1. Customizing your Windows Deployments
Tips, Tricks and Code
Keith Garner
@KeithGa1
DeploymentLive.com
MMS Minnesota 2014

2. Agenda Welcome All About Customizations Customizing the Task Sequence
Customizing with Code
Cmd.exe, VBScript, Powershell, C#, C++ and more!
Customizing your MDT LTI and SCCM ZTI environments!
With Hydration!
Questions / Discussions and more!
MMS Minnesota 2014

3. Customization Step Zero
Why Customize (why not)?
Stick with Well-Known and Proven Solutions (Aaron Margosis)
Be careful when modifying existing code.
Use revision control.
Don’t make changes to your production environment. Test First!
Are you using a Hacks? or Proven technologies.
CopyProfile=True (Imperfect solution, use GPO)
Tip: KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid!
Customization – When the default just won’t do!
MMS Minnesota 2014

4. Customizing Windows with Unattend.xml
Quick and Dirty deployments
Automated Settings through Unattend.xml ComputerName=*
For Manual let the OS go through OOBE Setup.
Best when image is “Ready to Go!”
Applications, Settings, and Drivers pre-installed.
Not recommended for heavy customizations.
Place Unattend.xml into OS for detection.
Tip: Be aware of where your steps go in Unattend.xml…
MMS Minnesota 2014

5. Windows Configuration Passes
WindowsPE
Run during WinPE
OfflineServicing
Run Offline
Specialize
Apply System Specific Info
Generalize
Run during Sysprep
AuditSystem
Audit Mode (System)
AuditUser
Audit Mode (User)
OOBESystem
Customize the machine
MMS Minnesota 2014

6. Demo Unattend.xml All about Unattend.xml Where instructions go.
CopyProfile  Specialize
PersistAllDeviceInstalls  Generalize
Code: Create a Bootable VHD
MMS Minnesota 2014

7. MDT and SCCM When to use MDT/SCCM?
Don’t create your own “Environment/System”
Let MDT/SCCM handle it all: Settings,Tasks,Reporting,Events…
Choose the right tool:
MDT LTI – Lightweight, Self Service, Cheap.
SCCM ZTI – Heavy Duty, Fully Automated.
SCCM UDI – Admin Directed with User Input.
MMS Minnesota 2014

8. The Task Sequencer Task Sequencer Wizard Bootstrap.ini WMI ZTIGather
[Settings]
Priority=Default
[Default]
DeployRoot=\\MDT01\Deploy$
ZTIGather
Script
CustomSettings.ini
[Settings]
Priority=Default,Csettings,WS
[Default]
JoinDomain=Corp.Contoso.com
UserExit = MyCustomScript.vbs
...
Variables
K – 3 minutes
OSDComputerName=PSX0304
Applications1={427e7d …}
JoinDomain=Corp.Contoso.com
BDEInstall=TPM
DoCapture=SysPrep
[Csettings]
SQLServer=SQL01 …
WebService
[WS]
WebService=
Parameters=MacAddress, …
MMS Minnesota 2014

9. Customization before the Task Sequence Starts
ZTIGather.wsf and CustomSettings.ini
Bootstrap.ini
ZTIGather.xml
UserExit.vbs
Wizards
mdtwizardstudio.codeplex.com
Litetouch.wsf
Edit as a last resort.
MMS Minnesota 2014

10. Demo Pre-Task Sequence
ZTIGather.wsf and CustomSettings.ini
/INIFile:FileName.ini
Wizards
Mshta.exe
Enable Debugging in IE
Mshta.exe c:\DeploymentShare\Scripts\Wizard.hta /definition:DeployWiz_AdminPassword.xml
SCCM – ZTIMediaHook.wsf
MMS Minnesota 2014

11. Running Custom Steps Import Deployment Packages
Into SCCM (Packages/Applications)
Into MDT (Applications)
Task Sequencer may not understand every \\UNC Share
Will your steps run in all scenarios?
\\UNC
Offline USB
MMS Minnesota 2014

12. Demo Task Sequence Add Steps to the Task Sequence Continue on Error
MMS Minnesota 2014

13. Code – Know your language
Shell
Ext OS
Completeness
WMI
COM
.NET
Win32
NTShell
.cmd
All
Limited (Ideal for file manipulation)
VBScript /
Jscript
.vbs
.js
Highly Functional (Some limitations)
Yes
PowerShell
.ps1
WMF
Fully Functional, Can call .net/Win32
Pinvoke C#
.cs
Fully Functional / Compiled
YES
C++ .c
Fully Functional /
Compiled
MMS Minnesota 2014

14. Language 1 - CMD Been around since before Windows
Ideal language for file operations.
Variables stored in the Environment %ComputerName%
Cmd.exe is the interpreter
Required to parse *.cmd and *.bat files.
Some commands are native and some are external.
Copy – Native
XCopy and RoboCopy – external
MMS Minnesota 2014

15. Demo CMD Add a command to the task sequence
Native vs external
Call a script over the network.
Scripting Best Practices.
Logging
Tip: 2>&1
MMS Minnesota 2014

16. Language 2 – VBScript Available on all released versions of Windows
Supports WMI and COM objects for extensibility
No direct support for .NET or Win32 API’s
Use ZTIUtility.vbs from MDT in your scripts
Logging access to bdd.log
SCCM Variables Store
Many Common routines
MMS Minnesota 2014

17. Demo VBS Example script Error handling Debugging
On Error Resume Next
Debugging
Cscript.exe /x File.wsf /Debug:True /DebugCapture
Write to the bdd.log file and crash a script!
MMS Minnesota 2014

18. Language 3 – PowerShell One cool language!
Scripting environment of choice for Windows Server Admins
Tip: Use the built in MDT PowerShell host!
Built in Logging
Access to Task Sequence Environment $TSEnv:OSDComputerName
MMS Minnesota 2014

19. Better Practices for PowerShell
Use the PowerShell ISE
About_Comment_Based_Help – Self documenting
Don’t use Write-Host
Use Write-Output
Or Write-verbose
Comments…
Documentation
Prototype with the console, use “h” to get history.
MMS Minnesota 2014

20. Demo PowerShell Commands with the ISE Get history with PowerShell
PowerShell Best practices
PowerShell with MDT
MMS Minnesota 2014

21. Customizing the Hosts
Just about everything can be automated on Servers.
Windows Server 2012 R2
MDT/SCCM
Hyper-V/SCVMM
Don’t document! SCRIPT!
Don’t get hit by a bus…
MMS Minnesota 2014

22. Demo – Customizing the Hosts
Use MDT to build the command for you.
Self Documenting!
SCCM Automation.
MMS Minnesota 2014

23. Resources DeploymentLive.com For these slides
MDT TechNet Forums for scripting help
Google/Bing  Technet and StackOverflow
More Sessions!
MMS Minnesota 2014