Windows Deployment Services–Incorporating Answer Files

In the videos below, I show the basics about configuring answer files for your Windows 2008 R2 deployments.  The purpose of these files is to automate your installations so that you don’t have to manually answer the prompts appearing during an install. 

The answer file can be configured to respond to every question or just the ones you choose, and once it’s configured you can incorporate it into your Windows Deployment Services (WDS) infrastructure so that your new computers can have fully automated installs.

In the first video, I show the basics of answer files

In this second video, I demonstrate how to incorporate your new answer file into Windows Deployment Services (WDS).

These videos are only intended to provide you with the basics of using WDS and answer file technology.  For further reading and study on these topics, check out the following link:

• Windows Deployment Services (TechNet)

Configuring Windows Deployment Services

In this video, I explain how to set up and configure Windows Deployment Services (WDS) to offer default Windows 2008 images to client machines that need an operating system installed.

Windows Deployment Services has some fairly strict requirements in order to work, including:

• an Active Directory Domain Services environment
• a DHCP server on the same subnet as the client (or at least in communication with a DHCP Proxy on the same subnet as the client)
• a storage volume for the image files that is configured with NFTS
• a client network card (NIC) that is supports the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)

The first video below shows how to set up WDS on your Windows 2008 R2 Server, and how to configure WDS.  It also shows how to install the default boot.wim and install.wim files from your Windows Server media.

In the second part, I look at how to configure Active Directory to pre-stage a client object.  I then show how a client machine uses WDS to select and install an operating system.

For further reading on this topic, check out the TechNet articles linked below:

• Windows Deployment Services
• Windows Deployment Services for Windows Server 2008 R2
• Windows Deployment Services Deployment Guide

Planning for Windows Server 2008 R2 with the Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit

In this video, I show how to use the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) tool.  Though this tool allows us to do many other things besides preparing for Windows Server 2008 R2, this video doesn’t try to cover every possible feature of the tool.

Some other application of the MAP tool include:

• Performance Metrics
• Windows 7/8 Readiness
• Office 2010 Readiness
• Internet Explorer Discovery
• Server/Desktop Virtualization Planning
• Windows Server 2012 Readiness

Administrators interested in learning more about this tool and its applications should refer to the links I’ve provided below.

Additional Reference Material:

• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit
• Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit (TechNet Documentation)