Lenovo ThinkPad R400 - Manual (Page 45)

Filters
Filters automate a decision during the installation process. You typically use filters
to obtain hardware-related information from a target computer to determine if a
specific module or set of modules should be installed. The ImageUltra Builder
program provides filters that check the machine type, machine type and model
number, hardware platform (mobile or desktop), and whether or not a computer is
an Lenovo branded computer. You can also develop your own filters if needed.
Filters are Win32-based programs that run during the installation process. In most
cases filters query the BIOS of the target computer, but they can query other
devices that store identification information in a ROM or EEPROM module. For
example, you might want to check for the presence of a PCI modem before
installing a modem-related application program or you might want to check for a
specific machine type to determine which device drivers should be installed.
You can implement filters two different ways:
v Assign a filter to a menu item in either a base map or driver map by using the
Filter tab attributes for the menu item.
v Assign a filter directly to an application or device-driver module by using the
Filter-tab attributes for that specific module.
Using filters enables you to develop one map that works across many computer
types. For information about creating your own filters or information about using
the filters provided with the ImageUltra Builder program, refer to the ImageUltra
Builder help system.
Utilities
Utilities are Win32-based EXE, BAT, or COM files that run during the installation
process. For example, an installer might want to run CHKDSK to determine the
size and condition of a hard disk before any files get installed. Utilities are copied
to the service partition of the target computer during deployment, run during the
installation process, but never get copied to the active partition of the target
computer.
You can incorporate utilities in a map to run immediately before the installation
menus, immediately after the installation menus, or as a result of a selection in the
installation menus. You determine how the utilities run and the order in which
they run.
The ImageUltra Builder program does not provide any utilities. If you want to
include utilities, you will have to build your own utility modules.
To use a utility, you either assign a utility module to a base-map menu item or use
the Before/After Menu tab in the Map Settings window for base maps.
For information about creating your own utilities, see Chapter 8, “Preparing source
files for modules,” on page 135. For more information about maps, see Chapter 6,
“Map construction overview,” on page 77 and Chapter 7, “Creating maps,” on
page 115.
Chapter 2. An overview of the image process 31