Configure WinPE

Integrate current WinPE PreBoot version

1. Download the latest WinPE PreBoot version from the Matrix42 Marketplace.
2. Log in to the Matrix42 Empirum Master Server with an administrative account and copy the archive to a local folder (Temp) on the Empirum Master Server.
3. Run the file WinPE_PreBoot_Support_x.x.x.exe (Run as administrator if UAC is enabled). The archive unpacks to the Empirum folder in the same directory.
4. Move (cut) the Empirum folder to the location where your Empirum installation is located, e.g. to D:\ if your Empirum installation is located in D:\Empirum. Confirm the folder merge with Yes and Move and Replace all requested files.

Import PreOS packages

A Matrix42 PreOS package can be imported like a software package via the Matrix42 Management Console and is then available in Empirum.

1. Start the Matrix42 Management Console (EMC), go to Configuration > Software Management > Depot in the navigation bar.
2. In the tree view, expand Register, right-click Matrix42 PreOS Packages and select Import/Export > Import Package.
   The dialog for importing software packages opens.
   
3. Click Next.
   
4. Click the directory button and select the \\%EmpirumServer%\Configurator$\PackageStore\PreOsPackages directory.

5. Click Next.
   
6. The Import Wizard displays all detected OS software packages. Select the latest packages from the list for DiskPartitioning, DomainJoin, DriverIntegration, EmpirumAgentSetup, LanguageInstallation, PxeOffAndReboot and WindowsInstallation.
7. Click Next.

8. The Import Wizard shows a summary of which packages will be imported afterwards. Click Done to complete the import.
9. After the successful import, the Import Wizard closes and the previously selected packages are displayed in the Matrix42 PreOS Packages tab.
   
   This is also the order in which the packages are executed later in the boot process. 

It is very helpful if you first configure the required PreOS packages for the respective action via Configuration > View Designer. Afterwards, these can simply be assigned to a group via drag & drop.

{
  "Disks": [
    {
      "Comment_Disks": "----------- 1. Additional Disk -----------",
      
      "Comment_PartitionSizeAsPercentage": [
        "PartitionSizeAsPercentage specifies if the partition size values should be interpreted as percentage values or GB values:",
        "- true: Interprets the partition size values as percent values",
        "- false: Interprets the partition size values as GB values"
      ],
      "PartitionSizeAsPercentage": true,
      
      "Comment_PreserveMode": [
        "The PreserveMode value specifies the handling of already existing partitions:",
        "- 0: All partitions will always be removed and recreated",
        "- 1: The partition will be keeped if it was made by empirum (or will be created if not exists).",
        "     Partition sizes and labels must match the configuration to be retained."
      ],
      "PreserveMode": 0,
      
      "Comment_Partitions": "The list of all partitions of the first disk",
      "Partitions": [
        {
          "Comment_Partitions": "----------- 1. Partition -----------",          
          "Comment_PartitionSize": "Partition size in GB value or percentage",
          "PartitionSize": 33,
          "Comment_PartitionLabel": "Label of the partition",
          "PartitionLabel": "Data2-1"
        },
        
        {
          "Comment_Partitions": "----------- 2. Partition -----------",          
          "PartitionSize": 33,
          "PartitionLabel": "Data2-2"
        }
        
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Import operating system sources and language packages

Before the Windows operating system (ISO) files can be imported, the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (WADK) 10 (2004 or newer) must be installed on the (master) server. 

The procedure for importing operating system files is described here.
The procedure for importing language packages is described here.

Create boot configuration

Boot configurations can be used to create a WinPE based PXE boot image based on the Windows ADK installed on the Empirum Master Server.

1. Switch to Configuration > Boot Configurations.

Create a new boot configuration using the New button.

Symbol definition:

•  One or more critical details are missing or incorrect.
•  Information or data has been changed but not yet saved.
•  The job is in the queue.
•  The boot configuration is being created in the background.
•  The boot configuration was successfully created.
•  An error occurred while creating the boot configuration.
•  The configuration has been changed in the background and can no longer be saved. A refresh is necessary to load the changes.
•  The boot configuration was deleted in the background and can no longer be saved. A refresh is required to remove the configuration from the list.

3. Enter a descriptive name and description according to your requirements.

4. Select WinPE as the configuration type to create a WinPE-based PXE boot image-if not already selected.

5. Select the desired agent template from the Agent Template drop-down box.
   If at least one agent template is configured, it will be entered directly. If several Empirum agent templates have been created, the first one is always displayed directly, sorted alphabetically.
6. To select which platforms are to be supported, you must check either EFI x86 or EFI x64 or select one of the platforms from the BIOS drop-down box. Multiple platforms can be selected at the same time. For BIOS, however, only one of the platforms can be selected at a time - either 32 bit or 64 bit. To create a configuration, at least one of the platforms must be selected. EFI x64 (64 bit) is selected as the default.
   

7. Advanced Properties allows you to set the TFTP Block Size, Self Provisioning and Driver Directories. Click the button  to show the fields.
   
   The TFTP block size setting can be used to adjust the transfer of the WinPE boot image to make it either more stable or faster.

Self Provisioning is described in detail here.

8. To include additional drivers into the WinPE boot image, click the button  below the list of additional driver folders.
   
   The Browse for Folder window will open, allowing you to select a directory.
9. Confirm the selection with OK.
   The selected directory will be added to the list of additional driver folders.
10. If several drivers have to be integrated, repeat the procedure from point 8.
     
    If you want to remove a driver directory, then click on the button  to the right of the driver directory entry.
11. After all settings have been made, confirm with Save and answer the security question with Yes.
    The configuration is saved in the database, the PXE boot image is created directly.
    

After saving the Empirum Preinstallation Environment configuration, the automatic creation of the PXE image is taken over by the Backend Task Queue extension.
After the PXE boot image has been successfully created, it is displayed with the specified name in Management > Administration under PXE-BootImages and can be assigned as usual using drag & drop.

Create variables configuration

To simplify the initial configuration, you can download a set of variable configurations for the OS Installer from the Matrix42 Marketplace (Add-ons button) and customize them for your environment. For this example, we use the variable configuration "1_v20.0.0__OS-Install.xml" or "1_v20.0.3__OS-Install.xml" from this package.

1. Download the variable configuration package here and unpack it into a directory (e.g. Temp) on the Empirum Master Server.
2. In the Matrix42 Management Console, go to Configuration > Variable Configurations and click the Import button at the bottom right.
   
3. Change to the directory (Temp) where you have unpacked the variable configuration package. Select the template "1_v20.0.x__OS-Install.xml" and click Open.
4. Confirm the successful import with OK.
5. A description which variables have to be adapted by you for your environment can be found here. In this case, this only concerns the variables of the Configuration OS Install variable. A description of the variables used can be found here: DiskPartitioning | DomainJoin | MX42_AGENT_PUSH_PACKAGE_FOLDER / FQDN | OS_RegionalSettings | WindowsInstallation
6. After all variables of the variable configuration OS-Install have been checked by you, adjusted to your environment, click Save in the bottom right corner.
   

After saving, this variable configuration is displayed in Management > Administration under Variable Configurations and can now be assigned via drag & drop. On the configuration side, all preparatory measures are now complete.

Create configuration group

In order for a computer to run the OS deployment via WinPE, the settings in the administration still have to be made.

1. In the Matrix42 Management Console, go to Management > Administration.
2. Create a new configuration group.
3. If you have created a view for the Matrix42 PreOS packages, drag them now to the newly created configuration group.
   Otherwise, under Software Packages > Matrix42 PreOS Packages, drag the Matrix42 PreOS packages
    - DiskPartitioning,
    - WindowsInstallation,
    - PxeOffAndReboot,
    - DomainJoin,
    - EmpirumAgentSetup
   to the configuration group.
   When using language package imports, the LanguageInstallation package must also be assigned.
   If additional drivers are to be integrated into the operating system, the DriverIntegration package must also be assigned.
   The Matrix42 PreOS package HardwareInfo is only required if you also want to read out the hardware information for the assigned client (log).
4. In the tree on the right, under Software Packages > Matrix42, drag the current Matrix42 UEM Agent Windows software package onto the configuration group.
5. On the right side of the tree, drag the variable configuration (OS Install) imported under Variable Configurations onto the newly created configuration group.
6. On the right side of the tree, drag the desired edition of the operating system under Operating System Imports > Microsoft > Windows 10 > x64 > "<your operating system import>" > e.g. Windows 10 Enterprise onto the configuration group.
7. If language packs are required, drag the desired language pack(s) to the configuration group under Language Pack Imports on the right side of the tree.
8. On the right side of the tree, drag the newly created WinPE boot image (WinPEx64) under PXE-BootImages onto the configuration group.
9. In the tree on the right, under Agent Templates, drag the agent template you need for this configuration onto the configuration group.
10. On the left side of the tree, under Unassigned Computers, drag a computer onto the configuration group. 
    The configuration group you created will look something like this:
    

In the properties of the assigned virtual client, the options marked in yellow must be specified! Either the UUID and/or the MAC address must be specified.
    
    Once all assignments have been made, the computer can be activated via the context menu.

11. Right-click on the configuration group and select Activate. In the Activation Wizard that opens, enable the PULL via DDS/DDC (Software packages only) and Enable PXE (Reinstall Computer) options. Click Next. Click Finish.
12. Start the assigned virtual client - the operating system is installed via the WinPE boot image.
    
    When the assigned WinPE boot image is started on the computer, the Matrix42 Universal Agent Framework starts automatically, executing the assigned packages one by one.

When the WindowsInstallation package is executed, the Windows installation is also executed.

After going through the various installation phases, the operating system is installed on the computer.