Windows Deployment Services – Changes from RIS (Remote Installation Services)

RIS is a predecessor of windows deployment services. It has some of lot improvements in this version.

I)                    Here GUI that allows us to select and deploy images and to mange windows deployment services server and clients.

II)                  It has higher performing and extensible PXE server.

III)                It can transfer data and images by using multicast namespace on a standalone server.

IV)               A new boot menu format for selecting the boot images.

V)                 It can transfer data and images by using multicast transmission.

VI)               It can deploy windows 2008 and vista operating system. Windows PE is the boot OS, it uses image based installation using .wim file.  

Windows Deployment services – Server functionalities (windows 2003):-

                         In windows Deployment services there are three server modes (roles). These modes determine the image format, boot environment and administration experience. To check the operating mode in WDS, from the command prompt WDSUTIL /get-server /show:config , above command output displays the server mode(role).

Native Mode:

                In native mode we can deploy only .wim images only. To enable native mode, install and configure WDS on a server that has RIS Installed but should not configure it. If already configured need to uninstall and reinstall before configuring windows deployment services.

Legacy Mode:

                Legacy mode environment used generally, if you do not have windows vista in the environment. For this mode install and configure RIS and then install Windows deployment services (but should not configure).

Mixed Mode:

                In Mixed mode environment we can deploy RISETUP and RIPREP images type using OSChooser and also can deploy .wim based images by using WDS management tools. For mixed configuration, configure Windows deployment services on existing RIS configuration.

Advantages of Windows Deployment Services

I)                    It allows network based installation of operating systems, include also windows vista and windows server 2008.

II)                  We can deploy windows images to computers without operating system.

III)                It reduces the complexity of deployment and cost with inefficient manual installation.

IV)               It provides end-to-end solution for deployment of operating system to client computers and servers

V)                 It uses standard windows 2008 server setup technology, includes WIN PE, image based and .wim files

VI)               It also support mixed environment that includes Windows XP, 2003 and 2008.

Windows Deployment Services Components - Windows 2008 Server

                There are three components are available in windows deployment services.

·         Server Components

·        Client Components

·         Management Components

Server Components:

PXE – Prexecution environment

TFTP – (Trivial file transfer protocol)

                Both the server components for network booting a client to load and install an operating system, shared folder and image repository. It contains boot images, files and install images, it need specifically for network booting.

Client Components:

                Client components includes graphical user interface – windows pre-installation environment (Windows PE) this component to communicate with the server components to install the image.

Management Component:

                The set of tools that used to manage the server, operating system image and client computer accounts.

WDS - Windows Deployment Services installation requirements

DHCP

                A Windows deployment service uses PXE (preboot execution environment). So we must have working DHCP server with an active scope. DHCP option 66 and 67 need to add on server. Option 66 set to the windows deployment services server and option 67 should be set to boot\x86\wdsnbp.com

NTFS Partition

                NTFS partition requires for storing the operating system images.

Active Directory

                Windows deployment services server must be either domain controller for an active directory domain or member of an active directory domain. It supports all domain and forest configuration.

DNS

                DNS server on the network requires to running windows deployment services.

Note:-

                RIS (Remote installation services) must be installed on windows server SP1 or SP2 version. But no need to configure it.

WDS – Windows Deployment Services – Definition

I)                    WDS is the united, updated and redesigned version of Automated Deployment Services (ADS) and  Remote Installation Services (RIA)

II)                  Through WDS, we can deploy windows XP, Vista, Server 2003, 2008 and service pack also.

III)                It fully customized and automated through the use of unattended installation scripting files.

IV)               We can do naming the machine, having the machine to join a domain.

V)                 In Windows 2008 version of WDS, supports IP multicast deployments. It allows new clients to join an existing deployment that has already started.

VI)               WDS multicast uses the IGMP protocol.

VII)             It also supports x64-computer with (EFI) Extensible firmware interface.

VIII)           Windows PE is used to boot the operating System

IX)                WDS included on Windows 2003 SP2, In Windows 2008 have inbuilt with more features.

X)                  WAIK (Windows Automated Installation Kit) tools are used to build the operating system image. Windows Imaging Format (WIM) is the OS image format.