind of understand what you are saying, would you happen to know of any sites or posts that would have a step by step of what I am trying to do so I can get it right and not spend hours researching the process.

I have been on MS site and it goes off on 50 tangents and the closest thing I have found to what I am looking for is here. Would it be possible to slipstream a disk and load it onto a system and then RIPrep it. Would it work for all vendor specific pc's as long as the drivers were ok?

[cluberti]

Riprep images will work, but they're HAL-specific (just like sysprep) and they can have some other issues when pulled down from the RIS server. I don't have anything specific, but ping me offline for more data in PM.

[captainyolka]

Ok I kind of understand what you are saying, would you happen to know of any sites or posts that would have a step by step of what I am trying to do so I can get it right and not spend hours researching the process.

I have been on MS site and it goes off on 50 tangents and the closest thing I have found to what I am looking for is here. Would it be possible to slipstream a disk and load it onto a system and then RIPrep it. Would it work for all vendor specific pc's as long as the drivers were ok?

You will always need to search for drivers:

Cuz getting an image to support all that hardware is too hard. I have tried the same thing myself but get stuck at the magical 4000+ char limit of the sif when I integrate all the driverpacks ( driverpacks.net )

I have tried "flattening" driver directories to no avail. gotta be picky.. another thing I noticed is that when you try and support all that hardware you end up with a HUGE image!

The best way to go in my opinion is to keep it simple/minimal ;-)

For instance,

image for old PCs (without extra drivers)

image for intel 945 chipset machines 32bit

image for blade servers

[anyweb]

Ok I kind of understand what you are saying, would you happen to know of any sites or posts that would have a step by step of what I am trying to do so I can get it right and not spend hours researching the process.

here's a quick PDF guide to setting up a RIS server (applies to win2003 sp1 server or win2000 sp4 server)

http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=66

if you follow that guide you should have a working ris server in no time at all (for a lab test environment)

if you want to use win2003 sp2 server, then be aware that sp2 includes wds (windows deployment services) which supercedes the ris service (if you upgrade via windows update to sp2 or via a network install of sp2 then you the RIS service will most likely die, more info > http://www.windows-noob.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=53 )

I have been on MS site and it goes off on 50 tangents and the closest thing I have found to what I am looking for is here. Would it be possible to slipstream a disk and load it onto a system and then RIPrep it. Would it work for all vendor specific pc's as long as the drivers were ok?

i'd advice you to start with RIS first, get to know it well before attempting RIPREP,

riprep can be a right pain (not the first part, but getting it back on the client computers...)

cheers

anyweb

Edited December 24, 2007 by anyweb