Deployment and development questions, still lost.

[Mark Roman]

Google XPE Group-

I know you guys have way more experience with all this than I do, and
I still feel ms’s documentation is relatively slim so I’d
like to ask for any comments as well as answers, and suggestions.
I’ve really been going crazy over this project lately, and I
apologize for being such a pain, but I sincerely appreciate any help.
Though I have dealt primarily with KM and Slobodan (GREAT GUYS, THANKS
FOR THE HELP) in the Microsoft newsgroup, if any other MS/eMVP etc
people have any ideas that would be great too.

I want to make a small XPE runtime that I can use do distribute a
larger image contained on an SDI disk, using sdi2hd. So what I would
like to do, is make a small runtime that contains basic network
support so I can use “NET USE” to share a drive, then on
that drive have SDI2HD and the Image and distribute it that way.

In respect to the Minlogon Configuration, what I have so far; Minlogon
Sample Macro Component, an Imported Devices.PMQ from the target
machine, Ramdisk Component, and that’s it. I believe I have to
add the Net.exe and Network Command Shell Interface Context. But are
there any others that are necessary?

I would like to use Remote Boot Services to distribute the Minlogon,
and make the target machine load it into memory so I am able to
connect to the server and download the appropriate image. In respect
to that, Solobodan mentioned I have to load the Minlogon onto a
machine and let it go through FBA before I use RBS to load it.

I’m still confused because, it has the RamDisk Driver in the
configuration, isn’t that going to screw things up? Also, what
if I load it on an unused partition of my development machine and load
it onto that. Then I would have to change the settings for the image,
and wouldn’t that screw it up when I use RBS to load it into the
target machine’s ram?


Thanks everyone, please one thing at a time as far as answers, I will
get really confused if you assume I know something and I don’t.

BTW I have the image working that I want to distribute, I used a
bootable floppy and the SDI on CD, but I can’t do that in the
real world because the machines I’ll be distributing the image
to don’t have cd/floppy drives, they are just terminals for
machinery controls.


THANKS

MARK ROMAN

 

[Slobodan Brcin \(eMVP\)]

Hi Mark,

I don't know what else do you expect us to say to you? Basically you know what you need to do, if you have some problem please let
us know.

Anyhow:
1. You need "small" minlogon image with network support.
2. You need to let it go trough FBA.
3. You need to fix some registry entries in offline image so you can access HDD on your device after you boot from RAM.
4. You need to make SDI file.
5. You need to setup RBS.
6. You need to boot your image from network.
7. You need to read from network and deploy your image file to your HDD.

For easy testing you can do RAM boot from local HDD using same SDI file that you are preparing for network boot. This you can do
instead of steps 5-7.

Regards,
Slobodan

PS:
Ask about what step you find hard to understand.

 

[KM]

Mark,

I have pretty much nothing to add to Slobodan's detail reply.
A couple of quick comments though...

I want to make a small XPE runtime that I can use do distribute a
larger image contained on an SDI disk, using sdi2hd. So what I would

Please keeep in mind that sdi2hd is a DOS tool. That means you won't be able to use it from within an XPe image.
Use SDIMgr instead.
Basic steps outlined here: http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&[email protected]

like to do, is make a small runtime that contains basic network
support so I can use “NET USE” to share a drive, then on
that drive have SDI2HD and the Image and distribute it that way.

Some quick info here: http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&c2coff=1&[email protected]

In respect to the Minlogon Configuration, what I have so far; Minlogon
Sample Macro Component, an Imported Devices.PMQ from the target
machine, Ramdisk Component, and that’s it. I believe I have to
add the Net.exe and Network Command Shell Interface Context. But are
there any others that are necessary?

"TCP/IP Utilities" may also be necessary if you need to troubleshoot the networking from the image.

...>

I’m still confused because, it has the RamDisk Driver in the
configuration, isn’t that going to screw things up?

If you mean "Windows RAM Disk Driver" (and that is waht you need for RB), it does not hurt to include this component.
Please be aware that this component is stricly for the image RAM boot scenerio. Is is not regular Ram drive driver (the one that you
would have a separate Ram drive in Explorer with).

Also, what
if I load it on an unused partition of my development machine and load
it onto that. Then I would have to change the settings for the image,
and wouldn’t that screw it up when I use RBS to load it into the
target machine’s ram?

It would since there is a hardcoded C:\ system drive letter in the RAM Disk Driver (known issue).
To avoid a drive letter mess up, use Slobodan's tip:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/embedded/community/community/tips/xp/rtpartin/default.aspx

BTW I have the image working that I want to distribute, I used a
bootable floppy and the SDI on CD, but I can’t do that in the
real world because the machines I’ll be distributing the image
to don’t have cd/floppy drives, they are just terminals for
machinery controls.

This is a known scenerio (I can't say a usual one).
If acceptable, consider an offline image upload on the terminals storages (HDD?). By offline I mean you take the HDD out of the
device, plug it in your dev machine, prepeare the drive and copy the image over. Then put it back in to the device and boot.

 

[Guest]

Slobodan -

Just out of curiousity, if I was able to get a new copy of xpe, and winpe
worked, could I be able to distribute the image that way, by connecting to a
network share? using the same method I have described except nixing, steps
1-6?

Thanks,
Mark

 

[KM]

Mark,

Just out of curiousity, if I was able to get a new copy of xpe, and winpe
worked, could I be able to distribute the image that way, by connecting to a
network share? using the same method I have described except nixing, steps
1-6?

Yes, you could.

But you mentioned that "in the real world because the machines I'll be distributing the image to don't have cd/floppy drives". Is it
true?
WinPE would require CD-ROM option.