myITforum.com : The future is WinPE

Since Microsoft released the first real version of Windows (3.0 in my mind and not the 1.0 version some of you may remember), each version has been complimented with deployment methodologies and tools. Over time, they improve in parallel with the OS as the need to automate the installation and configuration grows by demand of the IT Administrator.

Microsoft provided the first deployment and configuration solution for Windows (NT 4.0 and Windows 95) back in 1997, so named “Zero Administration Kit (ZAK)”. ZAK was a set of methodologies that leveraged tools found in the Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95 Resource Kit, to set security policies and configuration settings, along with a recommended approach to automating the deployment of the OS en-masse. This was during a time where the term “Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)” was becoming a big thing. To compliment ZAK, they also released a lengthy document for Windows NT 4.0 called the “Windows NT Workstation Deployment Guide” to further aid admins in trying to deploy Windows NT in an unattended manner using scripts instead of imaging tools like Ghost.

Since then, the tools, documents, and features provided in the OS have matured to meet the demands of corporate IT. We further saw this with the release of Windows 2000, where you have RIS, Group Policies, IntelliMirror, etc. These were great solutions, but one thing was still lurking in the shadows – DOS still survived in the background utilized as part of the deployment automation solutions used by IT for the desktop or server. Let’s step back from that statement for a second and look at the setup routine used by Microsoft for the Windows OS – it starts with DOS (referred to as Textmode setup) and then you boot into the minimally functional OS (referred to as GUImode setup) to complete the configuration and installation of Windows. You also had IT Admins developing automation solutions perhaps using a DOS bootable disk with batch scripts and answer files for FDISK and FORMAT, plus obtaining and configuring the NDIS drivers for NIC cards, and developing the logic to automate the install of the OS on a workstation, was painful but effective. File-based installations are very time consuming, and that is one reason why IT leans towards the imaging solutions such as Ghost.

That sure brought back some memories, no? Well, those will be memories soon forgotten as Microsoft has provided a solution that will remove the need to use DOS for our automation efforts. It’s called WinPE or Windows Preinstallation Environment, and it is a minimal version of Windows XP that is available only to customers with an Enterprise Select Agreement or a system maker (OEM). With this minimal version of WinXP, you can replace your disaster recovery toolset that runs from DOS bootable diskettes and boot from a CD into WinPE and take advantage of the common features of XP to perform your system maintenance/recovery. Also with WinPE you can develop an automated deployment solution for your desktops and servers, as this is the direction Microsoft is taking the installation of future versions of Windows (starting with Longhorn).

The functionality provided with WinPE is the following:

1. Supports all mass-storage & networking devices supported by Windows XP.
2. Create and format disk partitions using DISKPART utility.
3. Access network shares on the network and up to 4 network connections are allowed.
4. A subset of the Win32 API, so you can perform common tasks as you would under Windows XP with the exception of WMI scripting and some other functions. Supports Windows Script Host for using VBScripts in automating your routines, or running batch scripts from a command-line interface (CMD.EXE).
5. Supports x86 and IA64.

One important item that you do not have available with Microsoft WinPE is the shell (Explorer.exe), so most functions are performed via the command-line interface.

There is also another flavor of WinPE, which is available to one and all, called BartPE found at – www.nu2.nu. This version should not be confused with the one developed, released, and supported by Microsoft. Because Microsoft’s WinPE is only available to Enterprise customers and system makers, the creator of BartPe decided to develop something that would be beneficial to everyone. He saw a greater purpose for this than just an installation solution, but also a rescue platform. BartPE supports everything that WinPE does, and also:

1. A start-menu that you can customize
2. Plugins – you can add applications using a pluggable solution developed by Bart.
3. License – available for everyone.
4. DOS support using a DOS plugin

WinPE and BartPE are something I strongly recommend IT admins review, if you have not already. Start learning it now, as WinPE will be the new mechanism for deploying the Windows OS by Microsoft. It will allow for componentization and customized-installation features not found or available with the base Windows 2000/XP/2003 OS. Note: Current versions of Ghost and PowerQuest v2i support creating and deploying images through WinPE.

For more information and to learn more, check out the following links:

www.winnetmag.com/Windows/Article/ArticleID/39780/39780.html
www.powerquest.com/v2i/builder/details.cfm
enterprisesecurity.symantec.com/products/products.cfm?ProductID=185&EID=0
msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/xpehelp/html/xetbsWindowsPreinstallationEnvironment.asp
www.microsoft.com/seminar/shared/asp/view.asp?url=/Seminar/en/20021218DeskDeploy2/manifest.xml&rate=1

Stay tuned as I'll try to provide more details and information on WinPE.


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