Johan Arwidmark

Microsoft MVP – Setup / Deployment

johan.arwidmark@truesec.se

Server Deployment Defined

Server Deployment Roadmap
The Future
WSD (aka Deployment 4)
The Process
The Impact
The Tools

But it’s just like desktop deployment, right?

Well, it’s not quite that simple…

1
 Servers have some unique challenges:
Needed hardware configuration
BIOS settings, remote management, vendor-
specific configuration utilities
Advanced network configuration
Static IP addresses, multiple network
adapters, NIC teaming, TCP/IP offloading,
speed/duplex configuration, NLB
More complex disk configuration
Multiple disks, multiple partitions, RAID
controllers, OEM configuration partitions,
SAN configuration

Servers have some unique challenges:

OS configuration is more involved
Role installation and configuration
Settings could greatly affect stability
Security is crucial
Migration processes are different
Upgrades are more common (in some
scenarios)
Side-by-side migrations are common
Refresh is rare

SMS 2003 SMS 2003 SMS 2003 SMS 2003 ConfigMgr

10/03 SP1 10/04 SP2 02/06 SP3 2007

OSD FP OSD FP
11/04 Update 09/06

VSMT
10/04

ADS 1.0 ADS 1.1

9/03 9/05
PXE
RIS in technology
WS2003 WDS/WAIK WDS/WAIK
WS2003 WS2008

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

2
Windows Deployment Services
New features in Windows Server 2008:
Multicast with an improved algorithm
Join multicast sessions at any time
Flow control and congestion control to improve reliability

Improved TFTP performance

TFTP windowing
Configurable block size

X64 Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)

support
Replacement for the venerable BIOS

System Center Configuration Manager 2007

(ConfigMgr 2007)
To be released in H2 CY07
Service Pack 1 will be required for full Windows Server
2008 support
Significant investments in OS deployment capabilities,
task sequencing, integration with WDS
Improves on the SMS 2003 OS Deployment Feature
Pack (complete rewrite)
Picks up much of the functionality from ADS

3
Size
Get used to 1.5GB+ images, expanded to 5GB+
Consider the importance of DVD drives or high-speed
networks
Review hardware requirements
Consider “Server Core”
Setup
Exclusively image-based, no more text-mode
32- or 64-bit executable
Image on the DVD is Sysprep’d
No more BOOT.INI, uses BCD instead

XML files
Unattend.txt is now Unattend.xml
Sysprep.inf is now Unattend.xml
WINBOM.INI is now Unattend.xml
CMDLINES.TXT is now Unattend.xml (kind of)
Notepad is no longer the preferred editing tool
HAL independence
One image can support all hardware
No support for non-ACPI hardware

4
WinPE
Core part of the deployment process
Available to everyone!
DOS is dead
Imaging
File-based Windows Imaging Format (WIM)
images are key
Tools are available to create, modify, mount, deploy,
service, etc.
There is no such thing as “i386 source”

Multi-language support (MUI)

Windows Server “Longhorn” is language-neutral at its
core
Multiple language packs available
Languages can be added and removed
Licensing
Key Management Service (KMS)
Multiple activation keys (MAK)

5
Security
User access control
BitLocker (including multiple volume support)
Network Access Protection
Servicing and componentization
The OS is made up of components
Each component exposes its configuration
Patches, service packs, and languages are components
too and can be applied offline!
Drivers can be injected just like components
Roles leverage components

6
Windows Server Deployment SA (WSD)
Tying it all together
Based on BDD 2007 (which will continue supporting Vista
and XP deployments, as well as SMS 2003 OSD), to
provide consistent tools for client and server
Leverage the latest tools and technologies
To be released shortly after Windows Server 2008

Three main components:

Configuration tools – “Deployment Workbench” MMC
Lite Touch Deployment
Zero Touch Deployment
Two supported operating systems:
Windows Server 2003
Windows Server 2008
Three scenarios:
New computer
Upgrade
Side-by-side

7
 Q1 Q2 Q4 Q1
2007 2007 2007 2008

Beta version Integrated Updated WSD WSD

Lite Touch only client/server beta Release
deployment Final client Support for
Windows Server beta
2008 Beta 2 clean release for Windows
install and upgrade Windows Server ConfigMgr 2007 Server 2008
2008 Beta 3 support RTM, Vista
Windows Server support, with SP1,
2003 clean install Complete client
roles functionality ConfigMgr
Support Windows Initial ConfigMgr 2007 SP1
Server 2008 Beta 2 2007 support