Hardware Neutral
Imaging with ImageX:
The Ghost Killer
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Introduction
One of the toughest jobs facing Information Technology (IT) professionals is creating, managing, and maintain-
ing the many Images that are required in our enterprise Networks. Each hardware platform requires a separate
image due to the confines of the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) which governs each hardware type. The
cost of imaging has been described by Network Managers as the “single most expensive task that is per-
formed on a regular basis by Administrators” (Center for Internet Computing) to keep their networks up and
running. Also, keep in mind that every change to the image requires a complete rebuild to keep it viable.
What if I told you that your problems, overhead, cost of implementation, and headaches were a thing of the
past? If you are like me, you would be jumping up and down, heaving a sigh of relief. Well, I am proud to
announce the day has arrived.
Microsoft has delivered the goods with ImageX, an exiting utility for creating
and managing your images.
In this discussion, I will delve into the topics that will result in your success and, ultimately, lower the total cost
of ownership of your implementations of Vista.
We will visit:
• File-based versus Sector-based Imaging
• The WIM Image Format
• Creating Multiple OS installations within a Single WIM Image
• Image Injection on the fly
• Creating Images with ImageX
• Applying and Deploying Vista Images
• Hardware Neutrality with ImageX
Microsoft Delivers the Goods
Over the years, Microsoft has given the IT administrative community many new toys that have promised to
mak

because the ghost-type, sector-based images were the only imaging technology going. Ghost images are writ-
ten sector-by-sector to the disk drive similar to the application of a file system through the format command.
This sector-by-sector write is also the sole reason that the ghost image must be placed on a drive that has
identical or very similar characteristics to the drive on which the ghost Image was created. File-based images
have no requirements on the drive or partition size. As long as the files can fit on the drive, then, so be it.
The ImageX utility creates and manages WIM Images (Windows Image, Image Format), which are the folder-
based images of the future. WIM provides the administrator with several key advantages over the traditional
sector-based imaging of the past. Yes, I did say the past. First of all, WIM Images, as I mentioned previously, are
hardware neutral. For that reason, we can distribute them to different platforms with different hardware
abstraction layers
. This is a huge benefit over sector-based images, which natively require the identical hard-
ware Abstraction Layer to be in place on the machine to be imaged. The WIM Vista scenario may require a
total of two different possible platforms within Vista, those of 32-bit and 64-bit platforms. However, if your 64-
bit machines can operate in 32-bit mode
, then you really only need a single image until you are ready to move
into the 64-bit world. When you finally change platforms, then you can do away with the 32-bit image and
create a single 64-bit image to meet the requirements of your enterprise. The WIM Image format also allows
for some serious compression of the images for faster deployment scenarios and reduced image size scenarios.
Combine that with single file instancing, which allows files that are to be duplicated through multiple operat-
ing systems (OSs) to be deployed one time for all OS files to use. This will also keep your images smaller and
more efficient.
Imagine deploying multiple OSs within a single image! Well, we can with the file format of the WIM image. We
can easily add additional folders containing files that represent all types of operating system files. We can then
configure which one lives on the active partition, and off we go, deploying a single instance of a WIM image
with multiple OSs to meet our needs. This same image can then be taken off line, mounted with ImageX, edit-
ed offline by adding new features or software to the base image. All of this can be done with out re-compiling
the image after we are finished. We can add new service packs with ease, new hot fixes, OS configurations,
and software all by simply adding new file and folder structures to the WIM Image with ImageX over a
Windows PE environment. This image injection feature alone is responsible for slashing the cost of imaging by
80%.

Table 1 provides an overview of these commands.
T
able 1. Overview of ImageX Command-Line Options
Deploying the image is just as easy as creating the image
. As a matter of fact, installing Windows Vista, whether
doing an in-place upgrade or a complete wipe-and-load, is a new, completely image-based process. By compari-
son to previous Microsoft operating systems, Windows Vista ships exclusively in the WIM image format.
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raining LLC. All rights reserved.
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Command Action
/append Appends a volume image into an existing WIM file
/apply
A
pplies a volume image to the specified drive
/capture Captures a volume image into a new
WIM file
/commit Commits the changes made to a mounted WIM
/compress Sets compression type to none, fast, or maximum
/config Uses the specified file to set adv
anced options
/delete Deletes an image from a
WIM file with multiple images
/dir Displays a list of files and folders within a volume image
/export Transfers an image from one WIM file to another WIM file
/info Returns the store's XML descriptions for the specified WIM
/ref Sets WIM references for an apply operation
/scroll Scrolls output for redirection
/split
Splits an existing WIM file into multiple read-only WIM parts

network shares or to modify the files contained in a configuration set.
You use Windows SIM on the technician computer, and then transfer your
Unattend.xml file to the master computer before creating your installation
image.
answer file A text file that scripts the answers for a series of graphical user interface
(GUI) dialog boxes
. The answer file for
Windows Setup is commonly called
Unattend.xml. You can create and modify this answer file by using
Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM) or the CPI APIs.
catalog A catalog (.clg) is a binary file that contains the state of the settings and
packages in a
Windows image.
Windows Preinstallation
Environment (Windows PE)
A minimal 32-bit operating system with limited services, built on the
Windows Vista kernel. PE is used only in the preinstallation and
deploy-
ment of Windows.
ImageX A command-line tool that captures, modifies, and applies installation
images for deployment in a manufacturing or corporate environment.
Windows Setup The program that installs the Windows operating system.
System Preparation Tool
(Sysprep)
Sysprep facilitates image creation and prepares an image for deployment
to multiple destination computers.
Windows Image
A single compressed file containing a collection of files and folders
that
duplicate a

Learn More
Learn more about how you can improve productivity, enhance efficiency, and sharpen your competitive edge.
Check out the following Global Knowledge courses:
Migrating to Windows Vista
Implementing and Maintaining
Windows Vista
For more information or to register, visit www.globalknowledge.com or call 1-800-COURSES to speak with a
sales representative.
Our courses and enhanced,
hands-on labs offer practical skills and tips that you can immediately put to use
.
Our expert instructors draw upon their experiences to help you understand key concepts and how to apply
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About the Author
T
imothy H.
Euler is the Chief Information Officer for I.T
.
Data Solutions based in Maryland. He has 12 years of
Advanced Networking experience, both in the Microsoft OS line and Cisco. He is also an Instructor for Global
Knowledge teaching in the Microsoft OS curriculum. His certifications include MCSE NT4.0, MCSE WIN2K,
MCSE 2003, Sec+, Net+, Server+, CCNA, CCNP.
Copyright ©2007 Global Knowledge T
raining LLC. All rights reserved.
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