[bookie32]

High allen2
No, Windows 7 isnt connected directly to the Internet and I have activated dhcp in my router and according to your drawing.... I appreciate that a DC shouldn't be NATed as you put it.... , but I can't get bridging to work.....?!

It doesn't matter how much I read about it...I can't get an internet connection if I use bridging.....

OK! Let us start from the beginning....

My router is set for 192.168.1.......I don't mind starting over if this will help...need to get it fixed....I want my mummy

I don't actuallly mind my DC1 being the Domain Controller for all my network and have that as 192.168.1.2 and work out from that...
I don't need to reserve ip's for any of my Windows computers, but need to reserve an ip for my two naslite file servers and those addresses can also added to the domain via DC1 as needed....

Now at this stage of the game you and I are probably contemplating topping ourselves..... The Windows 7 computer can just as easy be a Windows Server 2008 and be my domain controller DC1 and I can install VMware on that....don't really need Windows 7 at all on that computer.....it would mean more work, but I am game....
BUT, I still need to make contact with the VMware side of things....

I don't even need VMware if Hyper v can do all what VMware can do....I like VMware for the simple reason I can create snapshots before running sysprep and then return to before the snapshot was taken to avoid the problems with using sysprep too many times....again if Hyper v can do all of those things - then I can nock VMware on the head and just work with Hyper v installed on a computer with Windows Server 2008 and that can be DC1?......sorry not sure what Hyper v can or cannot do...?

This project has to be right from the outset and I am prepared to persevere with different scenarios to get it working efficiantly. If the above makes sense - then please say and I will get started..

The Situation Now:

OK! before starting any machines I can use the Virtual Network Editor and choose whether I want bridging set to automatic or choose which nic I want to use as my bridge for vmnet0...

The two physical nics are an Intel and Realtec (inbuilt). At present I have my internet connection connected to the Realtec nic (Windows 7)

So, I set bridging to use the Realtec....

Now under settings for DC1 I can choose "Bridge connected directly to the physical network"
At the moment I have just one adapter installed for DC1 and so that should be the nic that is used.....

When I start the vm DC1 I haven't any Internet Connection and I am supposed to give DC1 a static address? What else do I need to do to bridge from vm DC1 to the Realtec nic and be able to give DC1 a static ip?

I am missing something fundamental here but don' know what it is....?!

bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi again!
Well, I jumped off my balcony...two broken legs, two broken arms and having a hell of job writing this post.....

I have just been caught out by the most idiotic things that can cause problems when connecting to the Internet..........

ANTIVIRUS PROGRAM!!

I set up bridging again and checked cmd ...ipconfig and sure enough my router was giving out an address, but I couldn't get out on the NET. I tell my customers all the time about firewalls in antivirus software causing problems and I have been caught out myself I am feeling a right Rodney at the moment if you have seen the English comedy series Only Fools and Horses...
Rodney was a bit of a plonka!
This is so embarrassing!!

I am now going to set up my antivirus program with exceptions from VMware!

I still have a lot to do, but I now can start from my DN1 and work up from there...

I will leave this thread open while I get everything working....just in case!

bookie32

This post has been edited by bookie32: 07 October 2011 - 05:57 AM

[bookie32]

Hi again!
Well, after writing this post I have been doing a total rethink to my setup....
I haven't done this with the intention of underminding the help I have been getting...more of "what would be best". I have now reinstalled the computer and instead of Windows 7 it now has Windows Server 2008 r2 and I have created my domain and added AD....no problems.

I have also been reading up about Hyper-V and its capabilities. I am hoping I can proceed with Hyper-V now and utilise the great help cluberti has provided....
I think my first step will be to create a external virtual network for my machines that will be continually updated and imaged...giving them connection to the outside world etc..

I still have a long way to go, but this seems the right course of action.....

I am going to continue to post here until I have everything up and working!


bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi again!
This thread has got out of hand....sorry......
OK What do I need:

I don't need the full potential of the Windows Server 2008 r2 at the moment......but this is a learning curve and there is a lot to learn....

After reading cluberti's guide to using MDT - that is where I come in...whether it is Hyper-V or VMware I don't really care ...just want something that works and is reliable...

I have as you know a good computer for the task at hand and need to put it to use...

I thought that instead of creating a lab environment I could have most things installed on the one computer....the host......
AD
DNS
DHCP
WDS
Hyper-V (or VMware)
MDT
This venture started from Iceman trying to help me with capture and deployment....

Now there are two scenarios to this venture.....

ONE
Building vm's that can be updtated continuously as needed and then syspreped and a wim captured to be able to then send to physical machines...I know Hyper-V has a lot more potential than that combined with MDT, but basically that is what I need...

I see also that one can use the wim and make DVD's as well if necessary, but for the most part, I want this computer to take care of capture and deployment...I would like it to be able to use the driver integration to help when sending a syspreped wim to a client and have the client's machines drivers alreadly injected in the wim to suit the client....that envolves a lot more work and at the moment I would be happy with a syspreped wim that isnt driver dependant and can be installed on most hardware...

Obviously after sending the basic image to the client I can then install the rest of their specific hardware and capture a new image to keep in case of computer crashes in the future...many of my customers have a hard time working out which is ON and OFF

The capturing of the new image is an important consideration, because customers want to cut down on my visits
To achieve all of this I was going to divide up the tasks to Windows and Linux, but am sold on the one solution, so that I can track of everything.

Another consideration is I only have a small ssd 120GB hard drive for the main installation, so I will move "ME" to another drive and any other thirdparty software will be installed on another drive..I have already removed the hibernate function, but if I don't use Linux on another partition on the ssd then I don't need to move the page file...

The other reason for having everthing installed on the host is not needing to create virtual drives to store stuff for MDT etc...

TWO

I start with a basic installation of Windows Server 2008 r2 and work from the lab environment in cluberti's guide.....the only difference being I need a external network connection to keep my vm's up to date when needed.

I have my own Windows Server 2008 r2, so don't need to use VHD. download

As to Hyper-V I could do with help regarding being able to have full screen resolution for my vm's?
Why can I not install "ingegration services" after installing Windows Home Premium?

The first info that was released regarding support for all Windows versions was a no no and Windows Basic and Home Premium were excluded...but now I see all of them are included.....help! Then why do I get a "Windows Basic and Home Premium" are not supported when trying to install the hyper-v integration services?
After installing Home Premium I had to install a legacy driver for the nic because I couldn't get a Internet connection otherwise...again something to do with "integration services"


Ok! a lot to digest, but in principle nothing special.......

Do I use Hyper-V or VMware? Which will give me the functionality needed for this exercise?

Now I have rambled on far too long......

Where do we start?

Thanks guys you are the best!

bookie32

PS If I am completely honest with you guys - then I favour working from the assumption that I use VMware for building my machines and fix the other to work with that...
No disrespect but I think from what I have read Hyper-V needs work....

This post has been edited by bookie32: 11 October 2011 - 02:30 AM

[cluberti]

Hyper-V works fine, and in fact if your primary goal is to work with Windows virtual machines, you'll find Hyper-V to be better (again, assuming you don't need gigantic enterprise cluster features, full lab copy environments from production, etc - Hyper-V is "good enough" for most everything a user or SMB would need, and has the added bonus of being free, works best with Windows client OSes, and doesn't require any additional additons/etc for Windows 7 / 2008 R2 guest OSes (or higher, including Windows 8).

[bookie32]

Hi again!
OK! that is good enough for me....
Assuming that I have my main computer with everything installed without the lab environment... at the moment I don't need one...
AD
DNS
DHCP
WDS
Hyper-V
I should be able to start building my machines...XP, Vista, Windows 7 etc and use your guide to set up MDT etc for capturing wims and then deploying them to Physical machines or vm's .....?

Questions
I then come back to my questions about how to have full screen resolution for the vm's...? It isn't that much fun building vm's in miniture.....if you know what I mean VMware has excellent support for full screen resolution and at the moment I am only using a 19 inch flat screen but couldn't get full screen working?

When building my vm's I can use the default keys from your list published on your blog earlier....

As we all know...there are still all versions of Windows on one DVD, so all versions get added to MDT when adding them to "operating systems" in deployment shares.....one can have a directory for x86 and x64 to cover all eventualities from my customers......

I already have VMware 7.1.4, but can install hyper-v and work with that if one can overcome full screen resolution problems I was encountering with hyper-v?

Have you any suggestions as to how to improve that?

bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi again
Well, am getting more and more fedup with this...
It started out OK I created a deployment share and then added an OS...went on to add a task and set a lite boot iso to boot from in VMware....it worked great....
I ran a capture too...no problems...

So, I added extra OS's and more tasks and now all I get is "Invalid Credentials: Can't find the network name.

This is getting rediculous...haven't changed anything...just added more OS's and tasks....!!

bookie32

[cluberti]

The only real option is to get a network trace from the VM server, and make sure the boot media is indeed using the right customsettings.ini and bootstrap file contents. There's no reason for this to happen, so either the VM is getting the wrong creds, or the lookup to the DC fails.

Again, another reason to use hyper-v .

[bookie32]

Hi again!
OK ! you have my attention...this has been the worst few weeks of my life for a long time...I pride my self as being someone who can solve almost anything....but this is doing me in....

I have a blank computer and would like to know how to set it up as I have stated in so many posts....

If I have Windows Server 2008 r2 installed on a computer.....what do I do with it?

Do I add hyper-v and then install a test lab (external virtual network) to achieve what I want....?

I have read so much on this and there is always a little bit of info missing and one has to scratch around for hours just to get something that makes sense....!!

I can't set this up many more times...just not worth the effort....

If I have DHCP, AD, DNS,WDS,Hyper-V on the same physical machine how to I set up my network cards...even that seems to be giving me grief now....

I have two nics installed and can add a third if needed...

If I setup the server with a static ip address on the inbuilt realtec nic then I should choose the other one for my Hyper-v virtual environment?

If the realtec nic is connected to the Internet via the router - then how do I connect the other nic assigned to hyper-v to the Internet...

Sorry, for all the questions.....just at my wits end...have the patience of a saint but have redone this so many times...just find it a waste of my valuable time...just when things look OK another obsticle comes in the way....

And I am sick of reading and watching videos where we are told this is so simple!!!

bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi cluberti
Have calmed down a bit now....getting late here.....

OK! After rereading your guide I see you mention to have a host computer with windows server 2008 r2 installed and that the roll hyper-v is installed...

You then have your test lab...and I don't question that at all....have learnt the different problems when dns or dhcp are to coincide with wds etc...

OK! I install hyper-v and then begin to set up my lab...as mentioned before I would choose "external" to have the Internet access.....

Now I have my own full version of Windows Server 2008 r2 and that is where my questions start....

I don't really follow the parent child thingy

When creating the virtual drives I wouldn't be using the VHD you mention to download, so I need to set up everything so that each "server" has the right size disk for my builds etc....have you a suggestion?

Once set up I would use this lab all the time....and need to have the space for deployments/captures set up right.....?
Found the cd from Johan Awidmark....brilliant, but too much work for me at the moment and I don't need everything he takes up. What a learning curve that would be...

If you have some suggestions and things I need to think about from the above ...please say....

I have now my basic computer with Windows Server 2008 r2 and all updates installed....

Just a thought...the VHD what size disk is that set for or disks?
bookie32

This post has been edited by bookie32: 13 October 2011 - 06:37 PM

[bookie32]

Hi again!
OK! I have followed the guide cluberti has written to a point...
Now have my two Servers with their roles added etc....

I created a deployment share as cluberti has it and even added my operating system and task sequence to deploy Windows 7 Home Premium x64...so far so good...
I kept the basic rules and bootstrap...for the time being...I updated my deployment share and created my boot wims and added them to WDS as shown by cluberti....
I then created my Windows Home Premium x64 virtual machine and started it.....
I had to fill in a lot of info because of he basic rules and bootstrap, but the deployment went well no errors...YES!

I then updated my Windows 7 Home Premium x64 with all updates + sp1 and then created a snapshot "Before Sysprep"..
I then created a new task for the capture and sysprep of the virtual machine and started my Windows 7 Home Premium x64...it looked OK and then came up with the errors shown in pic below....

Question
Should I have update the deployment share after adding the new task? If so - then what option is best the first or second for creating boot wims?

OK! The other little annoyance is the adding of the Hyper-V integration services....despite what is being said I am getting the error shown in the pic below...so what verison of Windows Server 2008 r2 do I need for that to work as it should?

bookie32

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[bookie32]

Hi
I must have really p***ed someone off in another life because I do feel I am being ignorred...
I have obviously outstayed my welcome on this forum, so I wont waste any more of my time asking for help from those who just find it amusing to ignore me...

Good luck with the forum!

bookie32

[allen2]

Sometime not getting an answer isn't being ignored, it might be that those who seen your posts doesn't know the answer (and i'm in this case).

This post has been edited by allen2: 21 October 2011 - 01:33 AM

[Tripredacus]

bookie32, on 21 October 2011 - 12:47 AM, said:

Hi
I must have really p***ed someone off in another life because I do feel I am being ignorred...
I have obviously outstayed my welcome on this forum, so I wont waste any more of my time asking for help from those who just find it amusing to ignore me...

Good luck with the forum!

bookie32

I read each of your posts in this thread. I agree with allen, I have no response because, while I do set up and maintain various Server 2008R2 systems, I have no particular experience with what your project has become.

[MagicAndre1981]

again use VMWare (Player) and don't hassle with Hyper-V. Hyper-V sucks.

[cluberti]

bookie32, on 20 October 2011 - 12:49 AM, said:

Question
Should I have update the deployment share after adding the new task? If so - then what option is best the first or second for creating boot wims?

OK! The other little annoyance is the adding of the Hyper-V integration services....despite what is being said I am getting the error shown in the pic below...so what verison of Windows Server 2008 r2 do I need for that to work as it should?

bookie32

As to the first error, make sure you add your custom WIM like any other OS (there are guides by the Deployment Guy's blog and others how to add custom WIM files to MDT). As to the second, you shouldn't need to install the Hyper-V guest components to Windows 7 or 2008 R2 - they are already included in the driver.cab of the OS. You only need to add components to Vista and older OSes.

[bookie32]

Hi
Sorry, guys...good at lashing out when I am in pain....just so fed up with living with pain 24/7...not so conducive to good moods....

cluberti:
The first error seems to be quite common if one tries to run the capture from the server instead of guest....worked OK when connecting from the guest...
OK! ad to the second problem...not really a problem...just annoying and as you say not important in the great scheme of things...

allen2:
You are quite right about what you say......just fed up in general at the moment...nothing personal....after all the years of living with back pain I should know better than write on a forum when I am really low....apologise to all!!

Magicandre1981:
OK! to be quite honest I feel more at home with VMWare....just wanted to give Hyper-V a try.........should stick with what I know best and then sort out the problems as they arrise.....I would like to get everything tidied away soon, but still on a learning curve....

Tripredacus:

Quote

I read each of your posts in this thread. I agree with allen, I have no response because, while I do set up and maintain various Server 2008R2 systems, I have no particular experience with what your project has become.

I lost my way a while ago....just trying to get something that works and......

This is not aimed at anything you guys have said or helped me with...just that when one is sifting through all the info out there it is hard to make any sense of anything.......


I am still weighing up Hyper-V or VMware and that is where I am getting stuck....but....the fog will clear eventually...hopefully before I retire

bookie32

[cluberti]

Worst case scenario, I can provide you some "lab VMs" that were built using the trial time-bombed media available from Microsoft that I use to build my labs and do my blog posts.

[bookie32]

Hi cluberti
I am hoping that shouldn't come to that....I do thank you for your offer.........

What I would like to achieve after seing that one can have all roles on one server if the DHCP options below are ticked:
Do not listen on port 67
Configure DHCP option 60 to PXE Client

This would mean that I only have virtual machines running that I am deploying to or capturing from....

It would save on resources....

Does that make sense?

bookie32

[cluberti]

Yup - that's not hard to do either.