Session Code: CLM301
Advanced OS Deployment with Configuration Manager:
Extending OS Deployment with the
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
Michael Niehaus
Senior Software Development Engineer
Microsoft Corporation
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Agenda
What is the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit?
Wizards
Task sequence templates
Custom actions
This assumes you have a reasonable
understanding of the Configuration Manager
2007 OS deployment functionality.
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Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008
The next generation of BDD
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008
Lite Touch
•Aligns with ConfigMgr
•Evolutionary
refinements
•Adds server support
•Simple upgrade from
BDD 2007
Zero Touch
with SMS 2003
•Aligns with ConfigMgr
•Evolutionary
refinements
•Simple upgrade from
BDD 2007
Zero Touch
with Configuration Manager
2007
•Fully integrated
experience
•Single console
•Adds server support
•Extends and enhances
ConfigMgr 2007
Leverages core deployment tools
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Provides process and tool guidance
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008
Three scenarios, which to choose?
Do you have System Center Configuration Manager 2007?
Yes, then use its OS deployment capabilities
Consider Microsoft Deployment to add more functionality, process
guidance, automation
Do you have SMS 2003?
Yes, then use the OS Deployment Feature Pack
Consider Microsoft Deployment to add more functionality, process
guidance, automation
Consider Lite Touch for creating reference images to be deployed
Plan to migrate to Configuration Manager 2007
Don’t have either?
Consider Microsoft Deployment, with its Lite Touch support
Migrate to Configuration Manager 2007 as soon as possible 
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Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008
About the solution
Created by the Solution Accelerators Team
A separate team from ConfigMgr, focusing on providing free tools and
guidance to help you more efficiently deploy and use Microsoft products
See http://www.microsoft.com/technet/solutionaccelerators for the full list of
available solutions
A free download
Tools and documentation provided in a simple installer
Available now
See http://www.microsoft.com/deployment for more information
Designed to save you from having to figure it out yourself
Easily add additional functionality on top of ConfigMgr
Improve your productivity
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Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008
At a high level
Seamless
integration
• Integrates into the ConfigMgr console using the SDK, adding additional wizards and task
sequence actions
• Simplifies the initial OS deployment configuration process
Additional
features
• Additional task sequence actions enable easier configuration
• Expanded task sequence templates show how to tie all the features together
• Scripts, utilities, and tools to help customize for your environment
Mix and
match
Simplified
migration
Advanced
monitoring
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• You can choose to use only the features that you want, without having to use the entire
MDT solution
• All the scripts – and the complete code – are provided for you to modify
• Migrating from MDT SMS 2003 and Lite Touch scenarios is simplified
• Same task sequencing engine is used in all scenarios
• Knowledge transfers really well
• System Center Operations Manager management pack to provide additional monitoring
capabilities
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008
Feature categories
Wizards
Help with the setup and configuration, instead of manual step-by-step
processes
Capabilities added to a task sequence
Built into our task sequence templates
Leverages scripts
Additional task sequence actions
Extensions to the task sequence editor
Scripts to perform the task
Making deployments more dynamic
Unknown computers
Web services, databases, computer variables, collection variables,
conditions, etc.
More on that in Part #4
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Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
2008 Wizards
Michael Niehaus
Senior Software Development Engineer
Microsoft Corporation
9
Task Sequence Capabilities
Dynamic state capture location
Capturing user state to the network is expensive
Network traffic (both ways)
Disk space consumption
Time
Only user the state migration point (SMP) when necessary
Estimate needed space
Calculate if it will fit
Script to run
USMT estimate
Conditionally
request SMP
store
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Conditionally
release SMP
store
Standard state
capture
Task Sequence Capabilities
Configure answer files
Dynamically update OS configuration files per computer
Unattend.txt (Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 unattended)
Sysprep.inf (Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 images)
Unattend.xml (Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008)
Inject values stored in task sequence variables
Preconfigured for commonly-used values
Domain, OU, computer name, time zone, area code, locale, language, full
name, organization, product key, home page, etc.
Easily extensible for whatever
values you want
XML-driven: which variable to
inject where
Dynamic deployments
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Task Sequence Capabilities
Handle any scenario
One task sequence to handle all possible scenarios
New computer (bare metal)
Operating system refresh (wipe and load)
Reference computer image build and capture
Replace computer (capture only)
Any operating system type
OS installation package
OS image
Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server
2008
Conditions specified to
control the flow
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Task Sequence Capabilities
Backup
Create an image of the computer before installing a new
operating system
Script to run ImageX.exe to create WIM
Stores backup locally when possible (>=50% free space)
If using the network, the WIM might be huge
Caveats:
This can take a long time, so you
may choose to do it selectively
ImageX is designed to create a
small image, so it’s not optimized
for capture speed
ImageX is an imaging tool,
not a backup tool
Ideal for recovering lost data,
not the entire OS
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Task Sequence Capabilities
Miscellaneous items
Validation
Don’t deploy a client OS to a machine running a server OS (the ultimate “oops”)
Ensure minimum memory, processor, and disk requirements are met
Decompress the root of the drive
Prerequisite checks
Windows Scripting Host
and MSXML are functional
BIOS check
Block installation for incompatible
BIOSes
Capture and restore local
group membership
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Task Sequence Capabilities
Miscellaneous items
Tattoo the machine
Inventory deployment details
Enable Diskpart compatibility mode when needed (Windows XP,
Server 2003)
KB 931760, KB 931761
Move state store (if local)
Otherwise, it is deleted when the deployment completes
Copy logs
Make them available on a
network share for
troubleshooting
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Task sequence tour
Michael Niehaus
Senior Software Development Engineer
Microsoft Corporation
16
Task Sequence Actions
The built-in list of building blocks
Run Command Line
Install Software
Install Software Updates
Join Domain or Workgroup
Connect to Network Folder
Reboot Computer to Windows PE or
hard disk
Set Task Sequence Variable
Format and Partition Disk
Convert Disk to Dynamic
Enable BitLocker
Disable BitLocker
Request State Store
Capture User State
Restore User State
Release State Store
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Apply Operating System
Apply Data Image
Setup Windows and ConfigMgr
Install Deployment Tools
Prepare ConfigMgr Client for Capture
Prepare Windows for Capture
Capture Operating System Images
Auto Apply Drivers
Apply Driver Package
Capture Network Settings
Capture Windows Settings
Apply Network Settings
Apply Windows Settings
Task Sequence Actions
MDT 2008 Additions
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Task Sequence Actions
Use Toolkit Package
Custom actions have two
pieces:
The user interface
The command that gets
executed
The “Use Toolkit Package”
action takes care of
getting the needed files
to the computer
Want to use any other
actions? You need this
first!
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Task Sequence Actions
Gather
Sets variables that can be
used elsewhere in the task
sequence
“Local data” retrieved from
WMI
MAC addresses, IP addresses,
make, model, etc.
“Rules” can leverage local
data to make further decisions
Static rules (e.g. subnet)
Database queries
Web services
Dynamic deployments
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Task Sequence Actions
Validate
Perform hardware checks to
make sure the machine is
capable
Prevent accidental
deployment of client
operating systems to server
hardware (the ultimate
“oops”)
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Task Sequence Actions
Install Updates Offline
Apply patches to Windows
Vista or Windows Server
2008, before the OS boots for
the first time
Just-in-time patching
Eliminates window of
vulnerability
Uses PKGMGR from Windows PE
Uses an existing software
update package
All patches in the package will be
applied
Applicability cannot be
determined offline
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Task Sequence Actions
Install Language Packs Online or Offline
Simplifies the process of
installing language packs
during an OS deployment
Create a package containing the
language packs (LP.CABs) needed
Specify that package should be
installed online (after the OS is
running) or offline (before the OS
boots for the first time, similar to
patching)
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Task Sequence Actions
Install Roles and Features
Install any available Windows
Server 2008 role, role service,
or feature
A subset is supported for
Windows Server 2008 Server
Core installation option and
Windows Server 2003
Installation occurs after the
OS is installed
No configuration, just
installation
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Task Sequence Actions
Configure ADDS
Automates the DCPROMO
process
Builds the answer file
Initiates DCPROMO
Reboots when complete
Supports creating new forests,
new domains, and new
domain controllers
Including read-only domain
controllers (RODC)
Specify advanced properties
Directory locations, functional
levels, etc.
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Task Sequence Actions
Configure DNS
Define the zones that
need to be created
Primary, secondary, stub
Integrated or standard
Configure advanced
server properties
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Task Sequence Actions
Configure DHCP
Define the scopes that
need to be created
Address ranges, scope
settings
Define server settings
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Installing and configuring
roles
Michael Niehaus
Senior Software Development Engineer
Microsoft Corporation
28
Unknown computers
Interim functionality until ConfigMgr R2
Two distinctly different scenarios
Network boot – PXE filter
CD boot media – pre-execution hook
Solves a limitation in ConfigMgr 2007:
Task sequences can only run on computers known to ConfigMgr
Task sequences must be advertised to these computers
At a high level, both scenarios work the same way:
Add the computer to the ConfigMgr database
Add the computer to a collection with an advertised task sequence
At a lower level, they are distinctly different
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Unknown computers
PXE Filter
Runs entirely on the server
Hooks into Windows Deployment Services
Sees PXE requests before ConfigMgr PXE point
Uses the ConfigMgr provider (SDK) to add the computer and
collection membership
Waits for the advertisement
to show up
Installed via a wizard
Configured by
editing a VBScript,
PXEFilter.vbs
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Unknown computers
Pre-execution hook
Runs on the client, talking to web services on the
server
VBScript and HTA wizard embedded in a boot image
Makes several web service calls to determine assigned site,
add the computer to that site, and add the computer to a
collection.
Web services, hosted in IIS, use ConfigMgr provider (SDK)
and SLP requests
Can be enabled when creating boot media
Configured by editing Web.Config file
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Unknown computers
Michael Niehaus
Senior Software Development Engineer
Microsoft Corporation
32
Summary
Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008 extends
and enhances Configuration Manager 2007
It’s free
You can use whatever features you would like
We leverage the public ConfigMgr SDK
MDT 2008 source code is available too
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Resources
www.microsoft.com/teched
Tech·Talks
Live Simulcasts
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Tech·Ed Bloggers
Virtual Labs
http://microsoft.com/technet
http://microsoft.com/msdn
Evaluation licenses, pre-released
products, and MORE!
Developer’s Kit, Licenses,
and MORE!
Related Content
Breakout Sessions
CLM301: Extending OS Deployment with the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
SVR302: Automated Windows Server 2008 Imaging and Deployment Using the
Microsoft Deployment Accelerator
CLM323: Vista Take Two: Getting it Right
SVR381: Deployment Madness for Microsoft Partners
Track Resources
Resource 1
Resource 2
Resource 3
Resource 4
Please
complete an
evaluation
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© 2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries.
The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should
not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS,
IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.
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