Notes from ConfigMgr 2012 Community Evaluation Program Theme 6: Operating System Deployment Webcast
The following information is my takeaway from the Theme 6 webcast...
Date: December 15, 2010
Presenter: John Vintzel, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft
- Some optimizations coming for USMT 4 for use with CM 2012
- Offline Servicing will update a WIM without having to capture a new reference image. Sweet!
- Has a "Schedule Updates" wizard
- Can apply to one or more image files
- WIM is backed up before updates are applied for failsafe
- Uses DISM under the hood for applying updates
- Media Updates
- Prestart command (formerly pre-execution hook)
- Eliminates the complex steps required to add the prestart command to media
- Its integrated into the media creation process
- Can include files
- Add media specific variables
- Can use for any type of media (prestaged, bootable or standalone media)
- Automation Improvements
- Improvements to help with zero touch deployments
- No more "next" screens
- Does not suppress password screens needed for user intervention
- Allows deployment to be chosen from prestart command
- Hierarchy Wide Media
- New "Dynamic" mode for bootable or prestaged media
- Media will find its management point based on defined boundaries
- Can override by setting a variable from a prestart command
- I'm intrigued by the Primary User Assignment combo box. More info coming in a few slides.
- MP selection is pretty straight-forward. Add MP's to the media from the list of available MP's.
- I like the extra options for USMT 4 in the TS Editor. Options include capturing files with normal FS access or VSS capturing. Can also capture files via hard-link and in off-line mode (WinPE only).
- Application Integration
- Can use applications within OSD
- "Install Application" and "Install Packages" will be new tasks in the TS editor
- Requirement evaluation will occur in real time and the application is deployed during the TS
- Can install multiple apps (up to nine) within one "Install application" task
- Can install based on dynamic variable list
- Apps, Content and OSD
- Download on demand
- content is downloaded when needed by actions
- Download and execute
- content is downloaded for specified apps
- Dependencies are downloaded when the step is run and required by app
- Run from network
- Content is downloaded as required
- Dependencies are downloaded when the step is run and required by app
- Standalone media
- content is included on media for the specified apps
- User Device Affinity
- Ability to set primary user/device relationship during OSD
- Can be done from media, PXE or prestaged media
- Three options for setting UDS
- Do not allow (default)
- Pending admin approval
- Auto-approval
- Mode is associated to a certificate, can be revoked at anytime
- TS variable is set
- SMSTSUDAUsers is the variable used
- Format for the user ID is Domain\User
- Supports multiple users separated by command
- Can be set from prestart command, machine variable or during the TS
- UDA is set during the "Setup Windows and ConfigMgr" step after the client is registered
- Status messages specific to UDA will be sent during the UDA portion of the task
- Apps, UDA and TS'es
- Use apps for complex software installs in place of the task sequence
- apps are optimized for user targeting, TS is still machine based
- apps are optimized for conditional delivery, dependencies and version management
- Use TS for management of OS deployments
- only install apps that require state restore (USMT) as part of a TS
- UDA and pre-deploy will complete the installation of user targeted apps immediately after the TS completes
- PXE Service Point information release will have to wait until at least after TechReady
- Deployment Alignments
- TS'es are now aligned with software deployments for a common admin experience
- deployment monitoring is integrated with apps, packages, settings management, etc...
- TS'es are integrated with Software Center
- Centralized Management
- Improved experience for centralized administration
- OS deployment objects are global data and can be edited from CAS or primary
- TS'es are global data and can be deployed from CAS or primary
- computer import/association can occur at primary or CAS
- associations must contain two computers from same site
- DP's, PXE and state migration points can only be installed at a primary site
- Q and A time
- TechReady is at the end of February
- OSD can be Internet-deployed
- Have to interface with external CA
- Only removable media support for bootable OSD. Not USB hard drives only thumb drives
- PXE service point can be virtualized
- .Net support will at some point be included with WinPE
Next meeting will be January 12, 2012: Settings Management. Congrats to Scott Ewing on winning the Flip. 38 attendees today.