Installing Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2013 Update 2

[kennysarmy]

I've used Windows Deployment Services for all my previous Windows 7 image distributions, it's running on a Server 2012 R2.

 

I'm looking at the pros and cons of using MDT for my Windows 10 roll-outs.

 

Is there any problem with installing MDT on the same server that I have WDS on - is it likely to break anything we're currently using to roll-out windows 7?

 

Are there pros to having MDT on the same box as WDS?

[ChrisH]

If you are just using WDS for PXE booting then there is no advantage or disadvantage to having them on the same machine. I have MDT installed on my workstation with the share on a file server and another low use server provides WDS for PXE booting.

[Nightshade2k]

We run both WDS and MDT on the same VM on Hyper-V at our school and have had no issues, we currently deploy Win 7 via MDT and the nice thing once setup we just have to repoint to the Win10 ISO in MDT to make the change over to Win10. Downsides to MDT deployment really is a) network speed and b) hard drive speed, if your using SSD devices you will notice a significant difference.

[PotNoodleTech]

Been running WDS and MDT on the same Win2008 R2 server for years. All you do is when you generate the boot file in MDT, open WDS and import the MDT boot image and hey presto. You PXT boot to WESD (MDT does not contain that functionality so you always need WDS too)

 

MDT is in a different league to WDS, you're going to love it, so powerful.

 

Actually, just setting up a new Windows 2012R2 server as we speak and putting MDT2013 on it.

Edited March 8, 2016 by PotNoodleTech

[kennysarmy]

Been running WDS and MDT on the same Win2008 R2 server for years. All you do is when you generate the boot file in MDT, open WDS and import the MDT boot image and hey presto. You PXT boot to WESD (MDT does not contain that functionality so you always need WDS too)

 

MDT is in a different league to WDS, you're going to love it, so powerful.

 

Actually, just setting up a new Windows 2012R2 server as we speak and putting MDT2013 on it.

 

Thanks.

 

I'm just concerned our existing imaging process which is all automated and working 100% reliably using WDS might break if I install MDT on the same box!

[sted]

Thanks.

 

I'm just concerned our existing imaging process which is all automated and working 100% reliably using WDS might break if I install MDT on the same box!

 

no reason it wouls as above md is just another boot image as far as wds is concerned it might just throw up a which boot file do you want message on pcs that are pxe booted but you can default that in wds

[kennysarmy]

no reason it would as above md is just another boot image as far as wds is concerned it might just throw up a which boot file do you want message on pcs that are pxe booted but you can default that in wds

 

Or WDS is set with the option on the Client Tab of the server properties ticked to "enable unattended installations"

 

 

 

Once the PC boots after mashing F12 we're presented with the screen : "Select the operating system you want to install" - we tend to keep only one up to date (win7) image active - so the technicians chooses it and the PC get's imaged.

 

 

They don't have to choose the boot image as we only keep one active.

 

 

 

If I want to install and play with MDT will I have to untick the "enable unattended installations" box or will the addition of the LiteTouchPE_x64.wim boot image mean if I choose that boot image for my Windows 10 testing the other boot image will continue to work as normal and the technicians can continue to deploy W7 as they are now.

[ChrisH]

If you add multiple boot images you will get a choice with one being the default after a set amount of time.