How to launch a Windows Server VM

Important: You are responsible for meeting all licensing requirements.

Quake AI does not provide any licensing for Microsoft products
You must contact your license provider and confirm you can install Microsoft software on public clouds before this installation

Required software#

Windows Server 2022 or 2025 ISO image to install Windows Server
Windows VirtIO drivers available in the following locations:
- Stable
- Latest
Cloudbase-Init software available in the following locations:
- Stable
- Latest

Step 1: Upload the install media#

Create the installation media in your OpenStack project before you start. It must have certain metadata attached to install successfully.

Installation methods#

Terraform method:

JSON

locals {
  virtio_drivers_iso      = "https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/stable-virtio/virtio-win.iso"
  windows_server_2022_iso = "https://software-static.download.prss.microsoft.com/sg/download/888969d5-f34g-4e03-ac9d-1f9786c66749/SERVER_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso"
  windows_server_2025_iso = "https://software-static.download.prss.microsoft.com/dbazure/888969d5-f34g-4e03-ac9d-1f9786c66749/26100.1742.240906-0331.ge_release_svc_refresh_SERVER_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso"
}

resource "openstack_images_image_v2" "virtio_drivers" {
  name             = "windows-virtio-drivers.iso"
  image_source_url = local.virtio_drivers_iso
  web_download     = true
  visibility       = "private"
  container_format = "bare"
  disk_format      = "iso"

  properties = {
    description         = "Windows Server VirtIO Drivers"
    hw_qemu_guest_agent = "no"
    os_distro           = "windows"
    os_version          = "VirtIO"
    usage_type          = "Windows Drivers"
  }
}

resource "openstack_images_image_v2" "windows_2022" {
  name             = "windows-server-2022.iso"
  image_source_url = local.windows_server_2022_iso
  web_download     = true
  visibility       = "private"
  container_format = "bare"
  disk_format      = "iso"

  properties = {
    description         = "Windows Server 2022 Installation Media"
    hw_qemu_guest_agent = "no"
    os_admin_user       = "administrator"
    os_distro           = "windows"
    os_version          = "2022"
    usage_type          = "common"
  }
}

resource "openstack_images_image_v2" "windows_2025" {
  name             = "windows-server-2025.iso"
  image_source_url = local.windows_server_2025_iso
  web_download     = true
  visibility       = "private"
  container_format = "bare"
  disk_format      = "iso"

  properties = {
    description         = "Windows Server 2025 Installation Media"
    hw_qemu_guest_agent = "no"
    os_admin_user       = "administrator"
    os_distro           = "windows"
    os_version          = "2025"
    usage_type          = "common"
  }
}

OpenStack command line:

bash

#!/usr/bin/env bash

openstack image import \
  --uri "https://software-static.download.prss.microsoft.com/sg/download/888969d5-f34g-4e03-ac9d-1f9786c66749/SERVER_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso" \
  --method "web-download" \
  --disk-format iso \
  --container-format bare \
  --private \
  --import \
  --min-disk 6 \
  --min-ram 16000 \
  --progress \
  windows-server-2022.iso
  
openstack image import \
  --uri "https://software-static.download.prss.microsoft.com/dbazure/888969d5-f34g-4e03-ac9d-1f9786c66749/26100.1742.240906-0331.ge_release_svc_refresh_SERVER_EVAL_x64FRE_en-us.iso" \
  --method "web-download" \
  --disk-format iso \
  --container-format bare \
  --private \
  --import \
  --min-disk 6 \
  --min-ram 16000 \
  --progress \
  windows-server-2025.iso
  
openstack image import \
  --uri "https://fedorapeople.org/groups/virt/virtio-win/direct-downloads/stable-virtio/virtio-win.iso" \
  --method "web-download" \
  --disk-format iso \
  --container-format bare \
  --private \
  --import \
  --min-disk 6 \
  --min-ram 16000 \
  --progress \
  windows-virtio-drivers.iso

Step 2: Creating the golden master VM#

Now create a “Golden Master” virtual machine image. You use this image to create virtual machines, so follow every step to produce an OpenStack-compatible virtual machine.

Terraform is the recommended path, because the command-line version requires the Nova CLI, which does not function in Quake AI for users.

Please replace all placeholders with identifiers relevant to your environment and cloud project.

JSON

data "openstack_compute_flavor_v2" "m2a-xlarge" {
  name = "m2a.xlarge"
}

data "openstack_networking_network_v2" "public" {
  name = "PublicEphemeral"
}

resource "openstack_compute_keypair_v2" "administrator" {
  name = "build_windows_server"
}

resource "openstack_blockstorage_volume_v3" "windows_installer" {
  name        = "win_server.iso"
  description = "Windows Server installation media."
  size        = 6
  image_id    = "<PLACEHOLDER>"
}

resource "openstack_blockstorage_volume_v3" "windows_virtio" {
  name        = "virtio_drivers.iso"
  description = "Windows Server driver disk."
  size        = 1
  image_id    = "<PLACEHOLDER>"
}

resource "openstack_blockstorage_volume_v3" "golden_master" {
  name        = "windows_server_golden_master"
  description = "Windows Server build disk."
  size        = 64
}

resource "openstack_compute_instance_v2" "golden_master" {
  name            = "build_windows_server_2025_${random_string.generation.id}"
  flavor_id       = data.openstack_compute_flavor_v2.m2a-xlarge.id
  key_pair        = openstack_compute_keypair_v2.administrator.name
  security_groups = [<PLACEHOLDER>]

  block_device {
    boot_index            = 0
    uuid                  = openstack_blockstorage_volume_v3.windows_installer.id
    delete_on_termination = true
    destination_type      = "volume"
    source_type           = "volume"
    disk_bus              = "ide"
    device_type           = "cdrom"
  }

  block_device {
    boot_index            = 1
    uuid                  = openstack_blockstorage_volume_v3.windows_virtio.id
    delete_on_termination = true
    destination_type      = "volume"
    source_type           = "volume"
    disk_bus              = "ide"
    device_type           = "cdrom"
  }

  block_device {
    boot_index            = 2
    uuid                  = openstack_blockstorage_volume_v3.golden_master.id
    delete_on_termination = true
    destination_type      = "volume"
    source_type           = "volume"
  }

  network {
    name = data.openstack_networking_network_v2.public.name
  }

  lifecycle {
    ignore_changes = [power_state]
  }
}

Step 3: installing Windows#

Once the instance boots and is running, use the in-browser console in the Console to access the server.

Install the server normally until you reach the disk selection page, which is blank.

Windows on Quake AI Screen 1

Install network drivers first#

Use the Load Driver button in the installer and navigate to the VirtIO driver disk you provided the virtual machine.

First, install the driver from the CDROM:\Drivers\NetKVM\2k25\amd64 directory. This driver lets your VM use the metadata server that Quake AI provides on subsequent boots.

Windows on Quake AI Screen 2

Upon selecting the folder and clicking “OK” you see the available drivers, please install the network driver.

Windows on Quake AI Screen 3

Install the VirtIO SCSI driver#

Next, install the VirtIO SCSI driver. This driver lets you select the disk for installation.

This driver is located at CDROM:\Drivers\viostor\2k25\amd64.

Windows on Quake AI Screen 4

Select your disk for installation#

Upon installation of these drivers, your system will now have a disk available for usage. Please select that disk and begin the installation.

Windows on Quake AI Screen 5

Step 4: Preparing the operating system drivers#

After the installation we must install additional drivers to ensure both the highest performance level and greatest stability of a Windows Virtual Machine on Quake AI.

First boot driver install#

Once the system is booted and you are able to reach the desktop, you will now need to install the remainder of the VirtIO drivers. At the root of the CD-ROM, there is an installer for this and the installer is named virtio-win-gt-x64.msi.

Windows on Quake AI Screen 6

When installing this driver package, you will want to install all the components available:

Windows on Quake AI Screen 7

Windows VirtIO guest tools#

Once the drivers are installed, to increase operability with the underlying cloud infrastructure, it is optionally recommended you install the Windows guest tools as well.

These tools can be located on the same CDROM and the installer is named virtio-win-guest-tools.exe.

Windows on Quake AI Screen 8

Step 5: Enable remote desktop#

At this point, you should transition to remote desktop. You can enable remote desktop using the following Powershell commands.

Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Terminal Server" -Name "fDenyTSConnections" -Value "0" 
Set-NetFirewallRule -Name "RemoteDesktop-In-TCP-WS" -Enabled True
Get-NetFirewallRule | Where-Object Name -like 'RemoteDesktop*' | Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled True

Step 6: install Cloudbase-Init#

Cloudbase-Init is the utility which will configure a Windows Server when launched in Quake AI. This tool is critically important.

WARNING: Do not use Microsoft Edge to install this, it will cause issues with the sysprep at the end.

powershell -Command "(new-object net.webclient).DownloadString('https://www.cloudbase.it/downloads/CloudbaseInitSetup_Stable_x64.msi')"

Once you have the Cloudbase-Init tool downloaded, you should install all modules.

Windows on Quake AI Screen 9

When configuring the Cloudbase-Init tool, you should use the “Administrator” username and COM1 for communication. Do not run Cloudbase-Init as a LocalSystem service. Also make sure to check the box “Use metadata password”.

Windows on Quake AI Screen 10

After this installation has completed, you should now be presented with two checkboxes. You should perform the sysprep and shut down the virtual machine now.

Windows on Quake AI Screen 11

Step 7: Create the image#

At this point you should now create an image of the operating system disk of this virtual machine, and you can now create virtual machines from this image and establish things like your Windows Cluster, Active Directory Domain or other useful Microsoft features within your OpenStack Project.

How to launch a Windows Server VM

How to launch a Windows Server VM

Required software#

Step 1: Upload the install media#

Installation methods#

Step 2: Creating the golden master VM#

Step 3: installing Windows#

Install network drivers first#

Install the VirtIO SCSI driver#

Select your disk for installation#

Step 4: Preparing the operating system drivers#

First boot driver install#

Windows VirtIO guest tools#

Step 5: Enable remote desktop#

Step 6: install Cloudbase-Init#

Step 7: Create the image#

Usage Guidelines

Quick answers

See Also