Using WIM images to provision Windows servers

You can use Windows Image Format (WIM) images in a data store to provision the Windows 2003, Windows 2008, Windows 2008 R2, Windows 2012, and (as of product version 8.9.01) Windows 2016 operating systems to target devices. 

Before you begin

  • Capture the WIM image using the Microsoft Sysprep and ImageX tools. See Capturing-WIM-images-for-use-in-provisioning.

    Note

    The ImageX command-line tool is deprecated in Windows 8. Use the DISM command-line tool.

    For more information, see the following articles:

  • Name the image file or files using the name of the captured disk drive. For example: C.wim. The image from a second disk drive might be named D.wim.
  • Copy the WIM image files to the data store folder that you created for it. For example: C:\Program Files\BMC Software\BladeLogic\PXE\pxestore\WIMimages\C.wim
  • If you have EFI-based hardware on the server that you are provisioning and you want to enable booting using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) during provisioning (rather than using BIOS), you must define a UEFI partition, in addition to the primary partition. For more information, see Preparing-for-UEFI-booting.

To use a WIM image in provisioning

  1. Configure the WIM system package type:
    1. Select Configuration > Provisioning Configurations. Then click the System Package Type tab.
      The TrueSight Server Automation system provides these system package types for use in provisioning with a WIM image:
      • WIM Based Windows 2003
      • WIM Based Windows 2003 x64
      • WIM Based Windows 2008

      • WIM Based Windows 2008 x64

        Note

        To provision WIM Based Windows 2008 R2, use the WIM Based Windows 2008 x64 system package type. You can either create a new custom system package type with a different name or use the existing out-of-the box WIM Based Windows 2008 x64 system package type.

      • WIM Based Windows Server 2012 x64
      • WIM Based Windows Server 2016 x64 (in product version 8.9.01 or later)
      • New in 8.9.04.001WIM Based Windows Server 2019 x64 (in product version 8.9.04.001 or later)
    2. Edit a system package type or create one. To edit a system package type, select it and click Edit. To create a custom WIM system package type, click Add.
    3. On the System Package Type window, provide the following information and click OK.
      • For Operating System Type, select Windows. Then check WIM Based System Package.

      • For OS Installer Location, enter the path to the WIM image directory, relative to the data store path name.
        For example, if the root directory of the data store is: C:\Program Files\BMC Software\BladeLogic\PXE\pxestore and the WIM image resides in: C:\Program Files\BMC Software\BladeLogic\PXE\pxestore\WIMimages, then for OS Installer Location, specify: WIMimages

        Note

        The provisioning process uses the WIM image files stored in this location as follows:

        • The C.wim image is used by default.
        • Additional images stored here are used only if their names match additional disk partitions specified in the WIM system package. The D.wim image, for example, is provisioned on target servers only if you add the D disk partition to the disk partition panel of the WIM system package. For more system package information, see Step 3.
      • For RSCD Installer Location, enter the path of the directory where the installer files for the RSCD agent are stored. Specify a path relative to the full path of the data store.
      • For Initial Partition Size, specify a minimum disk partition size for the C: drive.
  2. Create the system package. On the General panel, select a WIM based system package type. For information, see System-package-panels-generic.
  3. In the system package, define settings as you normally would for a Windows system package, with the following exceptions:
    • The OS Components tab is not included because OS components present in the WIM image itself are applied on the provisioned server.
    • On the Disk Partition tab:

      • To provision more than one disk partition using WIM images (for example, C and D), clear the Use Script for Disk Partitioning check box, click Add, and specify the D partition. (C is included by default.) Also, ensure that WIM images with matching names (for example, C.wim and D.wim) exist in your WIM directory in the data store.

        Note

        You cannot use a disk partition script to add additional disks for WIM provisioning.

      • To provision only the C partition, ensure that no other disks are listed. Also, ensure that an image file named C.wim is in your WIM directory in the data store.
      • If you have EFI-based hardware on the server that you are provisioning and you want to enable booting using Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) during provisioning (rather than using BIOS), you must define a UEFI partition, in addition to the primary partition. For a UEFI partition, perform the following steps:
        1. Click the Add icon g_V95_AddIcon16.gif.
        2. Provide the following details. 
          • Label: D
          • EFI partition.
            In response to this selection, you are asked to confirm that you want to boot the target using UEFI.
          • Type : FAT32
          • Size (MB): 200This is the default value. You can use any value between 50 and 250 megabytes.
        3. Click OK.
    • On the Computer Settings tab, for WIM-based Windows 2003 and WIM-based Windows 2003 x64 system packages, the Mass Storage Drivers selection box is dimmed. You must include mass storage drivers in the WIM image when you create it.
    • The Unattend Entries tab displays only the entries specific to WIM-based provisioning.
      For information, see Defining-settings-for-Microsoft-Windows-servers.
  4. Create the Provision Job. For information, see Creating a Provision Job.
    1. On the General and Choose Devices panels, provide information as you normally would for a Windows Provision Job.
    2. On the System Package Selection panel:
      • For Paths to the System Package, select the WIM based system package in the data store.
      • For Selected Boot Image list, select the WinPE 2.0 or later boot image to use in provisioning.
      • On the System Package Properties panel, select the instance of the data store where the WIM image is stored.
  5. Execute the Provision Job.
     During provisioning, the WIM image is applied to the target server. The image runs the installation using the Unattend Entries file generated in the system package.

 

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