Making SDI file for PXE boot as small as possible.

[David Harris]

My requirement is to make a post-FBA SDI file for use when PXE booting as small
as possible.
A few months ago I think I found a procedure that allowed me to make an SDI
image smaller than the actual size than the HDD boot partition used to create
the post-FBA image. However since then I have lost my notes of exactly what I
did due to a machine crash.

As far as I can remember the method I used was as follows ...

1. Create image in TD designed for a 75/100/125MB boot device.
2. Deploy image to HDD on target (partition was ~200MB FAT32).
3. Run image thru FBA.
4. Use SDILoader to setup 75/100/125MB SDI file (FAT32 format).
5. Copy post FBA image from HDD into 75/100/125MB SDI file.
6. Create a new SDI file using SDIMGR
7. Import 75/100/125MB partition from the first SDI file into
the new SDI file using SDIMGR readpart.
8. Load SDI as ramdisk via PXE boot

The step I cannot remember how to do exactly is step 5 (copy the post-FBA image
from the 200MB HDD into the 75/100/125MB SDI created by SDILoader). Can anyone
point me in the right direction, or is my memory failing me and it is not
possible?

David

 

[Bing.Chen]

Dear David,

For step 5, you just need to copy files from post FBA image to the
virtaul drive.

The virtual drive is created by SDILoader.

 

[David Harris]

I thought that copying the files using XCOPY or explorer would not work. A
post-FBA filesystem will contain licensing information and permission settings
that may not be correctly transferred by a simple filesystem copy.

David

 

[Bing.Chen]

Dear David,

Plug the disk with post FBA image to another XP system.

And create SDI virtual drive in the XP system.

You can easily use copy and paste to transfer the files.

 

[KM]

David,

Licensing information is in registry and when you [x]copy files - you copy
registry too.
Permission settings... user account information is is registry as well. FS
permissions - you do not have one, you mentioned FAT32.

KM

 

[Slobodan Brcin \(eMVP\)]

Hi David,

5. Copy post FBA Image from HDD to first partition on virtual SDI disk.
6,7 are one step import will create sdi file with PART blob.

Now you have SDI file with data that are compacted on beginning of partition and rest are zeroes.
8. You will have to trim your file size to remove all trailing zeroes.
9. Custom boot loader that you make can load all sdi data to ram and zero rest of above memory.

Regards,
Slobodan

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