Initiating MDT Using Windows Deployment Services

Windows Server 2008 uses Windows Deployment Services as an updated and redesigned version of Remote Installation Services, the default deployment tool in Windows Server 2003 with SP2. Using Windows Deployment Services, you can deploy Windows operating systems—particularly Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 or later operating systems—across a network using either a computer’s PXE-enabled network adapter or boot media.

Although this section focuses on the Windows Deployment Services role in Windows Server 2008 or later server operating systems, all the samples in this section, with the exception of deployments using multicasting, also apply to Windows Deployment Services installed on Windows Server 2003.

Before deploying Windows Deployment Services, determine which of the following integration options best suits your environment:

· Option 1. Boot computers in PXE to initiate the LTI process.

· Option 2. Deploy an operating system image from the Windows Deployment Services image store.

· Option 3. Use multicasting with MDT and the Windows Server 2008 Windows Deployment Services server role.