Bare metal with VMware Workstation
This guide uses VMware Workstation Pro 26.0.1 to test DeployR bare-metal deployments.
Create a new virtual machine with these settings:
Memory: 4 GB minimum. Allocate more for larger operating system images.
Processors: 4 virtual processors.
Storage: 250 GB virtual disk.
CD/DVD: Mount the DeployR ISO from the
bootfolder.Network Adapter: Bridged.
The default VMware settings worked for this test. Use BIOS firmware to follow the boot flow shown below.
During OSD, DeployR will automatically download and install drivers from the VMware Tools package. They can be added as a content item inside DeployR or enabled via the "Inject Drivers from Cloud" step.
Network setup
In Virtual Network Editor, map the bridged network to the physical adapter connected to your lab network. This places the VM on the same subnet as the DeployR server. It also enables PXE booting when available.
Review the VM settings, then power on the VM.
Boot options
Press Esc during startup to open BIOS Boot Manager. Select PXE boot when it is available. Otherwise, boot from the mounted DeployR ISO for a quick test.
Configure your PXE environment before using network boot. See Configuring PXE booting.
Expected deployment flow
With iPXE configured, the VM boots from the 2Pint 2PXE Server.
The boot process loads the configured DeployR boot image.
WinPE then starts. When bootstrap debugging is enabled, a minimized PowerShell prompt appears in the lower-left corner. For debug options, see Task Sequence debugging.
DeployR displays its splash screen, initializes networking, and gathers device information. It then displays the configured authentication prompt. Sign in with credentials permitted by your DeployR authentication configuration.
Later on in the TS, when grabbing drivers from the cloud, it will detect your on VMware and download the VMware tools package, extract and apply the drivers.
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