Easing Deployment Headaches

Do you currently use third-party, image-based deployment tools to deploy your Windows servers? I’m not surprised—until Microsoft released the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK), you were pretty much limited to either deploying Windows using third-party imaging tools or using Sysprep and answer files. The Windows AIK deploys Windows Vista based on Vista’s new componentized, modular architecture and Windows image (.wim) file-based installation media format. Windows Vista and the Windows AIK has changed everything, and now Microsoft has finally come on strong in the deployment tools arena. And with the release of the Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007 customers now have a best-practice set of comprehensive guidance and tools from Microsoft that they can use to easily deploy Windows Vista and the 2007 Office system across an enterprise.

So deploying Windows clients is a snap now, but what about deploying Windows servers? Windows Server 2008 includes huge improvements in this area with its new Windows Deployment Services role, an updated and redesigned version of the Remote Installation Services (RIS) feature found in Windows Server 2003 and Windows 2000 Server. Windows Deployment Services enables enterprises to rapidly deploy Windows operating systems using network-based installation, a process that doesn’t require you to be physically present at each target computer or to install directly from DVD media.