Boot Image Templates (Part 2)

Now that you have had some time to digest Boot Image Templates (Part 1), it is time to focus on Feature Packs.

Feature Packs have a few different names.  In the Deployment Workbench (MDT), they are referenced as "Feature Packs".  In the Boot Image Template XML files they are "Components".  These "Components" are actually part of ADK (Assessment and Deployment Toolkit), or AIK (Automated Installation Kit), where they are referenced as OC's (Optional Components).  And finally in DISM, they can be installed with the /Add-Package command.

I almost forgot, they are also referenced as Feature Names.

If you roll on over to C:\Program Files\Microsoft Deployment Toolkit\Bin and open a file called FeatureNames.xml some things will start to make more sense.  In this XML file you will see a "feature id=" with some cool names like winpe-mdac or winpe-hta.  These names correspond with ADK Packages in the following two directories
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\x86\WinPE_OCs"
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\8.0\Assessment and Deployment Kit\Windows Preinstallation Environment\amd64\WinPE_OCs"

In these directories you will find the Packages (CAB) that are installed by MDT in the Boot Images.

The first thing you should do is make a backup copy of this file.  So create a copy in this directory as FeatureNames.xml.default.

What you realize is that there is also an option="exclude" entry in this XML file that corresponds with MDT.  Any entry in this XML file that has the "exclude" option, is not displayed in the Deployment Share Properties.  Let's have a look . . .

So where we are going with is that maybe, just maybe there are some Feature Packs / Feature Names / OC's that I know I will never implement in a Boot Image, so why not exclude these from MDT.  In my FeatureNames.xml I have the following lines (10-15)

<feature id="winpe-fontsupport-ja-jp">Japanese (JA-JP) language pack</feature>
<feature id="winpe-fontsupport-ko-kr">Korean (KO-KR) language pack</feature>
<feature id="winpe-fontsupport-zh-cn">Chinese (ZH-CN) language pack</feature>
<feature id="winpe-fontsupport-zh-hk">Chinese (ZH-HK) language pack</feature>
<feature id="winpe-fontsupport-zh-tw">Chinese (ZH-TW) language pack</feature>
<feature id="winpe-fonts-legacy">Legacy fonts</feature>

So if I change these from what is above, to the following:

<feature id="winpe-fontsupport-ja-jp" option="exclude">Japanese (JA-JP) language pack</feature>
<feature id="winpe-fontsupport-ko-kr" option="exclude">Korean (KO-KR) language pack</feature>
<feature id="winpe-fontsupport-zh-cn" option="exclude">Chinese (ZH-CN) language pack</feature>
<feature id="winpe-fontsupport-zh-hk" option="exclude">Chinese (ZH-HK) language pack</feature>
<feature id="winpe-fontsupport-zh-tw" option="exclude">Chinese (ZH-TW) language pack</feature>
<feature id="winpe-fonts-legacy" option="exclude">Legacy fonts</feature>

Then MDT will now look like so:

Looks much nicer and manageable for me to work with.

Spend some time reviewing the Feature Packs on Technet to understand what they are.  In my next post I will explain why other Feature Names are hidden, and how we separate Packs into separate Boot Images.