Windows Server 2003 on Proliants. Deployment Techniques and Management Tools for System Administrators

Customizing components in RDP is a powerful feature that is simplified by the easy-to-use GUI interface and granular architecture. This section covers some basic steps in using customizations to tailor components to fit specific needs.

Customizing the Jobs Pane

The Deployment Server Console is the user interface (UI) for managing and deploying servers. Within the console, all the jobs are categorized in a folder hierarchy in the Jobs pane, as shown in Figure 9.33. You can rearrange the folders and edit the jobs. This section explains how to add, copy, and delete job folders and jobs. For additional information about the customization features of the Web console, refer to the Altiris Deployment Solution 6.0 Product Guide at http://www.hp.com/servers/rdp .

note

Be sure to make copies of the provided jobs and files for backup to ensure that a working version exists in case you encounter a problem.

Adding a New Job or Folder

To add a new job or folder:

1. Right-click in the Jobs pane header, and select New Job or New Folder.

2. Enter a descriptive name for the new job or folder.

3. Press the Enter key.

Copying a Job or Folder

To copy a job or folder:

1. Right-click the job or folder, and select Copy.

2. Right-click another location in the Jobs pane, and select Paste.

note

The jobs in the RDP use long names to be descriptive. However, when attempting to copy these jobs, the name exceeds the 64-character limit of the Deployment Server Console and truncates because Altiris places Copy of in front of the job name.

Renaming a Job or Folder

To rename a job or folder:

1. Right-click the job or folder and select Rename, or select the job or folder and press the F2 key.

2. Enter a descriptive name for the job or folder.

3. Press the Enter key.

Deleting a Job or Folder

To delete a job or folder:

1. Right-click the job or folder, and select Delete.

2. Click Yes when prompted to confirm the action.

warning

Deleting a folder permanently deletes all jobs within that folder.

Moving a Job or Folder

To move a job or folder:

1. Select the job or folder.

2. Drag and drop the job or folder onto another folder. To create a top-level folder, drag and drop the folder onto the Jobs pane header.

Exporting a Job or Folder

To export a job or folder:

1. Right-click the job or folder.

2. Select Export, or Export Subfolders.

3. In the Export Select Job(s)/Folder(s) dialog box, click Browse to designate a directory and job file, or enter the path and file name in the Export to File Name text box.

note

Job files are usually denoted with the .bin extension.

4. Click OK.

Importing a Job or Folder

To import a job or folder:

1. Right-click within the Jobs pane.

2. Select Import.

3. In the Import Job dialog box, click Browse to locate the directory and job file, or enter the path and file name in the Job File to Import text box. Job files are usually denoted with the .bin extension.

4. Select the appropriate check boxes, and then click OK.

Customizing the ProLiant Integration Module for Deployment Server

The ability to customize the components that make up a job is one of RDP's most powerful features. The following sections provide information about customizing the ProLiant Integration Module for Deployment Server.

Modifying the Microsoft Windows unattend.txt File

You might want to modify the provided Windows unattend.txt file to

• Change the default Administrator password

• Change the default workgroup or domain name

• Select which OS components to install, such as Internet Information Services (IIS) or Terminal Services

For information about editing a Windows scripted install unattend.txt file, refer to "Customizing the Provided Jobs, Scripts, Tools, and Configuration Files" in the HP ProLiant Essentials RDPWindows Edition Installation Guide or the Windows 2000 online resource kit at http://www.microsoft.com./windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/default.asp .

Customizing the Hardware Configuration Settings

You might want to customize the provided configuration files to:

• Enable or disable Advanced Server Recovery (ASR)

• Change the default boot order

• Set the RAID level or number of logical drives

warning

The hardware configuration files are not OS-specific. The Linux scripted install jobs use these files also. Changing the supplied files might have unwanted consequences.

For information about editing configuration files, refer to the SmartStart Scripting Toolkit User Guide or http://www.hp.com/servers/sstoolkit .

Updating the PSP Files

You might want to update your jobs to reference new support files if you have:

• Created your own jobs

• Customized provided jobs

• Chosen not to overwrite the existing provided jobs when updating the RDP

For the location of the ss= variable within the provided scripted install jobs and file location on the Deployment Server, refer to Table 9-1 earlier in this chapter.