So, we’re getting ready to deploy Windows 10 next year by preparing for it this year.

Well, everything sucks and is miserable while trying to do it with Altiris Deployment Services and Ghost, so I took it upon myself to work on alternatives. WDS here we come.

This is the start of the project, and it starts with testing it in the Homelab. Well, the first part of getting the whole process started is: setting up the Homelab, which I’ve never done before.

So: Part 1 – Getting the first box setup.  This is going to be a guide for others to follow but mostly for me to follow as I learn the whole process.  I need a place to keep notes and this is the best place I can think of.  It also gives people the opportunity to tell me how stupid my implementation is, which is useful since I’m a bit of an idiot sometimes.

I am using Oracle VM VirtualBox to get this process started.  It is running on my desktop PC because I don’t have a virtual environment (YET).

I built a basic VM with Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard edition.

Steps Completed:

• Configure the VM.
  • General -> Advanced:
    • Shared Clipboard: Bidirectional
    • Drag’n’Drop: Bidirectional
  • System: Motherboard:
    • Base Memory: 4096 MB
    • Chipset: ICH9
    • Pointing Device: PS/2 Mouse
    • Enable I/O APIC
    • Enable EFI
  • System: Processor
    • Processors: 2
    • Enable PAE/NX
  • Display: Screen
    • Video Memory: 128 MB
    • Disabled all Acceleration (VM Would Not Start)
  • Storage: No Changes (except mounting installer ISO)
  • Audio: Disabled
  • Network
    • Adapter 1:
      • Attached to: Internal Network
      • Name: CondoNet-Enterprise
      • Adapter Type: Intel PRO/1000 MT Server
    • Adapter 2:
      • Attached to: Bridged Adapter
      • Adapter Type: Intel PRO/1000 MT Server
• Install Windows Server 2012 R2.

Steps In Progress:

• Update All The Things.  There are so many things.

Steps Pending:

• Take a snapshot.
• Setup Active Directory Services.
• Setup the Domain.
• Setup DNS.
• Setup DHCP.
• Define DHCP scopes.
• Verify DHCP working.
• Build a WDS instance on a different box.

It’s still doing Windows Updates.  It’s on the 3rd round of updates.

I have two NICs because I need one to enable me to use Remote Desktop Services from my desktop to control the server instead of having to rely on the VirtualBox console interface (yay for Headless/Detached instancing) while the other provides the private networking for things like DHCP among the VMs I want to work on.

More to follow.  It’s been a day.  I have a rant about work that I need to pump out but I’m too tired to deal with it right now.

Regardless, more to follow.