Option 3: Use Multicasting with MDT and the Windows Server 2008 Windows Deployment Services Role

With the release of Windows Server 2008, Windows Deployment Services was enhanced to support the deployment of images using multicast transmissions. MDT also includes updates to integrate MDT with Windows Deployment Services multicasting.

In addition, an updated Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK), version 1.1, includes Wdsmcast.exe. This allows multicast sessions to be joined manually and allows the client launching Wdsmcast.exe to copy files from an active multicast session.

The LTIApply.wsf script uses Wdsmcast.exe when it accesses operating system source files from the deployment share. LTIApply.wsf looks for Wdsmcast.exe on the deployment share either in the deployment_share\Tools\x86 or the deployment_share\Tools\x64 folder (where deployment_share is the name of the file system folder that contains the deployment share), depending on the version of Windows PE that is running.

When LTIApply.wsf runs it will always attempt to access and download WIM images from an existing multicast stream, but it will fall back to a standard file copy if a multicast stream does not exist.

Note This process applies only to WIM image files and is not used when performing unattended installations of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

The deployment server prerequisites for preparing for MDT multicasting are:

· The deployment server must be running Windows Server 2008 or later

· The Windows Deployment Services role must be installed from the Server Management console

· Windows AIK 1.1 for Windows Server 2008 must be installed

· MDT must be installed

· As with any deployment using MDT, at least one operating system WIM image must have been imported, either as a full set of source files or as a custom image with setup files

Note It is important to use the latest version of Windows AIK for multicasting; the copy of Windows PE included in earlier versions of Windows AIK—for example, Windows AIK 1.0—does not support downloading from a multicast server.

To configure MDT for multicasting from an existing deployment share

1. Click Start, and then point to All Programs. Point to Microsoft Deployment Toolkit, and then click Deployment Workbench

2. In the Deployment Workbench console tree, go to Deployment Workbench/Deployment Shares/deployment_share (where deployment_share is the name of the deployment share to configure).

3. In the Actions pane, click Properties.

4. On the General tab, select the Enable multicast for this deployment share (requires Windows Server 2008 Windows Deployment Services) check box.

5. Click OK.

6. In the Actions pane, click Update Deployment Share.

The Update Deployment Share Wizard starts.

7. On the Options page, select the desired options for updating the deployment share, and then click Next.

8. On the Summary page, verify the details are correct, and then click Next.

9. On the Confirmation page, click Finish.

The deployment share is now configured for Windows Deployment Services multicast transmission.

This process creates an Auto-Cast Windows Deployment Services multicast transmission that directly uses the existing MDT deployment share. MDT does not create Scheduled-Cast transmissions. Also note that no additional images are imported into Windows Deployment Services and that it is not possible to use multicast for boot images, because the multicast client cannot be loaded until after Windows PE is running.

To verify that the multicast transmission has been generated in Windows Deployment Services

1. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Windows Deployment Services.

2. In the Windows Deployment Services console tree, right-click Servers, and then click Add Server.

3. In the Add Servers(s) dialog box, click Local computer, and then click OK.

4. In the Windows Deployment Services console tree, click Servers, then click server_name (where server_name is the name of the computer running Windows Deployment Services). Click Multicast Transmissions.

5. In the details pane, a new Auto-Cast transmission for the deployment share will be listed—for example, BDD Share Deployment$.

6. Verify that the status of the BDD Share Deployment$ Auto-Cast transmission is set to Active.

After a computer has been deployed, verify that the operating system was downloaded from a multicast transmission by examining the BDD.log file in the \Windows\Temp\DeploymentLogs folder.

There will be two entries in the logs folder, both beginning with Multicast transfer; check them to verify that the transfer was successful. For more information on multicast transmissions with MDT and Windows Deployment Services, see the section, Enable Windows Deployment Services Multicast Deployment for LTI Deployments, in the MDT document Using the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit.