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Hardware Neutral Imaging with ImageX: The Ghost Killer

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Hardware Neutral Imaging with ImageX: The Ghost Killer

Timothy H. Euler, Global Knowledge Instructor, MCSE NT4.0, MCSE WIN2K, MCSE 2003, Sec+, Net+, Server+, CCNA, CCNP

Introduction
One of the toughest jobs facing Information Technology (IT) professionals is creating, managing, and maintaining the many Images that are required in our enterprise Networks. Each hardware platform requires a separate image due to the confines of the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) which governs each hardware type. The cost of imaging has been described by Network Managers as the single most expensive task that is performed on a regular basis by Administrators (Center for Internet Computing) to keep their networks up and running. Also, keep in mind that every change to the image requires a complete rebuild to keep it viable. What if I told you that your problems, overhead, cost of implementation, and headaches were a thing of the past? If you are like me, you would be jumping up and down, heaving a sigh of relief. Well, I am proud to announce the day has arrived. Microsoft has delivered the goods with ImageX, an exiting utility for creating and managing your images. In this discussion, I will delve into the topics that will result in your success and, ultimately, lower the total cost of ownership of your implementations of Vista. We will visit: File-based versus Sector-based Imaging The WIM Image Format Creating Multiple OS installations within a Single WIM Image Image Injection on the fly Creating Images with ImageX Applying and Deploying Vista Images Hardware Neutrality with ImageX

Microsoft Delivers the Goods

Over the years, Microsoft has given the IT administrative community many new toys that have promised to make our lives and our jobs easier and more efficient. However, these new toys were far removed from the imaging technology of the times. We have heard, over the years, that the Microsoft imaging process would eventually be streamlined and fully automated. It never failed, however, that we were left with a lot to be desired after these new products were finally introduced. Microsoft has Hit a Home Run with the introduction of software for automated answer file creation, software for remote installation services, software to generalize our images and a host of other applications. But none of them have truly moved us closer to the day when we could abandon ghost with its sub-$10.00 per machine license fee that Symantec requires. That is

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until now; Microsoft has Delivered the Goods with its introduction of Vista and the ImageX imaging tool. ImageX is a file-based imaging tool that allows for the preservation of data that already occupies your drives. Because you are simply copying files to your drives, you can, at any time, add additional files within the image and preserve the foundation of the image. The sector-based ghost-type images are highly invasive and will erase every bit of data that resides on the drive. This has been a nuisance that we were forced to live with because the ghost-type, sector-based images were the only imaging technology going. Ghost images are written sector-by-sector to the disk drive similar to the application of a file system through the format command. This sector-by-sector write is also the sole reason that the ghost image must be placed on a drive that has identical or very similar characteristics to the drive on which the ghost Image was created. File-based images have no requirements on the drive or partition size. As long as the files can fit on the drive, then, so be it. The ImageX utility creates and manages WIM Images (Windows Image, Image Format), which are the folderbased images of the future. WIM provides the administrator with several key advantages over the traditional sector-based imaging of the past. Yes, I did say the past. First of all, WIM Images, as I mentioned previously, are hardware neutral. For that reason, we can distribute them to different platforms with different hardware abstraction layers. This is a huge benefit over sector-based images, which natively require the identical hardware Abstraction Layer to be in place on the machine to be imaged. The WIM Vista scenario may require a total of two different possible platforms within Vista, those of 32-bit and 64-bit platforms. However, if your 64bit machines can operate in 32-bit mode, then you really only need a single image until you are ready to move into the 64-bit world. When you finally change platforms, then you can do away with the 32-bit image and create a single 64-bit image to meet the requirements of your enterprise. The WIM Image format also allows for some serious compression of the images for faster deployment scenarios and reduced image size scenarios. Combine that with single file instancing, which allows files that are to be duplicated through multiple operating systems (OSs) to be deployed one time for all OS files to use. This will also keep your images smaller and more efficient. Imagine deploying multiple OSs within a single image! Well, we can with the file format of the WIM image. We can easily add additional folders containing files that represent all types of operating system files. We can then configure which one lives on the active partition, and off we go, deploying a single instance of a WIM image with multiple OSs to meet our needs. This same image can then be taken off line, mounted with ImageX, edited offline by adding new features or software to the base image. All of this can be done with out re-compiling the image after we are finished. We can add new service packs with ease, new hot fixes, OS configurations, and software all by simply adding new file and folder structures to the WIM Image with ImageX over a Windows PE environment. This image injection feature alone is responsible for slashing the cost of imaging by 80%. Never again will you have to create a new image when management decides that all desktops need to have a piece of software added. Simply mount the image, add the folder, and un-mount the image. This task is simple and can be completed in no time.

Ease of Use?
This all sounds great, but we must need an advanced degree to figure it out, right? Well, no, ImageX is a simple to use command line tool that allows us to create, modify, and manage our images easily. This tool is an absolute genius at what it does, so you dont have to be. ImageX can easily be scripted and automated with very little effort. Just create your scripts, batch files, and the like, and let ImageX do its job. ImageX can be run from the command prompt or through the Windows PE environment that ships with the Windows Automated Installation Kit.

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The ImageX core features let you capture a volume to a WIM file and apply a WIM file to a volume. For example, the command to capture an image is nothing more than imagex /capture C: image.wim "Name". The command to apply an image to a volume is simply imagex /apply Image.wim 1, where 1 tells ImageX to apply the image from the file image.wim that has the index number 1. Of course, ImageX includes numerous commands for maintaining images and using them in creative ways. Table 1 provides an overview of these commands. Command /append /apply /capture /commit /compress /config /delete /dir /export /info /ref /scroll /split /verify /mountess /mountrw /unmount /? Action Appends a volume image into an existing WIM file

Applies a volume image to the specified drive

Captures a volume image into a new WIM file Commits the changes made to a mounted WIM Sets compression type to none, fast, or maximum Uses the specified file to set advanced options Deletes an image from a WIM file with multiple images Displays a list of files and folders within a volume image Transfers an image from one WIM file to another WIM file Returns the store's XML descriptions for the specified WIM Sets WIM references for an apply operation Scrolls output for redirection Splits an existing WIM file into multiple read-only WIM parts Verifies duplicate and extracted files Mounts an image, with read-only access, to the specified directory Mounts an image, with read-write access, to the specified directory Unmounts the image mounted to the specified director Returns valid command-line parameters for ImageX
Table 1. Overview of ImageX Command-Line Options

Deploying the image is just as easy as creating the image. As a matter of fact, installing Windows Vista, whether doing an in-place upgrade or a complete wipe-and-load, is a new, completely image-based process. By comparison to previous Microsoft operating systems, Windows Vista ships exclusively in the WIM image format.

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Also of interest is the fact that the Vista in-place upgrade process works better than it did with its predecessor Windows XP. Microsoft has abandoned the previous upgrade technology for a process that is better described as a clean installation with the migration of user settings, documents, and applications from an older version of Windows. The Vista in-place upgrade process is better described as a wipe-and-reload. Microsoft has provided a comprehensive set of tools for us to deploy Windows Vista. Table 2 describes the main utilities used to create, manage, and distribute or deploy Microsoft Vista.

Command
Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM)

Action
The tool that enables you to create answer files (Unattend.xml) and network shares or to modify the files contained in a configuration set. You use Windows SIM on the technician computer, and then transfer your Unattend.xml file to the master computer before creating your installation image. A text file that scripts the answers for a series of graphical user interface (GUI) dialog boxes. The answer file for Windows Setup is commonly called Unattend.xml. You can create and modify this answer file by using Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM) or the CPI APIs. A catalog (.clg) is a binary file that contains the state of the settings and packages in a Windows image. A minimal 32-bit operating system with limited services, built on the Windows Vista kernel. PE is used only in the preinstallation and deployment of Windows. A command-line tool that captures, modifies, and applies installation images for deployment in a manufacturing or corporate environment. The program that installs the Windows operating system. Sysprep facilitates image creation and prepares an image for deployment to multiple destination computers. A single compressed file containing a collection of files and folders that duplicate a Windows installation on a disk volume. Windows Vista is built and distributed as a single image with the new WinWindows imaging (.wim) file format. The .wim file format can contain multiple images, enabling you to package several custom installations into one file. Windows Vista is released as a multiple SKU image.

answer file

catalog Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) ImageX

Windows Setup System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) Windows Image

Table 2. The Mail Utilities Used To Create, Manage, and Distribute or Deploy Windows Vista

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You can enhance a Windows Vista image by using the desktop-engineering tools that Microsoft provides, such as the Windows Automated Installation Kit, Windows System Image Manager, Windows PE, and ImageX for selection and addition of device drivers, software, and optional components, such as languages. The following steps describe how to use the tools to deploy a Windows Vista disk image: Install the image on a test computer, add applications (e.g., Microsoft Office or a Line of Business Application), and then save the image to the network. Deploy the image to the user by using tools that Microsoft provides, such as RIS technology with the Windows Distribution Services add-on. You can completely automate the installation by using the Windows System Image Manager, the new scripting and answer file capabilities in Windows Vista. .If you are upgrading a computer from an earlier version of Windows to Vista, then the setup program will migrate the users' documents, settings, and applications without prompting the user for input.

Conclusion
Over the years, new exiting software products have been introduced from applications, utilities, operating systems and protocols. Each has its own place within the IT world. However, few have answered the real problems that Image Specialists have encountered in the past. ImageX is a major break through that will make our jobs easier, decrease the cost of ownership within our image management, and will revolutionize image creation as we know it. Regardless of your hardware platform, ImageX is for you. Image creation is simple, image management is straightforward, and, most importantly, the cost reduction is real. Microsoft has truly delivered the goods with Windows Vista, Longhorn, and ImageX.

Learn More
Learn more about how you can improve productivity, enhance efficiency, and sharpen your competitive edge. Check out the following Global Knowledge courses: Migrating to Windows Vista Implementing and Maintaining Windows Vista For more information or to register, visit www.globalknowledge.com or call 1-800-COURSES to speak with a sales representative. Our courses and enhanced, hands-on labs offer practical skills and tips that you can immediately put to use. Our expert instructors draw upon their experiences to help you understand key concepts and how to apply them to your specific work situation. Choose from our more than 700 courses, delivered through Classrooms, e-Learning, and On-site sessions, to meet your IT and management training needs.

About the Author

Timothy H. Euler is the Chief Information Officer for I.T. Data Solutions based in Maryland. He has 12 years of Advanced Networking experience, both in the Microsoft OS line and Cisco. He is also an Instructor for Global Knowledge teaching in the Microsoft OS curriculum. His certifications include MCSE NT4.0, MCSE WIN2K, MCSE 2003, Sec+, Net+, Server+, CCNA, CCNP.

Copyright 2007 Global Knowledge Training LLC. All rights reserved.

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