How do you: Windows Deployment Server

[Trapper]

Hello,

 

I'm after a quick ELI5 explanation of how WDS works compared to Ghost for example.

 

At the moment I use Ghost so for each PC "type" I install Windows, drivers, update, install our software (a lot is pre-2004 so no MSIs), set it up how I want it, stick a short cut to sysprep on the desktop and push it out.

 

How does WDS work? Do you need an "image" for each PC type to make sure the correct drivers are deployed? I believe you can tell it to deploy software (much like an old XP style unattended install), but they have to be MSIs?

[Cache]

You can do it either way really.

 

We have one image which we use which has all of the Windows Updates on up to the point which I last updated it and a couple of hotfixes and we sysprep that and WDS holds that. When you start the deployment it installs the image and installs any drivers which WDS has in it's Driver Store. I then use a script at the end of the installation which calls the Office installation, antivirus, Windows Experience test and a couple of other bits and pieces and then forces a reboot at which point it's ready to be used. The software doesn't need to be an MSI as long as it can be silently installed using a commandline.

 

You can carry on the same way you currently use Ghost, maintain your image with all the software installed and then just capture it to WDS and use that to push it out.

[CraigM]

My suggestion is to use Microsoft's Deployment Toolkit. It's a free download and basically builds on WDS, while using WDS for Multi-casting abilities. It's more complex than WDS on its own, but is infinitely more flexible - you can set any number of applications to install during the image process, can be MSI or any EXE that can take command line arguments. Certain drivers such as storage and network can be injected during the image process, but others that require EXE's to be run like Realtek Audio can be done during the later phase. Later on, you can even group hardware types together based on BIOS strings, so that certain machines get ABC drivers while others get XYZ drivers.

 

If you have WSUS on the network, you can also pull in all the latest patches during install time - this saves plenty of effort of servicing images later on by cloning down, update, then clone up again.

 

Lastly and the best part is that you don't need multiple images, unless you chose to have them. At most, you'll need two images - one for 32 bit Windows and one for 64 bit Windows. Windows Vista and later use the WIM file format for imaging which does a great job of compressing the software image, but also lets you mount that image under a running copy of Windows and inject updates into the image - perfect for keeping an image up to date.