Enable Windows Deployment Services Multicast Deployment for LTI Deployments

Multicast deployment of LTI operating systems using Windows Deployment Services allows multiple computers to receive a single copy of an image, which reduces the amount of network traffic required when multiple computers need to receive the same image. By default, multicasting support is disabled in MDT.

For LTI deployments, the Deployment Workbench creates a multicast namespace for the deployment share. The images are transferred to the target computers using multicast from the deployment share, not from a Windows Deployment Services share.

Note MDT supports only the multicast transfer of images stored in the LTI$ distribution share. Images stored in Windows Deployment Services cannot be deployed using multicast transfer.

The multicast types available for use in LTI deployments include:

· Auto-Cast. In this option, as soon as an applicable client computer requests an installation image, a multicast transmission of the selected image begins. Then, as other client computers request the same image, they are joined to the transmission that has already started.

· Scheduled-Cast. This option sets the start criteria for the transmission based on the number of client computers requesting an image or a specific day and time.

Note The Multicasting feature in MDT is only supported in Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008 operating systems.

MDT supports multicast-based deployments when MDT and the deployment share are installed on:

· The computer running Windows Deployment Services. In this scenario, MDT is installed on a computer running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008 operating systems with the Windows Deployment Services role as described in Enable Multicast Deployments with MDT Installed on the Same Computer as Windows Deployment Services.

Note If the computer on which MDT is installed is running Windows Server 2003, you must configure Windows Deployment Services manually.

· A computer other than the computer Windows Deployment Services is running on. In this scenario, MDT and the deployment share are installed on a separate computer from the one running Windows Server 2008 R2 or Windows Server 2008 operating systems with the Windows Deployment Services role as described in Enable Multicast Deployments with MDT Installed on a Different Computer from Windows Deployment Services.

Note If MDT is installed on a separate computer, you must install the Remote Server Administration Tools feature so that the WDSUTIL command-line utility is available.

Note You cannot use these scenarios to allow multicast for boot images, as the multicast client is not loaded until after Windows PE is running. LTI only uses multicast to transfer operating system WIM files.