Zero-Touch, High-Volume Deployment for Education

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Applies To: Windows 8.1

For a Windows 8.1 deployment to PCs in education, a Zero-Touch, High-Volume strategy lets you use Microsoft Development Toolkit (MDT) and System Center Configuration Manager for ease of deployment and maintenance.

The best option for high-volume deployments with more than 500 computers, the Zero-Touch strategy involves MDT working in conjunction with System Center Configuration Manager to provide a powerful deployment solution that requires no interaction during deployment. A Zero-Touch, High-Volume strategy has several benefits, including:

  • Ease of deployment, requiring no IT interaction

  • Ease of maintenance, with System Center Configuration Manager handling updates

  • Less support because of a standardized and consistent configuration across the deployment

This section examines requirements, tools, and limitations and provides a high-level description of the ZTI process.

Requirements

A Zero-Touch, High-Volume deployment has the following requirements:

  • A server running the Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 operating system with MDT and System Center Configuration Manager

  • VL Windows media

  • A file server from which to serve the files related to the deployment

Deployment tools

Performing a ZTI deployment requires System Center Configuration Manager, which organizations that require a high-volume deployment typically have available. System Center Configuration Manager helps to facilitate advanced management scenarios, including those found in high-volume deployments. With System Center Configuration Manager, you can create groupings of computers such that you can deploy different computer configurations based on the grouping. For instance, you might do this to have a separate configuration deployed to specific classrooms or devices.

Limitations

The need for a specialized IT skill set along with a System Center Configuration Manager infrastructure is a limitation of the Zero-Touch, High-Volume strategy. However, you can mitigate the infrastructure limitation if you already have System Center Configuration Manager deployed in the organization. Also, the cost savings of automated deployments along with other benefits of System Center Configuration Manager serve as mitigating factors.

Deployment process

The addition of System Center Configuration Manager to the deployment means that IT staff does not need to work with each client to start the Windows installation. Likewise, the installation and configuration of Windows will be completed automatically, requiring no interaction from IT in a ZTI strategy. Table 5 examines the process.

Table 5. The Zero-Touch, High-Volume Deployment Process

Step Description More information

Determine readiness (optional)

If you will be deploying a new operating system, use the MAP Toolkit to determine readiness for the deployment.

Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit

Use the ACT

Use the ACT to determine application compatibility.

Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) Technical Reference

Install System Center Configuration Manager

Install and configure System Center Configuration Manager within the organization.

Install MDT, and integrate it with System Center Configuration Manager

Install MDT, and configure System Center Configuration Manager with additional packages, such as the USMT and custom Settings, as needed.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit

Create a custom master image (optional)

Create a custom master image by deploying Windows 8.1 to a master computer, and then capturing the image after customizations have been applied.

Additional resources

See also