\u2026<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/word-image-118.png\")
<\/p>\n
If your virtual machine requires specific device drivers, you can include them in this Nano Server Image and the Nano Server will then attempt to load each device driver during boot.<\/p>\n
Note that the Virtual Machine integration components for Hyper-V have been selected automatically. Finally, you can configure the computer name, the time zone and the network.<\/p>\n
Nano Server Image Builder will create your VHD or VHDX file. You then just have to import this into your Hyper-V manager console. Select \u201cQuick Create\u201d and point to the VHD file previously created:<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/word-image-119.png\")
<\/p>\n
You can now easily rerun Nano Server Image Builder to create as many new Nano Server Images as you need.<\/p>\n
Nano Server Image Generator<\/h3>\n
The GUI is great for performing a manual deployment task, but you will soon be very likely to need to deploy many Nano Servers. In order to automate the provisioning process, there is a PowerShell module called \u201cNano Server Image Generator<\/strong>\u201d which lets you create your VHD file using the command-line. Let\u2019s see how to use it.<\/p>\nFirstly, you need to import the module which is located inside the \u201cNanoServerImageGenerator<\/strong>\u201d folder:<\/p>\n\n
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\n\n\n| <\/td>\n | \n\n PS<\/span> ><\/span> Import-Module<\/span> C<\/span>:<\/span>\\<\/span>NanoServer<\/span>\\<\/span>NanoServerImageGenerator<\/span>\\<\/span>NanoServerImageGenerator<\/span>.<\/span>psd1<\/span> -verbose<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>VERBOSE<\/span>:<\/span> Loading <\/span>module <\/span>from <\/span>path<\/span> ‘C:\\NanoServer\\NanoServerImageGenerator\\NanoServerImageGenerator.psd1’<\/span>.<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>VERBOSE<\/span>:<\/span> Importing <\/span>function<\/span> ‘Edit-NanoServerImage’<\/span>.<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>VERBOSE<\/span>:<\/span> Importing <\/span>function<\/span> ‘Get-NanoServerPackage’<\/span>.<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>VERBOSE<\/span>:<\/span> Importing <\/span>function<\/span> ‘New-NanoServerImage’<\/span>.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThere are three cmdlets at your disposal.<\/p>\n \n- New-NanoServerImage:\u00a0<\/strong>Creates a Nano Server installation image.<\/li>\n
- Get-NanoServerImage:\u00a0<\/strong>Get available packages for a Nano Server installation image.<\/li>\n
- Edit-NanoServerImage:\u00a0<\/strong>Modify a Nano Server installation image.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you need some additional help, you can use the\u00a0Get-Help<\/strong>\u00a0cmdlet followed by one of these cmdlets.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n\n\n| <\/td>\n | \n\n PS<\/span> ><\/span> Get-Help<\/span> New-NanoServerImage<\/span> \u2013full<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nLet\u2019s see how to create a basic Nano Server image. Below is an example:<\/p>\n \n <\/div>\n \n \n\n\n| <\/td>\n | \n\n PS<\/span> ><\/span> New-NanoServerImage<\/span> -DeploymentType<\/span> Guest<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-Edition<\/span> Datacenter<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-MediaPath<\/span> “C:\\Media\\WindowsServer2016\\”<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-BasePath<\/span> .<\/span>\\<\/span>Base<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-TargetPath<\/span> “C:\\Tmp\\MyNanoServer.vhd”<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-MaxSize<\/span> 10737418240 `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-ComputerName<\/span> “Nano01”<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-Clustering<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-Package<\/span> Microsoft-NanoServer<\/span>-ShieldedVM<\/span>-Package<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-EnableRemoteManagementPort<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-AdministratorPassword<\/span> $SecurePassword<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIn the above example, the command will create a Virtual Machine Nano Server image using the\u00a0-DeploymentType\u00a0<\/strong>parameter. Two values are possible:<\/p>\n\n- \u201cGuest\u201d is a Virtual Machine<\/li>\n
- \u201cHost\u201d is a Physical Machine<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
We create a Datacenter edition with the\u00a0-Edition<\/strong>\u00a0parameter. It will have the clustering feature added, support for a shielded VM using the\u00a0-Package<\/strong>\u00a0parameter, and support for remote management over WinRM will be enabled. Finally, the administrator password will need to be a secure string variable which you can easily convert from a plain-text password.<\/p>\nNote that some of the more popular server features have their own switches such as \u201cclustering\u201d but these can also be added with the\u00a0-Package\u00a0<\/strong>parameter.<\/p>\nNow, imagine that you want to update an existing Nano Server Image rather than rebuild a new image. You can use the\u00a0Edit-NanoServerImage\u00a0<\/strong>cmdlet to update your Nano Image. The cmdlet operates on an image produced by the\u00a0New-NanoServerImage\u00a0<\/strong>cmdlet and you can use the same parameters.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n \n \n\n\n| <\/td>\n | \n\n PS<\/span> ><\/span> Edit-NanoServerImage<\/span> -TargetPath<\/span> “C:\\Tmp\\MyNanoServer.vhd”<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-BasePath<\/span> .<\/span>\\<\/span>Base<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-ComputerName<\/span> “Nano02”<\/span> `<\/span><\/div>\n\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0-AdministratorPassword<\/span> $NewSecurePassword<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe first thing that this cmdlet will perform is mounting the VHD file. Then the VHD file will be updated and dismounted once the modifications are done.<\/p>\n If you are wondering how to find all the available parameters? Well, we will use the\u00a0Show-Command<\/strong>cmdlet to show you how easy it is to deploy your Nano Server using the\u00a0New-NanoServerImage<\/strong>cmdlet.<\/p>\nBuilding a new Nano Server has been made easier with the\u00a0Show-Command<\/strong>\u00a0cmdlet from PowerShell 5.0:<\/p>\n | | | |
![](\"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/word-image-116.png\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/word-image-117.png\")
<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.red-gate.com\/simple-talk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/word-image-120.png\")
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