SMS Operating System Deployment Feature Pack
Recientemente se liberó un Feature Pack de SMS, para llevar a cabo despliegue del Sistema Operativo, actualmente lo estoy ocupando a nivel de laboratorio y se ve bastante interesante y útil, se tiene más control comparado con RIS. Si quieren saber un poco más al respecto, los invito a que revisen la siguiente información (en inglés por ahora):
A continuación agrego algunas de las preguntas que podrán encontrar en el Webcast, espero que les sean útiles:
Question: Can the Operating System Deployment FP manage the local administrator name and password?
Answer: Yes. You can configure the account name and password as part of the imaging process. With the password you have the option of using a static password or one that is randomly generated for you each time.
Question: Generally how large are the image capture CDs?
Answer: This will depend on the master computer and which operating system and applications it has installed. Typically, you will find a 3:1 compression ratio. For example, a standard Windows XP SP1 system with Office 2003 (with full install) is about 600MB.
Question: Does the Sysprep process cause a new product key activation request?
Answer: Yes, running Sysprep on a machine does trigger the product activation once the image is deployed to a new system. However, you can specify a static Select product key or EA customers may provide an encrypted volume product key instead. This eliminates the issue with having to interact with the installation during deployment.
Question: What are the requirements for the reference computer that I’m capturing an image from?
Answer: The following are required for the reference computer, prior to the capture process:
- Operating System (Windows 2000 or higher)
- Service Packs (may be required for Advanced Client)
- Applicable Patches (optional, but recommended)
- Core Applications (e.g. Office, WinZip, )
- SMS 2003 Advanced Client (dormant state – no assigned site code)
- Must have a C: Drive
- Must boot from the C: Drive
- C: Drive must be formatted with NTFS
Question: What is Windows PE?
Answer: Windows PE is a customized version of Windows that is use to boot the computer for the imaging process. It is used both in the image capture and installation phases. For more information on Windows PE, visit: https://www.microsoft.com/licensing/programs/sa/support/winpe.mspx
Question: Which Operating Systems does the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack support?
Answer: It will support creating an image from Windows 2000 and later. However, you can deploy those images to any system running Windows NT 4.0 SP6 and later in an in-place upgrade scenario or to any bare metal machine by mounting the image to a RIS server.
Question: Can the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack add the computers to the domain as they are imaged?
Answer: Yes, with a named account with appropriate permissions for adding the computer account to the domain. It is recommended, however, that this be a limited access account with only enough privileges to add computer accounts to the domain.
Question: Can I specify which Active Directory container to create the computer account in?
Answer: Yes. When creating the program for the image package in the SMS Admin console you have the option under to specify which Active Directory container to add the system to.
Question: If I have Office 2003 in my image and later need to update Office, say with SP3, can the image be updated without having to recreate an image on the reference machine, and repeating the entire process again?
Answer: Not in the initial release of the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack. Microsoft is considering delta-based updates for a future version.
Question: Will the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack retain the same static IP address for a re-imaged system?
Answer: Yes. If the system was previously configured with a static IP address this information can be retained or the system can then be converted to a DHCP-provided address.
Question: Can the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack preserve the SMS site code?
Answer: Yes. The Operating System Deployment Feature Pack runs an SMS State backup and restore that can retain this information. However, you also have the option to assign a new static site code or configure it to select one from the Management Point.
Question: What custom actions are already included in the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack?
Answer: The following custom actions are already included with the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack. Others can be easily added through the user interface.
- User State Capture
- Connect to UNC Path
- Reboot System
Question: Is there a timeout available for custom actions that may fail?
Answer: Yes, there is a time out available when configuring your custom actions.
Question: What format are the images stored in?
Answer: The images captured with the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack are stored in the Windows Imaging Format (WIM).
Question: Where are the images stored for distribution to Systems Management Server clients?
Answer: Using the existing Systems Management Server infrastructure, the images are stored on distribution points throughout the enterprise.
Question: How do I target systems to deploy an image to?
Answer: Using the existing Systems Management Server features, you can deploy images to collections of systems just as with any other Systems Management Server package.
Question: Do you need Systems Management Server SP1 to use the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack?
Answer: Yes, the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack feature pack requires Systems Management Server 2003 SP1 to be installed.
Question: What happens during the Installation Phase?
Answer: During the Installation Phase the following actions are performed:
- Old operating system is erased
- Management Point is contact to select appropriate Distribution Point
- The WIM file is copied locally
- Rebooted back into the operating system
- Mini-setup is executed
- Installation is completed
Question: What technologies are incorporated into the OSD?
Answer: The following technologies are incorporated into the feature pack:
- WIM – Windows Imaging Format
- WinPE – The Operating System Deployment Feature Pack Capture/Installs using the WinPE environment
- SysPrep – Reference computer preparation & Target computer configuration
- DiskPart – Partitioning option for installation
- USMT – Integration for user state capture and restore. Version 2.6 Unattended install – multi-user profiles
Question: Can PXE boot be used to deploy the image?
Answer: Yes, you can mount the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack installation CD on a RIS server.
Question: Is imaging supported in an NT 4.0 Domain or is Active Directory required?
Answer: SMS 2003 does not require AD, and does support NT 4 domains (but only supports Windows 2000 SP3 or later as a site server).
Question: Is the image distribution process interruptible by a local user?
Answer: The only way a user can interrupt the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack process once it's started is by powering off the machine.
Question: What is Microsoft’s support policy regarding imaged systems?
Answer: Microsoft will fully support both server and workstation imaging. However, they will not support server imaging beyond normal file/print services. For example, Exchange and SQL Servers would not be supported.
Question: Can we totally wipe/repartition the hard disk drive with the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack?
Answer: No. WinPE is installed onto the drive so full wipe and loads are not supported in this release. The next release of WinPE will support boot in RAM which will remove this limitation.