Creating an Operating System Image for WDS

Now that the server is ready and prepped to accept new images and PXE clients, your first major task will be to create an image of an OS for use with WDS. Three different image types can be created using WDS: Capture, Discover, and Install images. Capture boot images launch the Image Capture Wizard, which is used to create an Install image of a volume on a reference system and, if desired, upload it to WDS server. Discover images are used to boot non-PXE-capable systems into the WDS client. You can think of the Discover image as a bootable image to get you into the WDS.

Technically, plain boot images aren't created but are supplied with your Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 installation media. These WIM files are used to launch the setup environment for the OS. When you install WDS from scratch, no boot images are available; you need to load each one before continuing with any of the following exercises in this tutorial.

Adding a Boot Image

Although the most trivial of all the actions, this is the most crucial, since without having any boot images on your WDS server, you cannot create any other type of image.

1. Open the Windows Deployment Services console.
2. Expand your server on the left pane and right-click the Boot Images folder.
3. Choose Add Boot Image.
4. Enter or browse to the sources folder path on the Windows Server 2008 installation media where boot.wim is located and then click Next.
5. Enter the Image Name and Image Description in the Image Metadata screen; then click Next.
6. Review the Summary page, and click Next.
7. Click Finish when completed.

Creating a Capture Image

Once you have boot images in place, your first step to capturing an image is to create a Capture boot image. The Capture boot image creates a boot environment that will allow you to create an Install image. In this example, you create a Capture image for Windows Server 2008.

1. Open the Windows Deployment Services console.
2. Expand your server name on the left pane and click the Boot Images folder.
3. Right-click the name of the boot image for which you want to create a Capture boot image. In this case, select Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Setup (x86).
4. Select Create Capture Boot Image.
5. Enter the Image Name, Image Description, and full pathname where you want to save the new Capture image; then click Next. You save this image in the images folder of your Remote Install folder.
6. Click Finish when complete.
7. Right-click the Boot Images folder and select Add Boot Image.
8. Browse to and select your newly created Capture boot image; then click Next.
9. Enter a name and description for the Capture image, and then click Next.
10. Review the summary and click Next.
11. Click Finish.