Integration of iSCSI software in BartPE Image with ATIH2012Addons
Hallo,
First: for all, who have no knowledge about iSCSI, this addendum is not interestingly. But anyway a short description of what iSCSI is:
iSCSI is a virtual hard drive, which is stored in the NAS and there defined as iSCSI - a special reserved storage area on the NAS hard disk(s). With special software like microsoft iSCSI Initiator I can connect to this iSCSI drive and windows integrates the iSCSI in the windows environment like a internal hard drive. You than can access this iSCSI with a drive letter, i.e. N:\ like your internal hard drive(s).
Now to the problem:
has anybody tried to run IScsi initiator on BartPE CD, build with pebuilder? Acronis offers the ATI2012Addons, which installed creates a WinPE.zip in C:\Program Files (x86)\Acronis\Media Add-on\BartPE. This ZIP archiv is to extract to C:\pebuilder3110a\plugin\acronis. The you have to activate plugin "Acronis True Image" in pebuilder Plugins tab. Once this do, you can start pebuilder creation of ISO image with BartPE windows preinstallaed environment. This ISO-Image burned on CD and you have a bootable media Acronis True Image on Windows XP. So far it works.
I tried to start the Microsoft iSCSI initiator on BartPE CD, but there is no iSCSI software added to CD by pebuilder. pebuilder controls the actions for building the ISO-image with .inf-files in folder C:\pebuilder3110a\plugin\acronis. There is a acronis.inf, but in this file are no statements to add the folder C:\pebuilder3110a\plugin\acronis\Files\IScsi and also no statements for adding registry settings to BartPE ISO-image. I tried to modify "acronis.inf" by adding some statements for adding the IScsi folder and some registry settings for service "msiscsi". But this was not enough, some ohter registry statements are missing, but I don't know them.
Here is a extract of "acronis.inf". I marked all positions, where I add some entries. I looks like acronis forgot to complete the "acronis.inf" with iSCSI integration.
<<
[WinntDirectories]
a="Programs\Acronis",2
dira43="Programs\Acronis\a43",2
b="system32",0 ; added by me
.....
[SourceDisksFolders]
files\Drivers\Microsoft.VC80.CRT=a
files\IScsi=b ; added by me
....
0x4, "ControlSet001\Services\snapman", "ErrorControl", 1
0x1, "ControlSet001\Services\snapman", "ImagePath", "system32\DRIVERS\snapman.sys"
0x4, "ControlSet001\Services\snapman", "Start", 0
0x4, "ControlSet001\Services\snapman", "Type", 1
0x4, "ControlSet001\Services\msiscsi", "ErrorControl", 1 ; added by me
0x1, "ControlSet001\Services\msiscsi", "ImagePath", "system32\msiscsi.sys" ; added by me
0x4, "ControlSet001\Services\msiscsi", "Start", 0 ; added by me
0x4, "ControlSet001\Services\msiscsi", "Type", 1 ; added by me
.....
[SetValue]
"txtsetup.sif", "SourceDisksFiles", "snapman.sys", "1,,,,,,_3,4,1"
"txtsetup.sif", "SCSI.Load", "snapman", "snapman.sys,4"
"txtsetup.sif", "SCSI", "snapman", """Acronis Snapshot Driver"""
"txtsetup.sif", "SourceDisksFiles", "fltsrv.sys", "1,,,,,,_3,4,1"
"txtsetup.sif", "SCSI.Load", "fltsrv", "fltsrv.sys,4"
"txtsetup.sif", "SCSI", "fltsrv", """Acronis Storage Filter Management"""
"txtsetup.sif", "HardwareIdsDatabase", "STORAGE\Volume", """Volume"",{71A27CDD-812A-11D0-BEC7-08002BE2092F}"
; at this position here, I don't know what to add for iSCSI registry settings
>>
nevertheless I build the ISO-image and run the burned CD. iSCSI software is now stored in X:\I386\System32 of BartPE system, but I could not start service "msiscsi" with command "net start msiscsi". I got an error message. iscsicls.exe (the gui program for connecting to iSCSI drives) can be started and was running, but miss the corresponing service msiscsi.
For any help I will be thankful. Acronis support has no solution for this issue, the assistent in chat was not familiar with BartPE, and offers a solution with WinPE from Acronis True Image Home Plus Pack, but there iscsi software is allready integrated. In addition to this I couldn't boot the WinPE CD because of a boot manager error after integrating network drivers for my hardware to WinPE. BartPE CD boots successfully on my both computers and also in virtual maschines and has also integrated my network drivers.
Helmut F.
Helmut,
I've written many BartPE plugins and successfuly installed and started many services. Take a look at the msiscsi service in your Windows registry. You will see it needs svchost.exe -k. I never was able to start any sevice that depended on svchost.exe.
Acronis has included the iscsi files in the BartPE inf file for many versions of TI, but never has included any statement to make it work.
Acronis has included the iscsi files in the BartPE inf file for many versions of TI, but never has included any statement to make it work.
Mustang,
thanks for your comment. I yesterday and today had very long chat sessions with acronis support, but I don't know why they would not understand my issue to integrate iSCSI software on BartPE medium. It seems you have understood it at one. You wrote, that you have written many BartPE plugings, but no one for iSCSI. Is this right?
Acronis has never included any statement to work IScsi software; they share an BartPE plugin inf-file 'acronis.inf' , which is not complete. They will escalate my query, because in no bootable media from acronis (BartPE, WinPE and linux-based media) iSCSI client software works (on BartPE is the server version from StarWind iSCSI SAN software available and this works, so you can share you local drives as iSCSI drives to the network. But I need the client version to access a remote iSCSI in my NAS).
You can't expect any help from Acronis support on a BartPE issue. They have no knowledge of BartPE or how it works.
I tried to make the msicsi service start in BartPE, but failed. There are a number of other services that use svchost.exe -k. I was never able to start any of them in BartPE.
You mention the server version of StarWind iSCSI working in BartPE. It must not use the msiscsi service. Can you post the inf file that enables the server version of StarWind iSCSI software to work? Maybe I can see something. Maybe you could contact the author of that plugin for help with the client version.
You can't expect any help from Acronis support on a BartPE issue. They have no knowledge of BartPE or how it works.
This experience I made yesterday and today in chat with Acronis. They realy have no knowledge about BartPE. The allways would convince me to use WinPE based on windows 7. There is iSCSI initiator software integrated, but I got the error message from iscsicli "target error" if I try AddTargetPortal and
But here is the starwind.inf file from StarWind. You only have to activate StarWind plugin in pebuilder. But regard this is only the server version, not the client of iSCSI. Al GUI applications in this inf file are uncommented and there are also no registry definitions. But it works; you can share your local hard disks as iSCSI to the network with StarWind iSCIS.
; StarWind.inf
; PE Builder v3 plug-in INF file
;
; Copyright (c) 2004-2005 RocketDivision Software. All rights reserved.
;
; Please visit http://www.rocketdivision.com to download the recent StarWind binaries
;
; $Id: StarWind.inf,v 1.4 2005/03/07 16:22:44 valery Exp $
[Version]
Signature= "$Windows NT$"
[PEBuilder]
Name="StarWind iSCSI Server"
Enable=1
Help="StarWind.htm"
[WinntDirectories]
a="Programs\RDS\StarWind",2
[SourceDisksFiles]
;-- Service --
files\StarWindService.exe=a,,3
files\ImageFile.dll=a,,6
files\RamDisk.dll=a,,6
files\VirtualDVD.dll=a,,6
license.txt=a,,3
StarWind.conf=a,,3
StarWind_start.cmd=a,,3
StarWind_install.cmd=a,,3
;-- GUI --
;StarWind_GUI.cmd=a,,3
;files\starwind.exe=a,,3
;files\starwindipseccfg.exe=a,,6
;files\lang0409.dll=a,,3
;files\msxml.dll=2
;files\msxmlr.dll=2
[Software.AddReg]
[Default.AddReg]
[Append]
nu2menu.xml, StarWind_nu2menu.xml
I tried to add some entries to registry definitions in 'acronis.inf' and also the copy instruction for the files in "Files/iSCSI" directory, run pebuilder and start the ISO within a virtual machine. I made some screenshots. Start of MSiSCSI also fails here.
Here is my modified 'acronis.inf' (only modified sections and entries are shown)
[WinntDirectories]
b="system32",0
[SourceDisksFolders]
files\IScsi=b
0x4, "ControlSet001\Services\MSiSCSI", "ErrorControl", 1
0x1, "ControlSet001\Services\MSiSCSI", "DisplayName", "Microsoft iSCSI Initiator Service"
0x1, "ControlSet001\Services\MSiSCSI", "Group", "iSCSI"
0x1, "ControlSet001\Services\MSiSCSI", "ObjectName", "LocalSystem"
0x1, "ControlSet001\Services\MSiSCSI", "Description", "Manages Internet SCSI (iSCSI) sessions from this computer to remote iSCSI target devices. If this service is stopped, this computer will not be able to login or access iSCSI targets. If this service is disabled, any services that explicitly depend on it will fail to start."
0x1, "ControlSet001\Services\MSiSCSI", "ImagePath", "%SystemRoot%\system32\iscsiexe.exe"
0x4, "ControlSet001\Services\MSiSCSI", "Start", 2
0x4, "ControlSet001\Services\MSiSCSI", "Type", 10
Helmut F.
P.S.: have you started the network on BartPE to get run your svchost?
For one thing, the "ImagePath" entry really should be 0x2 (REG_EXPAND_SZ) key type. The system may not properly expand any environment variables (e.g., %SystemRoot%) that are entered as ordinary strings under 0x1 (REG_SZ) registry keys.
That change may not be the only thing needed, but it's definitely advisable to allow it to find the executable file reliably. In fact, it wouldn't hurt to make ALL your "ImagePath" keys 0x2 (REG_EXPAND_SZ) type. If you check your own system registry, you'll see that's normal in most cases. I realise that the acronis.inf file doesn't do that, but their main application installer does. Besides, what do they know about it? :^)
That change may not be the only thing needed, but it's definitely advisable to allow it to find the executable file reliably. In fact, it wouldn't hurt to make ALL your "ImagePath" keys 0x2 (REG_EXPAND_SZ) type. If you check your own system registry, you'll see that's normal in most cases. I realise that the acronis.inf file doesn't do that, but their main application installer does. Besides, what do they know about it? :^)
Richard Virtue, thanks for your comments, but in fact it is not the only thing needed.
But I found a document from Mircosoft "Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator Version 2.X Users Guide" how to integrate iSCSI into WinPE (http://www.google.de/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=0xEFFF0012L+:+ISDSC_TARGET_ERROR+…) uguide.doc - Appendix E – Integrating iSCSI Support in Windows PE. There are all registry entries listed and I hope I can transfer this to the pebuilder plugin file 'acronis.inf'.
On the other side I checked on my windows xp computer with installed iSCSI initiator all registry entries with "iSCSI" and exported them. Now I have to integrate them into the acronis.inf. But I'm not shure if this works in the end.
Your comment, to make the key type for all "ImagePath" definitions to 0x2, is not much work (only 5 entries), but Acronis made it also wrong. See the original 'acronis.inf' section [SetupReg.AddReg]:
0x1, "ControlSet001\Services\fltsrv", "ImagePath", "system32\DRIVERS\fltsrv.sys"
0x1, "ControlSet001\Services\snapman", "ImagePath", "system32\DRIVERS\snapman.sys"
Yup, I see that they use 0x1 in their acronis.inf file. It seems to work okay so long as the ImagePath entry doesn't include any environment variable, but I always change them to 0x2 anyhow in all of my own WinPE builds. In fact, I have PE1 (XP), PE2 (Vista) and PE3 (Win7) builds using WinBuilder all the same way. Using Win7x64 as the source is the one that really gets tricky. Gotta use the 64-bit filter drivers and mark the ControlSet001 filter services as WOW64=1.
Thanks for that link. I'll be interested to hear how you make out with your own efforts. I don't currently need iSCSI myself, but I expect to need it in a future setup.
Hi, Richard Virtue,
I'm still working on a new acronis.inf with iSCSI support for BartPE. The half of the registry definitions I have convertet to pebuilder syntax. I think in 1 hour I can make the first test to connect with my iSCSI in NAS Iomega ix2-200 Cloud Edition with BartPE. WinPE (PE3 - Win7) iSCSI implementation don't work: I got an error on command "iscsicli QAddTargetPortal 192.168.2.102": "Target Error". Cann't find anything with google, what this error means. The error is indexed in "Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator Version 2.X Users Guide" "ISDSC_TARGET_ERROR Target Error 0xEFFF0012", but there is no declaration about this error. Microsoft had offered an update for iSCSI initiator, but I don't know if this update is intergrated in Win7 - PE3.
With linux-based bootable media from acronis - I also tried iSCSI software in console mode -, there are two programs: iscsid (the daemon) and iscsiadm (admin tool program). But if starting the daemon "iscsid -f", it answers with: "iscsid: Missing or Invalid version from /sys/module/scsi_transport_iscsi/version. Make sure a up to date scsi_transport_iscsi module is loaded and a up todate version of iscsid is running. Exiting..."
May someone ask, why to do this, here some facts: backup with ATI to a network drive (NAS share connected by UNC-name over 1GBit/s Ehternet) has data transferrates of 5 MB/sec. The iSCIS in the same NAS - also 1GBit/s Ehternet - has throughput of 18..20MB/sec. This is 4 times faster. As a result of a backup of 300GB didn't need 24 hours, but only 6 hours. Validation needs the same time again.
Yeah, I'm finished with modified "acronis.inf". All registry entries are written. I start BartPE CD, checked the values in registry editor and all seems to be ok. But I was not successful: "net start MSiSCSI" don't work. Error message: "the name for the service is unvalid". I tried to start other services with "net start ", but here also the same error message. I will give up. I also saw in microsoft document "Microsoft iSCSI Software Initiator Version 2.X Users Guide" the list of iSCSI files, which where necessary, but some files in the plugin folder from pebuilder - provided by acronis addone - I cann't locate in plugin folder and subfolders, i.e. iscsiexe.dll. I also checked the orignial ZIP archive from acronis addone installation, but they are not there enclosed.
If I can find some time, Helmut, maybe I'll play around with it a bit using a WinBuilder scripted PE build. I'll append to this thread if I discover any brilliant solution, but not likely. You do likewise please. And thanks for your efforts.
see attached my modified 'acronis.inf' for iSCSI use with BartPE. Beware, pebuilder builds the iso-image without errors, but iSCSI software does not run on BartPE, perhaps do to some missing files and not correct installation of service "MSiSCSI".