Re: [Xen-users] Rapid Windows Provisioning

[Gordon McLellan <gordonthree@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Dec 10, 2009 at 2:11 PM, Nick Couchman <Nick.Couchman@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I know this is slightly off-topic for this list, but it seems like a good 
> place to ask it...
>
> I'm trying to find a way to rapidly provision Windows-based domUs.  I'm very 
> familiar with tools like sysprep, and also have tools available to create 
> "gold images" of the Windows installs and make those available quickly.  The 
> primary challenge I'm running into is the machine name and domain membership. 
>  I was wondering if anyone knows of a way to change the machine name and join 
> a Windows domain while the computer is booting.

This is a slightly "off-topic" response to your query, but I found
this to be an effective method for rapid provisioning on my little xen
server.

I installed Server 2003, the service pack, all the windows updates,
and some other generic stuff.  Then I sysprep re-sealed the box.  Now
on the xen host (dom0), I created LVM snap-shots of the lvm device
backing the original install.  Since lvm does read/write snap shots, I
was able to clone the config of the original machine, change the uuid,
mac address and point it at the lvm snapshot.

I did this twice, so I have three Server 2003 systems, all sharing the
more or less static binaries of the Windows install, and the snapshots
keeping track of individual changes made to each server.  Instead of
three 20G lvm backed devices, I have one 20G device and two 8G
snapshots (of which only a few 100mb is in use so far)

Gordon

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