Remote Installation Services Tools and Settings
Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2
Remote Installation Services Tools and Settings
In this section
Remote Installation Services Tools
Remote Installation Services Group Policy Settings
Remote Installation Services Answer-File Settings
Network Ports Used by Remote Installation Services
Related Information
Remote Installation Services Tools
The following tools are associated with Remote Installation Services.
Risetup.exe: Remote Installation Services Setup program
Category
Tool included in the Windows Server 2003 family.
Version compatibility
Available on computers running the Windows Server 2003 family of products or the Windows 2000 Server family.
This component is used to initially set up the RIS server and create at least one CD-based operating system image. You can initiate the setup process from the Start menu of your RIS server. By clicking Remote Installation Services Setup from the Administrative Tools group, a wizard starts and does the following:
Requests preliminary information, including the installation folder name and the path to the operating system installation files.
Copies Windows installation files.
Updates the Client Installation Wizard screens.
Creates a default answer file (Ristndrd.sif).
Starts RIS services.
Authorizes the DHCP server.
For more information about Risetup.exe, see “Command-Line References” in the Tools and Settings Collection.
Note
- Risetup is also used to create any additional CD-based operating system images after the initial installation is created.
Riprep.exe: Remote Installation Preparation Wizard
Category
Tool included in the Windows Server 2003 family.
Version compatibility
Available on computers running the Windows Server 2003 family of products or the Windows 2000 Server family.
Riprep.exe is used to create a customized image of an operating system such as Windows XP Professional. To create an image means that you create a replica of a hard disk that you can install on other computers in your organization. You use Riprep to image an existing Windows XP Professional operating system installation on a master computer and replicate that image to an available RIS server on your network. The image can include the operating system with default parameters applied, or the operating system with a preconfigured desktop, locally installed applications, and drivers.
For more information about Riprep.exe, see Windows Server 2003 Help.
Rbfg.exe: Remote Boot Floppy Generator
Category
Tool included in the Windows Server 2003 family.
Version compatibility
Available on computers running the Windows Server 2003 family of products or the Windows 2000 Server family.
Rbfg.exe is used to create remote-boot floppy disks for RIS client computers that are not PXE-enabled, so that these clients can emulate the remote boot process and install an operating system over the network using RIS. However, for RIS clients that are not PXE-enabled to use the remote-boot floppy disk, they must each have a supported Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) network adapter–based network adapter supported by the Rbfg.exe utility. PC Card adapters, CardBus adapters, and adapters that are not PCI–based are not supported. You can view the list of supported network adapters by starting the Rbfg.exe utility and clicking Adapter List. The client computer’s basic input/output system (BIOS) must be configured to use the network adapter as its primary boot device.
For more information about Riprep.exe, see Windows Server 2003 Help.
OSChooser.exe: Client Installation Wizard
Category
Tool included in the Windows Server 2003 family.
Version compatibility
Available on computers running the Windows Server 2003 family of products or the Windows 2000 Server family.
OSChooser.exe is a service of the Client Installation Wizard that is run by the client computer. It is a text-based program downloaded by the RIS server to the client that allows the client to communicate with the RIS server during the installation process. Remote Installation service is the server component that sends a default set of Client Installation Wizard screens to guide the client through the remote installation process. Clients that can remote boot use this wizard to log on and select from operating system installation options. You can customize these setup screens to meet the needs of your organization.
For more information about Riprep.exe, see Windows Server 2003 Help.
DSA.msc: Active Directory Users and Computers Extension for RIS
Category
Tool included in the Windows Server 2003 family.
Version compatibility
Available on computers running the Windows Server 2003 family of products or the Windows 2000 Server family.
When you create the RIS server, the Active Directory Users and Computers extension installs on the RIS server. The extension provides a Remote Install tab within the computer account Properties dialog box of each RIS server that you can use to manage the RIS server. You can start this extension by specifying the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in Dsa.msc in the Run dialog box or you can start it from the command line.
You can use the Active Directory Users and Computers extension to manage RIS locally or through a Terminal Services session on another network computer. You can also administer RIS from a computer running Windows XP Professional if you install the Adminpak.msi on that computer.
For more information about Riprep.exe, see Windows Server 2003 Help.
Remote Installation Services Group Policy Settings
You can use Group Policy to configure certain installation options presented by the Client Installation Wizard. With Group Policy, you can create different Group Policy objects to apply to specific users. The following table lists and describes the Group Policy settings that are associated with RIS. Each of these settings has three different settings associated with it: Enabled, Disabled, and Not Configured.
Group Policy Settings Associated with RIS
| Group Policy Setting | Description |
|---|---|
Automatic Setup |
Predefines the computer name and a location within Active Directory for the client computer accounts. (Another alternative is prestaging client computer accounts.) |
Custom Setup |
Allows users to define a unique name for this computer and specify where the computer account will be created within Active Directory. |
Restart Setup |
Restarts an operating system installation attempt if it fails during the text-mode portion of the setup process. |
Tools |
Gives users the ability to access tools, including the Recovery Console, from the Client Installation Wizard. |
For more information about Group Policy settings, see “Group Policy Settings Reference” in the Tools and Settings Collection.
Remote Installation Services Answer-File Settings
To simplify the process of setting up an operating system on multiple computers, you can run Setup unattended. To run Setup unattended, you create and use an answer file, a customized script that answers the Setup questions automatically. The unattended installation Setup answer files (.sif) are text files that describe the installation process for an installation image. An unattended installation template, which you can customize, is provided by RIS. The .sif file must be associated with one of the available installation images.
[OsChooser] and [RemoteInstall] are specific answer file entries for RIS. These are used in addition to the other answer file entries in an unattended installation. For information about unattended installation, see “Unattended Installation Technical Reference.”
The section below describes the settings that you can configure in an unattended installation answer file. For more information about how to structure an answer file, see “Unattended Installation Physical Structures” in How Unattended Installation Works.
The following table lists all of the valid sections that can appear in an answer file for a RIS installation.
Answer File Sections for RIS Installation
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
Contains an entry for specifying a network component. Must be used in conjunction with the [Networking] section. |
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Contains entries for branding Microsoft Internet Explorer during an unattended installation. If you do not specify this section, Setup uses the default for Windows Server 2003. |
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Contains entries for the Web client component of Certificate Services. You do not need to include this section in the answer file to install the Web client component of Certificate Services on the computer. Enabling Certificate Services in the [Components] section of the answer file installs the necessary files. |
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Contains entries for specifying the server components of Certificate Services. The entries in this section are supported only for the Windows Server 2003. |
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Contains entries for installing the optional components of Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003. |
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Contains entries for starting directly from the Windows Server 2003 product CD when performing an unattended installation. |
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Contains entries for installing a domain controller after the initial setup of the operating system finishes. |
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Contains entries for specifying display settings for graphics devices. |
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Contains the default Favorites settings for the Windows browser. If not present, Setup uses the default Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. |
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Contains entries for specifying custom installation information for the Fax service. |
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Contains commands that run the first time a user logs on to the computer after final (GUI-mode) stage of Setup completes. |
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Contains entries for preparing the graphical user interface (GUI) for unattended installation. |
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Contains entries for installing Home Networking settings for network adapters, Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), and Internet Connection Firewall (ICF). |
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Contains entries for specifying the network identification of a computer. If these entries are not present, Setup adds the computer to the default workgroup. If there is not enough information for this entry, Setup prompts the user to provide this information. |
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Contains entries for configuring Web content zones. |
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Contains entries for configuring the installation folder for Internet Information Services (IIS) components. |
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Contains entries for installing licensing information for Windows Server 2003. |
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Contains an entry for loading retail or original equipment manufacturer (OEM) small computer system interface (SCSI) drivers in the Setup Loader during the intermediate (text-mode) stage of Setup |
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Contains entries for configuring AppleTalk. |
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Contains no entries. |
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Contains no entries. |
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Contains no entries. |
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Contains entries for the Layer 2 Tunneling Protocol (L2TP). |
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Contains entries for Client for Microsoft Networks. |
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Contains no entries. |
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Contains entries for Client Service for NetWare. |
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Contains entries for the Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX) protocol. Its parameters are network adapter–independent. |
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Contains no entries. |
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Contains entries for the Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP). |
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Contains no entries. |
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Contains entries for the Routing and Remote Access service. |
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Contains entries for the Routing and Remote Access service for remote access servers. |
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Contains entries for the File and Print Service. |
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Contains entries for configuring the TCP/IP protocol. |
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Contains entries for configuring Network Load Balancing (formerly, Windows Load Balancing Service, or WLBS) and binding Network Load Balancing to multiple network adapters. |
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Contains entries for network adapters that you want to install. |
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Contains entries for disabling, enabling, and demoting binding rules for network components such as services, protocols, and adapters. |
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Contains an entry for specifying the network clients to install. |
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Contains entries for installing optional network components. |
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Contains an entry for installing the network protocols. |
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Contains entries for installing network services. |
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Contains no entries. However, to configure network protocols in unattended installation, you must include the [Networking] section name in your answer file. |
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Contains entries for specifying OEM-supplied boot files. |
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Contains entries for selecting the operating system. Only clients installed with access to Remote Installation Services (RIS) can use these entries. |
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Contains entries for specifying an adapter’s instance on a computer by using either PCI location information or a Plug and Play device ID. |
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Contains entries for configuring error reporting, Remote Assistance, and Help and Support Center. |
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Contains an entry for specifying network protocol parameters that are also specified in the [NetProtocols] section. |
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Contains entries for specifying proxy server settings for the Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 browser. |
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Contains entries for installing regional options during the setup process. |
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Contains entries for Remote Installation Services (RIS). You can only use this section for client operating systems that are installed by RIS. |
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Contains the OSLoadOptionsVar entry, which is used to modify the /NoExecute option in Boot.ini used by Data Execution Prevention (DEP). |
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Contains entries for specifying the server and folder in which the distribution share resides and the name of the distribution share. This section is used only by Setup Manager when an existing distribution share is edited. It is not used by Setup during an unattended installation. |
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Contains an entry for running an additional post-Setup command. |
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Contains entries for specifying the visual style of the user interface. |
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Contains entries for specifying the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) service. |
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Contains entries for specifying Windows File Protection (WFP) settings. |
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Contains entries for specifying the System Restore feature. |
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Contains entries for specifying the telephony API (TAPI). It is valid only if a modem is present on the computer. |
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Contains entries for configuring Terminal Services features (Terminal Server and Remote Desktop). |
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Contains entries for configuring the optional Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) Database feature. |
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Contains entries for configuring the optional Universal Description, Discovery and Integration (UDDI) Web services feature. |
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Contains entries for running Setup. |
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Contains entries for allowing users who upgrade to Microsoft Windows XP to remove the operating system if they encounter problems. |
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Contains entries for specifying default Uniform Resource Locator (URL) settings for the browser available in Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. |
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Contains entries for specifying user settings during the setup process. |
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This section must be included in your answer file to configure firewall sections and entries in unattended installations. To configure Windows Firewall settings, you must include the [WindowsFirewall] section along with one or more of the other Windows Firewall settings sections. |
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Contains entries for specifying a domain type of profile, a standard type, or a profile that applies to both domain and standard. |
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Contains entries for adding programs to the Windows Firewall Exceptions list. |
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Contains entries for adding services to the Windows Firewall Exceptions list. |
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Contains entries for adding static ports to the Windows Firewall Exceptions list. |
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The default configuration for Windows Firewall blocks all Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) message types, the entries in this section allows you to modify this behavior. |
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Contains entries for specifying an unattended upgrade from Windows 98, Windows 98 Second Edition, or Windows Millennium Edition to either Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional. |
Network Ports Used by Remote Installation Services
The following table lists the ports are used by RIS.
Port Assignments for Remote Installation Services
| Service Name | UDP | TCP |
|---|---|---|
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) |
67 |
N/A |
Boot Information Negotiation Layer (BINL) |
4011 |
N/A |
Trivial File Transfer Protocol Daemon (TFTPD) |
69 |
N/A |
Related Information
The following resources contain additional information that is relevant to this section.