BYOL Checker script automation

The official AWS BYOL Checker tool is primarily designed to run interactively with a GUI interface. [1] I would advise you to please reach out to our AWS support to get more details around the automation and resource information along with certain logs which would help in further discussion.

We can further test this functionality internally and confirm the behavior.

[1] https://docs.aws.amazon.com/workspaces/latest/adminguide/windows_images_run_byol_checker_script.html

To automate the BYOL Checker process for preparing your EC2 instance to be imported as a WorkSpace image, you'll need to take a few steps:

1. First, ensure that your EC2 instance meets all the prerequisites for using Microsoft BYOL with Amazon WorkSpaces. This includes having a supported 64-bit version of Windows, a single volume with a maximum size of 70 GB and at least 10 GB of free space, and Windows PowerShell version 4 or later installed.

2. Before running the BYOL Checker script, you'll need to update the PowerShell execution policy on the computer. You can do this by running the following command:

   Set-ExecutionPolicy AllSigned

3. Regarding the automation of the BYOL Checker script, you're correct that the $AMIAutomation parameter is intended for automation. However, the missing helper.ps1 file presents a challenge.

4. As an alternative approach to automation, you could consider creating a PowerShell script that performs the necessary checks and modifications that the BYOL Checker script would typically do. This script could include checks for:

   • Windows version
   • Disk space and partitioning
   • Presence of required accounts (like WorkSpaces_BYOL)
   • Windows updates
   • Necessary configurations (like AutoLogon and RealTimeUniversal)

5. After running your automated checks, you'll need to address any issues that are found. This might include tasks like disabling AutoLogon, enabling RealTimeUniversal, removing additional partitions, or disabling the Reserved Storage State.

6. Once your automated checks and fixes are complete, you can proceed with running Sysprep to prepare the image for import.

Remember that automating this process requires careful attention to detail and thorough testing to ensure all necessary checks and modifications are performed correctly. It's crucial to verify that your automated process meets all the requirements for BYOL WorkSpaces before attempting to import the image.
Sources
Step 1: Prerequisites for using Microsoft BYOL with Amazon WorkSpaces - Amazon WorkSpaces
Step 4: Confirm that the Windows VM in Amazon WorkSpaces meets the requirements for Microsoft BYOL - Amazon WorkSpaces