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Planning Server LE S SON 1

Deployments
O B J E C T I V E D O M A I N M AT R I X

TECHNOLOGY OBJECTIVE DOMAIN

SKILL OBJECTIVE DOMAIN NUMBER
Installing Microsoft Assessment and Plan server installations and upgrades 1.1
Planning Solution Accelerator
Understanding the deployment process Plan for automated server deployment 1.2

KEY TERMS
answer file Microsoft Deployment Toolkit Installation Kit (AIK)
boot image (MDT) 2008 Windows Deployment Services
image group preboot execution (WDS)
imageX.exe environment (PXE) Windows PE (Preinstallation
install image Server Core Environment) 2.1
master computer single instance storage Windows RE (Recovery
Microsoft Assessment technician computer Environment)
and Planning Solution unattend file Windows System Image
Accelerator (MAP) Windows Automated Manager (Windows SIM)

The primary focus of the server administrator’s job includes the day-to-day operation of
an organization’s servers. Before that task begins, however, the administrator might also
be responsible for deploying those servers on the network. While it is possible to create
Windows Server 2008 servers simply by performing a manual installation on each indi-
vidual computer, this can be time-consuming and impractical for large-scale deployments.
To support deployments of a large number of servers and workstations, Microsoft has
created a number of specialized tools. In this lesson, you will study various elements of the
Windows Server 2008 deployment process in an enterprise environment, including the
following:
• Selecting a Windows Server 2008 edition
• Performing a hardware inventory
• Creating and deploying answer files and image files
• Planning large-scale deployment projects

1
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2 | Lesson 1

■ Selecting a Windows Server 2008 Edition

Microsoft now releases all of its operating systems in multiple editions, which provides
THE BOTTOM LINE consumers with varying price points and feature sets.

When planning a server deployment for a large enterprise network, the operating system edi-
tion you choose for your servers must be based on multiple factors, including the following:
• The hardware in the computers
• The features and capabilities you require for your servers
• The price of the operating system software

Depending on how you care to count them, there are as many as 13 Windows Server 2008
products available. The four basic editions are as follows:
• Windows Web Server 2008—Designed specifically for computers functioning as
Internet or intranet Web servers, this edition includes all of the Internet Information
Services 7.0 capabilities, but it cannot function as an Active Directory domain controller,
and it lacks some of the other features found in the other editions as well. The licensing
terms for this product forbid you to run client/server applications that are not Web-
based.
• Windows Server 2008 Standard—The Standard edition includes nearly the full set of
Windows Server 2008 features, lacking only some high-end components, such as server
clustering and Active Directory Federation Services. Standard edition is also limited to
computers with up to 4 GB of RAM (in the x86 version) and up to four processors.
• Windows Server 2008 Enterprise—The Enterprise edition includes the full set of
Windows Server 2008 features, and supports computers with up to eight processors and
up to 64 GB of RAM (in the x86 edition). Enterprise also supports up to four virtual
images with Hyper-V (in the 64-bit version) and an unlimited number of network
connections.
• Windows Server 2008 Datacenter—The Datacenter edition is designed for large and
powerful servers with up to 64 processors and fault tolerance features such as hot add
processor support. As a result, this edition is available only from original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs), bundled with a server.

Each of these editions is available in two versions, supporting x86 and x64 processors. The
x64 Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter editions are also available in a version without the
Hyper-V virtualization feature, at a slightly reduced price. Finally, there are two additional
versions for specialized platforms:
• Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems—This edition, designed especially for
computers with Itanium processors, is intended for enterprise-class servers with up to 64
processors, typically running large database or line of business applications.
• Windows HPC Server 2008—A 64-bit version of Windows Server 2008 for high per-
formance computing, capable of supporting thousands of processing cores, and designed
with special tools to help administrators manage and monitor high-end server hardware
platforms.

Introducing Windows Server 2008 Features and Capabilities

The various editions of Windows Server 2008 differ primarily in their feature sets.

The features and capabilities of the five main Windows Server 2008 editions are listed in
Table 1-1.
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Planning Server Deployments | 3

Table 1-1
Features and Capabilities of Windows Server 2008 Editions

F EATURE W EB S TANDARD E NTERPRISE D ATACENTER I TANIUM

Number of processors supported 4 4 8 32 (x86) / 64
64 (x64)
Maximum RAM (x86) 4 GB 4 GB 64 GB 64 GB N/A
Maximum RAM (x64) 32 GB 32 GB 2 TB 2 TB N/A
Maximum RAM (IA64) N/A N/A N/A N/A 2 TB
Hot add/replace memory support No No Yes (add Yes Yes
only)
Hot add/replace processor support No No No Yes Yes
Maximum failover cluster nodes N/A N/A 16 16 8
Fault tolerant memory sync No No Yes Yes Yes
Cross-file replication No No Yes Yes Yes
Network Policy and Access Services No Yes Yes Yes No
Maximum Routing and Remote N/A 250 Unlimited Unlimited 2
Access Services (RRAS) Connections
Maximum Internet Authentication N/A 50 Unlimited Unlimited N/A
Services (IAS) connections
Hyper-V support (64-bit only) No Yes Yes Yes No
Virtual Image Use Rights N/A 1 4 Unlimited Unlimited
Terminal Services Gateway and No Yes Yes Yes No
RemoteApp
Maximum Terminal Services N/A 250 Unlimited Unlimited N/A
Gateway Connections
Network Access Protection No Yes Yes Yes No
Windows Deployment Services No Yes Yes Yes No
Server Core support Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Terminal Services No Yes Yes Yes No
Distributed File Services No Yes (one DFS Yes Yes No
root)
Active Directory Domain Services No Yes Yes Yes No
Active Directory Lightweight No Yes Yes Yes No
Directory Services
Active Directory Federation Services No No Yes Yes No
Active Directory Rights Management No Yes Yes Yes No
Services (RMS)
Active Directory Certificate Services No Yes (creates Yes Yes No
CAs only

(continued)
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4 | Lesson 1

Table 1-1 (continued)

F EATURE W EB S TANDARD E NTERPRISE D ATACENTER I TANIUM

DHCP Server No Yes Yes Yes No
DNS Server No Yes Yes Yes No
Windows Internet Naming Service No Yes Yes Yes No
(WINS)
Fax Server No Yes Yes Yes No
UDDI Services No Yes Yes Yes No
Print Services No Yes Yes Yes No
Application Server No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Windows Clustering No No Yes Yes Yes
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Subsystem for UNIX-Based No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Applications
Microsoft Message Queuing No Yes Yes Yes Yes
BitLocker Drive Encryption No Yes Yes Yes Yes
iSNS Server Service Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Multipath I/O No Yes Yes Yes Yes
BITS Server Extensions No Yes Yes Yes Yes
Removable Storage Management No Yes Yes Yes Yes

For most administrators planning a server deployment, the main operating system decision
will be between Windows Server 2008 Standard or Windows Server 2008 Enterprise. In
some cases, hardware is the deciding factor. If, for example, you plan to use computers with
more than four x86 processors or more than 4 GB of memory, either now or in the future,
then you will need Windows Server 2008 Enterprise. Hardware will also dictate whether you
choose the x86 or x64 version, or Windows Server 2008 for Itanium-Based Systems.
Features can be the deciding factor in the selection of an operating system edition once you
have a fully developed network deployment plan. For example, you are not likely to know
if you will need the server clustering or Active Directory Federation Services capabilities of
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise until you have server deployment and directory services
plans in hand.
These plans can also affect the hardware you select for your servers, which in turn can affect
your operating system selection. For example, if your organization decides to make a major
commitment to Terminal Services, this could mean that your network will require more
powerful servers and less powerful workstations. Servers with more processors can handle
more simultaneous Terminal Services clients. Windows Server 2008 Enterprise supports
more processors than Windows Server 2008 Standard, and it supports an unlimited number
of Terminal Services Gateway connections. Network design decisions of this type are inevi-
tably interlocked with hardware and software purchasing decisions, so selecting the correct
Windows Server 2008 edition will be a crucial aspect of the planning phase.
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Planning Server Deployments | 5

Using Server Core

Many enterprise networks today use servers that are dedicated to a particular role. When a
server is performing a single role, does it really make sense to have so many other processes
running on the server that contribute little to that role?

Computer users today have become so accustomed to graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that
many are unaware that there was ever any other way to operate a computer. When the first
version of Windows NT Server appeared in 1993, many network administrators complained
about wasting server resources on graphical displays and other elements that they deemed
unnecessary. Up until that time, server displays were usually minimal, character-based, mono-
chrome affairs. In fact, many servers had no display hardware at all, relying instead on text-
based remote administration tools, such as Telnet.

INTRODUCING SERVER CORE

Windows Server 2008 includes an installation option that addresses those old complaints.
When you select the Windows Server Core installation option in Windows Server 2008,
you get a stripped-down version of the operating system. There is no Start menu, no desktop
Explorer shell, no Microsoft Management Console, and virtually no graphical applications.
All you see when you start the computer is a single window with a command prompt.

Server Core is not a separate product or edition. It is an installation option included with
TAKE NOTE
* the Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter Editions, in both the x86
and x64 versions. Note that Hyper-V is available only on x64 versions of Server Core.

In addition to omitting most of the graphical interface, a Server Core installation omits some
of the server roles and features found in a full installation. Tables 1-2 and 1-3 list the roles
and features that are available and not available in a Server Core installation.

Table 1-2
Windows Server 2008 Server
R OLES A VAILABLE IN S ERVER C ORE R OLES N OT A VAILABLE IN S ERVER C ORE
Core Roles I NSTALLATION I NSTALLATION
Active Directory Domain Services Active Directory Certificate Services
Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services Active Directory Federation Services
DHCP Server Active Directory Rights Management Services
DNS Server Network Policy and Access Services
File Services Windows Deployment Services
Print Services Application Server
Web Server (IIS) Fax Server
Streaming Media Services Terminal Services
Hyper-V (Virtualization) UDDI Services
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6 | Lesson 1

Table 1-3
Windows Server 2008 Server
F EATURES A VAILABLE IN S ERVER C ORE F EATURES N OT A VAILABLE IN S ERVER
Core Features I NSTALLATION C ORE I NSTALLATION
BitLocker Drive Encryption .NET Framework 3.0
Failover Clustering BITS Server Extensions
Multipath I/O Connection Manager Administration Kit
Network Load Balancing Desktop Experience
QoS (Quality of Service) (qWave) Internet Printing Client
Removable Storage Manager Internet Storage Name Server
SNMP Services LPR Port Monitor
Subsystem for UNIX-based Applications Message Queuing
Telnet Client Peer Name Resolution Protocol
Windows Server Backup Remote Assistance
Windows Internet Name Service (WINS) Server Remote Server Administration Tools
RPC Over HTTP Proxy
Simple TCP/IP Services
SMTP Server
Storage Manager for SANs
Telnet Server
Trivial File Transfer Protocol Client
Windows Internal Database
Windows Process Activation Service
Windows System Resource Manager
Wireless LAN Service

ADMINISTERING SERVER CORE

Obviously, with so much of the operating system scaled down, a computer running Server
Core can devote more of its resources to its server functions. However, the missing elements
provide most of the traditional Windows Server management and administration tools, such
as MMC consoles. To work with a Server Core computer, you must rely primarily on either
the extensive collection of command prompt tools Microsoft includes with Windows Server
2008 or use MMC consoles on another system to connect to the server.
A few graphical applications can still run on Server Core. Notepad still works, so you can edit
scripts and batch files. Registry Editor runs as well, enabling you to modify registry settings,
because it has no command line equivalent. Task Manager runs, enabling you to load pro-
grams and monitor processes. Some elements of the Control Panel work as well, including the
Date and Time application and the Regional and Language Options.

JUSTIFYING SERVER CORE

The next logical question to ask about Server Core is whether it is worth the inconvenience of
learning a completely new management paradigm and giving up so much server functionality
to save some memory and processor clock cycles. The answer is that there are other benefits
to using Server Core besides hardware resource conservation.
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Planning Server Deployments | 7

As mentioned earlier, many Windows Server computers on enterprise networks are dedicated
to a single role, but they still have a great many other applications, services, and processes
running on them all the time. You can take it as an axiom that the more complex a system
is, the more ways it can go wrong. Despite the fact that all of those extra software elements
are performing no useful purpose, it is still necessary to maintain and update them, and that
introduces the potential for failure. By removing many of these elements and leaving only the
functions needed to perform the server’s role, you diminish the failure potential, reduce the
number of updates you need to apply, and increase the computer’s reliability.
Another drawback to having all of those unnecessary processes running on a server is that
they provide increased attack avenues into the computer. The more processes a computer is
running, the more exploits there are to attack. Removing the unneeded software elements
makes the server more secure.

USING SERVER CORE FOR APPLICATION SERVERS

It is clear from Tables 1-2 and 1-3, earlier in this section, that the Server Core installation
option is limited when it comes to application services. In fact, Server Core is not intended
as a platform for running server applications, only for running mission-critical server roles.
The removal of the Application Server and Terminal Services roles means that you cannot
use Server Core to deploy many applications or Terminal Services connections. However, the
Server Core option does provide a viable alternative for file and print servers, DHCP and
DNS servers, domain controllers at branch offices, and a few other roles.

■ Inventorying Hardware
Deploying Windows Server 2008 on a large network can often mean evaluating a large
THE BOTTOM LINE
number of existing servers, to determine whether they have the appropriate hardware for
the operating system.

Performing a hardware inventory can be a daunting task, especially when you have servers
with many different hardware configurations, located at distant sites. Microsoft Assessment
and Planning Solution Accelerator (MAP) is a new tool that adds to the capabilities of
its predecessor, Windows Vista Hardware Assessment Solution Accelerator, so that you can
evaluate the hardware on servers as well as workstations.
Unlike some other products of its type, MAP is capable of performing a hardware inventory
on computers with no agent software required on the client side. This means that you can
install MAP on one system, and it will connect to any or all of the other computers on your
network and add information about their hardware to a database. MAP can then evaluate the
hardware information and create reports that perform tasks such as the following:
• Identify computers that are capable of running Windows Server 2008
• Identify computers needing upgrade to Office 2007
• Migrate specific roles and services to Windows Server 2008
• Capture performance metrics for servers and workstations
• Prepare recommendations for server consolidation using Windows Server
2008 Hyper-V or Virtual Server 2005 R2
• Prepare recommendations for application virtualization using Microsoft
Application Virtualization

The following sections examine the process of installing and using MAP.
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8 | Lesson 1

Installing Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator

MAP has several installation and licensing prerequisites that you must meet before you
can successfully install the software.

CERTIFICATION READY?
Plan server installations
and upgrades
1.1
TAKE NOTE
* MAP also requires that you install Microsoft Office 2007 or Microsoft Office 2003 SP2 on
Microsoft Assessment
and Planning Solution
Accelerator (MAP) is
available as a free
download from
Microsoft’s Web site at
http://www.microsoft.
com/downloads
MAP is essentially a database application based on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express, a
scaled-down, free version of SQL Server 2005. MAP can run on the 32-bit version of the
following operating systems:
• Windows Vista
• Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2
• Windows Server 2003 R2
the computer, and that you install all available updates for both Windows and Office.
The performance of MAP depends both on the number of computers you plan to inventory
and the resources in the computer running MAP. Table 1-4 lists Microsoft’s hardware recom-
mendations for the MAP computer, based on the number of computers on your network.
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express is limited to using no more than 1 GB of RAM and
can create databases up to 4 GB in size. To inventory an enterprise network consisting of
20,000 computers or more, you should run MAP on a server with SQL Server 2005 Standard
installed.

Table 1-4
Hardware and Software Recommendations for Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator (MAP)

N UMBER OF
C OMPUTERS TO
I NVENTORY O PERATING S YSTEM D ATABASE M ANAGER P ROCESSOR RAM
1 to 4,999 Windows Vista SQL Server 2005 Express 1.5 GHz ⫹ 1.5 GB ⫹
Windows XP (2 GB ⫹ for
Windows Server 2003 R2 Vista)
5,000 to 9,999 Windows Vista SQL Server 2005 Express 1.5 GHz ⫹ 2.5 GB ⫹
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003 R2
10,000 to 19,999 Windows Vista SQL Server 2005 Express 1.5 GHz ⫹ 4 GB ⫹
Windows XP
Windows Server 2003 R2
20,000 to 49,999 Windows Server 2003 R2 SQL Server 2005 Standard 1.5 GHz ⫹ 4 GB ⫹
50,000 plus Windows Server 2003 R2 SQL Server 2005 Standard 2.0 GHz ⫹ 4 GB ⫹

When you run the Microsoft_Assessment_and_Planning_Solution_Setup.exe file, the

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator Setup Wizard appears, as shown
in Figure 1-1.
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Planning Server Deployments | 9

Figure 1-1
The Microsoft Assessment and
Planning Solution Accelerator
Setup Wizard

In addition to installing the MAP program itself, the wizard also downloads and installs
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Express, if necessary, as well as other required components, such
as Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0. Once the wizard has completed the installation process,
you can start working with MAP, as discussed in the next section.

Using Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator

MAP uses a console-based interface to configure its information gathering and report
processing tasks.

When you start MAP, the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator console
appears, as shown in Figure 1-2.

Figure 1-2
The Microsoft Assessment and
Planning Solution Accelerator
console
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10 | Lesson 1

Before you do anything else, you must either create a new database or select an existing one.
MAP requires a new database instance for its exclusive use, so unless you have already created
a database during a previous MAP session, you should opt to create a new one. Once you
have configured MAP with a database, you can select one of the pre-configured assessment
reports in the details pane. This launches the Assessment Wizard, which performs the actual
inventory of the network hardware, according to the parameters you select, and uses the
information to compile a report on the subject you selected.

ASSESSING WINDOWS SERVER 2008 READINESS

MAP is capable of producing a number of different assessment reports, but all of these reports
are based on the inventory information the Assessment Wizard collects. To determine which
of the computers on your network have the hardware needed to run Windows Server 2008,
use the following procedure.

ASSESS WINDOWS SERVER 2008 READINESS

GET READY. Log on to the computer running MAP using an account with administrative
privileges.
1. Click Start, and then click All Programs ⬎ Microsoft Assessment and Planning
Solution Accelerator ⬎ Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator.
The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator console appears.

The steps in this procedure assume that the MAP computer is running Windows Server
TAKE NOTE
* 2003 R2. If the MAP computer is running Windows Vista or XP, some of the steps might
be slightly different.

2. In the actions pane, click Select a Database. The Create or Select a Database To
Use dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 1-3.

Figure 1-3
The Create or Select a
Database To Use dialog box

3. Select one of the following options and click OK.

• Create an inventory database—Enables you to create a new database by using
the SQL Server 2005 Express or SQL Server 2005 Standard engine installed on the
computer
• Use an existing database—Enables you to select the existing SQL Server database
that you want MAP to use
4. In the details pane, click Identify Servers That Are Capable Of Running Windows
Server 2008. The Assessment Wizard appears, displaying the Select Reports and
Proposals page, as shown in Figure 1-4.
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Planning Server Deployments | 11

Figure 1-4
The Select Reports and
Proposals page of the
Assessment Wizard

5. Leave the Windows Server 2008 Readiness Role and Migration checkbox selected
and click Next. The Choose Computer Discovery Methods page appears, as shown in
Figure 1-5.

Figure 1-5
The Choose Computer
Discovery Methods page of the
Assessment Wizard

You can select additional reports and proposals on this page, if desired. The hardware
TAKE NOTE
* inventory process remains essentially the same, but MAP creates additional reports, based
on the information it collects and compiles.
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12 | Lesson 1

6. Select one or more of the following options and click Next. The wizard displays a
configuration page (or pages) for each option you select.
• Use Active Directory domain services—After supplying Active Directory credentials,
you can select the domains, containers, and organizational units in which you want
the wizard to search for computers, as shown in Figure 1-6.

Figure 1-6
The Specify Active Directory
Options page of the
Assessment Wizard

• Use the Windows networking protocols—Enables you to specify the workgroups and
Windows NT 4.0 domains in which you want the wizard to search for computers, as
shown in Figure 1-7.

Figure 1-7
The Use the Windows
Networking Protocols page of
the Assessment Wizard
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Planning Server Deployments | 13

• Import computer names from a file—Enables you to specify the name of a text file
containing a list of host names, NetBIOS names, or fully qualified domain names
identifying the computers you want the wizard to inventory, as shown in Figure 1-8.

Figure 1-8
The Import Computer Names
From a File page of the
Assessment Wizard

• Scan an IP address range—Enables you to specify one or more ranges of IP

addresses that you want the wizard to search for computers, as shown in Figure 1-9.

Figure 1-9
The Scan an IP Address Range
page of the Assessment Wizard

• Manually enter computer names and credentials—Enables you to specify the names
of the computers you want the wizard to inventory.
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14 | Lesson 1

7. On the Enter WMI Credentials page, click New Account. The Inventory Account
dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 1-10.

Figure 1-10
The Inventory Account dialog
box

8. Enter the credentials for a domain or local administrative account in the Domain
Name, Account Name, Password, and Confirm Password text boxes. Then, specify
whether you want the wizard to use the credentials on all of the computers it
finds, or on a specific computer, and click Save.
9. Add as many sets of credentials, domain or local, that the wizard will need to
access the computers it finds, and then click Next. The Review Settings page
appears.

Click FINISH.
A Status window appears, as shown in Figure 1-11, displaying the wizard’s progress as it
performs the inventory and creates the reports you selected.

Figure 1-11
The Assessment Wizard’s
Status window

VIEWING ASSESSMENT RESULTS

When the wizard completes the assessment process, the console’s details pane, shown in
Figure 1-12, displays links to resources that enable you to do the following:
• Determine why specific computers were not inventoried successfully
• Access the reports and proposals created by the Assessment Wizard
• Run the Assessment Wizard again to create additional reports and proposals
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Planning Server Deployments | 15

Figure 1-12
The MAP console, after
completion of the Assessment
Wizard

To view the documents that the Assessment Wizard just created, click View Saved Reports
and Proposals. An Explorer window appears, displaying the contents of a folder named for
the MAP database. The folder includes the following:
• WS2008 Proposal—A Microsoft Word document, as shown in Figure 1-13, which
includes general information about deploying Windows Server 2008 on your network
computers, with charts, tables, and other data compiled from the inventory added

Figure 1-13
The WS2008 Proposal file
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16 | Lesson 1

• WS2008 Hardware Assessment—A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, as shown in

Figure 1-14, which contains the detailed inventory of the computers found on the
network, including system information, a device summary, device details, and discovered
applications

Figure 1-14
The WS2008 Hardware
Assessment file

• WS2008 Role Assessment—A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, as shown in Figure 1-15,

which lists the roles currently installed on each server

Figure 1-15
The WS2008 Role Assessment
file
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■ Automating Server Deployments
THE BOTTOM LINE
✚ MORE INFORMATION
The image files that WDS uses
are highly compressed archives
with a .wim extension. Unlike
most image file formats, WIM
images are file-based, not
bit-based, which means that
you can modify the image by
adding or removing files as
needed. For example, you
can add an application or an
updated device driver to an
operating system image without
re-creating it from scratch.
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Planning Server Deployments | 17
In addition to comparing each computer to the basic system requirements for Windows Server
2008, to determine whether the computer has a sufficiently fast processor and an appropriate
amount of RAM, the Assessment Wizard also inventories the various peripheral devices in the
system, such as disk drive interfaces and network interface adapters. The WS2008 Hardware
Assessment spreadsheet lists all of the devices in each computer and specifies whether Windows
Server 2008 includes drivers for them.
Microsoft provides a variety of tools that enable network administrators to deploy the
Windows operating systems automatically, using file-based images.
After you have determined which of the servers on your network will run Windows Server
2008, it is time to begin thinking about the actual server deployment process. For small
networks, manual server installations, in which you run the Windows Server 2008 DVD on
each computer separately, might be the most practical solution. However, if you have many
servers to install, you might benefit from automating the installation process, using tools such
as the Windows Deployment Services role included with Windows Server 2008 or using the
Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK).
Using Windows Deployment Services
Windows Deployment Services enables administrators to perform attended and
unattended operating system installations on remote computers.
Windows Deployment Services (WDS) is a role included with Windows Server 2008. This
role enables you to perform unattended installations of Windows Server 2008 and other oper-
ating systems on remote computers, using network-based boot and installation media. This
means that you can deploy a new computer with no operating system or local boot device on
it by installing image files stored on a server running Windows Deployment Services.
WDS is a client/server application in which the server supplies operating system image files
to clients on the network. However, unlike most client/server applications, the WDS server is
also responsible for providing the remote computer with the boot files it needs to start up and
the client side of the application.
For this to be possible, the client computer must have a network adapter that supports a
preboot execution environment (PXE). In a PXE, the computer, instead of booting from a
local drive, connects to a server on the network and downloads the boot files it needs to run.
In the case of a WDS installation, the client downloads a boot image file that loads Windows
PE (Preinstallation Environment) 2.1, after which it installs the operating system by using
another image file.
INSTALLING WINDOWS DEPLOYMENT SERVICES
To use WDS, you must install the Windows Deployment Services role, configure the ser-
vice, and add the images you want to deploy. WDS is a standard role that you can install
from the Initial Configuration Tasks window or the Server Manager console. The Windows
Deployment Services role includes the following two role services:
• Deployment Server
• Transport Server
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18 | Lesson 1

The Deployment Server role service provides a full WDS installation and requires installa-
tion of the Transport Server role service as well. If you select Transport Server by itself, you
install only the core networking elements of WDS, which you can use to create namespaces
that enable you to transmit image files using multicast addresses. You must choose the
Deployment Server role service to perform full remote operating system installations.
The Add Roles Wizard enforces no other dependencies for the Windows Deployment
Services role, but the role has several other prerequisites, as follows:
• Active Directory—The Windows Deployment Services computer must be a member of,
or a domain controller for, an Active Directory domain.
• Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)—The network must have an opera-
tional DHCP server that is accessible by the WDS clients.
• Domain Name Service (DNS)—A DNS server must be on the network for the WDS
server to function.
• NTFS—The WDS server must have an NTFS drive to store the image files.

The process of installing the Windows Deployment Services role does not add configuration
pages to the Add Roles Wizard, but you must configure the server before clients can use it, as
discussed in the following sections.

CONFIGURING THE WDS SERVER

After you install Windows Deployment Services, it remains inactive until you configure the
service and add the images that the server will deploy to clients. To configure the server, use
the following procedure.

CONFIGURE A WDS SERVER

GET READY. Log on to Windows Server 2008 using an account with Administrative privi-
leges. When the logon process is completed, close the Initial Configuration Tasks window and
any other windows that appear.
1. Click Start, and then click Administrative Tools ⬎ Windows Deployment Services.
The Windows Deployment Services console appears, as shown in Figure 1-16.

Figure 1-16
The Windows Deployment
Services console
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Planning Server Deployments | 19

2. In the scope (left) pane, expand the Servers node. Right-click your server and,
from the context menu, select Configure Server. The Windows Deployment Services
Configuration Wizard appears.
3. Click Next to bypass the Welcome page. The Remote Installation Folder Location
page appears, as shown in Figure 1-17.

Figure 1-17
The Remote Installation Folder
Location page

4. In the Path text box, key or browse to the folder where you want to locate the
WDS image store. The folder you select must be on an NTFS drive and must have
sufficient space to hold all of the images you want to deploy. Microsoft also
recommends that you replace the default value with an image store location that
is not on the system drive.
5. Click Next to continue. The DHCP Option 60 page appears, as shown in Figure 1-18.

Figure 1-18
The DHCP Option 60 page

For a client computer to obtain a boot image from a WDS server, it must be able to locate
TAKE NOTE
* that server on the network. Because the clients have no stored configuration or boot files
when they start, they must use DHCP to discover the name or address of the WDS server.
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20 | Lesson 1

6. If the DHCP role is running on the same server as the Windows Deployment
Services role, select the Do not listen on port 67 and Configure DHCP option
60 to ‘PXEClient’ checkboxes. Then click Next. The PXE Server Initial Settings page
appears, as shown in Figure 1-19.

Figure 1-19
The PXE Server Initial Settings
page

7. Select one of the following options:

Do not respond to any client computer—Prevents the WDS from providing boot
access to any clients.
Respond only to known client computers—Configures the WDS server to provide
boot access only to clients that you have prestaged in Active Directory by creat-
ing computer objects for them. This requires knowing the globally unique iden-
tifiers (GUIDs) of the computers, which you can obtain using the Bcdedit.exe
program.
Respond to all (known and unknown) client computers—Configures the WDS
server to provide access to all clients, whether you have prestaged them or
not. Selecting the For unknown clients, notify administrator and respond after
approval checkbox requires an administrator to approve each client connection
attempt before the server provides it with boot access.
8. Click Next to complete the configuration process. The Configuration Complete page
appears, as shown in Figure 1-20.

Figure 1-20
The Configuration Complete
page
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X REF
You can use any properly
configured boot and install
image files with WDS,
not just the ones supplied
in Windows Server 2008.
Using the tools supplied in
the Windows Automated
Installation Kit (AIK), you
can create your own image
files that include fully
installed and configured
applications, as well as the
operating system. For more
information, see “Using
the Windows Automated
Installation Kit (AIK)”
later in this lesson.
Figure 1-21
The Image File page in
the Windows Deployment
Services—Add Image Wizard
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Planning Server Deployments | 21
9. Select the Add images to the Windows Deployment Server now checkbox to
launch the Add Image Wizard. Then click Finish to complete the Windows Deploy-
ment Services Configuration Wizard.
CLOSE the Windows Deployment Services console.
After the Windows Deployment Services Configuration Wizard has completed its tasks, the
server has the proper environment to store image files and listen for incoming requests from
clients. However, you still must populate the image store with image files, as described in the
next section.
ADDING IMAGE FILES
Windows Deployment Services requires two types of image files to perform remote client
installations: a boot image and an install image. A boot image contains the files needed to
boot the computer and initiate an operating system installation. The Windows Server 2008
installation DVD includes a boot image file called boot.wim, located in the \Sources folder,
which loads Windows PE 2.1 on the client computer. You can use this boot image file for vir-
tually any operating system deployment without modification.
An install image contains the operating system that WDS will install on the client computer.
Windows Server 2008 includes a file named install.wim in the \Sources folder on the instal-
lation DVD. This file contains install images for different operating system editions. You can
apply these images to a new computer to perform a standard Windows Server 2008 setup,
just as if you had used the DVD to perform a manual installation.
To add boot and install images into the image store of your WDS server, use the following
procedure.
ADD IMAGE FILES
GET READY. Log on to Windows Server 2008 using an account with Administrative privileges.
When the logon process is completed, close the Initial Configuration Tasks window and any
other windows that appear.
1. Click Start, and then click Administrative Tools ⬎ Windows Deployment Services.
The Windows Deployment Services console appears.
2. Expand the Server node and the node for your server. Then, right-click the Boot
Images folder and, from the context menu, select Add Boot Image. The Windows
Deployment Services—Add Image Wizard appears, showing the Image File page, as
shown in Figure 1-21.