Deploying a Windows OS via WADS¶
Deployment process¶
Using BIOS/UEFI:
the host makes a DHCP request to obtain an IP and the PXE configuration (TFTP server IP & iPXE file name), or
the host boots from a USB stick which embeds the PXE configuration
Using BIOS/UEFI:
the host makes a TFTP request to get iPXE and her configuration, or
the host runs the iPXE configuration from the USB stick.
Then, using iPXE, the host makes a HTTPS request to the WADS Server to obtain the BCD and the
WinPE
file.Finally, using WinPE, the host contacts the WADS Server via HTTP to obtain the OS iso file and its associated configuration files.
Requirements before starting¶
To use WADS on your WAPT Console, you need to install a specific package on your management station.
Two packages are available, only one is needed. Choose according to your needs:
This package integrates the minimal requirements for creating a WinPE file.
This package installs Windows ADK, all the tools to create and modify WinPE.
As of 2024-09-20, the user account using the WADS Console MUST have Local Administrator rights in the WAPT Access Control Lists.
Signing WADS with your certificate:
Go to the
.

Click on the Sign button:

Go to the OS Deploy tab:

Main window of the WADS Console¶
Adding the WinPE files¶
WinPE is a minimal operating system used to install, deploy, and repair Windows.
On WADS, WinPE is used to bootstrap the deployment of Windows.
If no WinPE file exists, then this pop-up will appear.

Then click on Upload WinPE.
Choose the keyboard layout. This step is important because you will type in the hostname in WinPE using the keyboard layout chosen with this step.
Select the certificate with which to sign the USB stick files

Wait while the
WinPE
file uploads onto the WAPT administration computer:

Wait while the
WinPE
file uploads to the WADS Server:
If The WinPE
file has been successfully uploaded to the WADS Server.
Adding the Operating System ISO¶
The next step is to add the Operating System .iso file to use for deploying Windows.
Use the latest official Windows release from Microsoft as the .iso file.

ISO section of the WADS Console¶
In the Install ISO section in the main WADS Console, click on the + button to upload the selected .iso file.
Select the .iso file and give it a name.

Dialog box for selecting the ISO file to upload to the WADS Server¶
When uploaded, the .iso file is signed with the selected certificate:

Dialog box informing of the signing progression of the ISO file in the WADS Console¶
After the signing step has successfully completed, the .iso file is uploaded to the WADS Server:

Dialog box informing of the uploading progession of the ISO file in the WADS Console¶
After the uploading step has successfully completed, the .iso file appears in the Install iso section in the main WADS Console:

Hint
It is possible to upload several .iso versions of Windows for different use cases.
Adding the Configuration answer file¶
The next step is to add the Configuration answer file that will be used to configure the deployment of the Windows Operating System.

Answer file section of the WADS Console¶
In the Configuration section click on the + button to configure the answer file.

Window for creating the answer configuration file in the WADS Console¶
Options |
Description |
---|---|
Config Name |
Defines the name of the XML answer file. |
ISO Name |
Defines the .iso file to associate to the XML answer file. |
For Windows |
Defines whether you install a Windows OS or Linux if unchecked. |
Install Wapt |
Defines whether to install the WAPT agent after the installation of the Operating System. |
Configuration file |
Defines the XML answer files template to use for Windows or the configuration file for Linux. |
Post install Script |
Defines a .bat post-install script to be run after the installation of the Operating System. |
Insert into the Config Name field the name of the answer file.
Select with the Iso Name dropdown the ISO file to association to the deployment configuration.
Check or uncheck the Install WAPT checkbox to install the WAPT Agent by default.
Check or uncheck the For Windows checkbox to install a Windows OS.
Select the answer file template to associate to the deployment configuration with the Configuration File field if it’s OS Windows else, select the configuration file for Linux.
If necessary, set the post-install script in Post install Script, for example:
"C:\Program Files (x86)\wapt\wapt-get.exe" install tis-firefox-esr
Click on the Save button to create the answer file.
When done, the configuration appears in the Configuration section.

Answer file added to the WADS Server in the WADS Console¶
Hint
It is possible to create several answer file configurations for different versions of Windows / Linux and for different use cases.
Joining the host to an Active Directory domain¶
You can use your own answer file with WADS but by default, WADS integrate 2 types of answer files for Windows:
Offline to join a computer with the DirectAccess Offline Domain Join (Djoin) method
Online to join a computer on the AD
Update this part with your join service account, you can give a specific OU if you want. If not, just delete the line MachineObjectOU.
<Identification>
<Credentials>
<Domain>mydomain.lan</Domain>
<Password>password</Password>
<Username>wadsjoin</Username>
</Credentials>
<JoinDomain>mydomain.lan</JoinDomain>
<MachineObjectOU>OU=MyOu,OU=MyParentOu,DC=MyDomain,DC=lan</MachineObjectOU>
</Identification>
The offline method uses the Djoin method.
Right-click on the host to open the menu list.

Click on Prepare Djoin.
Select the OU to which to attach the host (or define it manually) and click on Save.

Selecting the Organizational Unit to which to automatically attach the re-imaged host¶
You can check Do not use current user if your current user can not or must not join a computer to the domain. If checked, you have to give manually Domain, Host OU, User (just the sAMAccountName, not the UPN nor the DOMAINuser) and password.
You can check Overwrite the existing machine in order to join anew a computer.
The
Djoin
file is ready to be used to join the host as a member to the Active Directory domain.
Adding drivers¶
The next step is to add driver bundles that will be used during the deployment of the Windows Operating System.

Drivers section of the WADS Console¶
In the Drivers section click on the + button to add a driver pack to the WADS Server.
This window allows you to upload the driver bundles to associate to the Windows deployment.

Window for creating the driver bundles in the WADS Console¶
Options |
Description |
---|---|
Choose Dir |
Defines the path to the folder containing the driver bundles. |
Name |
Defines the name of the driver bundle. |
Click on the Save button, the uploading of the driver bundles starts.

Dialog box informing the uploading progression of the driver bundles in the WAPT Console¶
When uploaded, the drivers pack appears in the Drivers section of the WADS Console.

The drivers pack has been uploaded to the WADS Server¶
It is possible to create several driver packs for different versions of Windows and for different use cases.
It is possible to use the .cab files from OEM.
It is also possibe to export the drivers from an existing well functioning host using a Powershell command.
Export-WindowsDriver -Online -Destination D:\Drivers
Booting the host to re-image with WADS¶
WADS allows 2 methods boot the host to re-image:
Booting the host with a USB stick¶
Note
The USB key used MUST be FAT32 formatted and empty.
Insert the USB stick in the WAPT adminsitration workstation and click on the Create WinPE USB Key button to start the process.
Choose the keyboard layout. This step is important because you will type in the hostname in WinPE using the keyboard layout chosen with this step.
Select the certificate with which to sign the USB stick files

Click on the Upload WinPE to format the USB stick and copy the WinPE file.
Boot to the computer’s boot menu using the USB stick option and go to the run the deployment step.
Note
You can Export to zip when you create a WinPE USB Key if you can not use a USB key and then burn it onto a CD / DVD instead.

Booting the host with the network¶
Booting from the LAN requires:
A properly working TFTP server;
A properly working DHCP server;
Having port 69 open on the WAPT Server for inbound traffic, and having tftp conntrack enabled on intermediate firewalls if you have firewalls between the server and the client computer.
Boot to the computer’s boot menu using the LAN option and go to the run the deployment step.
Deploying the Windows image¶
There are 3 choices when booting with iPXE:

iPXE boot menu window¶
Boot Local disk for starting normally from local storage;
Register host (ipxe) to register the host with the WADS Server using the iPXE method;
Register host (winpe) to register the host with the WADS Server using the WinPE method.
If choosing Register host (ipxe), define a hostname:

Text terminal window requesting a hostname when registering using the iPXE method¶
Warning
The keybord is qwerty
Refresh the WADS Console with F5, the host appears in the OS Deploy tab.

Host waiting to be deployed¶
At this time, the Waiting to Deploy status of the host is False
.
Right click on the host to open the menu list.

Go to a XML answer file.
and selectClick on Start Deploy, the Waiting to Deploy status of the host switches to
True
.

Reboot the host to the same boot option as before (USB or LAN), Windows will start to install.
When the installation has completed, the OS Deploy tab, the status switches to
Done
.
If choosing Register host (winpe), define a hostname:

Text terminal window requesting a hostname when registering using the WinPE method¶
The keybord is in the same layout as the one set during the WinPE step of this documentation.
Refresh the WADS Console with F5, the host appears in the OS Deploy tab.

Host waiting to be deployed¶
At this time, the Waiting to Deploy status of the host is False
.
Right click on the host to open the menu list.

Go to a XML answer file.
and selectClick on Start Deploy, the Waiting to Deploy status of the host switches to
True
.

Reboot the host to the same boot option as before (USB or LAN), Windows will start to install.
When the installation has completed, the OS Deploy tab, the status switches to
Done
.
Format host disk¶
When your host is ready to be redeployed, if necessary, you can format its disk using the UEFI or the Legacy method.
To do so, right-click on host then Edit Format Disk Config.
Then you can choose either the UEFI or the Legacy script and customize the disk format configuration. Here is an example with the Legacy script: