WinPE Overview

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With Windows SAN boot, you can use either WinPE disc or Windows Deployment Service (WDS). WinPE is a scaled-down version of a Windows operating system that provides enough functionality to allow the Windows host server to boot, so that Oracle Virtual Networking host drivers are installed. For more information about WinPE and a WinPE disc, see Microsoft’s web site.

When you create the WinPE disc, you load the host drivers in PE so that you can access the virtual resources (VNICs and VHBAs).

Note - If you flash the HCA firmware and Option ROM in the Windows Preboot environment (PE), be aware that you must use the 32-bit PE. The reason for this requirement is that the tools to burn the PE image are 32-bit only. If you use a 64-bit PE system, you cannot burn the PE image, because a 64-bit PE has no 32-bit subsystem where the tools (which are 32-bit) will run.

The overall steps to create a SAN bootable WinPE RAM CD are as follows:

Obtain the freeware WAIK 3.0 package from Microsoft.
Obtain the loaddriver.bat file.
Create the WinPE RAM CD with Oracle Virtual Networking host drivers.

For Windows SAN Boot, WinPE 3.0 is recommended.