Slipstream / Servicing Windows 2008 Server iso image with Hyper-V RTM bits...

Just finished slipstream / servicing the windows 2008 server x64 iso image for using in my HPC server 2008 computing node provisioning (I would like my computing nodes to use Hyper-V Native network driver on Enterprise and MPI NIC to have high-speed access while bare-metal provisioning.) and like to write down the resource I found on net also the steps how I done it here for reference later.

(1) you need WAIK (Windows Automated Installation Kit) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008

download here and install it on your working machine. (it's a 1375.9mb iso file to download...)

(2) you need Windows 2008 Server iso images (x86 or x64, depends on your needs)

download the image from TechNet or MSDN downloads.

(3) you need Hyper-V RTM bits (KB950050)

x64 bits download here

(4) Some useful information to read

John Howard's Hyper-V RTM slipstream posts - part 1 ( part.2 and part.3 for reference if you are going to setup your own WDS server for PXE boot network installation, or want to service the Vista SP1 image with Hyper-V RTM bits)

The great tutorial post from Ramesh MVP on WinVistaClub forum about Merging Vista x86 and Vista x64 images into a single DVD. key point here is the usage of oscdimg.exe provided from WAIK to create the iso image from serviced bits.

(5) All set! let's get hands dirty!!

(A) Install WAIK to your working machine or working VM

(B) Open "Windows PE Tools Command Prompt" from WAIK start menu group. the rest of commands all happen here.

(C) create some working folder. I created [c:\aik-mount] for mount folder, [c:\aik-temp] for temp folder and [c:\aik-all4iso] for source folder to create serviced iso image.

(D) Extract KB950050 msu file to get the cab file for servicing / slipstreaming.

      cmd> expand –F:* <pathtomsu> <folder>

(E) mount the windows server 2008 iso image and copy all the files to [c:\aik-all4iso] folder.

(F) servicing hyper-v rtm bits to [install.wim] file under [c:\aik-all4iso\sources\]. the install.wim file should contain 6 index for various editions of server installations (Standard, Enterprise, DataCenter editions, with Server and Server-Core installations). do the servicing / slipstream for all the editions and installations. (to see the package content for a wim file, using cmd> imagex /info path-to-wim-file)

      cmd> imagex /mountrw c:\aik-all4iso\sources\install.wim 1 c:\aik-mount
      cmd> start /w pkgmgr /ip /m:c:\path-to-kb950050-cab-file\Windows6.0-KB950050-x64.cab /o:c:\aik-mount;c:\aik-mount\windows /s:c:\aik-temp
      cmd> imagex /unmount /commit c:\aik-mount

      cmd> imagex /mountrw c:\aik-all4iso\sources\install.wim 2 c:\aik-mount
      cmd> start /w pkgmgr /ip /m:c:\path-to-kb950050-cab-file\Windows6.0-KB950050-x64.cab /o:c:\aik-mount;c:\aik-mount\windows /s:c:\aik-temp
      cmd> imagex /unmount /commit c:\aik-mount

      cmd> imagex /mountrw c:\aik-all4iso\sources\install.wim 3 c:\aik-mount
      cmd> start /w pkgmgr /ip /m:c:\path-to-kb950050-cab-file\Windows6.0-KB950050-x64.cab /o:c:\aik-mount;c:\aik-mount\windows /s:c:\aik-temp
      cmd> imagex /unmount /commit c:\aik-mount

      cmd> imagex /mountrw c:\aik-all4iso\sources\install.wim 4 c:\aik-mount
      cmd> start /w pkgmgr /ip /m:c:\path-to-kb950050-cab-file\Windows6.0-KB950050-x64.cab /o:c:\aik-mount;c:\aik-mount\windows /s:c:\aik-temp
      cmd> imagex /unmount /commit c:\aik-mount

      cmd> imagex /mountrw c:\aik-all4iso\sources\install.wim 5 c:\aik-mount
      cmd> start /w pkgmgr /ip /m:c:\path-to-kb950050-cab-file\Windows6.0-KB950050-x64.cab /o:c:\aik-mount;c:\aik-mount\windows /s:c:\aik-temp
      cmd> imagex /unmount /commit c:\aik-mount

      cmd> imagex /mountrw c:\aik-all4iso\sources\install.wim 6 c:\aik-mount
      cmd> start /w pkgmgr /ip /m:c:\path-to-kb950050-cab-file\Windows6.0-KB950050-x64.cab /o:c:\aik-mount;c:\aik-mount\windows /s:c:\aik-temp
      cmd> imagex /unmount /commit c:\aik-mount

(G) now the install.wim is all serviced with hyper-v rtm bits. next to create the new serviced iso using oscdimg.exe

cmd> oscdimg.exe –u2 –bc:\aik-all4iso\Boot\etfsboot.com –lKRMSXVOL_EN_DVD –g –t08/12/2008,23:30:00 –h c:\aik-all4iso c:\win2k8-x64-hyperv-rtm-serviced.iso

And until here, you got the hyper-v rtm serviced windows 2008 server x64 install iso image to use!! LOL!

already tested this iso while installing my HPC computing nodes without problems. all in the Hyper-V virtual environment and during a 8 computing nodes installation (simutaniously), computing nodes successfully found the AD server using the Hyper-V native network card as Enterprise network NIC and complete the bare node installation without human interference!! nice!!! this could expend if I want to simutaniously install 1000 computing nodes in the same time. the latest Windows HPC Server 2008 RC1 bits is really stable and cool on installing and managing nodes! can focus more time on writing codes for HPC now!

FYI.

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