Windows Embedded Standard 2009...

i

Windows Embedded Standard 2009

Not for resale.

Certification Exam PreparationPreparation Kit

CTSMExam 70-577

Automation

ii Table of Contents

Contents at a Glance

1 Creating and Customizing the Configuration

2 Managing the Development Environment

3 Integrating Embedded Enabling Features

4 Creating Components

5 Generating and Deploying an Image

6 Adding Windows Functionality

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Chapter 1

Creating and Customizing the Configuration

A Microsoft® Windows® Embedded Standard 2009 operating system (OS) image isessentially a collection of Windows XP components that includes a hardwareabstraction layer (HAL) and a set of device drivers that enable the operating system toaccess the underlying hardware. Before deploying an OS image based on WindowsEmbedded Standard 2009 to your device, you must customize it to support thedevice’s specific hardware. When you install the Windows XP desktop operatingsystem on a new computer, the setup process detects the system hardware andconfigures the HAL and device drivers for you prior to installing the operating system.However, unlike the full version of Windows XP, Windows Embedded Standard 2009is an operating system optimized for embedded devices, customized for a specifictask, and often reduced in size for a smaller footprint. You include only thosecomponents in your OS image that are actually needed to implement the desireddevice functionality. This also means that you include only the suitable device driversfor your specific hardware components so it is functional yet compact.

Exam objectives in this chapter:

■ Creating platform configuration files

■ Configuring computer components

■ Checking and resolving component dependencies

■ Optimizing the pre-First Boot Agent (FBA) image footprint

■ Modifying the configuration

■ Configuring the operating system for sealing and cloning

2 Chapter 1 Creating and Customizing the Configuration

Before You BeginTo complete the lessons in this chapter, you must have the following:

■ An understanding of computer hardware and operating systems.

■ Experience with Windows security concepts.

■ Experience with componentization.

■ An understanding of the role of packages, groups, and repository sets.

■ Application-level development experience on Windows XP and Windows XPEmbedded.

■ Knowledge of deployment options and methodologies.

■ Knowledge of embedded enabling features.

■ A development computer with Windows Embedded Studio for WindowsEmbedded Standard 2009 and Virtual PC 2007 installed with a Windows XPPro virtual machine deployed.

Lesson 1: Creating and Customizing the Configuration 3

Lesson 1: Creating and Customizing the ConfigurationA platform configuration is a collection of components that make up a WindowsEmbedded Standard 2009 operating system image. As already mentioned, it may beimportant to build an operating system with the smallest footprint possible forembedded devices. To accomplish this, you can include in your image only thecomponents necessary to support existing hardware. In this situation, you may notknow if you have included all the necessary dependencies for the components youhave added. However, Windows Embedded Studio provides you with a foolproofprocedure to include the parts you need.

After this lesson, you will be able to:

■ Use Target Analyzer to identify your target hardware.■ Create a new configuration.

Estimated lesson time: 25 minutes.

Identify Target Device HardwareThe first step in creating a run-time image is to identify the hardware of the targetdevice by running the Target Analyzer tool. There are two versions of the tools,Tap.exe that runs on 32-bit systems and Ta.exe, which is 16-bit. Only use Ta.exe whenyou cannot use Tap.exe, such as for 16-bit Microsoft MS-DOS® devices. Tap.exee n u m e r a t e s t h e ke y s a n d v a l u e s l o c a t e d i n t h e re g i s t r y u n d e rHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet and saves it to a .pmq file,which is an Extensible Markup Language (XML) file describing the hardware of thetarget. You can run Tap.exe on Windows XP, Windows 2000 Service Pack 2, orWindows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE). Windows PE includes aminimal hardware profile of the target hardware. When you run Tap.exe in WindowsPE, the resulting .pmq file includes that minimal hardware profile. If you use thisprofile to create a run-time image, you may have to work harder to manually finddrivers that may be missing in the minimal configuration.

TIP Analyzing Hardware Best Practices

Even though the documentation offers various scenarios for the developer to run Tap.exe, con-sider the following practice to save time: install any version of Windows XP on the target device,ensure that it runs without problems, and then run Tap.exe to analyze the hardware.

This approach saves you time because you have already verified that Windows XP runs properlyon the hardware, so any issues you encounter during the development process are unlikely tobe the result of a hardware conflict.


Hardware Detection with Target AnalyzerBy defaul t , you can f ind Tap .exe in t he C :\Prog ram Fi les\WindowsEmbedded\Utilities folder (on a development machine running Windows XP orWindows Vista® x86), unless you installed Windows Embedded Studio to a differentpath or disk. The executable is a small console application less than 64 KB in size.

To identify your target device’s hardware, start the device using Windows XP (thepreferred system), Windows 2000 SP2, or Windows Vista x86. Next, copy Tap.exe tothe target device and run Tap.exe at a command prompt. For a listing of the availableparameters that you can pass to Tap.exe, type Tap.exe /?. If you run it by double-clicking its icon, the default output file, named devices.pmq, appears in the samedirectory as Tap.exe. Copy the output file to your development computer. This filecontains a description of the hardware collected from the registry. See File 1-1 for anexample of a hardware component.

<DEVICE ConfigFlags="0">

<DEVICEDESC>@input.inf,%hid.devicedesc%;USB Human Interface Device</DEVICEDESC>

<HARDWAREIDS>

<DEVICEID Order="1">USB\VID_0A5C&PID_4502&REV_0100</DEVICEID>

<DEVICEID Order="2">USB\VID_0A5C&PID_4502</DEVICEID>

</HARDWAREIDS>

<COMPATIBLEIDS>

<DEVICEID Order="1">USB\Class_03&SubClass_01&Prot_01</DEVICEID>

<DEVICEID Order="2">USB\Class_03&SubClass_01</DEVICEID>

<DEVICEID Order="3">USB\Class_03</DEVICEID>

</COMPATIBLEIDS>

</DEVICE>

File 1-1 Example of PMQ hardware node

A 16-bit version of Target Analyzer, Ta.exe, is available for running in a DOSenvironment or in Windows PE. You can use Ta.exe to start a DOS environment, startyour device, and run Ta.exe on it to analyze your hardware. However, you should usethis method only if you have no other way to create a .pmq file because in a DOSenvironment, Ta.exe would detect the presence of most hardware, except for devicessuch as Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI), USB and other buses.Moreover, Ta.exe does a best guess for the HAL and CPU.


Resolving unidentified devicesYou may occasionally encounter an issue where the component database fails toidentify a device. This may happen due to version incompatibility. However, if youlook up the Vendor ID (VID) and Product ID (PID), you can use that information tohelp you search in the database for the correct component and resolve the issue.

Resolving ACPI Processor TypeIf you run Target Analyzer on PE version 1 (XP-based) or on an XP-based computer,the .pmq file clearly indicates your processor type. If you run Target Analyzer on PEversion 2 (Vista-based) or on a Vista-based computer, then the .pmq file fails to givea clear indication of the processor type. See File 1-2 and File 1-3 for the differencesbetween the outputs. This situation causes Component Designer to create twodifferent components of the exact same computer, depending on the operatingsystem you used to analyze your hardware. If you run Tap.exe on Vista, you mustresolve the ACPI processor type manually.


<DEVICEDESC>ACPI Multiprocessor PC</DEVICEDESC>

<HARDWAREIDS>

<DEVICEID Order="1">acpiapic_mp</DEVICEID>

</HARDWAREIDS>

<COMPATIBLEIDS>

<DEVICEID Order="1">DETECTEDInternal\ACPI_HAL</DEVICEID>

<DEVICEID Order="2">DETECTED\ACPI_HAL</DEVICEID>

</COMPATIBLEIDS>

</DEVICE>

File 1-2 A section describing HAL component type in a .pmq file generated on an XP-based device


<DEVICEDESC>@hal.inf,%acpiapic.devicedesc%;ACPI x86-based PC</DEVICEDESC>

<HARDWAREIDS>

<DEVICEID Order="1">acpiapic</DEVICEID>

</HARDWAREIDS>

<COMPATIBLEIDS>

<DEVICEID Order="1">DETECTEDInternal\ACPI_HAL</DEVICEID>

<DEVICEID Order="2">DETECTED\ACPI_HAL</DEVICEID>

</COMPATIBLEIDS>

</DEVICE>

File 1-3 A section describing HAL component type in a .pmq file generated on a Vista-based device


Development with Windows PEWindows PE is a minimal operating system that you can use for Windows EmbeddedStandard 2009 development tasks, such as deploying a run-time image to a disklessdevice by using a CD, DVD, or a USB Disk on Key (DoK) storage device. Windows PEincludes the following:

■ A hardware-independent Windows environment with a small footprint.

■ A command-line interface (cmd.exe) capable of running batch files andWindows Script Host.

■ Network access and support for standard in-box network drivers that may berequired for copying images and test suites from a network that uses TCP/IP.

■ Support for all mass-storage devices that use Windows 2000 or Windows XPdrivers.

■ Native support to manipulate NTFS file system partitions.

■ Hardware diagnostics.

Creating a New ConfigurationAfter analyzing the hardware of your target device by running Tap.exe or Ta.exe, youcan create a new configuration for your target device by completing two steps: createa hardware platform component, and then create a new configuration and add thiscomponent to it. You could import the .pmq file directly into Target Designer to formthe basis of your configuration, but this would restrict you to a one-timeconfiguration. To be able to reuse the information in the .pmq file in otherconfigurations, turn it into a component and import it to the components databaserepository.

Importing a .pmq FileTo create a hardware platform component that matches your target device, openComponent Designer in Windows Embedded Studio and select Import from the Filemenu. Select the desired .pmq file, as shown in Figure 1-1. In the Import File dialog,enter the name for the log file (for example, Pk101) and then click the Start button toimport the .pmq file into Component Designer. Click the Close button when theimport finishes and verify that the Devices.sld file appears in the SLD browser pane.


Figure 1-1 Importing a .pmq file

TIP Checking for missing components

It can take a long time for Component Designer to turn the information in the .pmq file into acomponent. It is worthwhile to scan the log file for warnings of possible missing components.These components may be missing from the component database or may be named differentlythan in the database. For drivers that are not in the database you need to componentize themand import them into the database.

Adding a Component to the Platforms GroupOnce you have imported a component into Component Designer, you can view andadjust the component’s properties. For example, you can rename the component toPk101_devices and add a group membership. Among other things, you can add thecomponent to the platforms group. This enables you to categorize the component,


configure its dependencies, and find the component far more efficiently in theComponent Browser of Target Designer. Figure 1-2 shows the corresponding AddComponent Group Membership dialog box, which you can access by right-clickingGroup Membership in Component Designer and selecting the Add GroupMembership option from the context menu.

Figure 1-2 Add Component Group Membership dialog box

Importing a Component Definition into the Component DatabaseAt this point, you are almost ready to import the hardware platform component,sometimes referred to as the component definition, into the component database anduse it in Target Designer. First, you must save the component definition as a .sld file,such as Pk101.sld. The name for the .sld file should reflect the specific hardware itrepresents. This naming convention enables you to handle different target computers,in case you have more than one hardware platform. Next, open Component DatabaseManager in Windows Embedded Studio. From the Tool menu, select the Databasetab, and then click Import to display the Import SLD dialog box. Browse to the .sldfile, select it, click Open, and then click Import to add the selected componentdefinition to the database, as shown in Figure 1-3.


Figure 1-3 Adding a component to the database by importing a .sld file

Creating the ConfigurationTo use your new hardware platform component in a configuration, select New fromthe Target Designer File menu to bring up the New Configuration dialog box. Enter aconfiguration name, such as Pk101, and confirm it by clicking OK. The Pk101.slxconfiguration appears in the configuration editor.

Target Designer provides many templates for most categories of devices. Whencreating a configuration for a particular device, you may want to see if there is a designtemplate that matches the kind of device you want to create. In this example, we willcreate an information appliance device. In the Component Browser (left pane ofTarget Designer), expand the Design Templates node, where you can find templates.Drag the Information Appliance component to the configuration editor (center pane).This is the first step because the configuration does not yet contain your device’shardware details. You must also add the hardware platform component you created tothe configuration. To add the hardware component to the configuration, locate it byusing the Search tool of Component Browser to find pk101_devices and then add itto the configuration by dragging it to the configuration editor pane.


You can add additional components, such as the Explorer Shell, in a similar way.Locate them by using the Search function and then drag them to the configurationeditor pane. Figure 1-4 shows how added components display in the configurationeditor.

Figure 1-4 Added components displayed in the configuration editor

Add the following other necessary components:

■ The NTFS file system: NTFS (Software\System\System Services\Base node), seethe note below.

■ The boot loader: NT Loader (Software\System\System Services\Base node).

■ Formatting capability: NTFS Format (Software\System\Storage & FileSystems\Applications node).

■ At least one language for the operating system: Language Support(Software\System\International\Infrastructure node).

■ Windows Explorer UI component: User Interface Core (Software\System\UserInterface\Shells\Windows Shell).


In the example, after you have added these components, save Pk101.slx.

NOTE File system components

Alternatively, you may add the FAT file system especially if you do not need the added securityattributes that come with the NTFS file system.

Lesson SummaryWindows Embedded Studio provides you with a variety of tools to develop aWindows Embedded Standard 2009 operating system image. The tools includeTarget Analyzer to identify the target computer’s hardware, and Component Designerto turn the information created by Target Analyzer into a hardware platformcomponent. Target Designer provides you with a collection of starting blocks forvarious possible embedded devices in the form of basic design templates. You canstart your design from scratch and build your own.

Quick Check1. What is the reason you should analyze your target hardware?

2. How do you identify your target computer’s hardware?

3. How do you create a component from this specific hardware information?

4. How do you import the component to the database?

5. How do you create a new configuration?

Quick Check Answers

1. To ensure your configuration includes the correct components and the small-est footprint.

2. Run Target Analyzer on the target device.

3. Create the component by importing the Target Analyzer’s output file to Com-ponent Designer.

4. Use the Import button in Component Database Manager to import the com-ponent into the component database.

5. Open Target Designer, use the menu option File>New to create a new config-uration. It can be based on the hardware platform component you just cre-ated.


Lesson 2: Configuring ComponentsTarget Designer provides you with the capability to configure settings for variouscomponents in the component database, such as automatic logon, display adapter,Microsoft Internet Explorer®, and locale language. You can configure settings relatedto the computer component in your configuration and other components by clickingon the component's Settings node after adding it to a configuration.


■ Edit and update the computer component (HAL) settings.

■ Configure settings for other components.


Computer Component Settings in Target DesignerYou can configure the computer (HAL) component through the configurable UI inTarget Designer. The computer component includes settings for system configurationinformation, pagefile support, power management, and Data Execution Prevention(DEP). If you leave the default settings, the First Boot Agent process assigns a uniquecomputer name to the device, and additional default values. To change these settings,in Target Designer, expand the node of the HAL component for your configuration.This is one of the following components:

■ ACPI Multiprocessor PC.

■ ACPI Uniprocessor PC.

■ Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) PC.

■ Compaq SystemPro Multiprocessor or 100% Compatible.

■ MPS Multiprocessor PC.

■ MPS Uniprocessor PC.

■ Standard PC.

Under the HAL component that corresponds to your configuration, choose Settings.The System Settings appear in the Details pane.

Configuring the System Identification SettingsSystem identification settings provide information specific to the device. In additionto the computer name, you can specify the name of the original equipment

Lesson 2: Configuring Components 13

manufacturer (OEM) that created and manages the run-time image. The registeredorganization setting is used by the FBA to generate a unique computer name if thecomputer name setting is not set. The last setting is the workgroup membership,which is set to WORKGROUP by default.

Configuring the System Pagefile SettingsIf you want to include pagefile support in the OS image, you need to enable pagefilesupport in Target Designer. Expand the node of the HAL component for yourconfiguration, choose Settings, and under System Pagefile, choose Show to displaythe system pagefile settings. Here, you can check the Enable pagefile support checkbox and set the minimum and maximum initial pagefile size. The minimum must beat least 2 MB, and the maximum can be greater or equal to the minimum. If your mainstorage device is a solid state device, such as compact flash, and you use EnhancedWrite Filter to protect it, a pagefile (swap file) is not recommended. However, keep inmind that disabling the swap file does not disable virtual memory support.

Configuring the Power Management SettingsThe power management settings enable you to include hibernation support. If you dothis, a hibernation file is created for the OS image, which the operating system uses to saveits state before shutting down. Upon restart, the operating system resumes with the savedstate. The other setting in this section is the power management policy for your device,which includes options such as Always On or laptop power management policies.

Configuring the Data Execution Prevention SettingsData Execution Prevention (DEP) is a feature that stops the processor from executingcode in memory regions that are marked as data. This feature prevents attacks onyour machine by malicious software that overruns data buffers with executablemalicious code. The options for this setting enable you to turn this feature off, protectsystem programs, or protect all programs.

Other Component SettingsNot all components have configurable options available when you add them to yourconfiguration and expand their nodes. Out of more than 12,000 components,perhaps under 100 have configurable settings. As mentioned, you can view andconfigure settings by expanding the node of each component, and clicking Settings,if available.


Quick Check1. Why is it important to add the correct computer (HAL) component to your

configuration?

2. What is the importance of system identification settings?

3. What is a hibernation file?

4. What is the importance of including DEP in an OS that is connected?

Quick Check Answers

1. The inclusion of the correct computer (HAL) component in your configura-tion ensures the correct HAL file is added to the run time image for it to start and operate properly.

2. Specifying the unique computer name enables inventory control and network identification. Specifying other options, such as OEM, identifies the organiza-tion responsible for the image.

3. A hibernation file saves the state of RAM just before shutting down and restores the exact state of the device upon restart.

4. DEP can help guard the computer from malicious software by preventing data buffer overruns.

Lesson SummaryThe Settings option is available for those components in your configuration thatinclude configurable options. By clicking Settings, you can view the configurablesettings in the Details pane. Keep in mind that your computer component must havethe HAL that corresponds to the hardware of your target device. Without the correctHAL your operating system cannot start. The settings for this component designateidentification information for the device, and help you enable or disable the virtualmemory swap file. You can use power management settings to enable the hibernationfile, and you can protect your computer from malicious attacks by enabling DEP.Other configurable components include Internet Explorer, Device Update Agent, andautomatic logon.

Lesson 3: Checking and Resolving Component Dependencies 15

Lesson 3: Checking and Resolving Component Dependencies

Almost all components depend on other components, or other groups ofcomponents. For example, if you want to include Internet Explorer, you must alsoinclude the TCP/IP component for Internet Explorer to function correctly in theruntime. Dependencies can also “exclude” dependencies. Certain componentscannot be included in the same configuration. For example, the group of systemloaders such as NTLDR and the EWF NTLDR cannot coexist. Only one can be in aconfiguration.

The component to group dependency relationship can take on one of the followingfive relationships:

■ A component is dependent on at most one component in a component depen-dency group.

■ A component is dependent on at least one component in a component depen-dency group.

■ A component is dependent on all components in a component dependencygroup.

■ A component is dependent on only one component in a component depen-dency group.

■ A component conflicts with all components in a component dependency group.

It is impractical to resolve dependency problems without using the tools included inTarget Designer.


■ Check component dependencies.

■ Resolve component dependencies.

Estimated lesson time: 25 minutes

Checking Component DependenciesTarget Designer helps you with the task of dependency checking by using componentproperties to determine dependencies. Before building your image, you should run adependency check. You should also run a dependency check each time you addcomponents to your configuration. Target Designer is configured by default to


automatically resolve dependencies during dependency checks. This auto-resolveoption speeds up the process as Target Designer adds, removes, disables, or enablescomponents by resolving dependencies using the dependency rules it encounters.However, sometimes Target Designer adds components that are not wanted. To havetighter control over component resolution, you can disable the Auto-resolve option byclearing the Auto-resolve dependencies check box in the Dependency Check tab ofthe Tools > Options dialog box.

To perform a dependency check, press F5 or select Check Dependencies on theConfiguration menu. The Dependency Check dialog box appears and starts thedependency checking process, as shown in Figure 1-5.

Figure 1-5 Dependency Check progress report dialog box

Be aware that not including all the dependencies indicated in a dependency checkmay have unforeseen consequences in the run-time.


Resolving Component Dependencies If Target Designer cannot resolve a dependency, such as which computer componentto add to the configuration, the dependency check process notifies you of the error. Inthis case, the dependency must be resolved manually and Target Designer provides atool to do this.

Figure 1-6 Tasks pane

The Tasks pane includes a list of tasks you must complete to resolve dependencydiscrepancies, as shown in Figure 1-6. Double-clicking the task opens the Resolve


Dependency dialog box that provides a list of possible resolutions, as shown in Figure1-7.

Figure 1-7 Resolve Dependency dialog box

Check the component you need and click Add, which causes Target Designer to addthe selected component to the configuration, removing the error. Figure 1-8 showsthe result of the dependency check resolution.


Figure 1-8 Resolved dependency check error

Lesson SummaryComponents more often than not depend on resources that other components orgroups of components provide. Sometimes, two components cannot coexist. Becausethere are over 12,000 components available to the developer, it is impractical to makesure that the operating system will work properly by manually checkingdependencies. Target Designer makes it straightforward for the developer to checkdependencies by running the dependency check, which iterates through thecomponents, checks for dependency conflicts, and provides automatic resolution ifthe auto-resolve option is enabled. The dependency check can also provide tasks foryou to complete in order to manually resolve conflicts.


Quick Check 1. What is the advantage, if there is one, for disabling the auto-resolve option?

2. Why do you need dependency checking at all?

Quick Check Answers

1. Tighter control over dependent components, because automatic resolution sometimes includes components that are not strictly necessary.

2. To ensure that all resources needed by the operating system for the selected features to function are included in the image.

Lesson 4: Optimizing the Pre-First Boot Agent Image Footprint 21

Lesson 4: Optimizing the Pre-First Boot Agent Image Footprint

One of the main reasons for building devices running Windows Embedded Standard2009 is the ability to create a small operating system footprint, which reduces thedemand on storage media and memory. Therefore, we need to consider the followingwhen we design a Windows Embedded Standard 2009 OS image configuration:

■ Include only the devices necessary to start the run-time image. Add additionaldevices one by one as needed and check the impact on the footprint.

■ In Target Designer, disable or delete components. With the disable feature, youcan disable components so they are visible, yet grayed out. In this way, you canverify that the OS functions as expected with the remaining components, andthen remove the disabled ones. If the OS does not operate, you can re-enable thecomponent.

■ Include only the device drivers for hardware devices that are required.

■ Once the run-time is finalized, remove the FBA directory from the Windowsdirectory.

■ Exclude help files by setting the attribute Do not copy help files for thisconfiguration.

■ Use the correct baseline configuration.


■ Describe what steps to take in order to optimize the OS footprint.

■ Describe a baseline configuration.

■ Describe what should not be removed from a configuration.

■ Describe what can be removed.


Minlogon Sample MacroMinlogon Sample Macro includes only the minimal number of components requiredto boot into your device. You can find it under the Software>Test & Developmentnode in Target Designer. You can use its configuration to create a minimal footprint.This configuration includes the Windows XP kernel, dependencies, and devicedrivers. Windows Embedded Standard 2009 is componentized to enable you to build


a small footprint image for constrained storage devices. Always test to determine theminimal set of devices required to start your system. To reduce the footprint, you cantry the following:

■ If Target Analyzer detects a different computer component, such as ACPI, butyou do not need the power management capabilities of ACPI, you should tryusing the Standard PC computer component instead.

■ Do not include help files in your configuration to save space.

■ Consider including only the FAT file system component if you do not need thecapabilities of NTFS.

■ When prompted to select a language during the dependency check, chooseEnglish Language Support.

What to Keep and What to RemoveThe operating system needs certain components to access crucial hardwareresources. They are required for all devices and should not be removed from aconfiguration.

■ System timer.

■ Direct memory access controller.

■ System CMOS/real time clock.

■ System board.

■ Numeric data microprocessor.

■ Programmable interrupt controller.

■ Any microprocessor-specific components.

The following components may be very good candidates for removal:

■ Audio.

■ Indexing Service.

■ Internet Explorer.

■ Legacy Device.

■ QoS (Quality of Service).

■ Terminal Services.

■ USB.

Lesson 4: Optimizing the Pre-First Boot Agent Image Footprint 23

■ Volume and Logical Disk Manager.■ WAN Miniports and RAS.■ Windows Firewall.■ Internet Connection Settings.

Using NTFS CompressionThe NTFS file system, in addition to its access control capabilities and accesspermission to files and directories, offers fault tolerance and the ability to compressdiscrete files, directories, or an entire partition. This can reduce the operating systemfootprint. However, the NTFS file system may create problems for devices that usesolid state storage such as compact flash, because it writes frequently to the storagedevice. This wears out the media more quickly than the FAT file system.

Lesson SummaryFootprint is often a critical factor when it comes to embedded systems. Usually,embedded systems have limited storage and use solid-state storage devices such ascompact flash. For the same reason, memory can also be an issue. In this lesson youhave seen a few techniques for reducing the image footprint before you prepare yourdevice for production.

Quick Check1. Why do we optimize the footprint for a Windows Embedded Standard 2009

operating system?

2. What type of components can you never remove?

3. What components can you remove?

Quick Check Answers

1. Windows Embedded Standard 2009 is an embedded OS, thus it provides a specific functionality and often works on constrained hardware which requires a small footprint.

2. Components that provide the core interface between the hardware to the operating system.

3. Components that are not needed for the functionality of the system, device drivers for devices that are not used, help files, and so on.


Lesson 5: Modifying the ConfigurationYou have created a new configuration, resolved dependencies, and optimized thefootprint of the image you are going to create. Before you create the image, you mayneed to modify the configuration by preparing the device settings, such as the bootdisk partition, the OS image disk and partition, and other settings for deployment.This lesson shows you how to prepare your boot disk.


■ Edit and update the target device settings.


Updating the Configurations SettingsAll configurations contain various settings, including the boot disk, boot partitionsize, and so on, that you must adjust according to your specific target device. You canedit these settings in the details pane by clicking the Settings node directly under thename of your configuration in the configuration editor. Figure 1-9 shows the detailspane opened after clicking Settings.

If the boot partition is larger than 5 GB, you may need to change the partition size to5,000 MB. If the partition size is smaller than 5 GB, then you should put in the exactpartition size. NTLDR uses the Boot.ini file to determine the operating system optionsto display when the Startup program is running. In the Advanced RISC Computing(ARC) path, provide the operating system a method to determine where theinstallation resides on disk. The multi(X)disk(Y)rdisk(Z)partition(W)\windows_dirspecification provides a pointer to the directory location of the installation, where Xand Y are always 0, Z refers to the disk number (disk numbers start at 0, and the diskorder is defined by the IDE or SATA bus), and W refers to the partition number on theZ disk. Partition numbers start with 1.

Lesson 5: Modifying the Configuration 25

Figure 1-9 Details pane for target device settings

In the Configuration Update and Refresh Settings section, you can choose to auto-refresh updating, which means components are replaced if new revisions of thecomponents exist. You can also set the Update and Refresh Settings for automaticupdate. These two automatic settings cause Target Designer to perform the respectiverefresh operation every time you open the configuration. This practice is notrecommended, because you do not have control of what components are updated andyou will not be able to replicate images built with earlier versions of the componentdatabase. You can update manually by right-clicking the Components node andselecting Upgrade to let Target Designer scan the components database for the latestversion for each component. You can configure Deployment Identification Settings,which permit you to set specific attributes for your own OEM revision level, licensinginformation, and so on. You can also prevent help files from being integrated in theconfiguration.


To distribute a Standard run-time image, you must enter into an OEM agreement withMicrosoft and then purchase a run-time license. Once licensed, you activate a run-time image by adding the 25-character product key to a configuration in TargetDesigner. Choose Settings under your configuration, select Run-time ImageLicensing, and click Show. In the Product Identification Key (PID) box, type theproduct key for your run-time image. By default, an unlicensed run-time image expiresafter 120 days.

Quick Check1. What is the reason you should edit the device settings?

2. How do you put a run-time image into production?

Quick Check Answers

1. The device settings prepare the storage media of the device. Without them, the boot partition size could be wrong, and the boot ARC path could point to the wrong Windows directory location.

2. Obtain a run-time license and activate the image by entering the product key in Target Designer.

Lesson SummaryThe device settings are critical for the OS to start. NTLDR uses Boot.ini, whichspecifies the operating system to load, as well as its boot partition and directorylocation. Providing the correct settings enables the image to start and run properly.When putting a run-time image into production, you must obtain a license andactivate the image.

Lesson 6: Configuring the Operating System for Sealing and Cloning 27

Lesson 6: Configuring the Operating System for Sealing and Cloning

Producing an image for mass deployment in a commercial environment requirespreparing a finalized operating system image that has unique identifiers. To configurethe run-time image for production deployment, add the System Cloning componentas shown in Figure 1-10. The system cloning process ensures that each run-time imagedeployed has a unique security ID (SID) and computer name. The System CloningTool component resets the FBA phase so that when a run-time image starts for thefirst time, a unique SID and computer name are assigned to the system.

Figure 1-10 System Cloning Tool component settings



■ Describe the reseal and cloning process.

■ Describe their purpose.

■ Package the OS image for production deployment.


The Cloning ProcessThe cloning process starts by building a run-time image in Target Designer for thehardware of the intended device. Minor hardware differences, such as a serial numberwritten to an OEM-reserved region of ROM or different Media Access Controladdresses, are tolerable because they are either hard-coded in the firmware, or thesedifferences are small and do not impact the length of the FBA phase by much. Majorhardware variations, such as a different chip sets or Ethernet cards with different Plug-and-Play identifiers are not advisable because they add multiple device drivers.Adding multiple device drivers for different hardware is not recommended. Thisextends the length of the FBA phase and increases the size of the run-time image,which is counterproductive for a minimal footprint. Figure 1-11 shows an overview ofthe cloning process.

The cloning process consists of the following two phases:

■ Reseal phase The cloning process performs the reseal phase on the masterdevice. Typically, the reseal phase occurs just before the restart that precedes thecloning phase. After the reseal phase completes, the device must shut offimmediately before the subsequent restart occurs. After the reseal phasecompletes, the on-disk image is ready for cloning.

■ Cloning phase The cloning phase automatically begins the first time the imagestarts after the reseal phase. The cloned device continues from where the masterdevice has stopped after the reseal phase. During the cloning phase, thecomputer SID from the master device is replaced with a unique computer SIDeverywhere the SID appears.


Figure 1-11 Overview of the cloning process

ResealThe reseal phase is used to reset a run-time image for cloning. Before you can deploythe run-time image to multiple systems, you must run FBA once on a device toconfigure the run-time image. This becomes the master image that is cloned. Byresealing the run-time image, a subset of FBA runs when the cloned image is deployedon multiple systems. This subset identifies new devices and resets the computer SID.

A run-time image is typically resealed only after the FBA phase has finished and afterany modifications to the run-time image have been made. Specifically, the run-timeimage is resealed when FBA calls the cmiResealPhase function. You can set the phasewhen the reseal occurs; phases 0 and 12,000 are supported. Figure 1-12 shows theFBA phases. If the phase is set too early, it can interfere with other FBA operations andproduce unpredictable results, such as a nonfunctional run-time image. For detailedinformation on FBA and its operation phases, see Chapter 5.

Boot DeviceFBA

Executes

SystemCloning

Reseal Phase

Build OSImage

First BootSystem Cloning

Executes


Executes


Executes

Transfer tomasterdevice

Target A

Target B

Target C

Master

Master

Master

New OS

OS w/Unique SID

OS w/Unique SID

OS w/Unique SID


Figure 1-12 First Boot Agent phases

If you set the cmiResealPhase property to 0, only the cloning tools are copied to therun-time image and the cloning phase does not occur automatically at the end of FBA.By delaying the reseal phase, you can make additional updates to your run-time imageafter FBA. You can install applications, or make other changes to your run-time image.If the cmiResealPhase property is set to 0, you must manually use the Fbreseal.exeutility to start the reseal phase. You can find the utility in the %Windir%\System32directory on the run-time image. When the reseal phase completes, a message boxappears. Choose Shutdown to shut down the system or Reboot to restart it.

Configuring and Creating a Run-Time Image for CloningTo configure and create a run-time image for cloning, you must add the SystemCloning Tool component to the configuration. Configure the advanced settingsattributes by expanding System Cloning Tool, clicking Settings, and then in thedetails pane clicking Advanced. The Advanced Component Properties window opens.

Phase 0

1600-FBA InstallSecurity Phase 1

3000-FBA InstallPnP Class Installers

3550-FBA InstallNetworking

5000-FBA Do RunOnce

6000-FBA MigrateRegistry Keys

Reseal &

Reboot

8500-Save &Replace System

Hives

2000-FBA RegisterDLL Phase 1

3100-FBA InstallPnP Devices

REBOOT

4000-FBA RegisterDLL Phase 2

5550-FBA O Cmg

8000-FBA ResetSet-up

Phase8500

Phase12000


In the cmiResealPhase box, enter the phase during which the reseal occurs. Asmentioned above only phases 0 and 12,000 are supported. Check dependencies andbuild the image. After the image is built, copy it to the target device.

Preparing a Master Run-Time Image for CloningAfter you create the master run-time image, copy the master run-time image to yourdevice. Start the device and let the FBA phase run. After the FBA phase completes, thetarget is ready for deployment.

Lesson SummaryThe purpose of developing a Windows Embedded Standard 2009 operating systemimage is ultimately to deliver a product to the client. After completing thedevelopment process and verifying that the hardware and software function correctly,it is time to get the operating system out of the lab and supply it to the client.Preparing an image for production deployment entails installing your newlydeveloped operating system on identical machines and making sure that when theclient receives them, they will work out of the box. In a networked environment youshould deliver each device with a unique SID to the client. To do this, you add theSystem Cloning Tool to the configuration and go through the process of resealing andcloning to create the image for mass deployment.

Quick Check1. What is the primary purpose of the cloning process?

2. What are the two phases of the cloning process?

Quick Check Answers

1. The cloning process is a process that ensures a unique SID for each system delivered.

2. The two phases are reseal phase and cloning phase.


Lab 1: Building the Operating SystemIn this lab, you will go through all the build phases, from identifying the hardwarethrough deployment, using a virtual PC (VPC) as the target device.

Practice 1: Creating a Virtual Machine for a Windows Embedded Standard 2009 Target

This practice section walks you through creating a virtual machine (VM) for yourWindows Embedded Standard 2009 target device. It is assumed that Virtual PC 2007and Virtual Machine Additions are installed on your development computer, and thatyou have created a virtual machine with Windows XP Pro SP2.

1. In the Virtual PC Console, click New. The VPC Setup Wizard appears. ClickNext.

2. In the Options dialog, select Create a virtual machine and click Next.

3. Enter a name for the virtual machine (we will use WESTARGET) and click Next.

4. The next dialog enables you to select an operating system. Select Windows XPfrom the drop-down menu and click Next.

5. The RAM configuration dialog is next. Select Adjust RAM and set the RAM for atleast 512 MB and click Next.

6. In Virtual Disk Options, select A new virtual hard disk drive and click Next.

7. Keep the default location and name for the virtual hard disk drive and clickNext.

8. The summary page appears with the final settings. Click Finish. A new VirtualMachine is now available.

9. In the Virtual PC Console, click the XP Pro virtual machine, but do not start theVM.

10. Click the Settings button.

11. The settings dialog appears. On the left side, click Hard Disk 2 settings. The rightside of the dialog changes and present different options for the second hard diskdrive.

12. Select the Virtual hard disk file option.

Lab 1: Building the Operating System 33

13. Click the Browse button, and traverse the directory to the WESTARGET virtualmachine subdirectory (typically located in My Documents>My VirtualMachines).

14. Select the WESTARGET Hard Disk.vhd and click Open. The WESTARGETvirtual hard disk drive is now the second hard disk drive when the XP Pro virtualmachine starts.

15. Next, partition and format the WESTARGET virtual hard disk drive in XP Pro.Start the XP Pro virtual machine.

16. After the VM starts, open Control Panel within the virtual machine.

17. Double click Administrative Tools.

18. Double click Computer Management.

19. Under storage, click Disk Management.

20. The hard disk drive wizard should appear. Keep the defaults as you walkthrough and complete the wizard. Now the new virtual disk is ready to beprepared.

21. The new virtual disk should be Disk 1. Right click Disk 1 and select NewPartition.

22. Use the wizard to create a new 1 GB NTFS partition.

23. Make sure that you mark the partition as Active. The WESTARGET virtual harddisk drive is ready for a Windows Embedded Standard 2009 image.

24. Close Computer Management.

25. Close Control Panel.

26. Shut down the XP Pro Virtual PC.

Practice 2: Using Target AnalyzerIn this practice section, you will use Target Analyzer to identify the target hardware onthe XP Pro VM.

1. On your development computer, create a new directory named WES_DATA foryour development data.

2. Start the XP Pro VM in Virtual PC 2007.


3. Drag and drop Tap.exe from [drive:]\%Program Files%\Windows Embedded\Utilities of the development computer to the root of C:\ disk of the XP instancerunning in Virtual PC.

a. Run Tap.exe (Figure 1-13) in a command prompt window, directing its outputto the PrepK_TAP.pmq file by typing the following at the command line:

>tap /o PrepK_TAP

Figure 1-13 Running Target Analyzer on Virtual PC 2007

4. Drag and drop PrepK_TAP.pmq to the WES_DATA directory on thedevelopment computer.

Practice 3: Importing the .pmq File into Component DesignerIn this practice section, you use the .pmq file that Target Analyzer created on the XPPro VM to create a hardware platform component for your configuration, and add itto the component database.

1. Open Component Designer.

2. From the File menu select Import.

3. In the Import File dialog select [drive:]\WES_DATA\PrepK_TAP.pmq file.

4. In the Log File field, enter the name PrepK_tap.

5. Once the import completes, in the newly created component PrepK_TAP.sld*,expand t he Windows Embedded S t andard (x86) node to showComponents\PrepK_TAP [Version 1.0,R1]*, right-click Group Membership, andselect Add Group Membership.


6. In the Add Component Group Membership dialog box select theCategories\Hardware\Platforms node and click OK.

7. Save PrepK_TAP.sld to the WES_DATA directory.

8. From the Tools menu select the Component Database Manager option.

9. In the Component Database Manager click the Import button.

10. In the Import SLD dialog box enter PrepK_TAP.sld for import and click theImport button.

11. Exit Component Designer.

Practice 4: Creating a New Configuration in Target DesignerIn this practice section, you create a new configuration, edit the settings, and modifythe configuration.

1. Open Target Designer.

2. From the File menu select New.

3. In the name for the new configuration enter PrepK_Device.

4. Expand the Hardware\Platforms node in Component Browser and add thePrepK_TAP component to the configuration.

5. In the Target Device Settings, set the boot partition size to 5,000 MB.

6. Add the following components to the configuration:

■ Information Appliance.

■ NT loader.

■ English Language Support.

■ NTFS file system.

■ NTFS Format.

■ User Interface Core.

■ Explorer Shell.

■ Windows XP Explorer User Interface.

7. Under User Interface Core\Settings check Show My Computer on Start Menu,as shown in Figure 1-14.


Figure 1-14 Configuring User Interface settings

Practice 5: Resolving Configuration DependenciesIn this practice section, you use dependency checking to resolve configurationdependencies. Make sure that the auto-resolve option is on.

1. Select Check Dependencies from Configuration menu.

2. If an error occurs, view the Tasks pane, double-click each task, and resolve error.

Practice 6: Building the Operating SystemIn this practice section, you build the run-time image from the Windows EmbeddedStandard 2009 configuration you just created.

1. Once you have resolved any errors or warnings in Practice 5, select Build TargetImage from the Configuration menu.

2. Verify that the destination is [drive:]\Windows Embedded Images.


3. Click Build. See Figure 1-15 for details.

Figure 1-15 Build device dialog box

Practice 7: Copying to the Target DeviceIn this practice section, you copy the resulting image to the disk of the WESTARGETVM.

1. Open Virtual PC 2007.

2. Start the XP Pro VM. The WESTARGET virtual hard disk drive should be asecond hard disk drive in the XP Pro VM.

3. When the VM starts, open the Computer Management console, go to diskmanagement, and format the second virtual hard disk drive.

4. On the desktop of the development machine, using File Explorer navigate to[drive:]\Windows Embedded Images.

5. Make sure that you have File Explorer open to the second hard disk drive in theXP pro VM. Drag and drop the image found on the development machine under[drive:]\Windows Embedded Image and copy it to the root of the second harddisk drive of the XP Pro VM.

6. Once the image copy has completed, close File Explorer in both systems.

7. Shut down the XP Pro VM.


Practice 8: Starting the Image for the First TimeIn this practice section, you start your operating system for the first time.

1. Start the Westarget VM. This will start the Standard image and start runningFBA, as shown in Figure 1-16.

NOTE FBA completion

The FBA must run before you can run your Windows Embedded Standard 2009 operatingsystem. It is common for the FBA to restart the system multiple times before it has com-pleted its tasks.

2. Once the OS has completed the FBA process and Windows Embedded Standard2009 has started, go to the Start menu and shut down the Virtual PC.

Figure 1-16 First Boot Agent in progress

Chapter 1 Review 39

Chapter ReviewIn order to deploy Microsoft Windows Embedded Standard 2009 on a target device,use the tools available with Windows Embedded Studio to identify the targethardware, and then use its output to create a hardware platform component andcreate a new configuration. Modify it to suit your design needs and constraints. Themost important tasks that you must accomplish include the following:

■ Identify the target hardware using the Target Analyzer.

■ Create a reusable platform component using Component Designer.

■ Add it to the component database.

■ Create a new configuration using Target Designer.

■ Build an image.

■ Run First Boot Agent to use System Cloning to prepare the operating system formass deployment.

Key TermsDo you know what these key terms mean? You can check your answers by looking upthe terms in the glossary at the end of the book.

■ .pmq file.

■ Platform component.

■ OS configuration.

■ Components database.

■ Component dependency resolution.

■ First Boot Agent.

Suggested PracticesTo help you successfully master the exam objectives presented in this chapter,complete the following tasks:

■ Repeat Lab 1 using two hard disk drives on your development machine withdual boot facilitated. It is a best practice when starting two operating systems torun them on a physical computer with two hard disk drives.

■ Make sure you configure the target device according to technical and customerrequirements. Remember that in this configuration your boot disk is D.

40 Chapter 1 Review

■ Modify the Target Device Settings according to Table 1-1.

■ Modify boot.ini to implement a dual-boot configuration.

Table 1-1 Target device settings for boot disk D

Setting: Value:

Boot drive D:

Windows folder D:\Windows

Program Files folder D:\Program Files

Documents and settings folder D:\Documents and Settings

Boot ARC Path Multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)

Boot partition size (MB) 5000

Partition cluster size (bytes) 4096

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