Transport Server

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

During installation, you can choose to install only Transport Server. This role service provides a subset of the functionality of Windows Deployment Services. It contains only the core networking parts. You can use Transport Server to create multicast namespaces that transmit data (including operating system images) from a stand-alone server. The stand-alone server does not need Active Directory, DHCP, or DNS. You can choose this option in advanced scenarios as a part of a custom deployment solution.

  • Configuring Transport Server

  • Creating a namespace with Transport Server

Note

If multiple servers are using multicast functionality on a network (Transport Server, Deployment Server, or another solution), it is important that each server is configured so that the multicast IP addresses do not collide. Otherwise, you may encounter excessive traffic when you enable multicasting. Note that each Windows Deployment Services server will have the same default range. To work around this issue, specify static ranges that do not overlap to ensure that each server is using a unique IP address.

Configuring Transport Server

Transport Server does not require any configuration. However, you can perform the following optional configurations:

  • If you are using MADCAP for IP addresses, run:

    WDSUTIL /Set-TransportServer /ObtainIPv4From:DHCP

  • If you are using a defined range for IP addresses, run:

    WDSUTIL /Set-TransportServer /ObtainIPv4From:Range /Start:<start Ipv4 Address> /End:<end Ipv4 Address>

Note

When using a defined range, specify ranges that do not overlap to ensure that each server is using a unique IP address.

  • To set the UDP port range, run:

    WDSUTIL /Set-TransportServer [/Server:<name>] /StartPort:x /EndPort:y

  • To set the network profile, run:

    WDSUTIL /Set-TransportServer [/Server:<name>] /Profile:{10Mbps|100Mbps|1Gbps|Custom}

Important

After configuring any of these settings, you must restart the WDSServer service to apply the changes. To restart the service, at a command prompt, run net stop wdsserver, and then run net start wdsserver.

Creating a namespace with Transport Server

You can use the Transport Server role service to create namespaces. A namespace is a transmission that does not have any settings already set for you. For example, with namespaces, you have to manually set the names for the data and data groups, the content provider, and the path to the folder that contains the data.

  • Prerequisites for creating a namespace with Transport Server

  • Steps for creating a namespace with Transport Server

  • Common commands

  • Steps for client computers to join a namespace

Prerequisites for creating a namespace with Transport Server

To create a namespace with Transport Server, you need the following:

  • A content provider. You can use the Windows Deployment Services content provider (named WDS) that is included when you install Transport Server. Or you can create your own content provider by using the tools in the Windows SDK.

  • Data to transmit. You can transmit any data that your content provider knows how to find (for example operating system images, data files, or an MP3 archive). The Windows Deployment Services content provider knows how to find any file within a directory.

  • Familiarity with WDSUTIL. The only way to manage Transport Server is through the WDSUSTIL command-line tool.

  • A way to boot clients because Transport Server does not include a PXE listener.

  • Routers. The routers in your environment must support multicasting.

Steps for creating a namespace with Transport Server

You can create Scheduled-Cast and Auto-Cast namespaces. For more information about each parameter, see Options.

  • To create a Scheduled-Cast namespace, run:

    WDSUTIL /New-Namespace [/Server:<server name>] /Namespace:<namespace name> /FriendlyName:<friendly name> [/Description:<description>] /ContentProvider:<name> /ConfigString:<config string> /NamespaceType:ScheduledCast [/Time:<YYYY/MM/DD:hh:mm>] [/Clients:<number of clients>]

    For example:

    WDSUTIL /New-Namespace /Server:MyWDSServer /FriendlyName:"Custom Scheduled Namespace" /Namespace:"Custom Scheduled 1" /ContentProvider:WDS /ConfigString:D:\Images /NamespaceType:ScheduledCast /Time:"2006/11/20:17:00" /Clients:20

  • To create an Auto-Cast namespace, run:

    WDSUTIL /New-Namespace [/Server:<server>] /Namespace:<namespace name> /FriendlyName:<friendly name> [/Description:<description>] /ContentProvider:<name> /ConfigString:<config string> /NamespaceType:AutoCast

    For example:

    WDSUTIL /New-Namespace /FriendlyName:"Custom AutoCast Namespace" /Namespace:"Custom Auto 1" /ContentProvider:WDS /ConfigString:D:\Images /NamespaceType:AutoCast

Common commands

The following are the most commonly used commands with Transport Server. For more information about each parameter, see Options.

  • To start the transmission, run:

    WDSUTIL /Start-Namespace /Namespace:<name>

Note

To start a transmission, the transmission must be a Scheduled-Cast namespace, and there must be at least one client that has requested the transmission of data.

  • To display information for the clients that are connected to a namespace (for example, computer name, MAC address, IP address, speed, and percent complete), run:

    WDSUTIL /Get-Namespace /Namespace:<name> /Show:Clients

  • To remove a namespace, run:

    WDSUTIL /Remove-Namespace [/Server:<server name>] /Namespace:<namespace name> [/Force]

    For example:

    • To remove the namespace after current client downloads are complete, run:

      WDSUTIL /Remove-Namespace /Namespace:"Custom Auto 1"

    • To remove the namespace immediately and stop any current client downloads, run:

      WDSUTIL /Remove-Namespace /Server:MyWDSServer /Namespace:"Custom Auto 1" /Force

  • To stop a client installation completely, run:

    WDSUTIL /Disconnect-Client /ClientID:<id> /Force

Important

You should use this option with caution because the installation will fail and the computer could be left in an unusable state.

  • To discontinue the download for a client but continue to transfer the image through another method (such as SMB copy), run:

    WDSUTIL /Disconnect-Client /ClientID:<id>

  • To view the client <id> for each namespace, run:

    WDSUTIL /Get-Namespace /Namespace:<name> /show:clients
Options

The options in the following table apply to the previous sections: "Steps for creating a namespace with Transport Server" and "Common commands."

Option Description

/Server:<server name>

Specifies the name of the Windows Deployment Services server. This can be either the NetBIOS name or the FQDN. If not specified, the local server will be used.

/Namespace:<Namespace name>

Specifies the name of the namespace to create. This name must be unique.

/FriendlyName:<friendly name>

Specifies the friendly name of the namespace. This name does not need to be unique.

/Description:<description>

Specifies a description of the namespace.

/ContentProvider:<name>

Specifies the name of the content provider that supplies data to the multicast server. If you are using the Windows Deployment Services content provider, specify WDS.

/ConfigString:<config string>

Specifies the configuration string for the content provider. If you are using the Windows Deployment Services content provider (WDS), specify the path to the directory where content is stored (for example D:\Photos\Landscapes). This path can be anywhere on the server.

/NamespaceType: {AutoCast|ScheduledCast}

Specifies the type of namespace to create.

/Time:<YYYY/MM/DD:hh:mm>

Specifies the time on the server when the namespace will start (allowed only for Scheduled-Cast).

/Clients:<Num of Clients>

Specifies the number of clients to wait for before the namespace will start (allowed only for Scheduled-Cast).

/Force

Deletes the transmission—even if there are current client installations. If you do not specify /Force, the transmission will be in the Delete Pending state. (After clients' downloads are complete, the transmission will be removed.)

Steps for client computers to join a namespace

In Transport Server, client computers join a transmission by using Wdsmcast.exe (a command-line tool included in the Windows AIK). Wdsmcast.exe runs on Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, or Windows PE 2.0.

To join a namespace

  1. Install Wdsmcast.exe onto the client computer. Wdsmcast.exe is located in the Tools directory of the Windows AIK.

    • If the client has an operating system (Windows Vista or Windows Server 2003), you can install the Windows AIK.

    • If the client does not have an operating system, you need to add Wdsmcast.exe to a Windows PE image and boot the client into the image. Instructions for doing this are included in the Windows AIK (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=81030).

  2. Run the following from the client computer.

    WDSMCAST /Transfer-File /Server:<server name> /Namespace:<namespace name> /Username:<domain and user name> [/Password:<password>] /SourceFile:<file path> /DestinationFile:<file path>

    The following table explains these options:

    Option Explanation

    /Server:<server name>

    Name of the Windows Deployment Services server. This can be either the NetBIOS name or the FQDN.

    /Namespace:<namespace name>

    Name of the namespace to connect to.

    /Username:<domain and user name>

    Domain and user name to connect to the server with. Can be in the format Domain\User or User@Domain.

    [/Password:<password>]

    Password for the user. If this is not specified, you will be prompted to enter it.

    /SourceFile:<file path>

    Path to the file to be transferred, relative to the root directory of the content provider (for example, if you are using the Windows Deployment Services content provider (named WDS), the path is relative to the ConfigString directory).

    /DestinationFile:<file path>

    Complete file path and name for the destination file.

Additional references