Microsoft Windows Deployment Services

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You have decided to deploy OS images over the network but you want to test it out or you want to create a small deployment lab. Building a standalone deployment server is the way to go. Windows Deployment Service (WDS) and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) are an easy way to accomplish that. In this standalone setup the server is not part of a domain and has DNS (Domain Name System) and DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) on the same system as WDS and MDT.

In order to keep up with the demand of deploying workstation images to hundreds and thousands of systems quickly you need to have a deployment mechanism in place. There are plenty of products out there that can deploy images. But let's say you don't have those products. How can you do it? Well MDT and WDS do a great job together, also they are free (as long as you have a Windows Server license for WDS).

Windows Server is fully installed on the system without any outstanding issues. A basic understanding of Windows Server administration. The IP address range has already been determined. A user account on the server has been created with read access to the deployment share.

How to get started with Windows Deployment Services Installing WDS. Log on to the server with an account delegated admin rights. Configuring WDS. Launch the WDS snap-in either by locating it in the Administrative Tools folder. Has WDS simplified your Windows deployment tasks? Configure MDT Server (Microsoft Deployment Toolkit) on windows server 2016'. MDT is a computer program that allows the deployment of the network of Windows. This command causes Windows Deployment Services component health information to be logged in the Application log and in the System log. Trace logs To obtain trace information, you must enable tracing in the Windows Deployment Services management component and in the Windows Deployment Services Microsoft Management Console (MMC) component.

DNS

Installation

  1. Open Server Manager
  2. Click Manage
  3. Click Add Roles and Features
  4. The Add Roles and Features Wizard window will appear
    1. On the Before you begin screen click Next
    2. On the Select installation type window click Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
    3. On the Server destination server window select
      1. Select a server from the server pool
      2. Under Server Pool select the server name
  • Click Next
Microsoft
  1. On the Select server roles screen select DNS
    1. On the pop-up window click Add Features
    2. Click Next
  2. On the Select features screen click Next
  3. On the DNS Server screen click Next
  4. On the Confirm installationselections screen clickRestart the detitanation server automatically if required. Click Yes to the pop-up then click Install
  5. Wait for the installation to complete.
  6. Once the installation is complete click the Close

Configuration

Microsoft Windows Deployment Services
  1. Click Start -> Windows Administrative Tools -> DNS.
  2. In the DNS Manager window click on the server name.
  3. In the right pane, right-click Forward Lookup Zones and then click New Zone…
  4. In the New Zone Wizard on the Welcome screen click Next.
  5. On the Zone Type screen select Primary zone and click Next.
  6. On the Zone Name screen enter the name of the Zone and click Next
  7. On the Zone File screen leave the default selections and click Next.
  8. On the Dynamic Update screen select Allow both nonsecure and secure dynamic updates and click Next.
  9. On the Complete the New Zone Wizard screen click Finish.

DHCP

Installation

  1. Open Server Manager
  2. Click Manage
  3. Click Add Roles and Features
  4. The Add Roles and Features Wizard window will appear
    1. On the Before you begin screen click Next
    2. On the Select installation type window click Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
    3. On the Server destination server window select
      1. Select a server from the server pool
      2. Under Server Pool select the server name
  • Click Next
  1. On the Select server roles screen select DHCP
    1. On the pop-up window click Add Features
    2. Click Next
  2. On the Select features screen click Next
  3. On the DHCP Server screen click Next
  4. On the Confirm installationselections screen clickRestart the detitanation server automatically if required. Click Yes to the pop-up then click Install
  5. Wait for the installation to complete.
  6. Once the installation is complete click the Close
  1. On the Server Manager window click the Warning icon at the top and then click Complete DHCP Configuration.
  2. The DHCP Post-Install configuration wizard opens up.
    1. On the Description screen click Commit.
    2. On the Summary screen click Close.

Configuration

  1. Click Start -> Windows Administrative Tools -> DHCP.
  2. In DHCP window expand the server in the left pane.
  3. Right-click IPv4 and click New Scope…
  4. The New Scope Wizard window appears.
    1. Click Next.
    2. On the Scope Name screen enter a name and description for the scope and click Next.
    3. On the IP Address Range screen enter the Start IP address and End IP address Verify that the Subnet mask is correct and then click Next.
    4. On the Add Exclusions and Delay screen do not enter any information, click Next.
    5. On the Lease Duration screen change the Days to 1, click Next.
    6. On the Configure DHCP Options screen select Yes and click Next.
    7. On the Router (Default Gateway) screen do not enter an IP address, click Next.
    8. On the Domain Name and DNS Servers screen enter the IP address of the server and click Add, then click Next.
    9. On the WINS Servers screen do not enter any IP address, click Next.
    10. On the Activate Scope screen select Yes and then click Next.
    11. On the Completing the New Scope Wizard screen click Finish.
  5. Reboot the server.

MDT

Installation

  1. Install ADK
    1. Go to Windows ADK website and download the latest Windows ADK for Windows 10.
    2. Run exe
    3. The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit – Windows 10 window opens.
    4. On the Specify Location screen
      1. select the Download the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit – Windows 10 for installation on a separate computer radio button.
      2. Browse to the desired download path to save the files.
  • Click Next
  1. On the Windows Kits Privacy screen select No and then click Next.
  2. On the License Agreement screen click Accept.
  3. On the Download is complete screen click Close.
  4. Copy the files to the server if needed.
  5. Open the folder with the downloaded files.
  6. Run adksetup.exe
  7. The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit – Windows 10 window opens.
  8. On the Specify Location screen browse to the desired install path and click Next.
  9. On the Windows Kits Privacy screen select No and then click Next.
  10. On the License Agreement screen click Accept.
  11. On the Select the features you want to install screen select the following items and then click Install
    1. Deployment Tools
    2. Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)
  • User State Migration Tool (USMT)
  1. Wait for the installation to complete.
  2. Uncheck Learn more about the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit and then click Close.
  1. Install MDT
    1. Go to the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit site and download the latest version of MDT.
    2. Run the MDT setup.
    3. On the Welcome screen click Next.
    4. On the End-User License Agreement screen select I accept the terms in the License Agreement and click Next.
    5. On the Custom Setup screen select the desired installation location and click Next
    6. On the Customer Experience Improvement Program screen select I don’t want to join the program at this time and click Next.
    7. On the Ready to install screen click Install.
    8. When the installation completes click Finish.

Configuration

Adding Deployment Share

  1. Click Start-> Microsoft Deployment Toolkit -> Deployment Workbench.
  2. The Deployment Workbench window opens.
  3. An existing deployment share can be added or a new one can be created.
    1. Opening an existing deployment share.
      1. Right-click Deployment Shares and click Open Deployment Share.
      2. The Open Deployment Share Wizard appears.
  • On the Path screen browse to the deployment share and click Next.
  1. On the Summary screen click Next.
  2. When the operation completes click Finish on the Confirmation screen.
  1. Creating a new deployment share.
    1. Right-click DeploymentShares and click NewDeploymentShare.
    2. The New Deployment Share Wizard appears.
  • On the Path screen browse to the desired location for the new deployment share and then click Next.
  1. On the Share screen type in the desired name of the share or leave the default and then click Next.
  2. On the DescriptiveName screen type in a description for the share and then click Next.
  3. On the Options screen select the options you would like to have the deployment perform and then click Next. Note: these can be changed later.
  • On the Summary screen review the selections and then click Next.
  • Once complete click Finish on the Confirmation screen.

Update username and password for Deployment Share

A username and password are required for the boot image from MDT to access the MDT share.

  1. Create Deployment service account
    1. Click Start -> WindowsAdministrativeTools -> ComputerManagement.
    2. Expand SystemTools -> LocalUsersandGroups.
    3. Right-click Users and click NewUser…
    4. On the New User window enter the information for the MDT Deployment service account and then click Create.
    5. Close the ComputerManagement window
  2. Set Share and Security Permissions
    1. Open File Explorer.
    2. Navigate to the deployment share.
    3. Right-click on the deployment share and click Properties.
    4. Set the following permissions for the Deployment service account on the Deployment share.
      1. Share permissions – Read
      2. Security permissions – Read & Execute, List Folder Contents, Read
    5. Add Deployment service account to the Bootstrap.ini file.
      1. Open the MDT Deployment Workbench.
      2. Right-click the deployment share and then click Properties.
      3. Click the Rules tab and then click Editini in the lower right of the Properties windows.
      4. The Bootstrap.ini file will open in Notepad.
      5. Under the [Default] section of the Bootstrap.ini file enter the following information.
        1. UserID=Deployment service account name
        2. UserDomain=Name of the deployment server
  • UserPassword=Password for the deployment service account
  1. Save and close the Bootstrap.ini file.
  2. Close the deployment share Properties window.
  3. Right-click on the Deployment share and click Update Deployment Share.
  4. On Options screen of the Update Deployment Share Wizard select Completely regenerate the boot images and then click Next.
  5. Click Next on the Summary
  6. Click Finish on the Confirmation

Windows Deployment Services (WDS)

WDS facilitates the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) portion of the network deployment of the Windows 10 image to the laptops. PXE facilitates the network booting of a computer to be able to pull down a bootable image file.

Installation

  1. Open Server Manager
  2. Click Manage
  3. Click Add Roles and Features
  4. The Add Roles and Features Wizard window will appear
    1. On the Before you begin screen click Next
    2. On the Select installation type window click Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
    3. On the Server destination server window select
      1. Select a server from the server pool
      2. Under Server Pool select the server name
  • Click Next
  1. On the Select server roles screen select Windows Deployment Services
    1. On the pop-up window click Add Features
    2. Click Next
  2. On the Select features screen click Next
  3. On the WDS screen click Next
  4. On the Select role services screen select both Deployment Server and Transport Server, click Next
  5. On the Confirm installationselections screen clickRestart the detitanation server automatically if required. Click Yes to the pop-up then click Install
  6. Wait for the installation to complete.
  7. Once the installation is complete click the Close

Configuration

  1. Click Start -> Windows Administrative Tools -> Windows Deployment Services.
  2. The Windows Deployment Services window opens.
  3. In the left pane expand Servers
  4. Right-click on the server and click Configure Server
  5. The Windows Deployment Service Configuration Wizard
    1. On the Before You Begin screen click Next
    2. On the Install Options screen select Standalone server, click Next
    3. On the Remote Installation Folder Location screen select the location path and then click Next.
    4. On the Proxy DHCP Server screen select both options and then click Next
    5. On the PXE Server Initial Settings screen select Respond to all client computers (known and unknown), click Next.
    6. On the Task Progress screen, click Finish when it completes.
  6. If the WDS server did not start, right-click the server and select All Tasks -> Start.
  7. Right-click on the server and click Properties.
  8. On the server properties page go to the Boot tab.
    1. Under the PXE Boot Policy section select Continue the PXE boot unless the user presses the ESC key for both Known and Unknown clients.
    2. Click OK
  9. Under the server right-click Boot Images and click Add Boot Image…
  10. The Add Image Wizard window appears.
    1. On the ImageFile screen browse to the file location of the MDT boot image (it is in the boot folder in the deployment share) and then click Next.
    2. On the ImageMetadata screen type in the name and description for the image and then click Next.
    3. On the Summary screen review the information and then click Next.
    4. On the TaskProgress screen click Finish when complete.

Note: If you receive and Access Denied error make sure that the share permissions on the RemoteInstall have the user account that is being used listed and have at least Read and Change permissions.

Finished

The server is now configured to answer PXE requests and deploy an image that is configured in MDT. An imaged must be developed in MDT before it can be deployed.

More about Windows

But while variations can and will exist, the degree to which they affect your deployment plan can be exponentially reduced by standardizing rollouts for new and existing devices, as well as the OSes that will be supported, along with their respective drivers and pre-installed applications.

SEE: How to create a Windows-based USB installer

Microsoft windows deployment services download

Naturally, Microsoft's Windows Deployment Services (WDS) handles this with relative ease. Part PXE server, part TFTP server, WDS acts as both a repository and transport mechanism of the Windows boot and install files. WIM, short for Windows Imaging File Format, is a disk-based file type used by Microsoft to install Windows or boot devices to their Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) as a means of facilitating a granular level of control over computers before, during, and after the installation phase.

Before getting started, there are a few requirements that are necessary for WDS to run smoothly. Let's have a look.

Requirements

  • Server running Windows Server 2003 SP1 (Windows Server 2008 or newer highly recommended)
  • DHCP services running on the network
  • DNS services running on the network
  • Storage drive(s) formatted with NTFS for storing deployment images
  • Active Directory Domain Services (Optional, Standalone mode may be used unless choosing to run WDS in Integrated mode, which does require being a member of the domain or DC)
  • Administrative credentials

With the requirements out of the way, let's delve into the installation process, shall we?

Installing WDS

Log on to the server with an account delegated admin rights. Launch the Server Manager application and select Local Server | Tasks | Add Roles and Features (Figure A).

Figure A

The Before You Begin page will load; if you are experienced at adding/removing roles, check the Skip This Page By Default check box and click Next to continue with the wizard (Figure B).

Figure B

Select the Role-Based Or Feature-Based Installation radio button (Figure C) and click Next to proceed.

Figure C

On the next page, you'll select the server that the service will be installed on. Click on the hostname of your server (Figure D) and click Next.

Windows Deployment Services Vista

Figure D

In the Server Roles section, you must scroll and drill down to Remote Server Administration Tools | Role Administration Tools | Windows Deployment Services Tools. Select the Include Management Tools (If Applicable) check box and click the Add Features button (Figure E).

Figure E

In the Features section, ensure that the Remote Server Administration Tools check box is selected (Figure F) and click Next.

Figure F

The WDS role includes a few notes about the services it provides on the following page (Figure G); click Next to continue to Role Services.

Figure G

If this is your one and only WDS server, select both the Deployment Server and Transport Server check boxes ((Figure H). This will be required to deploy images successfully. If you would like to divide the services among several servers, select only the check box next to the service that particular server will be used for. Most users, at least initially, will be better served by selecting both check boxes. Click Next to confirm.

Figure H

At the confirmation page, if everything appears correct, click the Install button to proceed with the service(s) installation. WDS does not require restarting the server upon completion. But if you will be deploying multiple WDS servers within your environment, clicking the Export Configuration Settings link will export these settings to an XML file that can be used later to configure the installation of the service(s) on other servers, automating much of the process (Figure I).

Figure I

Once WDS has been installed, you must configured prior to first use. Follow along below to configure Windows Deployment Services.

SEE: Windows Server 2016 TP5: Feature-complete and on track for RTM (Tech Pro Research)

Configuring WDS

Launch the WDS snap-in either by locating it in the Administrative Tools folder, using the MMC, or executing the command wdsmgmt.msc to load the console for the first time.

Within the nested hierarchy under Servers, you'll notice a small yellow exclamation mark symbol next to your server's hostname (Figure J). This indicates your server is not configured for WDS. Right-click the server name and select Configure Server from the context menu Figure K).

Figure J

Figure K

A wizard will guide you through the configuration process (Figure L). Click Next after verifying that the requirements have been met.

Figure L

Decision time. WDS allows for configuring a Standalone mode, which operates independently of Active Directory (AD), or an Integrated mode, which works with AD (Figure M). The one you choose will slightly affect how WDS works and more important, how much access you'll have to manage your WDS server. Integrated mode will allow for seamless integration with AD; however, the caveat is that certain changes will require Domain Administrator-level credentials. If you do not have this, you'll effectively be locked out of certain features. Conversely, Standalone mode will allow the most freedom when managing your WDS server, regardless of Domain Admin credentials. But it does so at the expense of not being tied in with AD. Choose wisely, as once Integrated mode is selected, it can't be downgraded to Standalone—although Standalone mode can always be upgraded to Integrated. Click Next to proceed.

Figure M

WDS will create a shared folder where the installation and boot WIMs will be stored and served to clients on the network. Select the default path or enter a custom path to store these directories (Figure N) and click Next.

Figure N

When selecting a drive that is also home to the system volume, a warning message will be displayed asking if you wish to continue with your selection or select another location (Figure O). This is ensure that performance isn't negatively affected. Once you're satisfied with your selection, click Yes to continue.

Figure O

The PXE Server settings will be configured on the following page (Figure P). These settings dictate how PXE behaves while receiving a boot request from a client. Known clients are defined as computers whose accounts (or objects in AD) have been prestaged; unknown clients refer to any computers that do not have matching AD accounts. By default, selecting Respond To All Client Computers (Known And Unknown) works well. For additional security, select the Require Administrator Approval For Unknown Computers check box. This will force the computer to await explicit authorization before it will be processed by the PXE server. Click Next to continue.

Figure P

The configuration process for WDS takes several minutes, depending on the speed of the server being used (Figure Q).

Figure Q

Microsoft-windows-appxdeployment Server/operational

Once WDS has been successfully configured, it'll be ready to use, except it does not have any media -boot or install WIMs—to deploy. These may be added post-WDS configuration by selecting the Add images To The Server Now check box or it can be deferred until a later time (Figure R). Click the Finish button to complete the configuration.

Figure R

Windows Deployment Services will require boot images to respond to client requests and install images to actually deploy Windows onto these client systems. By right-clicking and selecting Add Images from the Install Images and Boot Images nodes in the console (Figure S and Figure T), you'll be able to take the boot.wim and install.wim directly from a Windows DVD media disk or ISO and import them into WDS for deployment. This will allow for specified OSes to be installed by default on client computers in a straightforward manner.

Figure S

4101 Error Microsoft-windows-deployment-services-diagnostics

Figure T

What Is Windows Deployment Services

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