Operating system deployment provides Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012 administrative users with a tool for creating images that can be deployed to computers that are managed by Configuration Manager 2012, and to unmanaged computers by using bootable media such as a CD set or DVD, as well as PXE or USB flash drives. The image, in a Windows Imaging Format (WIM) format file, contains the required version of a Microsoft Windows operating system and it can also include any line-of-business applications that need to be installed on the computer:
Operating system deployment provides the following functionality:
- Operating system image capture
- User state migration by using the User State
Migration Tool
- Operating system image deployment
- Task sequences, which provide the mechanism
for performing multiple steps or tasks on a computer at the
command-line level without requiring user intervention.
What’s New in Configuration Manager 2012
The following have changed since Configuration Manager 2007:
- You can apply Windows Updates by using
Component-Based Servicing (CBS) to update the Windows Imaging
(.wim) file format images that are stored in the image node of the
Software Library.
- The Task Sequence Media Wizard includes steps
to add prestart command files (formerly pre-execution hooks) to
prestaged media, bootable media, and stand-alone media.
- You can configure the Task Sequence Media
Wizard to suppress the Configuration Manager Boot Media wizard
during operating system installation. This configuration enables
you to deploy operating systems without end user intervention.
- You can define a deployment in a prestart
command that overrides existing deployments to the target computer.
Use the SMSTSPreferredAdvertID task sequence variable to configure
the task sequence to use the specific Offer ID that defines the
conditions for the deployment.
- You can use the same task sequence media to
deploy operating systems to computers anywhere in the
hierarchy.
- The Capture User State task sequence action
and the Restore User State task sequence action supports new
features from the User State Migration Tool (USMT) version 4.
- You can use the Install Application task
sequence action to deploy applications from the Software Library
when you deploy an operating system.
- You can define user device affinity for a
client computer during operating system deployment.
- The functionality of the PXE service point
and its configuration is moved to the distribution point to
increase scalability.