Lamini - 70-270 track

Lamini

Jan 3 2010
Received and on chapter 2 of the Microsoft Press 70-270 book. I got stumped at the RIS portion as Ive never done fresh XP installs from a network. Been googling/Wiki'ing, no good news. I bought testout videos and they avoided the topic, but they advertise it. MS book is no different, just describes it, does not do the "How". Im thinking of skipping this part and coming back to it later as Ive easily lost a day playing with VMs, BARTPE, Ghost, etc. I dont think I would have this issue if I had real machines (?); XP Client VM comes up with a IP Address not even in the DHCP pool/subnet of my router serving addresses. I additionally feel that this is bigger than what I have played with; research shows using thin clients, bartPE, Server2003, and probably a handful of other utilities, but they are tangents for RIS (?).

Is the jist of RIS to just make a "network client" bootable (somehow, with the many different options, nothing specific) and look for a share on a server or workgroup computer providing the xp installation or image?

I know but have not played much with WSUS and understand you can use that to deploy updates to a network, but is there such a method using S2K3 and XP ALONE to deploy images via a network? Also looking for not just guides, but also something that SHOWS you RIS process in S2K3 + XP environment (there is one on youtube for Server2000).

I cant wait to get over RIS, its killing me. Using Testout videos (just started 2 days ago), I have just taken the test at the end of each chapter and scoring 80%+ first try, but I have been going back to make sure my final score is 100% (it tracks all your scores).

Also have on order the ExamCram2 70-270 study guide and practice questions to continue the tradition as I feel those books pack a punch as short as those books are, and I do feel I know xp better than I feel, minus the ENTERPRISE items, ie RIS, or procedures that dont make sense to do in an environment of < 4 computers. This may also be my shortfall as my lab experience is about 5 or less computers to play with. As I have learned from previous job interviews, the enterprise stuff (and the lack of experience in it) ALWAYS, and immediately, turned a good interview to a bad one.

TOOLS:
VMWare 7, Technet downloads (Server2003, Windows XP), Techexams.net :P
Laptop - Sager NP9280; (OS) 2x80Gb Intel x25 SSD (RAID0); I7-920@2.66Ghz; 6Gb DDR3 RAM; (DATA) 320gb internal Western Digital Scorpio Black (read: VMs); Windows 7 64x
Sager NP9280 - XOTIC PC - Clevo D900F Ultimate Custom Laptop

Lamini

found this:
Remote Installation Services

maybe I'll find something in there...

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/325862/
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb742378.aspx

I just had to add this site to Favorites, it rocks! good stuff. free.
http://www.mcmcse.com/microsoft/info/70270.shtml

CompuTron99

Check here:

Installing Windows XP Using Remote Installation Services (RIS) - Windows XP 70-270 Free Certification Tutorial - Free Certification Tutorials - Learnthat.com

I recently took the 270 and there were quite a few RIS questions.

Lamini

thanks computron99, just started looking at it and I already see a little light at the end of the tunnel. i had the jist it seems, but i will still need to do more research as far as the nuts and bolts as it bugs me that I cannot deploy images using RIS. I just so happened to have found a copy of Server2003 Standard (not sp2) so maybe I can play with that and an XP VM (or is WDS not that different?).

again, thanks

read the documentation couple times and makes sense. actually doing now in vmware. thank you, good stuff

edit:

put server2003 on a VM, had dns/ad/dhcp running on thet network. had a xp vm boot from network card, no joy. tried to do it on a physical network, no luck either; "no boot filename received. ran through the procedure from the link above

Lamini

for some reason, it would not work at all with my wrt150 as the dhcp server. regardless, isolated it down to the dhcp server and took the router out of the picture and it runs perfect. my toy server 2003 running the dhcp role now, for the sake of just wanting to go through the motions. now playin with slipstreaming/custom images, and this thing i never played with, ripprep, acronis and symantec spoiled me there if i understand that it is just a built in windows imaging application

Lamini

just as i was getting my workload done so that I could study.

just as i signed up for more classes to work on my degree...

my boss just had a lil chat with me and notified me that I was one of the top performers last year, then ends with a line somewhere along :

~ "we will be bringing someone else on board, he will be the technical lead and you'll need to train him up to where you are."

he's got the requirements to meet the position, but will need several more to be managing me, not to mention non technical requirements. All he has is a Net+ =( (which is just a little less than what I have).

oh well, more motivation to work on a retiring certification, this time its "oh $hit, Im about to be replaced". that should be plenty of motivation, we'll see...

Lamini

I was going to sign up for the 70-270 exam end of month as planned as I finished up Trainsignal/TestOut CBTs (imo Trainsignal>TestOut!), skimmed the MS70-270 book, and i get a phone call from a local IT training company. I drove up to the place and she totally coordinated using my MGIB benefits singlehandedly in front of me.. same place I took my net+ and sec+ exams last year.

Their bread and butter is MCSE course... will be lilttle under couple K after MGIB and repeat customer discounts, I figured what the hell, sign me up for MCSE and get it done, Ive read the 70-270 to include finishing the CBTs, and about 1/2 of the 70-290 and did the CBTs as well, and lot of other required researching to get the job at work done. First of all, its not a boot camp. Its 4hrs per night, several nights per week (an hour away!), starts next week and ends in May. I spoke to the instructor, seemed like he knew his stuff. Only catch was exams are not included; MGIB pays them 100% (pass). Put a nice dent on my wallet, but I know in the long run MCSE will get me through. Reading ahead on the books now.

Now its for real. game on.

Lamini

Finishing up studying for 70-270. Two books read, Sybex + MSPress, fast forwarded through majority of the TrainSignal videos (good - also listened to the entire audio book during commuting) and TestOut (OK), little wiki/google/youtube here and there to fill the gaps. Will start/finish ExamCram of course this weekend and do the questions to get some confidence (tradition!)

70-290 starts next week! 290 is only about 4 weeks so will test for it as soon as that section is done (Ive read the MS Press 290 book and seen 290 TestOut CBTs at least twice in the last year. Also been using the MS Press books: companion, Group Policy guide, and the Windows Registry books as needed at work/free time.

Scheduling for 270 Test Saturday March 13.

CompuTron99

Is it just me, or are the guys on the Test-Out CD's all wearing the same shirt?

phoeneous

Lamini wrote: »

had a xp vm boot from network card, no joy

Make sure the RIS server is authorized for dhcp first. And when you boot the client, push F12 twice, thats what I had to do to get the pxe boot menu to come up.

Lamini

The TestOut 70-270 guy is definitely not someone I would have someone up in front of a classroom teaching

Lamini

phoeneous wrote: »

Make sure the RIS server is authorized for dhcp first. And when you boot the client, push F12 twice, thats what I had to do to get the pxe boot menu to come up.

I got RIS mostly working, the client would see the RIS server and start up, but it would halt/pause right in the middle of it all. I figure its because I used slipstream. Since the client booted from the RIS server, found the installation file, and was copying files, etc.. that proved everything was working. But I get the jist of it, its a network install of windows xp.

what im really interested in now is how to use one image for all of my different machines (XP workstations). Ive heard of people with 40+ different machines and using 1 image at least once now.

Lamini

so far the 70-270 exam was the only certification where I actually answered more questions on the real exam than the practice exams altogether, 70-270 complete!

Lamini

70-290 completed today. First exam Ive completed without doing practice exams. Little behind on the course however, hoping to catch up... missing too many classes (need $$$ to pay them bills ya know).

peanutnoggin

Lamini wrote: »

70-290 completed today. First exam Ive completed without doing practice exams. Little behind on the course however, hoping to catch up... missing too many classes (need $$$ to pay them bills ya know).

CONGRATS on your 70-290 exam completion!

kenny831

Congrats!

Lamini

70-291 PASSED!

weewt, finally MCSA. This was a bit more challenging than previous 270, 290. Up next is 70-293... they say its downhill from here. we'll see...

Devilsbane

Lamini wrote: »

70-291 PASSED!

weewt, finally MCSA. This was a bit more challenging than previous 270, 290. Up next is 70-293... they say its downhill from here. we'll see...

Congrats, hopefully in about a month and a half I can say the same thing.

I also had trouble with the RIS on the 270, still easily passed the test though.

earweed

Congrats!

Lamini

Between coming up with the cash to pay for the course, all the travelling for work required, on top of regular long work hours, and family of course... im being forced to take a break... energy reserves are low. Im not on the full speed ahead mode as I was previously, obviously. 70-293 was failed by several students in class and our original/information instructor had to take off and my interest plunged dramatically (so did others) with the new instructor, so much I skipped most classes as he taught straight out of the book. One thing that frustrates me about IT courses are instructors who read out of books, why would someone pay $,$$$ for a course only to have someone else read a book for me is below common sense, I was hungry for hands on, lessons learned, technical into the dirt work. But, i did pay for it, so it will be complete. I am glad I bought the preplogic audio books as just thinking of reading another book is a turn off... give me a couple more weeks to knock this one out... zZzzZzzZzz

Devilsbane

Better than an instructor I had. He didn't teach out of the book, but he also didn't teach at all.

Lamini

Its been a while.

How life humors me, I was studying for my MCSE2003 design certs, then Server2008R2 + Exchange2010 fell on my lap and I've been running it ever since. Yup, I abandoned the MCSE2003 track, only got the MCSA.

I've used my tiny experience to make the two newer software work, but nothing special. Its exiting, frustrating, tiring... same ol same ol. I'll be chasing the MCTS E2kX cert only because I'm a lone sysad and need the hands on; S2k8 did not change much from S2k3, at least not as drastic from E2k3-->E2kX... perhaps if there is time/$$$ will chase MCITP-EA.

Will also be chasing the CCNA, I guarantee that. Working in DoD, I dont really have a choice but eventually get my CISSP when the load slows down (its only increased for me).