Windows Server 2022 Packer Build for Proxmox

Automated Windows Server 2022 template creation using HashiCorp Packer and Proxmox VE.

Overview

This project automates the creation of a Windows Server 2022 VM template on Proxmox using Packer. The template includes:

• Automated Windows installation via unattended.xml
• VirtIO drivers for optimal performance
• IIS (Internet Information Services) pre-installed
• Multi-phase provisioning with PowerShell scripts
• Sysprep generalization for template deployment
• Optional Windows Update integration

Prerequisites

Required Software

• HashiCorp Packer (>= 1.8.0)
• Proxmox VE server with API access
• Proxmox API token with appropriate permissions

Required ISO Files

Ensure these ISOs are uploaded to your Proxmox server in the local storage:

• Win-Server-2022.iso - Windows Server 2022 installation media
• virtio-win.iso - VirtIO drivers for Windows

Project Structure

.
├── windows-server-2022.pkr.hcl    # Main Packer configuration
├── variables.pkrvars.hcl           # Variable definitions (API credentials)
├── build.sh                        # Build script
└── data2/                          # Provisioning files
    ├── Autounattend.xml           # Unattended Windows installation
    ├── bootstrap.ps1              # Initial WinRM setup
    ├── windows-init.ps1           # Windows initialization
    ├── phase-1.ps1                # Phase 1 provisioning
    ├── phase-2.ps1                # Phase 2 provisioning
    ├── phase-3.ps1                # Phase 3 provisioning
    ├── phase-4.windows-updates.ps1 # Windows updates
    ├── phase-5a.software.ps1      # Software installation
    ├── phase-5b.docker.ps1        # Docker installation
    ├── phase-5c.vagrant.ps1       # Vagrant setup
    ├── phase-5d.windows-compress.ps1 # Disk compression
    ├── install-iis.ps1            # IIS installation
    ├── extend-trial.cmd           # Windows trial extension
    └── unattend.xml               # Sysprep answer file

Configuration

1. Set Environment Variables

Create or modify variables.pkrvars.hcl with your Proxmox credentials:

proxmox_api_url                  = "https://your-proxmox-server:8006/api2/json"
proxmox_api_token_id            = "packer@pve!automation1"
proxmox_api_token_secret        = "your-token-secret-here"
proxmox_insecure_skip_tls_verify = true
# vm_vlan_tag = "30"  # Optional: Uncomment to set VLAN

Security Note: Never commit variables.pkrvars.hcl with real credentials to version control. Consider using environment variables instead:

export PROXMOX_API_URL="https://your-proxmox-server:8006/api2/json"
export PROXMOX_API_TOKEN_ID="packer@pve!automation1"
export PROXMOX_API_TOKEN_SECRET="your-token-secret"
export VM_VLAN_TAG="30"  # Optional

2. Customize VM Settings

Edit windows-server-2022.pkr.hcl to adjust:

• Node: Change node = "pve3" to your Proxmox node name
• Storage: Modify storage_pool = "local-lvm" to your storage
• Resources: Adjust memory = "4096" and cores = "2" as needed
• Network: Configure bridge, vlan_tag, etc.
• Disk Size: Change disk_size = "50G" if needed

3. Admin Password

The default administrator password is set in the Packer config:

winrm_username = "Administrator"
winrm_password = "password"

⚠️ Change this password in both:

• windows-server-2022.pkr.hcl (winrm_password)
• data2/Autounattend.xml (Administrator password)

Usage

Initialize Packer Plugins

Before first use, initialize required plugins:

packer init .

Build the Template

Option 1: Using the build script

chmod +x build.sh
./build.sh

Option 2: Using Packer directly

packer build -var-file=variables.pkrvars.hcl windows-server-2022.pkr.hcl

Build Process

The build typically takes 60 - 75 minutes and includes:

1. VM Creation - Creates VM with specified resources
2. Windows Installation - Automated via Autounattend.xml
3. Driver Installation - VirtIO drivers from mounted ISO
4. WinRM Setup - Establishes communication for provisioning
5. Phase 1 Provisioning - Base configuration
6. Restart - First reboot
7. Phase 2 Provisioning - Additional setup
8. IIS Installation - Installs web server role (currently disabled)
9. Restart - Second reboot
10. Optional Updates - Windows Update (if enabled)
11. Disk Compression - Reduces template size
12. Sysprep - Generalizes the image for deployment

Build Details

Required Packer Plugins

• proxmox (>= 1.2.3) - Proxmox builder
• windows-update (0.15.0) - Windows Update provisioner

Provisioning Phases

The build uses a multi-phase approach with WinRM reconfiguration after each restart:

# After each restart, WinRM must be reconfigured:
provisioner "powershell" {
  inline = [
    "winrm set winrm/config/service '@{AllowUnencrypted=\"true\"}'",
    "winrm set winrm/config/client '@{AllowUnencrypted=\"true\"}'" 
  ]
}

Windows Updates

Windows Updates are commented out by default for faster builds:

#provisioner "windows-update" {
#  search_criteria = "IsInstalled=0"
#  update_limit = 10
#}

Uncomment this section in windows-server-2022.pkr.hcl to enable updates.

Deployment

After successful build, the template win2022-baseline will be available in Proxmox:

1. Right-click the template in Proxmox UI
2. Select "Clone"
3. Choose "Full Clone" or "Linked Clone"
4. Deploy your new VM

The VM will boot and automatically run through OOBE (Out-of-Box Experience) with the settings from unattend.xml.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Build fails during Windows installation:

• Verify ISO files are present in Proxmox storage
• Check Autounattend.xml for correct product key or remove it
• Ensure sufficient resources (RAM/CPU) are allocated

WinRM timeout:

• Increase winrm_timeout in the source block
• Check firewall rules in Proxmox
• Verify WinRM is enabled in bootstrap.ps1

Sysprep fails:

• Review C:\Windows\System32\Sysprep\Panther\setuperr.log on the VM
• Ensure all provisioning scripts completed successfully
• Check unattend.xml syntax

Debug Mode

Run Packer with debug flag for detailed output:

PACKER_LOG=1 packer build -var-file=variables.pkrvars.hcl windows-server-2022.pkr.hcl

Security Considerations

• Change default passwords before production use
• Use secure API tokens with minimal required permissions
• Enable TLS verification (proxmox_insecure_skip_tls_verify = false) with valid certificates
• Review provisioning scripts before execution
• Keep credentials out of version control - use environment variables or secrets management

Customization

Adding Software

Add your software installation to provisioning scripts:

# In data2/phase-5a.software.ps1
choco install googlechrome -y
choco install notepadplusplus -y

Modifying Unattended Installation

Edit data2/Autounattend.xml to customize:

• Regional settings
• Disk partitioning
• User accounts
• Windows features

Adding Provisioners

Add additional provisioners in windows-server-2022.pkr.hcl:

provisioner "powershell" {
  script = "./data2/your-custom-script.ps1"
}

License

This project is provided as-is for educational and automation purposes.

Contributing

Feel free to submit issues or pull requests for improvements.

Resources

• Packer Documentation
• Proxmox Packer Plugin
• Windows Answer Files
• VirtIO Drivers

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