So, Microsoft doesn't just have a "Windows Deployment Services Server", they
have an entire deployment stack. From the most basic elements, to the most
complex, it goes like this (along with current versions):
Windows Pre-Execution Environment (WinPE) 3.0
Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) 2.0
Windows Deployment Services Server (WDS) 2008 R2
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2010 Update 1
(optional) System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 R3
MDT can interface with SCCM (it simplifies some basic deployment steps), but
SCCM is not required for MDT to be installed standalone.
Nothing that MDT or that WDS or that WAIK does is magic. All of it can be
duplicated by scripting or by using third-party tools. They are there to make
life easier.
WinPE has some magic in it, though. :) WinPE plus WAIK are the minimum of what
you need to do deployment work (with a reasonable amount of effort as opposed
to LOTS of effort). They include WinPE boot images, the ImageX and DISM tools,
CD/DVD burning utilities, driver libraries, etc. etc.
When you install the WDS server role, and WAIK is not installed on your server,
a mini-version of WinPE+WAIK is installed as part of the role (basically, x86
and x64 boot images plus sysprep support).
All that just to say, and to be clear: if you have WinPE plus WAIK, you can do
anything you want to do to an image. Inject, delete, create, modify, whole
disk, single partition, multiple partition, GPT, Fat32/NTFS/utility, etc. etc.
etc.
You can certainly do what you want. You just have to learn the tools. They are
VERY different from those that came before.
Regards,
Michael B. Smith
Consultant and Exchange MVP
http://TheEssentialExchange.com
From: Jonathan [mailto:ncm...@gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 3:43 PM
To: NT System Admin Issues
Subject: Re: Windows 7 Imaging
This is pertinent to a conversation I just had with my counterpart @ work on
the west coast. They have to image 5,500 machines for a client and he mentioned
that WDS would only image at the partition level. They are looking for whole
disk imaging. Will WDS do that or should he be looking at something else?
Thanks,
Jonathan
On Thu, Mar 31, 2011 at 8:50 AM, Tom Miller
<tmil...@hnncsb.org<mailto:tmil...@hnncsb.org>> wrote:
Folks,
We are working towards deploying Windows 7 (along with Office 2010) on current
and future shipments of new laptops/PCs. We use syprep and Ghost for our XP
image, and it works well.
I'm looking for your suggestions/warnings/gotchas as to imaging for Windows 7.
Favorite imaging tools, methods, etc? I don't do the imaging here, but my PC
guy who does the images seems to be having a bit of a struggle with it compared
to XP images, so I thought I'd as you experts.
We already have a Dell Kace system management system here, and I'll be viewing
a demo today for the imaging component (additional purchase). I'm open to
anything that makes the process as painless as possible. If it matters we use
Lenovo ThinkPads for our laptops and Dell Optiplex business PCs.
Your comments are appreciated.
Tom
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