Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (2010): Difference between revisions
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== How It Works == | == How It Works == | ||
The actual MDT2010 program can be installed on any computer, but the deployment share where all the installation and capture files will be stored should be set up on a server. In this case, we are using '''\\Hurricane\software\windows\deployment2'''. | The actual MDT2010 program can be installed on any computer, but the deployment share where all the installation and capture files will be stored should be set up on a server. In this case, we are using '''\\Hurricane\software\windows\deployment2'''. | ||
A detailed, step-by-step discussion of how to setup MDT2010, build and capture images, and deploy the final image is beyond the scope of this entry. For that, I strongly encourage you to go through the links in the Sources section of this entry. But generally speaking, the process goes like this: | |||
# Import the operating systems we'll need into the MDT deployment folder. | |||
# Import the drivers we'll need for our machines. We group them into two folders, 32- and 64-bit. 32-bit machines will automatically get drivers from the 32-bit folder, and 64-bit will get from the 64-bit folder. | |||
# Create a task sequence (TS) that deploys the OS to a reference machine. A reference machine is the computer we're going to use as the source for the image which will then be copied to all other machines. | |||
# Update the deployment folder, which will then generate the ISO file that can be burned onto a boot disk. Note: Clicking on update doesn't always re-generate the ISO file. Since these deployments are based on pulling the image over the network, most of the time the ISO file itself doesn't need to be changed. After the folder update, we'll see a message that tells us whether or not the boot file was re-created. If it was, we'll need to burn it to disk. | |||
# Boot the reference machine with the MDT boot disk that was just created. In the list of options, we choose the task sequence we created to install the OS. | |||
# Once the task sequence has completed and the OS is installed on the reference machine, we can start installing the programs that we want on all the computers (eg: MS Office, Photoshop, etc.). | |||
== Useful Tips == | == Useful Tips == | ||
Revision as of 21:00, 3 February 2011
NOTE: This article is in progress.
Overview
As of January 2011, we are now using the Microsoft Development Toolkit (MDT2010) for deploying installations of Windows XP and Windows 7.
MDT2010 is a free toolset that allows us to automate:
- installation of Windows operating systems,
- installation of software,
- installation of drivers and service packs,
- capturing images of virtual and physical computers,
- and deploying images of virtual and physical computers.
Operating systems and software can be using three different installation types:
- Thin: The installation files for the OS and drivers are stored on the deployment server and run on each deployment target machine.
- Thick: The installation file is based on an image of a reference target machine that is fully-installed with the OS and all the available applications.
- Hybrid: Basically a thick image but with only the OS and only the absolutely necessary software.
Because we load our computers with a rather large group of programs, many of which have very long installation times, we are going to use the thick model for our MDT deployment process. Because programs have already been installed into a thick image, no time is spent on unpacking installation files during deployment. Installing XP and the standard program load onto a machine by hand used to take around 6 hours. Now it can be done in about one hour.
How It Works
The actual MDT2010 program can be installed on any computer, but the deployment share where all the installation and capture files will be stored should be set up on a server. In this case, we are using \\Hurricane\software\windows\deployment2.
A detailed, step-by-step discussion of how to setup MDT2010, build and capture images, and deploy the final image is beyond the scope of this entry. For that, I strongly encourage you to go through the links in the Sources section of this entry. But generally speaking, the process goes like this:
- Import the operating systems we'll need into the MDT deployment folder.
- Import the drivers we'll need for our machines. We group them into two folders, 32- and 64-bit. 32-bit machines will automatically get drivers from the 32-bit folder, and 64-bit will get from the 64-bit folder.
- Create a task sequence (TS) that deploys the OS to a reference machine. A reference machine is the computer we're going to use as the source for the image which will then be copied to all other machines.
- Update the deployment folder, which will then generate the ISO file that can be burned onto a boot disk. Note: Clicking on update doesn't always re-generate the ISO file. Since these deployments are based on pulling the image over the network, most of the time the ISO file itself doesn't need to be changed. After the folder update, we'll see a message that tells us whether or not the boot file was re-created. If it was, we'll need to burn it to disk.
- Boot the reference machine with the MDT boot disk that was just created. In the list of options, we choose the task sequence we created to install the OS.
- Once the task sequence has completed and the OS is installed on the reference machine, we can start installing the programs that we want on all the computers (eg: MS Office, Photoshop, etc.).
Useful Tips
- Although Windows 7 reference machines can be built using virtual machines, for XP, it is strongly recommended to use a physical machine.
- If you are going to use a virtual machine for your reference, make sure you add the drivers (network, scsi, etc) for that vm to the Out of Box drivers in the Task Sequence.
- An XP deployment that was built using a 32-bit reference machine will probably not work when deployed to a 64-bit machine.