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OSD client process

OSD client process

Oct 26, 2022

Introduction

The following is a detailed description of the OS Deployment client process. When booting an OS Deployment client, you have several options available. Which one to choose depends mainly on the environment in which the client is booted.

Guide 

Deploying a Windows Operating System with the desired Disk configuration, drivers, domain settings and the CapaInstaller agent only requires 3 simple steps >

 

Enter a Computer name

Select an image and a Disk configuration

Wait as CapaInstaller OSD partitions your disk, applies the OS image, drivers, configurations and installs the CI Agent

 

The OS Deployment process illustrated (image download speed may wary depending on network and disk performance)

 

All stages of the deployment process is described in detail below

Stage

Description

Stage

Description

Initial Boot

NBP is loaded via PXE. NBP initiates WinPE load

A network boot program (NBP) is the first file downloaded and executed as part of the Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot process. The NBP dictates whether the client can boot from the network, whether the client must press F12 to initiate the boot, and which boot image the client will receive. NBPs are both architecture and firmware specific (BIOS or EFI) specific. On BIOS computers (per the PXE specification), the NBP is a 16-bit, real-mode application. As such, you can use the same NBP for both x86-based and x64-based operating systems that have BIOS .

 

Read more about How Network Boot Programs Work

Load WinPE with injected drivers

The Windows PE Boot image is fetched and booted

The drives injected in the Boot.wim are activated to allow the OS Deployment Client to use the network and storage devices of the client

Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) is a minimal operating system with limited services. It is used to install, deploy, and repair Microsoft Windows Operating Systems

Windows PE is not designed to be the primary operating system on a computer but is instead used as a standalone preinstallation environment and as an integral component of other setup and recovery technologies.

 

Read more about Windows PE

Load osdbootstrap with enviroment

The CapaInstaller OSD Bootstrapper loads and sets up the enviroment for OSD operations

Run OSDClient

The OSDClient is loaded

Source selection (server/point)

Selection of server/point source

Run Pre-GUI script from point

Execution of the Pre-GUI script from the selected source

Select Image and configuration

Selection of OS image and Disk configuration

Run Pre disk-part

Pre Disk part script is executed

Disk config and download image

Partitioning and setup of the target hard disk according to the Disk configuration selected

Run Pre image script

Pre Image script is executed

Applying image and download additional files

The OS image is applied and additional files downloaded to the target

Run Pre driver copy script

Pre Driver script is executed

driver download and inject to c:

Drivers for the Model is downloaded and injected to the target

Run Pre patch script

Pre patch script is run

Generate an unattend.xml

The unattend file is modified dynamically with parameters from OSD

Run Pre boot script

Pre Boot script is executed just before the first boot of the target machine

Windows Setup

Processing and applying of the settings from the unattended.xml answer file

Run Post Install (async)

The setup will asynchronously run the Post Install script

CI agent install

The CapaInstaller Agent installer will be run asynchronously

OS Ready

The target machine is ready for installation of assigned software packages

 

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