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DELL OPENMANAGE(TM) DEPLOYMENT TOOLKIT README FOR MICROSOFT(R)
WINDOWS(R) PREINSTALLATION ENVIRONMENT (WINDOWS PE)
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Version 2.0
Release Date: November 2005
This file contains updated information for your "Dell OpenManage
Deployment Toolkit User's Guide" and any other technical
documentation included with the Deployment Toolkit (DTK) for
Windows PE.
The DTK documentation includes the "Command Line
Interface Reference Guide" and the "User's Guide." See the Dell
Support website at "support.dell.com" for the most current
information.
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CONTENTS
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* Criticality
* Compatibility/Minimum Requirements
* Release Highlights - Features
* Release Highlights - Fixes
* Installation
* Upgrading
* User Notes
* Known Issues
* Documentation Updates
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CRITICALITY
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3 - Optional
Dell recommends that you review the specifics about the update to
determine if it applies to your system. The update contains changes
that may impact only certain configurations, or provides new features
that may/may not apply to your environment.
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COMPATIBILITY/MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
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The following Dell(TM) PowerEdge(TM) systems are supported by
DTK version 2.0: 800, 830, 850, 1800, 1850, 1855, 2800, 2850,
6800, and 6850 systems.
NOTE: x8xx series systems with dual-core processors are supported.
NOTE: Other systems may be supported with this release. Check
"support.dell.com" to verify the supported systems and to
download the latest version of the toolkit.
NOTE: DTK 2.0 supports Small Computer System Interface
(SCSI) and Redundant Array of Independent Drives (RAID)
controllers. DTK 2.0 does not support Serial Attached
SCSI (SAS) controllers.
The sample scripts included with DTK have been tested with the
deployment of the following operating systems:
- Windows 2000 Server with SP4
- Microsoft Windows Server(TM) 2003 with SP1
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Installation Prerequisites
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Before installing DTK components, ensure that you have:
* The DTK self-extracting installation file ("dtk-2.X-WINPE-AXX.exe"),
which contains the utilities, sample scripts, sample configuration
files, and documentation you need to deploy your Dell system.
* A workstation that has at least 500 MB of free hard-drive space.
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Deployment Prerequisites
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Before beginning the deployment process, ensure that you have all of
the following tools, software, and information ready to use or
consult:
* Advanced knowledge of Windows.
* OEM Preinstallation kit (OPK) and Windows Server 2003 (with SP1)
to build Windows PE 2005.
* An unzip utility.
* A workstation with the following capabilities:
- A diskette drive
- A writable CD drive and CD writing software
- Network access
* A target system with a CD drive, if performing a local
deployment.
* A target system with a diskette drive or CD drive and network
access, if performing a network deployment.
* All DTK utilities, sample scripts, and sample configuration
files.
* All required Windows PE drivers, operating system drivers
and the Dell utility partition image file.
* Operating system installation files of the operating system to
be deployed.
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RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS - FEATURES
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The new features for DTK version 2.0 include:
* Flexibility to use DTK 2.0 in either a Windows PE or a Linux
environment.
* Support for Dell(TM) PowerEdge(TM) x8xx systems.
NOTE: Other systems may be supported with this release. Check
"support.dell.com" to verify the supported systems and to
download the latest version of the toolkit.
* Introduction of a new SYSCFG utility into which BIOSCFG, BMCCFG,
STATECFG and SYSINFO utilities have been merged.
* Change in the method of setting environment variable due to
migration to 32-bit environment. The environment data can be stored
in a file. A script can be run to call this file and set the
environment variable.
* Removal of BIOSFLASH, PFLASH and AFU Utilities.
* Replacement of PARTCFG and MOUNT with operating system tools.
* Re-architecture of RAIDCFG to work in a new environment.
* Removal of RACCONF.
* Addition of new script, UPINIT, to create and populate a Dell
utility partition.
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RELEASE HIGHLIGHTS - FIXES
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N/A
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INSTALLATION
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For complete installation instructions, see the "Dell OpenManage
Deployment Toolkit User's Guide."
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UPGRADING
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Upgrading from a previous release of the DTK is not possible.
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USER NOTES
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This section provides information that can help enhance your
experience with the DTK.
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SCRIPT NOTES
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* The sample scripts are provided as examples for customers that want
to develop their own deployment process. Some customers may find
that the scripts work well in their environment, while some
customers may need to develop their own scripts entirely from
scratch. Customers deploying multiple systems need to provide
unique information for each server when appropriate. For example,
system host names, IP addresses, and BIOS asset tags need to be
unique for each system. The batch scripts and configuration files
need to be modified to reflect the unique information for each
system being deployed. Many options are available to optimize this
process.
* A system profile generated on a specific Dell PowerEdge system can
be used to deploy only similar system models. For example, a
system BIOS configuration profile generated for an optimally
configured PowerEdge 1850 system can be used to deploy only
similarly configured PowerEdge 1850 systems.
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TOOL NOTES
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* SYSCFG:
- Some options may not be present on all systems, which may
be due to the BIOS version or hardware feature set. The usage
information generated by running SYSCFG without arguments shows
only those options that are valid for your system.
- The "--devseq" option is present only if you have an
available, bootable hard-disk partition. If this option is
present in the configuration file, but not present on your
system, you receive a usage error.
- If you perform operations that change the "--redmem"
option, reboot the system immediately. This is applicable
to the command line usage as well as "--infile" usage.
NOTE: Additionally, the "--redmem" option should not be issued
with any other command and should be immediately
followed by a system reboot. This is important when you
develop scripts that can alter the "--redmem" setting.
- For options that use text strings such as username,
password, hostname, and community string, using characters
such as <space>, "<," ">," "|," "=" on the command line can be
misinterpreted by the command line parser and may cause errors.
To avoid such errors, use only alphanumeric characters.
* RAIDCFG:
- At least 500 KB of disk space is needed to run RAIDCFG.
This requirement indicates that the run location specified by
"-rl" or the scratch location specified by "-sl" must have at
least 500 KB of free space.
- When creating virtual disks, the chunk (stripe) size is always
in KB. Do not specify any units for the chunk size.
- When providing multiple physical disks for the "create
virtual disk" command, do not separate the disks with spaces.
For example, "-ad=1:4, 1:5" causes an error. The correct way
to display multiple physical disks is "-ad=1:4,1:5,1:6."
- If you change the controller mode from SCSI to RAID mode,
expect data loss to occur. Back up any data you want to save
before changing the modes.
- After creation of a virtual disk a reboot is required
before the virtual disk can be used.
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KNOWN ISSUES
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RAIDCFG Issues:
* If you delete a virtual disk on PERC 4I/M on Windows PE, you need
to reboot the system.
* You cannot delete virtual disk on CERC SATA 2S when RAID 1 is
created with "--clear" option. The virtual disk can be cleared
from the controller BIOS.
* Perform copy operations using "XCOPY" because the "COPY" command
may fail when copying across a network share. The message
"invalid file handle" may be displayed. This issue is an
intermittent error that is usually caused by the network
connection. If the problem persists, check your network settings.
SYSCFG Issues:
* Demand based power management (DBS) option does not work on
PowerEdge 1855 with BIOS versions earlier than A05.
* The suboption for "powerctl," "softshutdown," does not work in
Windows PE.
* Using the "solcfgparams" option may produce an error message
saying "Hardware subsystem error" when an invalid value is used.
This does not indicate a problem with the hardware. Check the
option value and try again.
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DOCUMENTATION UPDATE
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* None
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Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
(C) 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission
of Dell is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: "Dell,"
"PowerEdge," and "Dell OpenManage" are trademarks of Dell Inc.;
"Windows Server" is a trademark, and "Microsoft," and
"Windows" are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation;
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to
refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their
products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks
and trade names other than its own.
The sample scripts provided with the Dell OpenManage Deployment
Toolkit are provided "as is." Dell disclaims any and all warranties,
express, implied or statutory, with respect to the sample scripts,
including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of
merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title and any
warranty of non-infringement. Use the sample scripts at your own risk.
Dell shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages incurred
in using the sample scripts. In no event shall Dell or its suppliers
be responsible for any direct or indirect damages whatsoever
(including, without limitation, damages for loss of profits, loss
of use, loss of data, business interruption, or other pecuniary loss,
nor for punitive, incidental, consequential, or special damages of
any kind, under any part of this agreement, even if advised or aware
of the possibility of such damage.
November 2005
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.