====== Installing Windows to an SRP target ======

You can create customised Windows Server 2008 installation media that will allow you to install Windows directly to your SRP((**SCSI RDMA Protocol** (SRP) improves the read performance in terms of throughput which is increased significantly for both random read with good locality and sequential read.\\ **Remote Direct Memory Access** (RDMA) is a direct memory access from the memory of one computer into that of another without involving either one's operating system.)) SAN target.  (You cannot do this using the standard installation DVD-ROM; you must customize it first.)

===== Install the Windows AIK =====

Download and install the Automated Installation Kit (AIK) for Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 from [[http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=94BB6E34-D890-4932-81A5-5B50C657DE08]].

===== Creating an installation medium =====

==== Making a bootable USB key ====

Insert the Windows Server 2008 DVD-ROM and a blank USB key.  Start up a command prompt and use //diskpart// to list the disks on your system:

    C:\Users\Administrator> diskpart
    
    Microsoft DiskPart version 6.0.6002
    Copyright (C) 1999-2007 Microsoft Corporation.
    On computer: WIN-8AHI8ZB7YBM
    
    DISKPART> list disk
    
      Disk ###  Status      Size     Free     Dyn  Gpt
      --------  ----------  -------  -------  ---  ---
      Disk 0    Online       466 GB      0 B
      Disk 1    Offline       40 GB      0 B
      Disk 2    Online      3817 MB      0 B

Select the USB key:

    DISKPART> select disk N

where //N// is the number of the disk corresponding to your blank USB key ("Disk 2" in the above example).  Create a new bootable partition on the USB key:

    DISKPART> clean
    DISKPART> uniqueid disk id=12345678
    DISKPART> create partition primary
    DISKPART> select partition 1
    DISKPART> active
    DISKPART> format fs=fat32
    DISKPART> assign
    DISKPART> exit

(where //12345678// can be any non-zero 8-digit hexadecimal string that you choose).

Copy the contents of the Windows Server 2008 DVD-ROM to the USB key:

    xcopy /e /f D:\*.* E:\

(where //D:// is the drive letter of your DVD-ROM drive, and //E:// is the drive letter of your newly-formatted USB key).

==== Preparing the unattended installation file ====

Use //Notepad// to create a file containing:

  <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
  <unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <settings pass="windowsPE">
      <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup"
                 processorArchitecture="amd64"
                 publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"
                 language="neutral"
                 versionScope="nonSxS"
                 xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State">
        <RunSynchronous>
          <RunSynchronousCommand wcm:action="add">
            <Order>1</Order>
            <Path>cmd.exe /c for /f %i in (&apos;dir /s /b %WINDIR%\inf\oem*.inf&apos;) do drvload %i || echo Ignoring error</Path>
          </RunSynchronousCommand>
        </RunSynchronous>
      </component>
    </settings>
    <settings pass="generalize">
      <component name="Microsoft-Windows-PnpSysprep"
                 processorArchitecture="amd64"
                 publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35"
                 language="neutral"
                 versionScope="nonSxS">
        <PersistAllDeviceInstalls>true</PersistAllDeviceInstalls>
      </component>
    </settings>
  </unattend>

(modifying "amd64" to "x86" if you are using a non-64-bit version of Windows) and save it as //E:\autounattend.xml// (where //E:// is the drive letter of your USB key).

==== Preparing the imagex configuration file ====

Use //Notepad// to create a file containing:

  [ExclusionList]
  ntfs.log
  hiberfil.sys
  pagefile.sys
  "System Volume Information"
  RECYCLER
  Windows\CSC
  
  [CompressionExclusionList]
  *.mp3
  *.zip
  *.cab
  \WINDOWS\inf\*.pnf

and save it as //E:\wimscript.ini// (where //E:// is the drive letter of your USB key).

==== Preparing the boot image ====

Download the correct version of Windows OpenFabrics from [[http://www.openfabrics.org/downloads/WinOF/]] and unzip the //.msi// installer file.  Unpack the driver files to a temporary location:

    msiexec -a WinOF_2-1_wlh_x64.msi -qb TARGETDIR=%TMP%\WinOF

Start up a Windows PE Tools Command Prompt (//Start//->//All Programs//->//Microsoft Windows AIK//->//Windows PE Tools Command Prompt//) and mount the boot image file:

    mkdir %TMP%\Mount
    imagex /mountrw E:\sources\boot.wim 2 %TMP%\Mount

(where //E:// is the drive letter of your USB key).  Add the //imagex// command and configuration file to the boot image:

    copy ..\%PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%\imagex.exe %TMP%\Mount
    copy E:\wimscript.ini %TMP%\Mount

Add the WinOF drivers to the boot image:

    cd %TMP%\WinOF\PFiles\WinOF\Drivers
    for /f %i in ('dir *.inf /s /b') do peimg /inf=%i %TMP%\Mount

Commit the changes to the boot image:

    imagex /unmount /commit %TMP%\Mount

==== Preparing sanbootconf ====

Download //sanbootconf// from [[http://git.ipxe.org/releases/sanbootconf/sanbootconf-latest.zip]] and save it as //E:\sanbootconf.zip// (where //E:// is the drive letter of your USB key).

===== Creating the installation image =====

==== Enabling SRP boot support ====

Boot from your USB key, and install Windows Server 2008 to a blank physical disk on a new machine.  (This step is sadly necessary due to limitations in the Windows Setup infrastructure.)

In the newly-installed Windows Server 2008, install //sanbootconf// from your USB key.

Start up a command prompt and prepare the machine for capturing the installation image:

    cd %WINDIR%\System32\sysprep
    sysprep /oobe /generalize /shutdown /unattend:E:\autounattend.xml

(where //E:// is the drive letter of your USB key, which may have changed from earlier).

==== Capturing the installation image ====

Boot from your USB key.  At the language selection screen, press //Shift-F10// to start up a command prompt window and capture the image:

    cd \
    imagex /append C: E:\sources\install.wim "Windows Server 2008 (SRP boot)" "Windows Server 2008 with SRP boot support" /flags "SERVERENTERPRISE"

(where //SERVERENTERPRISE// may need to be changed to //SERVERSTANDARD// or //SERVERDATACENTER// depending on which version of Windows Server 2008 you are installing).

Quit the Windows installer and shut down the machine.

==== Converting back to a DVD-ROM (optional) ====

You may want to convert your bootable USB key back to a DVD-ROM.  To do this, start up a Windows PE Tools Command Prompt (//Start//->//All Programs//->//Microsoft Windows AIK//->//Windows PE Tools Command Prompt//) and generate an ISO image file:

    oscdimg -m -n -o -bE:\boot\etfsboot.com E:\ C:\win2k8.iso

(where //E:// is the drive letter of your USB key, and //C:\win2k8.iso// is the place that you want to store the ISO image file).

You can burn this ISO image file to a blank DVD-ROM, or continue to use the USB key.  Either will work for installing Windows Server 2008.

===== Installing to the SRP target =====