WDS on Server 2016

[talksr]

Hi,

 

I have set up WDS on my 2016 server with a Windows 10 Pro image. It works like a dream, but I was wondering how difficult it would be to improve on the following:

 

Is there any way to set the hostname as at the moment, it comes up with some default one which I must then change via PowerShell as it automatically adds the workstation straight onto the domain with the default hostname.

 

Also, how easy would it be to make a Windows 10 image with some basic pieces of software already pre-installed (VLC, Adobe Reader, Java, Shockwave etc)?

 

Any advice would be great.

[ADMaster]

Install MDT, with MDT you can connect to a database and register the host name before you image. It is also possible to get it to prompt you for a hostname before imaging.

 

You can install all the needed software then do a sysprep and capture. Then you would deploy the captured image.

 

I don't like doing this any more, I have all the software installed during OSD. It is easier to maintain updated versions that way.

 

I have moved on and use SCCM now, but it is still possible to deploy apps and settings during OSD with MDT.

[talksr]

Install MDT, with MDT you can connect to a database and register the host name before you image. It is also possible to get it to prompt you for a hostname before imaging.

 

You can install all the needed software then do a sysprep and capture. Then you would deploy the captured image.

 

I don't like doing this any more, I have all the software installed during OSD. It is easier to maintain updated versions that way.

 

I have moved on and use SCCM now, but it is still possible to deploy apps and settings during OSD with MDT.

 

Thanks for your post. We have a Server 2016 Standard GUI licence, so I am guessing we would not be able to download SCCM for Server 2016 as it would be another licenced product we would need to pay for. Is that correct?

[mukz]

Thanks for your post. We have a Server 2016 Standard GUI licence, so I am guessing we would not be able to download SCCM for Server 2016 as it would be another licenced product we would need to pay for. Is that correct?

 

Need to licence for it under your Microsoft Agreement - Adding SCCM to it should be peanuts!

[ADMaster]

SCCM does cost, but its not expensive if you already have an agreement. Installing MDT will give you a lot more functionality then WDS alone and it is free.

[Davit2005]

SCCM does cost, but its not expensive if you already have an agreement. Installing MDT will give you a lot more functionality then WDS alone and it is free.

 

+1 for WDS/MDT combination.

 

WDS will provide the PXE for clients while MDT can handle building images and deploying images.

 

It is possible to get a complete working build automated as we did at last place and drivers installed depending on BIOS query for make/model.

 

If a new make/model of workstation is deployed it's just a matter of adding the drivers, creating a selection profile and modifying the query.

[PotNoodleTech]

Yes using WDS for the PXE boot and MDT for the O/S/App/Driver management really works nicely and is pretty easy to set up. If you google there are quite a few YouTube vids and blogs people have created with step by step guides to WDS/MDT. Been using it for a few years here and see no need top change!