Determining RIS Client HAL Types

If you want to create an image-based RIS installation using the tool Riprep.exe, you first need to determine if your RIS clients have a HAL that is compatible with the master computer from which you create your image. F 21221r171v or example, if the master computer where you run Riprep.exe has an Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) HAL, then the client computers you designate to receive operating system images generated from that master computer must also have an ACPI HAL. The HAL type is indicated by the original file name of the file Hal.dll.

You need to ascertain how many different HAL types exist in your organization. This determines how many different master installations you will need with HALs that are compatible with the client HALs in your organization. To verify the HAL type on your client computers, you can do one of the following:

Use a management tool such as Microsoft  Systems Management Server (SMS) to obtain your client inventory, from which you can determine the HAL types.

View the properties of Hal.dll to determine the HAL types.

To view the properties of Hal.dll on a client computer:

To obtain the HAL type on a client computer

In Windows Explorer, open the systemroot\System32 folder.

Right-click Hal.dll, and then click Properties on the shortcut menu.

In the Item name list on the Version tab, click Original File name.

The original file name that displays in the Value list (such as Halacpi.dll or Hal.dll) indicates the HAL type.

For more information about HAL, see "Designing Image-based Installations with Sysprep" in this book, to determine the type of HAL that is installed on the computer.

You can install RIS-based operating system images if any of the following conditions are true regarding HALs:

The master and destination computer HALs are identical.

The master and destination computers both have either uniprocessor or multiprocessor Advanced Programmable Interrupt Controller (APIC) HALs.

The master and destination computers both have either uniprocessor or multiprocessor Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) HALs.

For a listing of the HAL types that Windows XP Professional and Windows Server 2003 support, along with additional information about determining HAL types and identifying hardware that impacts image-based installations, see "Designing Image-based Installations with Sysprep" in this book.

For this part of your planning process, use job aid "Planning for RIS Clients" (ACIRIS_01.doc) on the Windows Server 2003 Deployment Kit companion CD (or see "Planning for RIS Clients" on the Web at https://www.microsoft.com/reskit) to indicate the number of different HAL types in your organization and whether you require multiple master installations to match the differing HAL types of client computers. Also specify the domains or organizational units where the clients exist.