When deploying customized Windows Server 2016 in high-security environments, we often face constraints where:

• The installation ISO is only accessible within secured zones
• Third-party tools are prohibited by customer SLA
• Physical access to servers requires on-premise preparation

Windows Server 2016 includes all necessary components for creating bootable media without additional software. Here's the complete workflow:

Step 1: Mount the Custom ISO

Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath "D:\custom_win2016dc.iso"
$driveLetter = (Get-DiskImage -ImagePath "D:\custom_win2016dc.iso" | Get-Volume).DriveLetter

Step 2: Prepare the USB Drive

First identify your USB device (typically Disk 1 in most HP ProLiant servers):

diskpart
list disk
select disk 1
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=ntfs quick
assign letter=U
exit

Step 3: Copy Installation Files

robocopy ${driveLetter}:\ U:\ /mir /njh /njs /ndl /nc /ns

For HP ProLiant DL380 Gen9/Gen10 servers, verify the USB structure contains:

• \sources\install.wim (critical for deployment)
• \boot\boot.sdi
• \efi\microsoft\boot\cdboot.efi

For deploying across 8+ servers, create this PowerShell deployment script:

# HP ProLiant DL380 Deployment Script
$isoPath = "D:\custom_win2016dc.iso"
$usbDisk = 1

function Create-BootableUSB {
    param([string]$iso, [int]$diskNumber)
    
    try {
        $mount = Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath $iso -PassThru
        $drive = (Get-DiskImage -ImagePath $iso | Get-Volume).DriveLetter
        
        # DiskPart automation
        $diskpartScript = @"
select disk $diskNumber
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
active
format fs=ntfs quick
assign letter=U
exit
"@
        $diskpartScript | diskpart
        
        # Robocopy with error handling
        $copyResult = robocopy "${drive}:\" "U:\" /mir /r:1 /w:1 /log:U:\deploy.log
        if ($copyResult -match "Failed") {
            throw "File copy failed"
        }
        
        return $true
    }
    catch {
        Write-Error "Deployment failed: $_"
        return $false
    }
    finally {
        if ($mount) { Dismount-DiskImage -InputObject $mount }
    }
}

When working under strict SLAs:

• Always generate SHA256 hashes of the ISO pre/post transfer
• Use Write-Once media when possible
• Document each step for audit compliance

When working in high-security data centers with strict SLAs, administrators often face deployment constraints that require creative solutions. In this scenario, we need to deploy a customized Windows Server 2016 Datacenter ISO across multiple HP ProLiant DL380 servers without using third-party utilities.

Windows Server 2016 includes all necessary tools for creating bootable media through PowerShell and DiskPart. Here's the complete process:

# First, identify your USB drive (usually Disk 1 or 2)
Get-Disk

# Then clean and prepare the USB drive
$diskNumber = 1 # Replace with your USB disk number
$isoPath = "D:\custom_win2016.iso" # Replace with your ISO path

Clear-Disk -Number $diskNumber -RemoveData -Confirm:$false
Initialize-Disk -Number $diskNumber -PartitionStyle MBR
$partition = New-Partition -DiskNumber $diskNumber -UseMaximumSize -IsActive
Format-Volume -DriveLetter $partition.DriveLetter -FileSystem FAT32 -Force

# Mount the ISO and copy files
$isoDrive = (Mount-DiskImage -ImagePath $isoPath -PassThru | Get-Volume).DriveLetter
robocopy "${isoDrive}:\" "${partition.DriveLetter}:\" /mir /r:1 /w:1

For environments where PowerShell might be restricted, the classic DiskPart method works reliably:

diskpart
list disk
select disk 1
clean
create partition primary
select partition 1
format fs=fat32 quick
active
assign letter=u
exit

# Then mount ISO and copy files manually or via:
xcopy e:\* u:\ /e /f

After creation, verify the USB drive can boot by checking for these key files:

• \boot\bcd
• \sources\install.wim
• \bootmgr

For UEFI systems, ensure the partition is FAT32 formatted and contains the EFI folder structure.

When deploying to HP ProLiant servers:

1. Set BIOS to UEFI mode for GPT partitioning
2. Disable Secure Boot if using custom drivers
3. Configure iLO for remote management during installation

For deploying across multiple servers, consider creating an unattend.xml file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<unattend xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:unattend">
    <settings pass="windowsPE">
        <component name="Microsoft-Windows-Setup" processorArchitecture="amd64">
            <UserData>
                <ProductKey>
                    <Key>XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX</Key>
                </ProductKey>
                <AcceptEula>true</AcceptEula>
            </UserData>
        </component>
    </settings>
</unattend>

Place this file in the USB drive's \sources\$OEM$ folder for automated deployment.