Configuration Rules

Article
12/19/2007

Microsoft Deployment scripts configure computer settings based on rules and configuration settings stored in the CustomSettings.ini file. During the Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF) Planning Phase, the team determined the appropriate processing rules to use in the organization. Now, team members must configure those rules in the CustomSettings.ini file or in the configuration database.

To configure the processing rules

Configure the rules in CustomSettings.ini.
Configure the rules in the data warehouse database (DWDB).
Modify the list of incompatible basic input/output system (BIOS) versions.
Modify the task sequence for a build.
Modify the driver groups included in a build.
Update deployment processing rules.

Configure the Rules in the CustomSettings.ini File
Configure the Rules in the Deployment Workbench Database
Configure the Property Values in the Deployment Workbench Database
Create a New Locations Item
Create a New Make and Model Item
Configure CustomSettings.ini for Database Queries
Modify the List of Incompatible BIOS Versions
Modify the Task Sequence
Select Driver Groups to Include

Configure the Rules in the CustomSettings.ini File

Configure rules in the CustomSettings.ini file. Modify the CustomSettings.ini file based on the rules determined during the MSF Planning Phase. The template version of the CustomSettings.ini file along with the team’s rules becomes the customized CustomSettings.ini file.

Depending on the environment, team members might need to customize the CustomSettings.ini template for LTI deployments only. For LTI deployments, configuring group-based settings might be sufficient. For ZTI deployments, add configuration settings unique to a specific client computer. These configuration settings can be in addition to or instead of the group-based rules.

Configure the Rules in the Deployment Workbench Database

Use Deployment Workbench to configure the rules for LTI and ZTI deployments in the DWDB. The benefits of using the DWDB include:

More generic version of CustomSettings.ini. Storing the configuration settings in the DWDB removes most of the detail from the CustomSettings.ini file. This change helps make the CustomSettings.ini file more generic so that the same file can be used in multiple deployment points.
Centralized repository for all property configuration settings. Centralizing the configuration for all property settings ensures consistency across all deployment points.

To configure the rules in the configuration database

Configure the property values in the DWDB on the Database node in Deployment Workbench.
Configure CustomSettings.ini to include the appropriate database queries for returning the property values stored in the DWDB.

Configure the Property Values in the Deployment Workbench Database

The configuration of the property values in the database is organized by the method for applying the properties to the target computers. A node beneath the Database node in Deployment Workbench represents each method, as listed in Table 10.

Table 10. Nodes Beneath the Database Node in Deployment Workbench

Node	Use this node to define
Computers	Specific target computers based on the AssetTag, UUID, SerialNumber, and MACAddress properties. Associate property settings, applications, packages, roles, and Administrator-level accounts with a computer.
Roles	A group of computers based on the tasks performed by the users of the target computers (using the Role property). Associate property settings, applications, packages, and Administrator-level accounts with a role.
Locations	A group of computers using the DefaultGateway property of the target computers to identify a geographic location. Associate property settings, applications, packages, roles, and Administrator-level accounts with a location.
Make and Model	A group of computers using the Make and Model properties of the target computers. Associate property settings, applications, packages, roles, and Administrator-level accounts with target computers that are of the same make and model.

Note Create the items on the Role node before creating the other items beneath other nodes (Computers, Locations, and Make and Model), because the other nodes can be associated with roles.

Create a New Roles Item

To create a new Roles item, complete the following steps:

Start Deployment Workbench.
In the console tree, expand Deploy, expand Database, and then click Roles.
In the console tree, right-click Roles, and then click New.
In the Properties dialog box, on the Identity tab, in the Role name box, type role_name (where role_name is the name of the role).
Click the Details tab, and then configure the appropriate property values identified earlier in the process.
Click the Applications tab, and then configure the applications to install and the order of the application installations.
Click the Packages tab, and then configure the packages to install and the order of the package installations.
Click the Administrators tab, configure the accounts to be made members of the local Administrators group on the target computers, and then click OK.

Create a New Computers Item

To create a new Computers item, complete the following steps:

Start Deployment Workbench.
In the console tree, expand Deploy, expand Database, and then click Computers.
In the console tree, right-click Computers, and then click New.

In the Properties dialog box, on the Identity tab, provide the information listed in Table 11.

Table 11. Information to Complete the Identity Tab for a New Computers Item

In this box	Type
Description	The user-friendly description of the computer.
Asset tag	The asset tag or inventory control tag assigned to the computer.
UUID	The universally unique identifier (UUID) assigned to the target computer.
Serial number	The serial number assigned to the target computer.
MAC address	The MAC address assigned to the target computer.

For more information on the values for asset tag, UUID, serial number, and MAC address, see the AssetTag, UUID, SerialNumber, and MACAddress properties in Toolkit Reference.

Click the Details tab, and then configure the appropriate property values identified earlier in the process.
Click the Applications tab, and then configure the applications to install and the order of the application installations.
Click the Packages tab, and then configure the packages to install and the order of the package installations.
Click the Roles tab, and then configure the roles to associate with the computer.
Click the Administrators tab, configure the accounts to be made members of the local Administrators group on the target computers, and then click OK.

Create a New Locations Item

To create a new Locations item, complete the following steps:

Start Deployment Workbench.
In the console tree, expand Deploy, expand Database, and then click Locations.
In the console tree, right-click Locations, and then click New.
In the Properties dialog box, on the Identity tab, in the Location box, type location_name (where location_name is the user-friendly name to associate with the location).
In the Properties dialog box, on the Identity tab, in the Default gateways box, add the IP addresses for all default gateways that exist within the location.
Click the Details tab, and then configure the appropriate property values identified earlier in the process.
Click the Applications tab, and then configure the applications to install and the order of the application installations.
Click the Packages tab and then configure the packages to install and the order of the package installations.
Click the Roles tab, and then configure the roles that you want to associate with the computer.
Click the Administrators tab, configure the accounts to be made members of the local Administrators group on the target computers, and then click OK.

Create a New Make and Model Item

To create a new Make and Model item, complete the following steps:

Start Deployment Workbench.
In the console tree, expand Deploy, expand Database, and then click Make and Model.
In the console tree, right-click Make and Model, and then click New.
In the Properties dialog box, on the Identity tab, in the Make box, type make_name (where make_name is the user-friendly name to associate with the make of the manufacturer of the target computers).
Also on the Identity tab, in the Model box, type model_name (where model_name is the user-friendly name to associate with the model of the target computers).
Click the Details tab, and then configure the appropriate property values that you identified earlier in the process.
Click the Applications tab, and then configure the applications to install and the order of the application installations.
Click the Packages tab, and then configure the packages to install and the order of the package installations.
Click the Roles tab, and then configure the roles to associate with the computer.
Click the Administrators tab, configure the accounts to be made members of the local Administrators group on the target computers, and then click OK.

Configure CustomSettings.ini for Database Queries

After configuring the property values in the database, configure the CustomSettings.ini files to perform the appropriate database queries. Do so using the Configure DB Wizard in Deployment Workbench. Run the Configure DB Wizard for each deployment point defined in Deployment Workbench that the team wants to update.

To configure CustomSettings.ini for database queries using the Configure DB Wizard in Deployment Workbench

Start Deployment Workbench.
In the console tree, expand Deploy, and then click Deployment Points.
In the details pane, right-click deployment_point (where deployment_point is the name of the deployment point to configure), and then click Configure DB.

The Configure DB Wizard starts.

Complete the Select computer query options page using the information in Table 12, and then click Next.

Table 12. Information to Complete the Select Computer Query Options Wizard Page

Select this check box	To
Query for computer-specific settings	Query the settings configured on the Details tab of the Properties dialog box of the computer item.
Query for roles assigned to this computer	Query the roles associated with the computer on the Roles tab of the Properties dialog box of the computer item.
Query for applications to be installed on this computer	Query the applications to be installed on the computer as configured on the Applications tab of the Properties dialog box of the computer item.
Query for SMS packages to be installed on this computer	Query the packages to be installed on the computer as configured on the Packages tab of the Properties dialog box of the computer item.
Query for administrators to be assigned to this computer	Query the accounts that are to be made members of the local Administrators group on the target computer as configured on the Administrators tab of the Properties dialog box of the computer item.

Complete the Select role query options page using the information in Table 13, and then click Next.

Table 13. Information to Complete the Select Role Query Options Wizard Page

Select this check box	To
Query for role-specific settings	Query the settings configured on the Details tab of the Properties dialog box of the role item.
Query for applications to be installed for this role	Query the applications to be installed on computers that perform this role, as configured on the Applications tab of the Properties dialog box of the role item.
Query for SMS packages to be installed for this role	Query the packages to be installed on computers that perform this role as configured on the Packages tab of the Properties dialog box of the role item.
Query for administrators to be assigned for this role	Query the accounts that are to be made members of the local Administrators group on computers that perform this role as configured on the Administrators tab of the Properties dialog box of the role item.

Complete the Select location query options page using the information in Table 14, and then click Next.

Table 14. Information to Complete the Select Location Query Options Wizard Page

Select this check box	When you want to
Query for location names based on default gateways	Query for location names based on the IP addresses of the default gateways configured on the Identity tab of the Properties dialog box of the location item.
Query for location-specific settings	Query the settings configured on the Details tab of the Properties dialog box of the location item.
Query for roles assigned for this location	Query the roles associated with the location on the Roles tab of the Properties dialog box of the location item.
Query for applications to be installed for this location	Query the applications to be installed on the target computers within the location configured on the Applications tab of the Properties dialog box of the location item.
Query for SMS packages to be installed for this location	Query the packages to be installed on the target computers within the location as configured on the Packages tab of the Properties dialog box of the location item.
Query for administrators to be assigned for this location	Query the accounts that are to be made members of the local Administrators group on the target computers within the location as configured on the Administrators tab the Properties dialog box of the location item.

Complete the Select make and model query options page using the information in Table 15, and then click Finish.

Table 15. Information to Complete the Select Make and Model Query Options Wizard Page

Select this check box	To
Query for model-specific settings	Query the settings configured on the Details tab on the Properties dialog box of the make and model item.
Query for roles assigned to computers with this make and model	Query the roles associated with the make and model on the Roles tab of the Properties dialog box of the make and model item.
Query for applications to be installed on computers with this make and model	Query the applications to be installed on the target computers with the make and model as configured on the Applications tab of the Properties dialog box of the make and model item.
Query for SMS packages to be installed on computers with this make and model	Query the packages to be installed on the target computers with the make and model as configured on the Packages tab of the Properties dialog box of the make and model item.
Query for administrators to be assigned to machines with this make and model	Query the accounts that are to be made members of the local Administrators group on the target computer with the make and model as configured on the Administrators tab of the Properties dialog box of the make and model item.

When the Configure DB Wizard has finished, the CustomSettings.ini file is configured to perform the selected queries. Listing 11 provides an example of the CustomSettings.ini file after the Configure DB Wizard has finished.

Listing 11. The CustomSettings.ini File After the Configure DB Wizard Has Finished

[Settings]
Priority=ComputerSettings, ComputerPackages, ComputerApplications, ComputerAdministrators, ComputerRoles, RoleSettings, RolePackages,
RoleApplications, RoleAdministrators, Locations, LocationSettings, LocationPackages, LocationApplications, LocationAdministrators,
LocationRoles, MakeModelSettings, MakeModelPackages, MakeModelApplications, MakeModelAdministrators, MakeModelRoles, Default
Properties=MyCustomProperty

[Default]
OSInstall=Y
ScanStateArgs=/v:5 /o /c
LoadStateArgs=/v:5 /c /lac

[ComputerSettings]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=ComputerSettings
Parameters=UUID, AssetTag, SerialNumber, MacAddress
ParameterCondition=OR

[ComputerPackages]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=ComputerPackages
Parameters=UUID, AssetTag, SerialNumber, MacAddress
ParameterCondition=OR
Order=Sequence

[ComputerApplications]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=ComputerApplications
Parameters=UUID, AssetTag, SerialNumber, MacAddress
ParameterCondition=OR
Order=Sequence

[ComputerAdministrators]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=ComputerAdministrators
Parameters=UUID, AssetTag, SerialNumber, MacAddress
ParameterCondition=OR

[ComputerRoles]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=ComputerRoles
Parameters=UUID, AssetTag, SerialNumber, MacAddress
ParameterCondition=OR

[RoleSettings]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=RoleSettings
Parameters=Role

[RolePackages]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=RolePackages
Parameters=Role
Order=Sequence

[RoleApplications]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=RoleApplications
Parameters=Role
Order=Sequence

[RoleAdministrators]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=RoleAdministrators
Parameters=Role

[Locations]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=Locations
Parameters=DefaultGateway

[LocationSettings]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=LocationSettings
Parameters=DefaultGateway

[LocationPackages]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=LocationPackages
Parameters=DefaultGateway
Order=Sequence

[LocationApplications]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=LocationApplications
Parameters=DefaultGateway
Order=Sequence

[LocationAdministrators]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=LocationAdministrators
Parameters=DefaultGateway

[LocationRoles]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=LocationRoles
Parameters=DefaultGateway

[MakeModelSettings]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=MakeModelSettings
Parameters=Make, Model

[MakeModelPackages]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=MakeModelPackages
Parameters=Make, Model
Order=Sequence

[MakeModelApplications]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=MakeModelApplications
Parameters=Make, Model
Order=Sequence

[MakeModelAdministrators]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=MakeModelAdministrators
Parameters=Make, Model

[MakeModelRoles]
SQLServer=W2K3-SP1
Instance=
Database=DWDB
Netlib=DBNMPNTW
SQLShare=
Table=MakeModelRoles
Parameters=Make, Model

For more information about:

Customizing the configuration database, see:
- “Automating Deployment to a Specific Computer” in the Deployment Customization Samples Guide in Microsoft Deployment.
- “Automating Deployment by Role” in the Deployment Customization Samples Guide.
- “Automating Deployment by Location” in the Deployment Customization Samples Guide.
- “Automating Deployment by Computer Make and Model” in the Deployment Customization Samples Guide.
Each property, see the corresponding section for each property in the “Properties” section in the Toolkit Reference.
The tables and views in the configuration database, see the section “Tables and Views in the Deployment Workbench Database” in the Toolkit Reference.

Modify the List of Incompatible BIOS Versions

The default task order for a task sequence includes the Check BIOS task in the Non-Replace group in the Validation group. The Check BIOS task runs the ZTIBIOSCheck.wsf script. The ZTIBIOSCheck.wsf script checks the BIOS version of the target computers against the list of incompatible BIOS versions in the ZTIBIOSCheck.xml file.

Modify the ZTIBIOSCheck.xml file to contain the list of BIOS versions that are incompatible with the target operating system in the operating system build. Modify the ZTIBIOSCheck.xml for each task sequence created in Deployment Workbench. The ZTIBIOSCheck.xml file is stored in the distribution_point\task_sequence_id\TS.xml file (where distribution_point is the name of the folder that is the root of the distribution point and task_sequence_id is the name of the task sequence ID listed in Deployment Workbench).

Update the attributes in the ZTIBIOSCheck.xml file listed in Table 16 for each incompatible BIOS version.

Table 16. Attributes to Update in the ZTIBIOSCheck.xml File

Attribute	Description
Description	Text description of the target computer that has an incompatible BIOS version, including any references to possible updates to the BIOS version.
Computer Manufacturer	Manufacturer of the target computer with an incompatible BIOS version. This value must match the value stored in the BIOS.
Model	Model of the target computer with an incompatible BIOS version. This value must match the value stored in the BIOS.
Date	Date of the BIOS for the target computer with an incompatible BIOS version. This value must match the value stored in the BIOS.

The ZTIBIOSCheck.xml file contains the source for a script (ZTIBIOS_Extract_Utility.vbs) that can help team members extract the attributes listed in Table 17.

To use the ZTIBIOS_Extract_Utility.vbs utility to extract attributes on a target computer

Start Notepad.
Copy the script source from ZTIBIOSCheck.xml file into Notepad.
Save the script source in Notepad as ZTIBIOS_Extract_Utility.vbs.
Run ZTIBIOS_Extract_Utility.vbs on a target computer that has incompatible BIOS.
Update ZTIBIOSCheck.xml to include the BIOS based on the attributes retrieved in the previous steps.

Modify the Task Sequence

Modify the sequence to tasks performed for each task sequence defined in Deployment Workbench. The Task Sequencer that Microsoft Deployment uses runs this task sequence.

Using Deployment Workbench, team members can:

Add new tasks.
Modify existing tasks.
Remove existing tasks.
Change the sequence of tasks.
Group one or more tasks together.
Specify conditions for running a task.

Note Although the TS.xml file can be modified directly, it is recommended that team members modify the task sequence using Deployment Workbench.

To modify the task sequence

Start Deployment Workbench.
In the console tree, expand Task sequences.
In the details pane, right-click task_sequence_id (where task_sequence_id is the task sequence to modify), and then click Properties.

Click the Task Sequence tab, and then modify the task sequence by performing the appropriate actions in Table 17.

Table 17. Actions to Modify the Task Sequence

Action	Step
Add a new task	Click Add , and then click Task.
Add a new group	Click Add , and then click Group.
Add a reboot step	Click Add , and then click Reboot.
Add an application to be installed	Click Add, click Application, and then click *name* (where name is the name of the application to install).
Remove an existing task	Click *task* (where task is the task that to remove), and then click Remove.
Remove a group	Click *group* (where group is the group to remove), and then click Remove. Note Removing a group removes all tasks and groups within the group.
Remove a reboot step	Click *reboot* (where reboot is the reboot step to remove), and then click Remove.
Remove an application to be installed	Click *application* (where application is the application to remove), and then click Remove.
Change the sequence	Click *item* (where item is the task, group, reboot step, or application to move to earlier or later in the sequence), and then click *direction* (where direction is Up or Down, with Up causing the item to occur earlier in the sequence and Down causing the item to occur later in the sequence).
Modify the properties of a group	Click *group* (where group is the name of the group to modify), click the Properties tab, and then modify the following boxes as appropriate: Name. User-friendly name to be associated with the group. Description. Text to describe the purpose of the group.
Modify the properties of a task	Click *task* (where task is the name of the task to modify), click the Properties tab, and then select the following check boxes as appropriate: Name. User-friendly name to be associated with the group. Description. Text to describe the purpose of the task. Command line. The program to be run by the task, including any parameters. Start in. The default folder in which to run the program specified in the Command line box.
Modify the options of a group	Click *group* (where group is the name of the group to modify), click the Options tab, and then select the following check boxes as appropriate: Disable this step. Select this check box to disable all the tasks within the group. Continue on error. Select this check box to enable all tasks within the group to continue to run if a task encounters an error. Conditions. Add criteria for determining when the group of tasks should (or should not) be run. Use the Add, Remove, and Edit buttons to modify the conditions under which the group of tasks is run. The criteria can be based on: An IF statement. A task sequence variable. The version of the target operating system. A WMI Query Language (WQL) within a WMI namespace. Note Any conditions configured for a group affect all the tasks within a group.
Modify the options of a task	Click *task* (where task is the name of the task to modify), click the Options tab, and then select the following check boxes as appropriate: Disable this step. Select this check box to disable all tasks within the group. Success codes. List of the return codes from the program (specified in the Command line box) that indicate the program completed successfully. Continue on error. Select this check box to enable all tasks within the group to continue to run if a task encounters an error. Conditions. Add criteria for determining when the group of tasks should (or should not) be run. Use the Add, Remove, and Edit buttons to modify the conditions under which the group of tasks is run. The criteria can be based on: An IF statement. A task sequence variable. The version of the target operating system. A WQL within a WMI namespace.

When finished modifying the task sequence, click OK.

For LTI deployments, any applications installed during the deployment process cannot restart the computer during the installation process. If the installation process for the application restarts the computer, the Task Sequencer returns a failure code, and the deployment process is terminated. For instances in which team members must restart the computer, they should use the Reboot task in the Task Sequencer instead of allowing the application installation process to perform a restart.

For ZTI deployments, no restarts are allowed.

Caution Do not allow an application to restart the computer. Microsoft Deployment must control restarts, or the task sequence will fail. Use the command-line property REBOOT=REALLYSUPPRESS to prevent some Windows Installer–based applications from restarting, for example. Cause Microsoft Deployment to restart the computer after installing an application by selecting the Reboot the computer after installing this application check box in the Application Properties dialog box of Deployment Workbench, as described in the section “Configuring the Distribution Share” in Image Engineering Feature Team Guide.

Select Driver Groups to Include

For each task sequence created in Deployment Workbench, select a driver group to be deployed with the task sequence. A driver group is a logical grouping of one or more drivers defined in the Out-of-Box Drivers node in Deployment Workbench.

When the driver group is selected for a task sequence, the drivers are automatically copied to the deployment point and are available to the Microsoft Deployment scripts. The drivers reside in the distribution_point\Out-of-Box Drivers\driver folder (where distribution_point is the name of the folder that is the root of the distribution point and driver is the name of the driver listed in Deployment Workbench).

To select the drivers group for a task sequence

Start Deployment Workbench.
In the console tree, expand Distribution Share, and then click Task sequences.
In the details pane, right-click task_sequence_id (where task_sequence_id is the ID of the task sequence for which to select a driver group), and then click Properties.
In the task_sequence_id Properties dialog box, in the Driver group box, select driver_group (where task_sequence_id is the ID of the task sequence for which to select a driver group and driver_group is the name of the driver group to select), and then click OK.

Note To deploy all drivers with a task sequence, in the Driver group box, select All Drivers.