Deploy standard Vista install.wim?

[Erik Droszcz]

Thanks for your input Johan! :)

Do you think my idea of installing drivers (both regular and mass storage)
and applications using LTI is good? If so, I need to figure out the best way
to manage packages and updates...

When you deploy Vista, how do you handle MS pacthes as they are released? Do
you capture a new image every time? Or do you have any better tips to get an
up to date client when the deployment is done? I guess WSUS is one way. But
it would be great to have the client fully patched when the LTI process is
completed.

Since I use MDT/LTI to deploy my images do you think using setup.exe to
deploy both the native install.wim and custom images is prefered?

I would really appreciate tips that makes it easy to administrate the Vista
.wim when it comes to packages, updates and drivers.

// Erik

You don't need to capture the image, it can be deployed as is...
However, there a some benefits of using a reference image... the main
one is speed... injecting packages/updates during depoyment times
takes time.. you can also apply the image without having to run
setup.exe (you can use any tool that can apply a wim image).
If you don't run setup.exe, the default image will be installed to d:\
no matter what... (since msft captured from d: before capturing it in
their build labs). setup.exe has all logic for fixing that...
Regards
Johan Arwidmark
Microsoft MVP - Setup / Deployment
http://www.deployvista.com
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:07:02 -0800, Erik Droszcz

Hi!
So far I have mostly done Windows XP deployment using MDT. But lately I
started to look at deploying Vista and Windows 7.
When deploying XP I like to have only one .wim image for all my different
computer models. The only thing I really include in the image is some mass
storage drivers since those can't be injected properly in MDT. All other
drivers, updates and applications are added in the LTI process during
deployment of the XP .wim. Sure it takes a bit longer compared to include
large apps like Office in the image. But it makes the image administration
much easier ?
Now when I started to play with deploying Vista and 7 I thought, do I really
need to capture my own .wim image at all? Reason this question popped up is
that I want an as clean image as possible. And since I install drivers and
applications using LTI I don't need those in the image. Also, when you add a
custom Vista .wim to MDT you still need to make sure it copies the Vista
setup files. Otherwise the LTI deployment will fail. And of what I understood
MDT can inject mass storage drivers on the fly for Vista/7? If I want to make
changes to settings not available in the Unatend.xml file I guess you can
script them from a step in the LTI task sequence?
So, do I really need to sysprep and capture my own Vista/7 image? Will the
the OS be deployed any faster using a custom image?
Did I miss anything fundamental here :) ? Would really appreciate your input
and suggestions on this one!
Regards
Erik

[unknown]

I always use a reference image, which I regenerate about every other
month (adding security or other updates).

For all customers I keep drivers outside the image, and have MDT
inject them at deployment time.

For most customers I also keep the apps outside the image...eg. a true
thin image.

For customers that have an SLA that says they need to deploy a machine
within the hour, we are forced to use a thick image (eg. apps in the
image). But that image does cost much more to maintain.

MDT/LTI always use setup.exe for Vista deployments, no matter what

Regards

Johan Arwidmark
Microsoft MVP - Setup / Deployment
http://www.deployvista.com


On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:05:02 -0800, Erik Droszcz

Post by Erik Droszcz
Thanks for your input Johan! :)
Do you think my idea of installing drivers (both regular and mass storage)
and applications using LTI is good? If so, I need to figure out the best way
to manage packages and updates...
When you deploy Vista, how do you handle MS pacthes as they are released? Do
you capture a new image every time? Or do you have any better tips to get an
up to date client when the deployment is done? I guess WSUS is one way. But
it would be great to have the client fully patched when the LTI process is
completed.
Since I use MDT/LTI to deploy my images do you think using setup.exe to
deploy both the native install.wim and custom images is prefered?
I would really appreciate tips that makes it easy to administrate the Vista
.wim when it comes to packages, updates and drivers.
// Erik

You don't need to capture the image, it can be deployed as is...
However, there a some benefits of using a reference image... the main
one is speed... injecting packages/updates during depoyment times
takes time.. you can also apply the image without having to run
setup.exe (you can use any tool that can apply a wim image).
If you don't run setup.exe, the default image will be installed to d:\
no matter what... (since msft captured from d: before capturing it in
their build labs). setup.exe has all logic for fixing that...
Regards
Johan Arwidmark
Microsoft MVP - Setup / Deployment
http://www.deployvista.com
On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:07:02 -0800, Erik Droszcz

Hi!
So far I have mostly done Windows XP deployment using MDT. But lately I
started to look at deploying Vista and Windows 7.
When deploying XP I like to have only one .wim image for all my different
computer models. The only thing I really include in the image is some mass
storage drivers since those can't be injected properly in MDT. All other
drivers, updates and applications are added in the LTI process during
deployment of the XP .wim. Sure it takes a bit longer compared to include
large apps like Office in the image. But it makes the image administration
much easier ?
Now when I started to play with deploying Vista and 7 I thought, do I really
need to capture my own .wim image at all? Reason this question popped up is
that I want an as clean image as possible. And since I install drivers and
applications using LTI I don't need those in the image. Also, when you add a
custom Vista .wim to MDT you still need to make sure it copies the Vista
setup files. Otherwise the LTI deployment will fail. And of what I understood
MDT can inject mass storage drivers on the fly for Vista/7? If I want to make
changes to settings not available in the Unatend.xml file I guess you can
script them from a step in the LTI task sequence?
So, do I really need to sysprep and capture my own Vista/7 image? Will the
the OS be deployed any faster using a custom image?
Did I miss anything fundamental here :) ? Would really appreciate your input
and suggestions on this one!
Regards
Erik

[Erik Droszcz]

I think I start to get an idea on how I should work with my images :)

I was playing with some deployment this weekend and a couple of questions
popped up.

Do you include .NET Framework in your images? I mean, they aren't really
updates and not really applications either. More a sort of extension I guess.

Not sure how much XP deployment you still do. But do you manage you XP and
Vista images the same way?

Also, how do you manage storage drivers for your Vista/7 images? Do you
include them when running sysprep. Or do you let MDT inject those during
deployment?

Also I really want to thank you for your great blog and all the time you
spend on this newsgroup ! :)

// Erik

[unknown]

Yes, I do include .NET framework, I consider it part of the os (even
though it really isnt)

I still do a lot of XP deployments, close to 90 percent of our
customers are still using XP in one way or another (even though many
of the are piloting Vista at the same time).

I deal with XP & Vista & Server 2003 & Server 2008 the same way... I
always use a reference image (created in a virtual machine)...

As far as storage drivers for Vista/Windows 7, I use pkgmgr (or
rather, I have MDT doing it for me :) )

And last but not least, thanks for the kind words :)

Regards

Johan Arwidmark
Microsoft MVP - Setup / Deployment
http://www.deployvista.com




On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:32:01 -0800, Erik Droszcz

Post by Erik Droszcz
I think I start to get an idea on how I should work with my images :)
I was playing with some deployment this weekend and a couple of questions
popped up.
Do you include .NET Framework in your images? I mean, they aren't really
updates and not really applications either. More a sort of extension I guess.
Not sure how much XP deployment you still do. But do you manage you XP and
Vista images the same way?
Also, how do you manage storage drivers for your Vista/7 images? Do you
include them when running sysprep. Or do you let MDT inject those during
deployment?
Also I really want to thank you for your great blog and all the time you
spend on this newsgroup ! :)
// Erik

[Erik Droszcz]

I also use a virtual machine when building my reference images. Got to love
snapshots :P

Obviously a reference image is the way to go :) Since we don't have a SLA
that requires a workstation to be reinstalled in that short time I will stay
with a thin image.

Have to look into Package Manager and see what it can do for me when I move
on to Vista.

Just curious, since I bet you have turned inside out on everything you can
do with Windows 7 deployment...have you found and exciting new things
compared to Vista? Or is it pretty much same same?

Yea, you don't know how proud I am that the world’s greatest deployment guru
is a fellow Swede :)

// Erik

[unknown]

Vista is good, Windows 7 is great (even the beta)

There a lot of new exiting deploymenttools (most will work with Vista
as well)

Regards

Johan Arwidmark
Microsoft MVP - Setup / Deployment
http://www.deployvista.com


On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:41:01 -0800, Erik Droszcz

Post by Erik Droszcz
I also use a virtual machine when building my reference images. Got to love
snapshots :P
Obviously a reference image is the way to go :) Since we don't have a SLA
that requires a workstation to be reinstalled in that short time I will stay
with a thin image.
Have to look into Package Manager and see what it can do for me when I move
on to Vista.
Just curious, since I bet you have turned inside out on everything you can
do with Windows 7 deployment...have you found and exciting new things
compared to Vista? Or is it pretty much same same?
Yea, you don't know how proud I am that the world’s greatest deployment guru
is a fellow Swede :)
// Erik

[unknown]

You don't need to capture the image, it can be deployed as is...

However, there a some benefits of using a reference image... the main
one is speed... injecting packages/updates during depoyment times
takes time.. you can also apply the image without having to run
setup.exe (you can use any tool that can apply a wim image).

If you don't run setup.exe, the default image will be installed to d:\
no matter what... (since msft captured from d: before capturing it in
their build labs). setup.exe has all logic for fixing that...

Regards

Johan Arwidmark
Microsoft MVP - Setup / Deployment
http://www.deployvista.com



On Thu, 15 Jan 2009 12:07:02 -0800, Erik Droszcz

Hi!
So far I have mostly done Windows XP deployment using MDT. But lately I
started to look at deploying Vista and Windows 7.
When deploying XP I like to have only one .wim image for all my different
computer models. The only thing I really include in the image is some mass
storage drivers since those can't be injected properly in MDT. All other
drivers, updates and applications are added in the LTI process during
deployment of the XP .wim. Sure it takes a bit longer compared to include
large apps like Office in the image. But it makes the image administration
much easier ?
Now when I started to play with deploying Vista and 7 I thought, do I really
need to capture my own .wim image at all? Reason this question popped up is
that I want an as clean image as possible. And since I install drivers and
applications using LTI I don't need those in the image. Also, when you add a
custom Vista .wim to MDT you still need to make sure it copies the Vista
setup files. Otherwise the LTI deployment will fail. And of what I understood
MDT can inject mass storage drivers on the fly for Vista/7? If I want to make
changes to settings not available in the Unatend.xml file I guess you can
script them from a step in the LTI task sequence?
So, do I really need to sysprep and capture my own Vista/7 image? Will the
the OS be deployed any faster using a custom image?
Did I miss anything fundamental here :) ? Would really appreciate your input
and suggestions on this one!
Regards
Erik