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We have an environment where we have blasted a prepped Windows image out to multiple machines. We now need to customize the networking settings on each image en masse.

What tools exist to modify that image and customize the IP address/netmask/gateway post-imaging?

I would also look at a commercial solution that is able to deploy and customize Windows images as long as it runs on Linux and is fully scriptable.

To clarify, my order of operations is:

  • Server PXE boots
  • Various Things are done to the hardware to prep it
  • Image is copied onto the hard drive
  • Image is customized (network settings)

(Naturally, if such a deployment tool exists that can do the last two in one step, I'll take that)

MikeyB
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  • I don't get it. You prepare multiple Windows servers but only want to do so from Linux? Why can't you do it from a Windows machine, for which the tools are readily available? – John Gardeniers Jan 28 '10 at 20:51
  • @John: Most of the deployed images are Linux, but a requirement has come up to do the same with Windows. (Trust me, it makes sense given what we're doing) – MikeyB Jan 28 '10 at 22:00
  • Are you talking about changing the settings post image? Or do you have a lot of Windows images you need to make changes to settings before you push the image? – Zypher Jan 28 '10 at 23:07
  • The latter - I've clarified the question. – MikeyB Jan 29 '10 at 14:47

2 Answers2

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You could use WinExe from the linux box. That would let you do things a la psExec on a windows box. Combine that with the netsh static ip commands and you should be good. Another option would be to use wbemcli to do the same thing via WMI. Both of those should be easy enough to script up.

Zypher
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  • Ah - let me clarify (again). Linux is running on the server being deployed - I need manipulate the offline image. No Windows is actually running, and I'd like to keep it that way if possible. – MikeyB Jan 29 '10 at 16:28
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    @MikeyB: Ahh I've got it now. I think the answer is "it can't be done" then... – Zypher Jan 29 '10 at 18:01
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While I'm not quite directly modifying the Windows image from Linux, I've taken a slightly different approach that works great.

I'm writing the various netsh and wbemcli commands to a script that gets run once on Windows bootup.

MikeyB
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