Shorter IT Solutions https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/kingstonhui/feed.xml Get things done. Read shorter posts Wed, 17 Apr 2019 03:25:25 GMT en-US hourly 1 Automated System Center 2012 R2 Installation https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/kingstonhui/automated-system-center-2012-r2-installation Tue, 21 Jan 2014 04:34:00 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/kingstonhui/2014/01/21/automated-system-center-2012-r2-installation/ PDT (PowerShell Deployment Tools) is the most awesome and efficient tool to replace all separate product installers or even the Unified Installer for System Center 2012 R2.  Whole process takes 20 mins to create the VMs and maybe 100 mins on a SSD drive if all goes well.  Requirements?   250GB disk space free and 32GB RAM on your Hyper-V host.   

https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/PowerShell-Deployment-f20bb605#content

Crash course:

  1. Download Convert-WindowsImage.ps1, and create Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 2008 R2 sysprep images.
  2. For all other instructions, this post is very helpful.  https://johansenreidar.blogspot.ie/2013/08/system-center-deployment-with-pdt-25.html

Caveats:

  • Downloader.ps1 will download all files you need ... well almost all and things you may not want.  e.g.  SC2012 SP1 installers for all SC products
    • Edit Download location to match
  • Variable.xml assumes you have a domain to join
  • VariableAD.xml will setup AD as well.  Rename to variable.xml to use.
  • For a successful installation of System Center Configuration Manager, your VM must have internet access or it cannot download the pre-reqs that are part of the installer.  https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg682042.aspx
    • alternative is to download those pre-reqs and drop them into this download folder: <download path>\SystemCenter2012R2\ConfigurationManager.DL
  • Change "Differencing" to "Copy" if you want to use standalone disks for each VM instead of differencing disks.
  • Give 4GB RAM to your DC (default is 2GB) to speed installation a little.

]]> Planning for Azure VMs https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/kingstonhui/planning-for-azure-vms Tue, 24 Dec 2013 23:40:00 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/kingstonhui/2013/12/24/planning-for-azure-vms/ I suggest you deploy AD first.  https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/manage/services/networking/active-directory-forest/

Next, for Azure VMs, use:

  • VHD.  VHDX not supported
  • Add-AzureVHD to upload VHDs to Azure. 

    • Download Azure Powershell here: https://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/downloads/
    • It also converts your dynamic disks to fixed (the only supported option in Azure) automatically.
  • DHCP.  Static IP addresses not supported in Azure VMs. 

]]> Where is makecert.exe? Updated answer for 2013 https://docs.microsoft.com/archive/blogs/kingstonhui/where-is-makecert-exe-updated-answer-for-2013 Mon, 23 Dec 2013 23:35:00 GMT https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/kingstonhui/2013/12/23/where-is-makecert-exe-updated-answer-for-2013/ If you want to manage your Azure subscription using a self-signed cert, download Visual Studio 2013 Express (Free!) and makecert is included. https://www.visualstudio.com/en-us/downloads/download-visual-studio-vs.aspx

An alternative is to download the Windows SDK and installing only the .Net Framework Tools.

It takes Windows a while before it indexes your drive, so even after you install the tools, you may not find it from Search in Windows 8.x.  In that case, you can navigate to the folders below, depending on which version of the Visual Studio/SDK you have installed.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v7.1A\Bin (win7 SDK)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\bin\x64 (win8)

C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.1\bin\x64 (win8.1)

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