The setup process consists of many options, depending on the given environment and situation. With this in mind, there are several questions to ask and answer prior to initiating the setup process, whether on a single system or several systems in a roll-out. When thinking about the technical aspects of Setup with Windows 98, you are required to determine an optimal or preferred configuration for the workstations in your organization. There are many different choices that can be made as to how the systems are put together.
In the following sections, various configuration options for a workstation and their associated technical considerations are discussed. This information addresses certain features and defines how Windows 98 can be installed and administered in your organization. The following configuration options are discussed:
The location of Windows files is a critical decision affecting performance, security, and hard disk space on the client computer. Much of this depends on company "IS" policy and the need for centralized security and administration, as compared to the performance of the client computer. It also depends on the hardware resources available on the workstation. The options available here are running Windows 98 on the workstation for best performance and reduced network traffic. Conversely, you can choose to run Windows 98 from the server to reserve hard disk space on workstations and make it easier to upgrade components or drivers from a centralized location, especially if you have several workstations. This will also enable you to run "leaner," less expensive clients.
Another issue regarding the location of the system files is the machine- specific location of those files. Are the boot files and system files to reside on the same or different partition? One popular approach is to load the boot and system files on the same volume and all user data files on a separate partition. In the event of a system failure that requires a reinstallation, the volume that contains the boot and systems files is rebuilt, leaving the data files intact.
If possible, you should always use 32-bit, protected-mode network client software. This will afford the workstation on the network the best performance and the most functionality. Being able to do this is dependent on the compatibility of the network applications you have to run.
You have several options, which vary based on your network. For example, for NetWare networks, the 32-bit protected-mode client for NetWare Networks is the preferred client. Because of the performance boost, it requires no conventional memory, and increased functionality is provided by this client software. It is also easy to install and configure. Additionally, real-mode Novell NETX or VLM workstations might provide better compatibility with some of the network utilities. It is always the best course of action to use the latest network adapter drivers. Many of the most recent offerings provide improved performance and the ability to both load and unload the network while notifying the rest of the system. This results in less memory overhead in supporting the network drivers. Also, the NDIS 3.1 or later drivers support Plug and Play.
Whether or not you can deploy the latest, greatest network driver depends on the availability and compatibility of the new driver. You really need to do your homework here because the 32-bit, protected-mode drivers provide a real performance boost and are much more reliable than older drivers.
Related to a server-based installation is a push installation. A push installation enables the systems administrator to install Windows 98 on several systems without having to be physically at the workstation. This is accomplished by creating a login script that runs a setup script. You can also use a tool such as the Microsoft Systems Management Server to get the job done.
Another critical consideration is the use of peer resource sharing in the network. Choosing this feature is really based on your site's security needs. If you enable your users to share local resources on their computers, it is possible to minimize local network traffic and save on hard disk space requirements at the server. If your network requires centralized control and you don't want users sharing resources at will, then you need to prevent them from turning on this feature (see Figure 3.1). To prevent users from activating this feature, you will need to modify system policies. This feature can be installed only on computers that use a 32-bit, protected-mode network client. System Policies and User Profiles are covered in Chapter 29, "System Policies and User Profiles."
FIGURE 3.1Setting Access Control.
As an administrator, you can choose to implement user-level security in order to control a variety of services beyond network resource access. These resources include file and printer sharing, remote Registry access, running backup agents, and other network and system management functions. You would choose this feature to enable users to specify what users and groups have access to local shared resources on the workstation. This includes access to the Registry. If the system is participating in either a Windows NT or Novell NetWare environment, you can leverage the user account database of either to validate the access of the resource. Users at the workstation determine the access rights to their shared resources for individuals and groups, with this access being validated based on user accounts on a Windows NT domain or a Novell NetWare bindery. User-level security is required for remote administration of the Registry and for network access to full user profiles. User-level security can only be used if the Windows 98 system is connected to an NT or NetWare server.
This section looks at the following issues specific to a Server-based Setup:
The Server-based Setup program (NETSETUP.EXE) is used to config- ure the system designated as the server as the focal point of a network installation of Windows 98. This is typically the method used in a multiple system installation where the server installs to the client systems over the network the files required to run a shared installation of Windows 98.
NOTE: The Server-based Setup program, NETSETUP.EXE, is located on the Windows 98 CD-ROM in the ADMIN/NETTOOLS/NETSETUP directory.
After you have installed the Windows 98 source files on the server, Server-based Setup can be deployed to produce and enumerate directories that house the files necessary to support a network shared installation of Windows 98. Each of these directories contains specific configuration information for each system participating in a shared installation. Server-based Setup can also be used to participate in scripting installations of Windows 98 in an attempt to perfect the "hands-off" unattended installation. These script files are really batch files that support the automated setup process and are discussed in more detail later in this chapter. Various types of shared installations are supported by Windows 98:
In many situations, a shared installation can be used where users need to access different computers for various jobs such as point-of-sale data entry. Shared installations are also used in large networks with many thousands of computers with similar configurations.
A very critical issue when deciding how to deploy Windows 98 in the enterprise environment is the current configuration for workstations running either Windows 3.x or Windows 95. If the majority of the installations are running shared copies, the upgrade from either Windows 3.x or Windows 95 is a relatively simple task. Even so, you may also decide to reconfigure a client system to run Windows 98 from the local hard disk. If that is the case, all user applications require reinstallation with the desktop settings being redone. There are many reasons to install Windows 98 on the local hard drive instead of a network, server-based installation:
The benefits of using a shared installation include:
As with most issues in computing, there is always a trade-off in making one choice versus another. With a shared configuration it is easier to upgrade and maintain the system; it is all centralized. The trade-off is having a single point of failure in the server as well as increased network traffic.
In any event, if a shared installation is what you are planning to implement in your networked environment, there are several considerations to take into account.
Typically, the Server-based Setup process is done on a single server in your network. You select a specific machine in which to house the Windows 98 distribution files and any user home directories created as a result of the shared installation.
An interesting point to note is that the user home directories need not be located on the same system as the Windows 98 distribution files. Load balancing between two or more servers might be the way to go, especially if you have a large number of clients. This really depends on the number of clients you have and the resource configuration of the servers in question.
If your situation warrants it, you might choose to use more than two servers. An example of this would be in a multi-office network running TCP/IP. Each office would be a separate subnet and have its own server for the location of the Windows 98 distribution files. To take this example a step further, if each sub-net has a large number of users, you might decide to locate the Windows 98 system files on one system and the user home directories on another.
A push installation involves using the Windows 98 Setup program along with what is called a setup script. This can be used in conjunction with login scripts and user accounts on either a NetWare or Windows NT network. You do so to create an automated, set installation process for installing Windows 98 on multiple systems in a multi-system roll-out. If it is done correctly, it will enable the installer to set up Windows 98 on a remote computer across the LAN or WAN, saving time and personnel.
After you have configured the Server-based Setup and have copied the source files on one or more servers along with the setup scripts, you are ready to perform a push installation. The push installation can be deployed in the following ways:
If you are planning to upgrade from a Windows 3.x install base to a Windows 98 installation, the approach to handling the Windows 98 system is very different from that of Windows 3.x. To illustrate how an organization migrates from a Windows 3.x installation base to Windows 98, we will look at a fictitious example. In the following scenario, the organization in question is migrating from a Windows 3.x shared installation to Windows 98.
The company in this example originally installed Windows 3.x on the network in a shared fashion using the administrative share command setup /a. Each system has its own hard drive that houses the swap file, TEMP directory, and the hardware-specific SYSTEM.INI file. Windows 3.x components are installed in each user's home directory. All systems are running the NetWare real-mode networking using ODI drivers. When a user logs on to the network, the login script runs a file called STARTWIN.BAT. This file copies the computer's SYSTEM.INI file to the user's home directory and runs Windows. The Microsoft Office is also installed on and runs from the server.
In order to maintain the same functionality that the users had with their Windows 3.x systems, the systems administrator must do the following:
NOTE: If you need some help in putting together an INF file, there is a tool you can use, called the INF Generator (IG.EXE). The IG.EXE program can help you customize the automatic installation of Windows 98 in a large networking environment. You can find IG.EXE as a self-extracting file at http://support.microsoft.com/support/downloads/dp1974.asp.
To install the INF Generator tool, follow these steps:
On every workstation, have a login script execute that accomplishes the following:
Make sure to set the %installdir%=c:\windows directory to enumerate the machine directory in the setup script.
In this scenario, the Windows 98 Setup process installs the shared Windows 98 files to the local hard drive and in the machine directory for the workstation. The configuration parameters in the Windows 3.x .GRP, .INI, and REG.DAT files are copied to the Registry.
The following sections summarize the procedures for running login scripts from a Windows NT server or NetWare server for push installations.
If you are planning a massive installation of several Windows 98 systems, you might want to consider Systems Management Server (SMS). SMS enables you to perform an automatic upgrade with zero intervention from the person doing the installation or the end user. This section provides information about Systems Management Server and how it can help you in planning for and automating a Windows 98 rollout in your organization.
The initial step in the process of assuming an upgrade is to figure out the systems in the network that are appropriate for an upgrade to Windows 98. Using SMS, you query the SQL Server database that maintains all of the inventory data that SMS collects in order to locate all computers that might fit the upgrade specifications. A predefined hardware query included in SMS automatically examines the CPU, the operating system, the available hard disk space, and the installed RAM on the workstations. You can choose to use the automatic query or reconfigure it to return any additional inventory information required for the Windows 98 upgrade.
After you have qualified the appropriate workstations, you can commence with the upgrade of the systems to Windows 98. The following list summarizes the steps required in using SMS to roll out a systems upgrade to Windows 98.
A push installation using login scripts is the same whether you are running a network client with MS-DOS, Windows 3.x, or Windows 95. If you are using a special account to upgrade the system (in this case the Install98 account) as described earlier, these are the requirements:
If you decide you are going to run the logon script to initiate the push installation, you need to inform the users to log off the network, if necessary, and log back on using the Install98 user account and the relevant password. When a user logs back on to the system, assuming all is correctly configured, the Windows 98 setup process initiates automatically. This process uses the settings in the MSBATCH.INF file that are enumerated in the login script.
After the files are copied, Windows 98 restarts the system and begins what are called the Run-Once operations. These operations include processing the group conversions and other essential tasks. When the Run-Once operations are complete, Windows 98 is completely installed. When the user exits Windows 98 at the end of this process, Setup writes all changes to the Registry. The user merely commences with the restarting of the system and logging on as usual with the day-to-day username and password.
If you choose, you can install Windows 98 on a system and dual boot with Windows NT. The following section provides some information for installing Windows 98 in a dual-boot configuration with Windows NT.
First of all, if you are planning to dual boot between Windows 98 and Windows NT, the entry BootMulti=1 needs to be set in the Windows 98 version of the MSDOS.SYS file, located in the root directory of the boot drive.
To continue the installation of Windows 98 to dual boot with Windows NT, do the following:
Another thing to note is that if your computer has the Windows NT file system (NTFS) installed on any partitions, those volumes will not be accessible to Windows 98.
To run MS-DOS after Windows 98 has been installed, you must select the MS-DOS option from the Windows NT multi-boot menu. Then, from the Windows 98 Startup menu, select the Previous Version of MS-DOS option.
You might also want to install Windows NT on a computer where Windows 98 has been previously installed. To do so, go to the command prompt, switch to the directory that contains the Windows NT distribution files, and then type winnt /w. The WINNT program is a 16-bit, MS-DOS-based application that initiates the installation process of Windows NT. It copies the Windows NT Setup files to the hard disk and uses those files to install Windows NT. The /w switch enables the 16-bit WINNT program to run under Windows 98. This switch also enables Windows NT Setup to skip the CPU detection process and the automatic restart at the end of Setup. If you already have a set of the three Windows NT setup disks, you can run the WINNT command with the /b switch. This precludes NT Setup from creating the three disks for startup, writing the installation files to a temporary location on the system's hard drive instead.
All in all, it is usually not a very good idea to have systems configured for dual boot. Doing so opens up any number of hardware configuration setting conflicts and problems with installed applications and their executables. It is best to choose a single operating system for the desktop. The exception to this is the situation where you might not have the extra system to test a second operating system, or you have test systems specifically set aside for such experimentation.
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