IBM Endpoint Manager
IBM Endpoint Manager for OS
Deployment – Windows Server OS
provisioning using a Server Automation
Plan
Document version 1.0
Michele Tomassi
© Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2014.
US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp.
C
ONTENTS
Contents ... iv 1 Purpose of this document... 5
1.1 Summary of changes 5
1.2 Software requirements 5
1.3 System Requirements 5
2 Preparing the deployment objects ... 6
2.1 Step 1: Create the Windows Profile 6
2.1.1Creating a Windows cloned profile 7
2.2 Step 2: Create the Windows software modules 14
2.2.1Create a software module containing the IBM Endpoint Manager client .... 14
2.3 Step 3: Create or edit the deployment scheme (optional)... 19
2.4 Export the deployment objects in .rad format 20
2.5 Import the .rad file to the IBM Endpoint Manager Server ... 21
2.6 Step 4: Deploy the Windows .rad profile from the IBM Endpoint Manager Console. 24
2.6.1 OS provisioning through direct invocation of RAD Fixlets... 24 2.6.2 OS Provisioning through an Automation Plan ... 25
1
Purpose of this document
This document describes how to configure your IBM Endpoint Manager Environment for the deployment of Windows Server operating systems using IBM Endpoint Manager for OS Deployment, Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment, and IBM Endpoint Manager for Server Automation. Most of the emphasis is dedicated to the preparation steps
1.1 Summary of changes
Date Notes
May 2014
First version of the document
1.2 Software requirements
The following software must be installed in your environment: IBM Endpoint Manager Platform Version 9.0 or later OS Deployment Version 3.4 or later
Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment Version 7.1.1.15 or later
1.3
System
Requirements
From an architectural perspective, you must have the following components:
1. A Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment Server on a dedicated machine 2. An IBM Endpoint Manager Server that must be subscribed to both “OS Deployment
and Bare Metal Imaging” and “Server Automation” sites
3. An IBM Endpoint Manager relay, connected to the IEM server, with a Tivoli Provision-ing Manager for OS deployment server installed locally.
4. At least one bare metal target
5. A DHCP server providing IP addresses and (optionally) other network parameters to boot machines. It is important that DNS be included in the set to resolve the IEM server hostname.
6. An MDT Bundle containing a Windows PE version compatible with the Windows Server flavors you plan to deploy. The following table displays the Windows Server versions and the corresponding required Win PE versions:
Windows Server Version Windows PE version in the MDT Bundle
2003 3 2008 3
2008 R2 3
2012 4
The following graphic describes the main components and their roles:
2
Preparing the deployment objects
To prepare a Windows image for deployment in a System Automation plan, you must perform the fol-lowing steps in order:
1. Create the Windows profile 2. Create the software modules
3. Create or edit the deployment scheme (optional)
4. Export the objects created or edited in the previous steps in a .rad format
Important: You must run the preparation steps on a dedicated Tivoli Provisioning Manager for
OS Deployment server. This machine must NOT have IBM Endpoint Manager client running, or else it will be listed among the available Bare Metal Servers in the "Bare Metal Server Manager" dashboard in your Endpoint Management environment.
5. Import the .rad file to the IBM Endpoint Manager Server 6. Deploy the Windows Profile
2.1 Step 1: Create the Windows Profile
You can create the Windows profile by generating it from a DVD image or from a reference machine. In the first case, it is referred to as unattended setup. In the second case, it is a cloned profile. This document describes how to create a cloned profile.
2.1.1 Creating a Windows cloned profile
This section describes the creation of a Windows 2008 R2 cloned profile. Proceed as follows:
1. On the reference machine, uninstall the IBM Endpoint Manager client.
2. Run Sysprep on the reference machine to prepare your system for cloning. For further infor-mation about running Sysprep and preparing the reference machine, see “Running Sysprep”
(http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v3r1/index.jsp?topic=%2Fcom.ibm.tivoli.tpm.osd.doc %2Fdeploy%2Ftosd_ref-compwinvista.htm)
3. When the machine reboots, force to network boot to connect it to the IBM Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment standalone server. Depending on the specific configuration of the server, the following panel may vary:
4. Log in to the Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment web user interface and browse to Server -> OS Deployment -> System Profiles
5. Click New Profile. The Profile wizard opens. Choose “Cloning from a reference machine” option
7. Wait while the operating system is being detected. You can check on the reference machine whether Windows PE is loaded
8. When OS detection is complete, click Next
10. Enter the Windows product key if needed (or set to Volume Licensing)
12. If needed, add a Windows custom response file
13. Wait for the profile creation and for the upload to the Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS De-ployment to complete.
Windows Profile details view
If the profile is selected in the Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment web user interface, the following page opens. You can modify the partition layout and other settings by selecting the OS configuration at the bottom of the page
WARNING: Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment allows the binding of multiple OS configurations to the same system profile. However, to export the system profile and then import it to IBM Endpoint Man-ager, your system profile MUST have only one OS configuration linked to it.
2.2 Step 2: Create the Windows software modules
You must add the IBM Endpoint Manager client as software module to the .rad archive that is imported to the IBM Endpoint Manager server. The instructions for manually installing IBM Endpoint Manager client for Windows platform, are available here: install IBM Endpoint Manager client on Windows
(http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v26r1/topic/com.ibm.tem.doc_9.1/Platform/Adm/c_installing_ the_client_with_msi.html).
To successfully register the IBM Endpoint Manager Client to IBM Endpoint Manager Server, the Endpoint Manager client must have the certificate file actionsite.afxm, related to the IBM Endpoint Manager it wants to register to. You should create a dedicated software module for each certificate file. However, if you generate the software module pointing to the folder in <IEM_install_path>\BES
Installers\ClientMSI\ the .msi package already contains the masthead file and you do not need to copy it later.
The official Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment documentation provides the guidelines needed to create a software modules for Windows .msi files at this page:
creation of Windows software module from msi package
(http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v3r1/topic/com.ibm.tivoli.tpm.osd.doc/deploy/tosd_msiexamp le.htm)
2.2.1 Create a software module containing the IBM Endpoint Manager client
The IBM Endpoint Manager client for Windows is provided as .msi package for silent installation, hence you must create a software module to handle .msi files. Follow these steps:
1. Log in to the Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment web user interface and browse to Server -> OS Deployment -> Software modules
2. Click on new Software button (bottom left of the page). The following wizard opens; Select the appropriate Windows versions for the software module
4. Select the machine where the source folder was copied:
6. Wait for the msi introspection to complete
8. Edit the command to install the .msi package (specify /qn for silent installation
9. Wait for the software module creation to complete
WARNING: Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment requires mass storage and network device drivers to successfully install the server. You may need to add, in the software module set to be exported, the drivers for the operating system you want to provision. To create software modules of type drivers, see creating software module of type drivers
(http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v3r1/topic/com.ibm.tivoli.tpm.osd.doc/deploy/tosd_mkdriv ers.htm)
2.3 Step 3: Create or edit the deployment scheme (optional)
The Deployment scheme contains settings that affect how the deployment of the operating system is done. When you install the Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment server, a deployment scheme with name "Default" is always created. You can edit the settings in the default scheme
or create a new deployment scheme. More details about creating and editing deployment schemes are available here
(http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v3r1/topic/com.ibm.tivoli.tpm.osd.doc/deploy/tosd_deplsche me_linux.htm)
To edit an existing deployment scheme, perform these steps:
1. Log in to the Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment web user interface and browse to Server -> OS Deployment -> Task Templates
2. Select the deployment schemes folder
4. Make the changes you want and click ok. The recommended final action is reboot.
2.4 Step 4: Export the deployment objects in .rad format
The Export in .rad format is a step you perform from the Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment web user interface. The .rad format is a proprietary archive format of the Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment product.
1. Log in to the Tivoli Provisioning Manager for OS Deployment web user interface and browse to Server -> OS Deployment -> Software modules.
2. Click on RAD export button at the bottom of the page. The export wizard opens
3. Select the IBM Endpoint Manager client, a deployment scheme, and the Windows system profile. Then click next. You don't need to select any Windows Deployment Engine (aka Windows PE) because the deployment of the profile uses the Windows PE engines in the MDT bundles. Save the .rad file and make it available to the IBM Endpoint Manager server.
2.5 Step 5: Import the .rad file to the IBM Endpoint Manager Server
To import the .rad file to IBM Endpoint Manager server, log in to the IEM console and access the Image Library dashboard. Click " Import Image"
A wizard opens. Browse to the folder where the .rad file was transferred. Select .rad format at the bottom right of the wizard, and select the .rad image file.
Select the file and click open; then click Analyze. The import step starts with an image introspection and then proceeds in the background (green arrow visible on the console). It may take some time, depending on the IBM Endpoint Manager server performance and other factors (IBM Endpoint Man-ager console on a different machine from the IBM Endpoint ManMan-ager Server). At the end of the import process, the image will be available in the Image Library dashboard. Select it and click "Send to Server" to copy it to the Bare Metal Server.
The copy action can take time, due to network bandwidth beetween IBM Endpoint Manager Server and IBM Endpoint Manager relay. When the action is complete, you can check that the image is available at the Bare Metal Server sfrom both the Image Library and Bare Metal Server Manager dashboards. The Server with profile column now displays 1 as value
Now you can provision the OS using the Server Automation fixlets. More information about the be-havior of these fixlets is available here: deploy of .rad profiles
(http://pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v26r1/topic/com.ibm.tem.doc_9.1/Lifecycle_Man/OSD_Users _Guide/c_Deploy_using_RAD.html)
2.6 Step 6: Deploy the Windows .rad profile from the IBM Endpoint
Manager Console.
2.6.1 OS provisioning through direct invocation of RAD Fixlets
You can now deploy the .rad profile through the fixlets available in the "OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging" site. From the set of available fixlets, select number 133 or number 107.
The main difference between the two fixlets is that Fxlet 133 first registers the target of the OS
provisioning to the Bare Metal Server, then asks for the hostname of the target. On the contrary, Fixlet 107 uses the hostname that is already registered in the Bare Metal Server database. You must specify the target and .rad profile values in the Fixlet fields, then you run the Fixlet on the Bare Metal Server
Even if the fixlet is marked as complete on the IBM Endpoint Manager console, it does not necessarily mean that the actual OS provisioning has completed too. You can monitor the progress of the OS provisioning from the Deployment Activity Dashboard. This also applies to OS provisioning through an automation plan.
2.6.2 OS Provisioning through an Automation Plan
You can create custom Automation Plans that have OS provisioning as a first step, by using one of the Fixlets described in the previous paragraphs
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