Joseph Hinkle at MyITForum.com

Presented by Mike Niehaus and Tim Mintner. Continued from part 2. Start in part 1.

Deployment with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit

• MDT 2008 - use the method that works with what you have
• Created by the Solution Accelerator team
• MDT is a free download (http://www.microsoft.com/deployment)
• What does MDT do?
  • Seamless integration - integrates with ConfigMgr using the SDK
  • Additional features - Additional task sequence actions plus more scripts
  • Mix and match - choose only features that you want
  • Simplified migration - Moving from 2003 to ConfigMgr is simpler, still some recreation
  • Advanced monitoring - OpsMgr management pack for additional monitoring
  
  
• Features
  • Wizards - setup and configuration
  • Capabilities added to task sequence
  • Additional actions - scripts to perform tasks
  • Dynamic deployments - Unknown computers, web services, databases, computer variables, collection variables, conditions - see part 4 for more details
  
  
• Wizards
  • Created a single wizard to manage setup and config
  • Installed on computers where console is running
  • Import MDT task sequence action
    • Templates prebuilt for client replacement, client deployment, server deployment
    • Base task sequences allow for base OS captures
    • Can create a new boot image during process - allows addition of ADO, custom background, or extra folders
    • Must store scripts in a package - can specify here or create a new one
    • Can specifiy if you want a WIM image, complete image source directory, or use existing
    • Will build a ConfigMgr client package that will be used to install client
    • Can create a settings package for Vista
    • Can create a Sysprep package for Windows XP - use contents of Deploy.CAB
    
    
  • There is also a boot image wizard that does only that part of the process
  
  

• Dynamic State Capture Location
  • Capturing state location to network is expensive
  • Only use the State Migration Point when necessary - use local if possible
  • New action that will determine if local or remote is appropriate - USMT /estimate
  
  
• Configure Answer Files
  • Dynamically update OS configuration files per computer
  • Inject values stored in task sequence variables - if you can define where to put it, MDT can put it there
  • Preconfigured for common values - Domain, OU, time zone, area code, locale, language, full name, organization, product key, home page
  • XML so it is extensible
  
  
• Handle any scenario
  • One task sequence to handle everything - new, refresh, replace, reference computer
  • Any OS Type
  • Use conditions to control
  
  
• Backup
  • Create and image of the system before installing new
  • Script to run imagex to create WIM - stores local when possible - WIM could be huge
  • Caveats - can take a long time, ImageX is an imaging tool, not a backup tool, ideal for recovering data, not whole OS
  
  
• Other capabilities
  • Validation - don't deploy a server OS to client, ensure hardware requirements, decompress to the root of the drive
  • Prerequisites - Script Host and MSXML are working
  • BIOS check - block incompatible BIOS
  • Capture and restore local group membership
  • Tattoo the machine - Inventory deployment details
  • Enable DiskPart compatibility mode when needed (Windows XP or 2003) - KB931760 and 931761
  • Move state store - otherwise it is deleted when deployment completes
  • Copy logs - make them available on network share
  
  
• Task Sequence Actions
  • Use Toolkit Package - Custom UI and command that gets executed - takes care of getting file to computer - must have this for other actions
  • Gather - Sets variables that can be used in other steps - Local data from WMI - Rules can make decisions based on data
  • Validate - Perform hardware checks and prevent accidental deployments
  • Install updates offline - Apply patches to Vista or Server 2008 before first boot - can use existing package, applicability cannot be determined offline
  • Install language packs online or offline - create package that contains install - specify that package should be installed offline (Vista) or online (XP) - doc describes package structure
  • Install Roles and Features - Any available Server 2008 role, role service, or feature - a subset is supported for server core - Installation occurs after OS is installed - no config, just install
  • Configure ADDS - Automates DCPROMO (builds answer file) - supports new forests, domains, or DCs - other advanced properties
  • Configure DNS - Defines zones to create - primaries, secondaries, stub, advanced props
  • Configure DHCP - Creates address ranges and scopes
  
  
• Unknown computers - interim until R2
  • Two scenarios - Network boot, CD boot
  • Both work same way in a basic sense - add computer to ConfigMgr database, add to collection with advertised task sequence
  • PXE filter runs entirely on server - installed via wizard - configured by editing PXEFilter.vbs
  • Pre-execution hook (CD boot) - runs on client talking to web service - embedded in boot image - uses SLP request - Configured by editing web.config