Noob alert questions - sorry : RE: deployment / activation etc

[kennysarmy]

Sorry for the basic questions but I am struggling to grasp the next steps here

 

We have 800 pc's here on XP Pro and we use ghost to image.

Servers are on 2003.

 

Our current XP deployment procedure is:

Build up an image,

sysprep,

create ghost image on a D:\ partition,

Replicate image to PC's and then reimage using ghost.

 

I have now finished my testing of windows 7 and have got all my policies and software working.

 

I now need to look at replication and activiation.

 

I have been reading through this guide:

Windows Deployment Services, WAIK and Windows 7 - Part 1 | SharePoint George

 

Which would be great if I had a server with 2008 R2 on it.

 

We are running VMware4 so I could create a new virtual server.

 

Questions:

 

1. Do I need to create a KMS (?) server first and sort out activation of both our new windows 7 pc's and our testing of Office 2010.

 

2. If I create a vm with server 2008r2 is this the server on which any images would be stored? ie. it will need a very large D:\ partition?

 

3. Is the basic theory of install w7 and apps / sysprep / ghost / replicate / reimage still true? or does the WDS take some of these steps out of the equation?

[tarquel]

1. Do I need to create a KMS (?) server first and sort out activation of both our new windows 7 pc's and our testing of Office 2010.

 

I would if you have volume licensing. It's not too complex and plus if your deployment testing needs to span some time, its easier on yourself if you have this up and running initially to not have activation problems adding to the issues.

 

2. If I create a vm with server 2008r2 is this the server on which any images would be stored? ie. it will need a very large D:\ partition?

 

Most likely, depending on how your gonna set up your chosen deployment system.

 

3. Is the basic theory of install w7 and apps / sysprep / ghost / replicate / reimage still true? or does the WDS take some of these steps out of the equation?

 

Pretty much, although again, it depends how you want to play it i.e. whether you build up a image, sysprep and capture it, and then deploy it out, or whether you just deploy everything using Task Sequences in MDT with WDS (think of it like a unattended CD with scripts to install and tweak as it goes along), or, and this is kinda of what I do, use a TS to create and capture the image, then use another TS to deploy it as appropriate.