OPK Overview

Use the Server Appliance Kit OPK documentation to learn how to use the tools and frameworks included with the SAK alongside the tools provided by the Windows OPK to create a server appliance running Windows Server 2003.

The first step in using the Server Appliance Kit OPK is to review Checklist: Creating a Windows Powered Server Appliance. This checklist leads you through the major steps of creating a server appliance, showing how to use the SAK tools as part of the process of preinstalling Windows Server 2003 on a server appliance so you can manufacture it and sell to your customers.

Server appliances can be built on a wide variety of hardware platforms. For information about the minimum and recommended hardware configuration for server appliances in general and Windows Storage Server 2003 computers in particular, see Hardware Requirements and Recommendations.

One of the hallmarks of a server appliance is its simplicity. For that reason, it's important to configure the software running on the server to include only the software that is essential to carrying out the purpose for which the server appliance is intended. Operating System Configuration tells you how to install and configure Windows Server 2003 to provide the optimal platform on which to build your server appliance.

The SAK supplements the base operating system with software frameworks, special branding and server lockdown, and additional tools for configuring the server for the end customer. For details on how to use these features, see Installing the Server Appliance Kit and Special Configuration Settings.

If you want your Windows Storage Server 2003 server appliance to support Novell NetWare client computers, you can preinstall Microsoft Services for NetWare. Installing Services for NetWare explains what you need to know to do this for a server appliance.

The SAK provides SAConfig, a utility that can set the server appliance's computer name and Administrator password the first time the customer starts the server appliance. This can ensure that the server appliance will immediately have a unique computer name on the customer's network and will be secured with an appropriate Administrator password. Read Preparing for Auto Configuration to learn how to use this utility to make it easier for your customers to deploy your server appliance.

The final step in developing the master image of a server appliance is to configure and run the SysPrep utility. Preparing the Operating System for Replication tells you how to carry out this task.

In some cases, your customers may encounter issues when running their server appliance that they can avoid or correct if they have the right information. Documentation for Your Customers describes some of these issues and suggests what you can tell your customers to enable them deal with them.

As you develop your server appliance and your customers deploy it, there may be times when you will need to receive support from Microsoft. Supporting Windows Powered Server Appliances tells you how to obtain this support.

Finally, the OPK provides a Reference that summarizes how to use the command-line tools included in the SAK.