TABLE OF CONTENTS In the previous chapter we looked briefly at the SIF, and we showed you how to edit it to add support for OEM drivers, how to set up a path to your OEM drivers, and how to ignore driver signing. These were the three key changes we had to make in order to extend the driver support for client installations. However, there is a lot more to the SIF than what we have shown you previously.
In this chapter, we'll explore the many possibilities of configuring a client installation using the answer file. We will explain how to use it, how to edit it, and how to tune it to address your specific requirements.
Highlights:
Understanding what an answer file is
Diving into answer file sections
Understanding how to modify installation options
The SIF is the basic building block of deploying a client installation using Remote Installation Services; look at it as a sort of "menu card" for the client installation you are making. This is where you choose, select, and deselect from a variety of options, settings, and the like to create a computer that looks exactly how you want it to look.
In other words, it lists the characteristics applied to a client installation. It is maintained in a single text file and uses the .sif context. A standard SIF is automatically generated upon having applied an image to the Remote Installation Services server; it is named ristndrd.sif. The SIF can be...
