How to Create and Deploy Server Images of Service Manager

 

Updated: May 13, 2016

Applies To: System Center 2012 SP1 - Service Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Service Manager, System Center 2012 - Service Manager

You can use the information in this topic to create a system image that contains Windows server, SQL Server, and Service Manager for use as a template that you can apply to new servers. Follow the basic steps below to prepare the image. You can modify them, as needed for your environment. For more information about the Windows System Preparation Tool, What is Sysprep?

Note


Details about installing SQL Server using a configuration file are not covered in this topic. For more information about using a configuration file to install SQL Server, see Install SQL Server 2012 Using a Configuration File.

Afterward, modify and save the sample CMD file below to create your own customized version and then run the file.

To prepare the server for imaging

  1. Install Windows Server on the new server.

  2. Install SQL Server in Prepare for imaging mode. This installs the binary files, but does not configure SQL server.

    Note


    SQL server is unusable at this point.

  3. Copy the SQL Server installation files to a temporary location on the server. For example, c:\Runonce\ SQLFULL_ENU.

  4. Copy the System Center 2012 Service Manager installation files to a temporary location on the server. For example, c:\Runonce\SCSM.

  5. Save the example CMD file shown below and customize it for your environment, where necessary. This file will run SQL Server setup to complete the SQL Server installation and then run an unattended installation of Service Manager. Save this file to a temporary location such as C:\Runonce\FirstRun.cmd.

  6. Run the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) with the /generalize command to generalize the server.

  7. Capture the Windows installation with ImageX, by creating a reference images with which to install servers with the same hardware configuration.

  8. Create a Windows Unattend.xml file to customize Windows when the image is booted and have it run FirstRun.cmd.

To create a CMD file that completes image installation

  • Copy the following sample and modify it, as needed.

    @echo off  
    
    set ServiceAccountDomain=contoso  
    set ServiceAccountName=Administrator  
    set ServiceAccountPassword=P@$$word  
    
    echo Finalizing SQL installation...  
    start /wait c:\RunOnce\SQLFULL_ENU\setup.exe /ConfigurationFile=c:\RunOnce\SQL2012Complete.ini  
    
    echo Installing additional SQL features...  
    start /wait c:\RunOnce\SQLFULL_ENU\setup.exe /ConfigurationFile=c:\RunOnce\SQL2012Shared.ini  
    
    echo Installing System Center Service Manager...  
    start /wait C:\RunOnce\SCSM\setup.exe /Install:Server /AcceptEula /RegisteredOwner:SCSM /RegisteredOrganization:Microsoft /CreateNewDatabase /SqlServerInstance:%computername% /ManagementGroupName:%computername% /AdminRoleGroup:%ServiceAccountDomain%\%ServiceAccountName% /ServiceRunUnderAccount:%ServiceAccountDomain%\%ServiceAccountName%\%ServiceAccountPassword% /WorkflowAccount:%ServiceAccountDomain%\%ServiceAccountName%\%ServiceAccountPassword% /CustomerExperienceImprovementProgram:Yes /EnableErrorReporting:Yes /silent  
    

See Also

Deployment Scenarios for System Center 2012 - Service Manager