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OSD client process

The following is a detailed description of the OS Deployment client process. When booting an OS Deployment client, you have several options available. Which one to choose depends mainly on the environment in which the client is booted.

Deploying a Windows Operating System with the desired Disk configuration, drivers, domain settings, and the CapaInstaller agent only requires three simple steps >

Wait as CapaInstaller OSD partitions your disk, applies the OS image, drivers, configurations and installs the CI Agent

Section titled “Wait as CapaInstaller OSD partitions your disk, applies the OS image, drivers, configurations and installs the CI Agent”

[^The OS Deployment process illustrated (image download speed may vary depending on network and disk performance)]:

All stages of the deployment process are described in detail below.

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StageDescription
Initial BootNBP is loaded via PXE. NBP initiates WinPE load


What is an NBP?

A network boot program (NBP) is the first file downloaded and executed as part of the Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot process. The NBP dictates whether the client can boot from the network, whether the client must press F12 to initiate the boot, and which boot image the client will receive. NBPs are both architecture- and firmware-specific (BIOS or EFI). On BIOS computers (per the PXE specification), the NBP is a 16-bit, real-mode application. As such, you can use the same NBP for both x86-based and x64-based operating systems that have BIOS .

Read more about How Network Boot Programs Work


Load WinPE with injected driversThe Windows PE Boot image is fetched and booted
The drives injected in the Boot.wim are activated to allow the OS Deployment Client to use the network and storage devices of the client


What is Windows PE?

Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) is a minimal operating system with limited services. It is used to install, deploy, and repair Microsoft Windows Operating Systems
Windows PE is not designed to be the primary operating system on a computer but is instead used as a standalone preinstallation environment and as an integral component of other setup and recovery technologies.

Read more about Windows PE


Load osdbootstrap with environmentThe CapaInstaller OSD Bootstrapper loads and sets up the environment for OSD operation.s
Run OSDClientThe OSDClient is loaded
Source selection (server/point)Selection of server/point source
Run Pre-GUI script from pointExecution of the Pre-GUI script from the selected source
Select Image and configurationSelection of OS image and Disk configuration
Run Pre disk-partPre Disk part script is executed
Disk config and download imagePartitioning and setup of the target hard disk according to the Disk configuration selected
Run Pre image scriptPre Image script is executed
Applying image and download additional filesThe OS image is applied, and additional files are downloaded to the target
Run Pre driver copy scriptPre Driver script is executed
driver download and inject to c:Drivers for the Model is downloaded and injected to the target
Run Pre patch scriptPre patch script is run
Generate an unattend.xmlThe unattend file is modified dynamically with parameters from OSD
Run Pre boot scriptPre Boot script is executed just before the first boot of the target machine
Windows SetupProcessing and applying of the settings from the unattended.xml answer file
Run Post Install (async)The setup will asynchronously run the Post Install script
CI agent installThe CapaInstaller Agent installer will be run asynchronously
OS ReadyThe target machine is ready for the installation of assigned software packages

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