Publish-SCWindowsPE

Publishes an updated Windows PE image for use by all PXE servers in your VMM environment.

Description

The Publish-SCWindowsPE cmdlet publishes an updated Windows Preinstallation Environment (Winows PE) image for use by all Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) servers in your System Center Virtual Machine Manager (VMM) environment.

SCENARIOS THAT REQUIRE AN UPDATED WINDOWS PE IMAGE

- The Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK) is patched,
   or Microsoft issues a new version of Windows AIK.
- The VMM agent binaries are patched.
- You add your own drivers, or other custom files, to Windows PE.

  NOTE: Customize the Windows PE image by adding drivers or 
  custom files using standard Windows tools and then use this 
  cmdlet to publish the updated Windows PE boot WIM image 
  on a library share.

Each scenario requires that you use this cmdlet not only to add the updated Windows PE image to VMM but also to rebuild it. 

TASKS YOU PERFORM WITH THIS CMDLET

1. Specify the source Windows PE image:

   Option 1: Start from the standard Windows PE image from the Windows AIK 
   that is currently installed on the VMM management server. In this case, 
   both x86 and x64 versions of Winows PE must be processed.

   Option 2: Start from an existing Windows PE image on a VMM library share. 
   In this case, only the specified Windows PE image (which is either x86 or x64) 
   is processed.   

NOTE: The Windows PE image chosen must not already contain the VMM agent. If such a Windows PE image is chosen, an error is returned and the Windows PE image is not imported.

2. Specify the Library Resource Folder in which to store the updated Windows PE image.

NOTE: VMM creates a folder named "Boot WIMS with Agent" on the target Library Resource Folder (if it does not already exist).

3. Construct a new Windows PE image from the source Winows PE image as follows:

   a. Copy the source Windows PE image into a temporary location on the VMM 
	 management server.

   b. Mount the WinPE image.

   c. Copy the agent files from the fixed location on the VMM management 
	 server into a fixed location in the Windows PE image. Overwrite any files 
	 that already exist in the Windows PE image, but do not otherwise delete 
	 any files or directories.

   d. Perform Windows PE configuration tasks, such as setting the RAM disk 
	 size, ensuring that optional features like WMI are installed, and 
	 so on.

   e. Unmount the image and commit changes.

   f. Copy the updated Winows PE image into the “Boot WIMs with Agent” folder.

4. Force discovery on the Library Resource Folder, and confirm that the newly placed Windows PE image appears in your VMM environment.

5. Use Publish-SCWindowsPE to copy all Windows PE images in the “Boot WIMs with Agent” folder to all PXE servers, and to extract Windows network boot programs (NBP) on each PXE server.

For more information about Publish-SCWindowsPE, type: "Get-Help Publish-SCWindowsPE -online".

Parameters

Path

Required? true
Accept Pipeline Input? false
Position? named 
Specifies the destination path for the operation.

Example formats:
 Local path	 -Path "F:\"
 UNC path		 -Path "\\Library\Templates"
 Volume GUID path -Path "\\?\Volume{4703c1ea-8ae7-11db-b473-00123f7603e3}\"
 VMware ESX path  –Path "[storage1]\MyVMwareFolderForVMs\MyVM.vmx"
 Citrix XenServer path - Path “Local storage[99b6212f-b63d-c676-25f9-d6c460992de7]”

Wildcards are supported for "Get" cmdlets and when you specify the UNC path:

Example format:
 UNC path		 -Path "\\VMHostServer\MyVMs\*VM*"

ISOPath

Required? false
Accept Pipeline Input? false
Position? named 
Specifies the destination path for an ISO file.

IsUEFI

Required? false
Accept Pipeline Input? false
Position? named 
Indicates that the computer on which the operating system will be installed is Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)-based.

RunAsynchronously

Required? false
Accept Pipeline Input? false
Position? named 
Indicates that the job runs asynchronously so that control returns to the command shell immediately.

VMMServer

Required? false
Accept Pipeline Input? true (ByValue)
Position? named 
Specifies a VMM server object.

UseWindowsAIK

Required? true
Accept Pipeline Input? false
Position? named 
Indicates that new or updated Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) images are published by using the standard Windows PE images in the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK).

ISOPath

Required? false
Accept Pipeline Input? false
Position? named 
Specifies the destination path for an ISO file.

IsUEFI

Required? false
Accept Pipeline Input? false
Position? named 
Indicates that the computer on which the operating system will be installed is Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)-based.

RunAsynchronously

Required? false
Accept Pipeline Input? false
Position? named 
Indicates that the job runs asynchronously so that control returns to the command shell immediately.

VMMServer

Required? false
Accept Pipeline Input? true (ByValue)
Position? named 
Specifies a VMM server object.

Examples

1: Update the Winows PE image with a custom Windows PE image base. 
PS C:\> Publish-SCWindowsPE -Path "\\LibraryServer02\VMMWinPE\ContosoIT.wim"

This command uses a customized base image to create a Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) image and updates all VMM Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE)  servers.
2: Re-create the Winows PE image and update the VMM PXE servers. 
PS C:\> Publish-SCWindowsPE -UseWindowsAIK

This command re-creates the Windows PE image by using the Windows PE image from (or updated by) the Windows AIK. It then updates all VMM PXE servers.

See Also