I need advise - best deployment solution?

[Firebird78]

Hello everyone.

I come to you seeking to benefit from your expertise and experience.

I need some advise. I am to deploy X number of Windows 7 clients, and I've been looking into the MDT 2010.

Using MDT 2010 to create Windows 7 images seems to be a great idea, but can I deploy them over network, instead of running around with a USB stick?

Perhaps I should mention that I am completely new to deployment, and have only very little experience with this sort of work.

I used the unsttended XP install guide here on the site some years ago, but that's about it.

Thanks in advance for any feedback.

[arwidmark]

Absolutely MDT 2010 is the best way to deploy Windows 7 (by far)... The default configuration is network based deployment, offline deployment (like running around with a DVD or USB device) is optional.

I have written a bunch of free step-by-step guides and video tutorials that will get you up and running quickly.

/ Johan

[Firebird78]

Thank you for taking the time to answer my post.

I haven't signed up to the .com site, so I really cannot say if what you posted was what I was looking for.

Hopefully, someone can post some good links to guides, howtos or even step-by-step guides for the MDT, that doesn't require me to sign up.

So far, I've managed to import the OS into the MDT, and make a Task Sequence, and I made my client access the installation with Network Service Boot.

My problem is now that the installation fails miserably. I suspect the task sequence. I chose "Standard Client Task Sequence".

Also, I wonder why the images in the <deploymentshare>\boot are so large. I made virtually no changes to them!

Any input to the above is greatly appreciated.

Edit:

I think I've discovered more specifically what I need to do.

I would like to deploy Windows 7 images (Customized by MDT2010) using Lite Touch, over network.

Edited May 21, 2010 by Firebird78

[cluberti]

Once you have a deployment share configured the way you want and you've created media, you simply need to take your litetouch_x86 and _x64 .wim files and place them on a server running Windows Deployment Services. At that point, you configure option 66 and 67 in your DHCP server to point to the WDS server and boot files, respectively, and then PXE boot a client (which should connect to your WDS server configured in DHCP) and pick the x86 or x64 litetouch image depending on whether you're deploying x86 or x64 images. It will boot the LiteTouch PE image, connect to the deployment share over SMB, and give you the wizard you step through to do your deployment.

It's really rather simple - you just need your MDT deployment server, a server running the WDS role (which can be the same server) that contains your LiteTouch WIM files, DHCP options 66 and 67 configured to point to the WDS server and boot file, and a client that can PXE boot.

If you're having trouble deploying images, one of the most common problems is the image itself (or screwing up the task sequence). I strongly suggest using MDT to deploy an uncustomized Windows client first, and once you're sure you have a client task sequence working on an uncustomized source, then consider adding applications and drivers into MDT to further customize the deployment. You really should only deploy customized WIM files directly from WDS - MDT should be used to CREATE the customized WIM files, and then capture them back. Think of MDT as your "lab", and once you have MDT and all of your apps working, then you use it to run the build again and capture that customized build. You take said customized build and place it into WDS, and use WDS to deploy that end-image.

[Firebird78]

Once you have a deployment share configured the way you want and you've created media, you simply need to take your litetouch_x86 and _x64 .wim files and place them on a server running Windows Deployment Services. At that point, you configure option 66 and 67 in your DHCP server to point to the WDS server and boot files, respectively, and then PXE boot a client (which should connect to your WDS server configured in DHCP) and pick the x86 or x64 litetouch image depending on whether you're deploying x86 or x64 images. It will boot the LiteTouch PE image, connect to the deployment share over SMB, and give you the wizard you step through to do your deployment.

It's really rather simple - you just need your MDT deployment server, a server running the WDS role (which can be the same server) that contains your LiteTouch WIM files, DHCP options 66 and 67 configured to point to the WDS server and boot file, and a client that can PXE boot.

If you're having trouble deploying images, one of the most common problems is the image itself (or screwing up the task sequence). I strongly suggest using MDT to deploy an uncustomized Windows client first, and once you're sure you have a client task sequence working on an uncustomized source, then consider adding applications and drivers into MDT to further customize the deployment. You really should only deploy customized WIM files directly from WDS - MDT should be used to CREATE the customized WIM files, and then capture them back. Think of MDT as your "lab", and once you have MDT and all of your apps working, then you use it to run the build again and capture that customized build. You take said customized build and place it into WDS, and use WDS to deploy that end-image.

I believe that this is exactly what I'm looking for.

I thank you!

[Firebird78]

I have a "side-question".

When I add a boot image to WDS, I'm wondering... How come it bloats up like that?

The .wim file I add is only about 170 megs, but in WDS, it appears as above 1000 megs.

Is there a rational explanation for this, or have I just messed up big time?

[Atheros]

I have a "side-question".

When I add a boot image to WDS, I'm wondering... How come it bloats up like that?

The .wim file I add is only about 170 megs, but in WDS, it appears as above 1000 megs.

Is there a rational explanation for this, or have I just messed up big time?

compression. 1000MB is a bit large though... mine is only 786MB, but all depends on your customisations etc.

[cluberti]

The previous poster is correct - WDS shows you the uncompressed size (although it's sending down the compressed WIM - not sure why this decision was made, but it is the way it works).

[Firebird78]

The previous poster is correct - WDS shows you the uncompressed size (although it's sending down the compressed WIM - not sure why this decision was made, but it is the way it works).

Thanks for this answer!

I have another question.

I keep getting an error "The Windows Boot Configuration Data file does not contain a valid OS entry."

Status: 0xc0000098

File: \Boot\BCD

What I'm trying to do, is create a 64-bit PE boot image, and I just cannot get it to work.

Any advise?

[cluberti]

MDT creates boot images for you - if this is unrelated to MDT, you might want to post a new thread in the WinPE section.

[Firebird78]

MDT creates boot images for you - if this is unrelated to MDT, you might want to post a new thread in the WinPE section.

I made my changes to the deployment share, selected "Update deployment share" from the Workbench, and afterwards, I added the bootimage to WDS.

x86 works like a charm, x64 does not.

What can cause this?

I imported an x64 OS i wanted to deploy, and I've made an x64 Task Sequence to install my "Bare Metal" (is this the correct term according to the deployment lingo?), but this task sequence is not visible when I boot from the x86 PE image. I guess that's logical enough though.

[cluberti]

WinPE for MDT will only show you architecture-like task sequences, unlike native Windows setup WinPE which enumerates the actual images themselves. If you boot from a LiteTouch x86 WIM, you will only see x86 task sequences (remember, you only see *task sequences*, not the actual images themselves). If you want to see x64 task sequences, you have to boot with an LiteTouch x64 WIM.

[Firebird78]

WinPE for MDT will only show you architecture-like task sequences, unlike native Windows setup WinPE which enumerates the actual images themselves. If you boot from a LiteTouch x86 WIM, you will only see x86 task sequences (remember, you only see *task sequences*, not the actual images themselves). If you want to see x64 task sequences, you have to boot with an LiteTouch x64 WIM.

That was pretty much what I figured.

I've imported both an x64 and an x86 OS into my deployment share, and created answerfiles for both architectures with SIM. Then I made Task Sequences for the first install.

As stated, it works like a charm with x86, while I cannot even boot into WinPE x64. That puzzles me.

[cluberti]

The question is, what x64 OS did you have in MDT that was used as the basis for the x64 PE? When you rebuild the PE images, it uses one of your x64 OSes added to the deployment share as the template, and copies it's boot.wim out and modifies it for MDT.

[Firebird78]

I just tried "cleaning" my DeploymentShare for all Imported Operating Systems, and then importing the x64 OS again, and then make a complete regeneration of the boot images.

Same error.

In my desperation, I even tried with a "standard" Win7 x64 DVD (as opposed to the Win7 x64 Volume DVD I've been using so far). Again, same error.

The server that's running it all is a 2003 R3 32-bit. Does this make a difference?

Edit:

Finally found the solution!

Turns out I missed one important thing when configuring WDS:

wdsutil /set-server /architecturediscovery:yes

That made all the difference.

Edited September 16, 2010 by Firebird78