RE: [Xen-users] Creating hundreds of Windows VMs

["Nick Couchman" <Nick.Couchman@xxxxxxxxx>]

Yes, Sysprep maintains drivers.  Another good option for XP is nLite -
it's a free tool for customizing the Windows installation source and
creating a "gold disc" of sorts that has many of your Windows install
settings pre-defined.  nLite lets you add drivers (GPLPV drivers can be
added this way so that they are automatically installed as you install
Windows), patches (you can use the Microsoft Update Catalog to grab them
and integrate them), and other files and installs to the Windows source.
 You can also remove certain hardware support, remove services, and
customize some of the low-level Windows behavior.  Finally, if you have
a volume license, you can put in your volume license key along with
other ownership information so that several of the install steps are
skipped altogether.  There's also a version that I think is called
"vLite" for Vista customization.

I use a combination of nLite plus Sysprep to build my machine images -
I use nLite to create my custom install disc, I do my install, then use
Sysprep and copy the machine image to as many machines as I need to
run.

-Nick

>>> On 2009/11/06 at 06:23, "Dustin Henning"
<Dustin.Henning@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: 
> My Windows knowledge is a bit dated, but I can tells you that
> sysprep was an option for WinXP as well.  After sysprep, you have to
do the
> final installation steps again (enter key, name host, set up
network), but
> drivers are maintained, so I should think you could install GPLPV
drivers
> before sysprep, but mileage would most certainly vary.  However, and
more
> importantly, I don't believe a new SID is generated when you change
the
> name of a host or even reactivate a host, so I don't think the very
fact
> that you cloned the image will give you a new SID (hence the sysprep
and
> newsid tools).  The only change that MIGHT affect the SID is joining
/
> disjoining a domain, and I am simply not certain on whether or not
this
> resets the SID, but I do believe I recall reading things that
indicate that
> it does.  It could be that the SID goes back to the original upon
> disjoining and is only changed upon joining because the DC generates
one,
> if this is the case, I am not sure how the DC would treat having
multiple
> devices with the same original SID being joined simultaneously.  I'd
> recommend using sysprep, as would Microsoft, but be aware you can
only run
> it like three times per install before it is disabled (if you keep
your
> master clone [and continue to use it without changing it and running
> sysprep again], it will never have been run but once).  Also be aware
that
> you have to make the clone without having booted again because once
you
> boot, the SID is regenerated, so the master clone should be made and
never
> booted, only copied.
>       Dustin
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: xen-users-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:xen-users-bounces@lists.
> xensource.com] On Behalf Of Fajar A. Nugraha
> Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 03:35
> To: ìëê[NBP]
> Cc: xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Xen-users] Creating hundreds of Windows VMs
> 
> 2009/11/6 ìëê[NBP] <dongq.lee@xxxxxxx>:
>> Is it possible to copy Windows Images from template Windows Image
and
> change their configurations from Dom0?
>> or RIS(Remote Installation Service)/WDS(Window Deployment
Service)can be
> used in Xen Environment?
> 
> WDS should work (haven't personally tested it though) as HVM guests
> supports PXE boot. You probably still need to install PV drivers
> manually afterwards.
> 
> When working with Win 2003/XP domUs, my favorite method is to clone
a
> "specially prepared" (as in it's set to use DHCP, not static IP
> address :D ) existing domU disk image and use newsid to change SID
and
> hostname. Works like a charm. Newsid is currently retired (see
>
http://blogs.technet.com/markrussinovich/archive/2009/11/03/3291024.aspx)
> but you could probably just change the hostname manually on first
> boot.
> 
> For Vista/Win2008 you might want to look at sysprep (although a
simple
> disk clone and manual hostname change on first boot might also
work).
> Note that on some systems (tested on Win2008r2 trial) changing MAC
> address for your NIC (which is necessary when cloning a machine
> located on the same subnet) requires reactivation.
> 
> -- 
> Fajar
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Xen-users mailing list
> Xen-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> http://lists.xensource.com/xen-users
> 
> 
> 



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