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Windows Deployment Services PXE Provider DLL : Sample Provider
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The Windows Deployment Services PXE Server implementation can be
subdivided into two pieces – a PXE Server and a PXE Provider. The PXE
Server contains the core networking capability of the server solution.
The PXE Server supports a plug-in interface. Plug-ins are also known as
“PXE Providers”. The provider model allows for custom PXE solutions to be
developed while leveraging the same core PXE Server networking code base.
This sample provider allows you to create a DLL that may replace or run
in conjunction with the existing PXE Provider, BINL, on a Windows
Deployment Services server. The sample provider uses a text file as its
data store. It also contains code to add a Boot option for a BCD file to the DHCP
reply packet sent out by the server.
This sample consists of the following files -
SampProv.cpp
This is the main DLL source file. It contains implementations for
all required resource DLL entry points along with some helper
functions.
SampProv.h
Required header file that defines helper data structures.
SampProv.sln
This is the solution file for the Sample PXE Provider sample generated
using Visual Studio. This is the solution file which should be loaded
into Visual Studio to generate the executable for this sample.
SampProv.vcproj
This is a Visual Studio file which contains information about the
version of Visual Studio that generated the file, and information
about the platforms, configurations, and project features.
SampProv.def
This file contains information about the DLL that must be
provided to run with the Windows Deployment Services PXE Server
software. It defines parameters such as the name and description
of the DLL. It also exports functions from the DLL.
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Implementing a Custom PXE Provider Solution:
In order to implement a full end-to-end solution using the Windows
Deployment Services PXE Server you will need:
1. A Windows Server 2008 R2 server, Windows Server 2008 Server, Windows Server 2003 SP2,
or Windows Server 2003 SP1 server with the Windows Deployment Services server role
installed
2. A folder shared as ‘REMINST’
3. The WDS TFTP root (e.g.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WDSServer\Providers\WDSTFTP\RootFolder
Type=REG_SZ on Windows Server 2008 R2 machines) set to the folder shared as ‘REMINST’
4. Network boot programs such as wdsnbp.com, pxeboot.com, pxeboot.n12, etc.
placed on the share that the client will download and boot into
5. Bootmgr.exe, boot.sdi, a .WIM file containing a bootable image
(generally Windows PE), and an appropriate BCD file for network booting
the .WIM file placed on the network share
More information on network booting Windows PE may be found in the
documentation included in the Windows Automated Installation Kit for
Windows 7.
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Registering a Provider:
Registration of the sample provider requires two steps:
1. Create a registry key that represents your provider
a. Create a new key at
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WDSServer\Providers\WDSPXE\Providers
b. Create a new value under this key that specifies the name of your
provider DLL –
TYPE=REG_SZ
NAME=ProviderDLL
VALUE=<full path and .DLL name of your custom provider>
2. Specify the order of your provider.
a. Modify the key at
HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\WDSServer\Providers\WDSPXE
TYPE=REG_MULTI_SZ
NAME=ProvidersOrder
VALUE=<name of key created in 1a. above>
The Windows Deployment Services PXE Server passes incoming PXE requests to
the registered providers as ordered in this registry key. If you would like
your provider to always have the first opportunity to answer an incoming PXE
request, you should place it first in the list.
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Configuration File:
The sample provider uses a .ini file as its configuration data store. This
file tells the provider whether or not to answer clients and, if answering
clients, which network boot program the client should receive.
The sample code must be compiled in to .dll form, e.g. sampprov.dll. The .ini
configuration file must be named the same as the sampleprov,
e.g. sampprov.dll.sampprov.ini, and placed in the same directory as the .dll.
The .ini file has the following sections –
[Configuration]
DefaultBootProgram=<relative path to default NBP>
DefaultBcdFile=<relative path to BCD file>
[Devices]
<MAC Address prepended with 0s>=<relative path to NBP>
[BCDFiles]
<MAC Address prepended with 0s>=<relative path to BCD File>
Devices in the [Devices] section must be input as a MAC address. The value must
be 32 characters in length; therefore, the MAC address must be prepended by
20 ‘0’s. The name and path of the NBP and BCD file are relative to the ‘REMINST’ share.
If a device is not found in the [Devices] or [BCDFiles] section of the .ini file then the
value specified as the ‘DefaultBootProgram’ and 'DefaultBcdFile' will be used.
Example:
[Configuration]
DefaultBootProgram=boot\x86\pxeboot.com
DefaultBcdFile=boot\my.bcd
[Devices]
00000000000000000000FFEEDDCCBBAA=boot\x86\pxeboot.n12
ABCDEF0123456789ABCDEF0123456789=boot\x86\abortpxe.com
00000000000000000000AABBCCDDEEFF=boot\x64\pxeboot.n12
[BCDFiles]
00000000000000000000FFEEDDCCBBAA=boot\x86\my.bcd
00000000000000000000AABBCCDDEEFF=boot\x64\my.bcd
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