Using and Extending Model Aliases for Hardware Specific Application Installation
In a post on his blog from a few years ago (found here) Ben Hunter described a method of creating and using model aliases using BDD/MDT User Exit scripts. A model alias is a friendly name assigned to cover multiple model variations in a manufacturer’s computer model family. I have been going through this exercise for my current customer and have found some limitations to using Ben’s process exactly as is.
First, the MDT properties Make and Model (which come from the Manufacturer and Model properties of the Win32_ComputerSystem WMI class) are no longer sufficient or necessarily the most convenient properties for determining the model alias. For example, distinguishing between Microsoft’s different types of virtual machines (Virtual PC, Virtual Server, Hyper-V) requires looking at Version property of the Win32_BIOS WMI class. Also, many current Lenovo computer models already have the Version property of the Win32_ComputerSystemProduct WMI class filled in with a friendly name for the model. Here is a sample of a User Exit script with an expanded SetModelAlias function that uses this additional information. (Note that some lines may wrap on the screen depending on your display resolution.)
Function UserExit(sType, sWhen, sDetail, bSkip)
oLogging.CreateEntry "USEREXIT:ModelAliasExit.vbs started: " & sType & " " & sWhen & " " & sDetail, LogTypeInfo
UserExit = Success
End Function
Function SetModelAlias()
oLogging.CreateEntry "------------ Initialization USEREXIT:ModelAliasExit.vbs|SetModelAlias -------------", LogTypeInfo
sMake = oEnvironment.Item("Make")
sModel = oEnvironment.Item("Model")
SetModelAlias = ""
sCSPVersion = ""
sBIOSVersion = ""
Set colComputerSystemProduct = objWMI.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_ComputerSystemProduct")
If Err then
oLogging.CreateEntry "Error querying Win32_ComputerSystemProduct: " & Err.Description & " (" & Err.Number & ")", LogTypeError
Else
For Each objComputerSystemProduct in colComputerSystemProduct
If not IsNull(objComputerSystemProduct.Version) then
sCSPVersion = Trim(objComputerSystemProduct.Version)
oLogging.CreateEntry "USEREXIT:ModelAliasExit.vbs|SetModelAlias - Win32_ComputerSystemProduct Version: " & sCSPVersion, LogTypeInfo
End If
Next
End if
Set colBIOS = objWMI.ExecQuery("SELECT * FROM Win32_BIOS")
If Err then
oLogging.CreateEntry "Error querying Win32_BIOS: " & Err.Description & " (" & Err.Number & ")", LogTypeError
Else
For Each objBIOS in colBIOS
If not IsNull(objBIOS.Version) then
sBIOSVersion = Trim(objBIOS.Version)
oLogging.CreateEntry "USEREXIT:ModelAliasExit.vbs|SetModelAlias - Win32_BIOS Version: " & sBIOSVersion, LogTypeInfo
End If
Next
End if
' Check by Make
Select Case sMake
Case "Dell Computer Corporation", "Dell Inc.", "Dell Computer Corp."
' Use Model with spaces removed
SetModelAlias = Replace(sModel, " ", "")
Case "IBM", "LENOVO"
' Check by Version property of the Win32_ComputerSystemProduct WMI class first
If Not sCSPVersion = "" Then
Select Case sCSPVersion
Case "ThinkPad T61p"
SetModelAlias = "ThinkPadT61"
Case Else
' Use Version with spaces removed
SetModelAlias = Replace(sCSPVersion, " ", "")
End Select
End If
' Check by first 4 characters of the Model
If SetModelAlias = "" Then
sModelSubString = Left(sModel,4)
Select Case sModelSubString
Case "1706"
SetModelAlias = "ThinkPadX60"
Case Else
SetModelAlias = sModel
oLogging.CreateEntry "USEREXIT:ModelAliasExit.vbs|SetModelAlias - Alias rule not found. ModelAlias set to Model value." , LogTypeInfo
End Select
End If
Case "Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,Ltd."
If Left(sModel,5) = "CF-U1" Then
SetModelAlias = "CF-U1"
Else
SetModelAlias = sModel
oLogging.CreateEntry "USEREXIT:ModelAliasExit.vbs|SetModelAlias - Alias rule not found. ModelAlias set to Model value." , LogTypeInfo
End If
Case "Microsoft Corporation"
' Microsoft virtualization technology detected, assign defaults
SetModelAlias = "Hyper-V"
' Try to determine more specific values using Version property of the Win32_BIOS WMI class
Select Case sBIOSVersion
Case "VRTUAL - 1000831"
SetModelAlias = "Hyper-VBetaorRC0"
Case "VRTUAL - 5000805", "BIOS Date: 05/05/08 20:35:56 Ver: 08.00.02"
SetModelAlias = "Hyper-V"
Case "A M I - 2000622"
SetModelAlias = "VS2005R2SP1orVPC2007"
Case "A M I - 9000520"
SetModelAlias = "VS2005R2"
Case "A M I - 9000816", "A M I - 6000901"
SetModelAlias = "WindowsVirtualPC"
Case "A M I - 8000314"
SetModelAlias = "VS2005orVPC2004"
Case Else
SetModelAlias = sModel
oLogging.CreateEntry "USEREXIT:ModelAliasExit.vbs|SetModelAlias - Alias rule not found. ModelAlias set to Model value." , LogTypeInfo
End Select
Case "VMware, Inc."
SetModelAlias = "VMware"
Case Else
If Instr(sModel, "(") > 2 Then
SetModelAlias = Trim(Left(sModel, Instr(sModel, "(") - 2))
Else
SetModelAlias = sModel
oLogging.CreateEntry "USEREXIT:ModelAliasExit.vbs|SetModelAlias - Alias rule not found. ModelAlias set to Model value." , LogTypeInfo
End if
End Select
oLogging.CreateEntry "USEREXIT:ModelAliasExit.vbs|SetModelAlias - ModelAlias has been set to " & SetModelAlias, LogTypeInfo
oLogging.CreateEntry "------------ Departing USEREXIT:ModelAliasExit.vbs|SetModelAlias -------------", LogTypeInfo
End Function
Second, even a model alias is insufficient to identify which hardware specific applications should be installed during a deployment. At minimum, you usually also need to know the operating system version and architecture for which the applications are targeted. For example, for a Lenovo T61 you would typically have one hardware specific application list for Windows XP x86, one list for Windows Vista x86, one list for Windows Vista x64, etc. To that end I created a new composite property called ModelOSArchAlias. which combines the ModelAlias, OSVersion, and Architecture properties. (I refer to this property by a newly minted acronym called MOAA. Catchy, isn’t it. J ) I create this by using CustomSettings.ini entries like the ones below:
[Settings]
Priority=SetModelAlias, Default
Properties=MyCustomProperty, ModelAlias, ModelOSArchAlias
[SetModelAlias]
UserExit=ModelAliasExit.vbs
ModelAlias=#SetModelAlias()#
ModelOSArchAlias=%ModelAlias%_%OSVersion%_%Architecture%
So for a Lenovo ThinkPad X60 running 32-bit Windows Vista using my SetModelAlias function and this CustomSettings.ini, the MOAA would be ThinkPadX60_Vista_X86.
To define settings, applications, roles, etc. in the MDT Database based on either the ModelAlias or ModelOSArchAlias, enter the ModelAlias or ModelOSArchAlias as the Model in the Make and Model entries in the Database. You can put anything you want in the the Make field in the database entries. I enter the alias type (ModelAlias or ModelOSArchAlias) so that I can sort the entries by type. Here is a screen shot with a ModelAlias and ModelOSArchAlias entry for the Panasonic Toughbook model CF-U1 that I have been working with recently. (Ignore the DeviceAlias and DeviceOSArchAlias entries. I’ll describe those in my next post. J )
You would then use CustomSettings.ini entries like the ones below. (The DatabaseVariables section below is there because I like to use variables for the common database parameters in the other sections so that the actual values only have to be changed in the DatabaseVariables section. Note that some lines may wrap on the screen depending on your display resolution.)
[Settings]
Priority=SetModelAlias, DatabaseVariables, MASettings, MAPackages, MAApps, MAAdmins, MARoles, MOAASettings, MOAAPackages, MOAAApps, MOAAAdmins, MOAARoles
Properties=MyCustomProperty, MASQLServer, MADatabase, MANetlib, MASQLShare, ModelAlias, ModelOSArchAlias
[SetModelAlias]
UserExit=ModelAliasExit.vbs
ModelAlias=#SetModelAlias()#
ModelOSArchAlias=%ModelAlias%_%OSVersion%_%Architecture%
[DatabaseVariables]
MASQLServer=SQLS001
MADatabase=MDT
MANetlib=DBNMPNTW
MASQLShare=Logs$
[MASettings]
SQLServer=%MASQLServer%
Database=%MADatabase%
Netlib=%MANetlib%
SQLShare=%MASQLShare%
Table=MakeModelSettings
Parameters=ModelAlias
ModelAlias=Model
[MAPackages]
SQLServer=%MASQLServer%
Database=%MADatabase%
Netlib=%MANetlib%
SQLShare=%MASQLShare%
Table=MakeModelPackages
Parameters=ModelAlias
ModelAlias=Model
Order=Sequence
[MAApps]
SQLServer=%MASQLServer%
Database=%MADatabase%
Netlib=%MANetlib%
SQLShare=%MASQLShare%
Table=MakeModelApplications
Parameters=ModelAlias
ModelAlias=Model
Order=Sequence
[MAAdmins]
SQLServer=%MASQLServer%
Database=%MADatabase%
Netlib=%MANetlib%
SQLShare=%MASQLShare%
Table=MakeModelAdministrators
Parameters=ModelAlias
ModelAlias=Model
[MARoles]
SQLServer=%MASQLServer%
Database=%MADatabase%
Netlib=%MANetlib%
SQLShare=%MASQLShare%
Table=MakeModelRoles
Parameters=ModelAlias
ModelAlias=Model
[MOAASettings]
SQLServer=%MASQLServer%
Database=%MADatabase%
Netlib=%MANetlib%
SQLShare=%MASQLShare%
Table=MakeModelSettings
Parameters=ModelOSArchAlias
ModelOSArchAlias=Model
[MOAAPackages]
SQLServer=%MASQLServer%
Database=%MADatabase%
Netlib=%MANetlib%
SQLShare=%MASQLShare%
Table=MakeModelPackages
Parameters=ModelOSArchAlias
ModelOSArchAlias=Model
Order=Sequence
[MOAAApps]
SQLServer=%MASQLServer%
Database=%MADatabase%
Netlib=%MANetlib%
SQLShare=%MASQLShare%
Table=MakeModelApplications
Parameters=ModelOSArchAlias
ModelOSArchAlias=Model
Order=Sequence
[MOAAAdmins]
SQLServer=%MASQLServer%
Database=%MADatabase%
Netlib=%MANetlib%
SQLShare=%MASQLShare%
Table=MakeModelAdministrators
Parameters=ModelOSArchAlias
ModelOSArchAlias=Model
[MOAARoles]
SQLServer=%MASQLServer%
Database=%MADatabase%
Netlib=%MANetlib%
SQLShare=%MASQLShare%
Table=MakeModelRoles
Parameters=ModelOSArchAlias
ModelOSArchAlias=Model
In a computer replacement and/or OS change (different source and destination OS) scenario you will likely only want to set the ModelOSArchAlias and do the MOAA database queries using a Gather step in the State Restore phase. This is because you will almost always want to hardware specific settings, application installations, etc. based on the target model and operating system.
Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, confers no rights, and is not supported by the authors or Microsoft Corporation. Use of included script samples are subject to the terms specified in the Terms of Use.
This post was contributed by Michael Murgolo, a Senior Consultant with Microsoft Services - U.S. East Region.
