K2000 Advanced Topics

Dell World User Forum
UFBR408: K2000 Advanced Topics
Corey Serrins
Patrick Warme
Dell World
User Forum

Basics of the K2000

Basics of the K2000 for the Advanced User
• Legend of K2000 acronyms (shown on http://<k2>/settings_packaging)
– PO - post install
– PR - preinstall
– SI - scripted install
– KI - kimage
– BE - boot environment
– KBE - k2000 boot environment
– MM - Media Manager
• ID#s
– All tasks are identified by a unique ID#.
– Each category starts at 1.
– Preloaded tasks have the lower ID#.
– ID#s can be viewed in the Address bar of said task or viewing link in status bar

Applications / preinstall tasks
• Mid-level tasks are listed in peinstapplications
• ID# in webui matches ID# in peinstapplications or ID# in peinstpreinstall
• Batch tasks are actually put in a .bat file
• .zipped files expanded into an "ID#contents" directory
• **Troubleshooting tip: Browse to item to make sure it unzipped properly.

K2000 Shares
• Samba shares
– password protected
– password set in General Settings Control Panel
• Visible Shares:
– drivers – Read/Write
– drivers_postInstall – Read/Write
– restore – Read/Write
• Invisible Shares
– petemp – Read/Write (temporary files from KBE)
– peinst – Read Only
– usmt – Read Only

peinst share
• applications - mid-level and post install
• asr – integrated dmg files are linked here
• auto - boot actions
• driver_feed - empty in 3.4 and higher
• drivers - automatically injected in SI’s
• drivers_postinstall – storage for drivers injected as
mid-level task
• hta - scripts run for KBE
• macosx - Macintosh deployment files
• oemfiles - for SIs
• preinstall – all preinstall tasks
• scripts – scripts run to deploy SI and KI
• sifs –unattend/answer files
• source_cds – SI CD contents
• user_states – files to capture a user state
• wims – integrated wim captures are linked here
• winpe_build – content downloaded by client when
building KBE with MM

Task Engine Info
peinstscripts

Scripts in 3.6 and higher
• PO tasks are stored as .xml files named according the deployment and ID#
• Starts with a bat file that copies Task Engine files to x:kaceengine and then runs it.
*wim deployments also include an additional .bat file
• SI and KI scripts run in sequence
– preinstall tasks
– deployment
– midlevel tasks created by user
– midlevel tasks by K2
› driver injection
› copy kuid, copy POs to workstation
› copy task engine files to deployed workstation
– Post install scripts controlled by task engine
• POs for Vista+ are no longer embedded in the unattend.xml file (peinstsifsID#.xml) for SIs.

Task Engine Info
• Files copied to x:kaceengine as first preinstall task
• config.xml is loaded in between every task.
• task.xml is loaded each time Task Engine runs
– Preinstall Task
– Windows PO
• Files copied to deployed workstation as midlevel

Quick Deployments to
Troubleshoot Post
Install (PO) Tasks

Quick deployments to troubleshoot POs with a VM
• Create a midlevel .bat task with command line of “pause”
• Create a midlevel .bat task to copy your task.xml file to x:kaceengine and overwrite the
existing one (for example)
xcopy /y y:scriptsTasks_3.xml x:kaceenginetasks.xml
or
xcopy /y y:scriptsImagingTasks_3.xml x:kaceenginetasks.xml
• Add both midlevel tasks to your SI or KI and deploy to a virtual machine.
• Create a snapshot when the midlevel pause task has occurred.
• Continue the deployment.
• If something goes wrong with a PO, restore the VM snapshot
• Fix PO, reorder POs, add new POs or remove them and Save
• The tasks.xml file gets updated on the K2000, copying over the new one will make the task
engine follow the new script order and commands starting from pause script.

More troubleshooting...
For a more in depth method of troubleshooting PO tasks take a look at Patrick Warme's
presentation online from the 2012 Konference.
http://www.kace.com/~/media/Files/Support/KACE-Konference/2012/2012_K2000-
%20PostInstall%20Troubleshooting.pdf

Use K1000 Managed
Installations as POs

Use MIs as POs
• Deploy Managed Installs from the K1000 as a Post Install task using a .bat task that forces
inventory and gets MIs
– To do this we want to first force an inventory to make sure the computer is the correct label, so your
label information must be correct.
– One way to do this is to use the k2000_deployment_info.conf file.
– **Note that while POs are running this file is in %systemdrive%Kace, but one of the last POs moves it to
%allusersprofiles%DellKace
– .bat task example:
› if %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% equ AMD64 (
› cd "%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%DELLKACE"
› ) else (
› cd "%PROGRAMFILES%DELLKACE"
› )
› runkbot 4 0 && runkbot 6 0

Modifying Source
media for Scripted
Installs

Source CD Modification
• Windows Update Downloader
– http://www.windowsupdatesdownloader.com/
• WinToolKit
– http://www.wincert.net/forum/files/file/5-win-toolkit/
– Slipstream patches into the media
– Customize what gets installed from media
› Accessories
› Media Player
› .Net
› Games
› Enable/Disable Services **be careful
– **Note If uploading to K2 for an SI, don’t include anything that would make reference to
the Unattend file, like company name, product key, etc.
– **Test would need to be done if removing applications, etc. makes an unattend file that
would conflict with it running the unattend from the K2.

PO files larger than 2Gb?

How to make a PO with 2+GB file on the K2
Large Package
SOLVED
• Import the new
PO via Settings
and
Maintenance |
Package
Management |
Import
• Ready for
Testing &
Deployment
• Create your PO exactly the way you want, and use the office.zip file
created in the previous step as your uploaded file.
• Export PO via Settings and Maintenance | Package Management |
Export
• Delete the PO from your K2000.
Prepare
• Copy just the .pkg file from 'restore' to your workstation
• Use 7-zip to open the file and browse to the 'PAYLOAD' folder.
• Replace the contents of 'PAYLOAD' with your real office installer files.
• Close 7-zip and put the new .pkg file in restore.
Execute
• Have a system with 7-zip installed.
• Create an 'office.zip' file containing just a text file
Plan

Deploy from a
network share

Deploy from a network share
• Create a share to store your software installers
• Store each application installer and files in its own directory
• Create a task to map to the network share
– Either create a batch Windows post install task to map the network share
› @echo off
› net use k: servershare /user:user password
– or Create an AutoIT script so the username/password is in a compiled .exe and upload as a
Windows post install application task.
› DriveMapAdd(”k:", "servershare", 0, "domainuser", ”password”)
• Have PO tasks call the installer from your share (for example)
– k:notepad++setup.exe /S
– k:javajre-7u26-windows-i586.exe /s AgreeToLicense=YES IEXPLORER=1
MOZILLA=1 AUTOUPDATECHECK=0 JAVAUPDATE=0 JU=0
• PO tasks should be separated so that the task engine can report if there are any
failures.
*Note: the task engine will only report errors with the batch file, not the installer,
so look in event log for possible errors.

Deploy from a network share
• http://stackoverflow.com/questions/4451013/check-if-process-returns-0-with-
batch-file

Keep PO tasks up-to-
date

Keep your installers up to date
• Use Ketarin (pronounced catering) to download updates to applications automatically
http://ketarin.canneverbe.com/
– Ability to save to any location (local or on a network share), with any name.
– Use command line tools or third party applications before or after an application being updated, such as
zipping or unzipping files
– Hundreds of application templates in an online database

Keep your installers up to date
• Top results for Ketarin online database

Keep your installers up to date for deployments
• Store your updated apps from Ketarin on a network share
– Create a bat post install task to map the network share
› @echo off
› net use k: servershare /user:user password
– or Create an AutoIT script so the username/password is in a compiled .exe and upload as a post install
application task.
› DriveMapAdd(”k:", "servershare", 0, "domainuser", ”password”)
– Then have your other PO tasks call the installer from your share (as examples)
› k:notepad++setup.exe /S
› k:javajre-7u26-windows-i586.exe /s AgreeToLicense=YES IEXPLORER=1 MOZILLA=1
AUTOUPDATECHECK=0 JAVAUPDATE=0 JU=0
– PO tasks should be separated so that the task engine can report if there are any failures.

Driver Injection Information

Driver Injection not working?
• run driver_feed_discovery_tool.vbs to see what model is reported by WMI.
• If a conflict occurs modify copy_drivers.vbs
• Drag k2peinsthtacopy_drivers.vbs to your desktop.
• Open copy_drivers.vbs with notepad or notepad++.
• Scroll down to the ‘Get Model portion of the script, use a command such as:
– If strModel = "10" Then strModel= "st2e”
– If strModel = "XPS 12 9Q23" Then strModel= "xps-12-l221x”
• The first model would be from the WMI call, the second would be how it was downloaded
from the feed.
• Upload this file as a KBE post install windows script task.
• Drag the task into your SI or image.

Use K2000 UVNC as a PO

Use K2000 UVNC as a PO
• mid level .bat task to copy the K2000 UVNC files to the workstation
• xcopy y:hta%processor_architecture%ultravnc %system_drive%
• Windows PO bat task to start UNVC
– %systemdrive%ultravncwinvnc.exe
• Firewall needs to be off or exception made
• Uses same config/password as the one from KBE
• Temporary and works until system is rebooted.
• PO task can be duplicated and placed after a reboot if desired or a reg key inserted to run it,
and then delete the reg key as the last PO.
• Don’t copy UVNC files to the KACE directory or this directory won’t be deleted since the .exe
will still be running.
• Could have the last PO kill the uvnc process if storing files in the KACE directory.
• http://www.itninja.com/blog/view/using-the-k2000-ultravnc-during-windows-post-install-
tasks

Deploy “streaming .wim”

Deploy “streaming .wim”
• K2 by default copies .wim to workstation and then extracts and deploys
– benefits multicast deployments
• Stream .wim deployment instead which extracts over the network
• KNIT
– will be updating knit to include files needed for this process, but not much
different
– do not use .bin file, just import the tasks
– with 3.6+ do not need “automatic mbr” task
– more detailed process in Friday’s “Imaging Ideas and Best Practices” session at
9:15am

KBE Manipulator (KBEM)
version 3.7

KBE Manipulator, version 3.7
• Supports Dell Command | Configure (CCTK replacement)
• Inject Portable Applications
• Disable launching UltraVNC
• Disable launching Deploy HTA
• Include .NET with WinPE 4/5
• Include PowerShell with WinPE 4/5
• Include Enhanced Storage with WinPE 4/5
• Option to build a UEFI VMware compatible KBE ISO*
• Creates a log of configurations in x:windowstemp
• startnet.cmd echoes that it was built with KBEM along with the date and time of the build

Automatically deploy a
specific image with KBE

Automatically deploy a specific image with KBE
• Use version 3.7 of KBE Manipulator to create your KBE.
– Uncheck Launch UltraVNC
– Uncheck Deploy HTA
• After clicking on create KBE, you will be asked if you want to create a custom DOS command,
answer yes.
• Type in the following command (replacing id# with the id# of your image).
– start /wait y:scriptssystem_image_id#.bat

Local KBE Boot

Local KBE Boot
• Store KBE on the local workstation, eliminating PXE
• Copy KBE as a midlevel task (or copy to workstation as a k1 script).
• Run ReagentC commands to boot to the KBE.
– reagentc /disable
– reagentc /setreimage /path %systemdrive%kace_recovery
– reagentc /enable
– reagentc /boottore
– shutdown /r

Offline Re-Imaging

Offline Re-Imaging
• Enable OEM-like “factory” re-imaging with PO Tasks
• Recovery image is housed in hidden partition
– Partition created in PR Tasks
– Image create during mid-level Tasks
– Partition hidden in mid-level Tasks
• Windows 8 options to retain user files and settings or full re-image
• No connection to K2000 needed to initiate re-image
• Guide available on ITNinja
– By user WhitzEnd

K2000 Deployment
Workbench

K2000 Deployment Workbench
Heading
KBE
Manipulator
Package
Export
Report
Driver Feed
Builder
Get/Set
Computer
Name
Sysprep
Creator
Get/Copy
KUID for
Mac
Set Screen
Resolution
More to
come!
http://www.itninja.com/blog/view/k2000-deployment-workbench
Modify Task
Engine
Timeout
Period

Set Computer Name
• Latest revision includes the following features:
– Renaming using the K1000 database
– Renaming using the K2000 database
– WSNAME style variable replacement
– Data file name lookup
– /log option
• Advantage of using SetComputerName over WSNAME?
– 64 bit compiled exe! This means renaming during midlevel instead of after booting into Windows
– No more extra reboot for renaming
– Ability to join domain via unattend with the correct computer name, eliminating yet another reboot
• Mac version to rename computer from datafile is available on K2000 Deployment Workbench.

Change Autologon Count
• Midlevel task that can change your unattend.xml’s AutoLogonCount value on the fly
– -c switch (required) sets the logon count to whatever number is specified (0-99)
– -p switch (optional) allows you to set the full path to the unattend file
– -d switch (optional) will generate a log file on the PETEMP share
• Works with K-Image, WIM, and Scripted Installs
• Can be found on K2000 Deployment Workbench on ITNinja (or via Tools module on the
K2000 web interface)

K2000 Advisor
• The K2000 Advisor queries the database of your K2000 to gather and analyze information
about your appliance and outputs a handy HTML report. Information gathered includes:
– Potential postinstall task issues
– RSA syncing information and errors
– Server alerts
– Direct links to KB articles when applicable
– Driver feed errors and related information
– Linked appliance errors
– Scripted Install and Image option details
– LDAP Configuration
• "Allow Offboard Database Access" must be enabled in the UI under Settings and Maintenance |
Security. After enabling, the K2000 must be rebooted
• Great for troubleshooting or just a periodic health check on your K2000

Coming Soon...
• Windows Update Injection AKA Driver feed for Windows updates!
– Download windows patches for your OSes using the K2000 Update Generator
– Inject them during midlevel using the K2000 Update Injector
• Task Selector
– Enables user to select which post install tasks they want to deploy right from KBE
– Ability to select predefined sets of tasks for certain departments/locations from user defined templates

Want to run 3.7 as a test now?
• 3.7 is currently in RC and we are looking for Macintosh users to test multicast from the K2000.
• Send an email to cserrins@kace.com with the following information:
– Company Name
– Contact Name
– Contact E-mail
– Contact Phone Number
– uservoice name

Question & Answer
• Why do we provide these suggestions/workarounds?
• Its not because the K2000 is limited, its because the K2000 is so flexible!!

Thank you.

KACE Support Portal Migrating to Dell Software Support Portal
• Starting in Mid-November, all KACE
Support Portal material will be
migrated to the Dell Software Support
Portal
• All service requests will be submitted
online or by phone
• Same great content
– Knowledge base articles
– Video tutorials
– Product documentation
– JumpStart training
• Check out the Support Portal Getting
Started videos
• Stop by the Geek Bar to see it, ask
questions, and explore!

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