Windows NT was designed to be installed in desktop or server environments with ample resources. As more companies turn to off-the-shelf solutions for their embedded applications, they will have difficulty deploying Windows NT on resource constrained or embedded systems. Furthermore the standard installation process is difficult or impossible on systems lacking standard hardware (e.g. no console video).

VenturCom's Component Integrator is a development environment for creating and deploying target configurations with many different subsets of Windows NT. The Component Integrator facilitates all deployment steps:

- Integration. The tool presents the operating system as capabilities that the user can pick-and-choose for their target. Only those components needed for the target hardware and software need be selected. Small functional NT systems can be created with a total disk footprint under 10 Mb, and requiring as little as 8 Mb RAM. By incrementally adding components the user can build their way from a bare-bones installation all they way up to a complete NT installation.

- Configuration. Components may be pre-configured with parameters needed for correct target operation (e.g. IP Address). By validating the configuration, the user can be assured that a valid target will be built, and no required components are missing.

- Build. After the configuration has been configured and validated it can be built onto various target media. A bootable target can be built onto disk or flash media, or an installation image produced for later mastering onto bootable CD-ROM.

- The Component Integrator will be demonstrated at the USENIX NT Workshop and design literature will be available.

VenturCom is continuing to decompose the NT system into more components, and provide a richer set of configuration and build options. Subsequent releases of the Component Integrator will be able to create and deploy configurations based on NT Server, NT 5.0 Workstation and Server, and Windows CE.

Sef Kloninger
Senior Software Engineer
VenturCom, Inc.
215 First St., Cambridge, MA 02142
(617) 661-1230 x257
sef@vci.com