Single digit image deployment?
We have recently moved from scripted installs to imaged deployments - partially due to windows updates - we now have a virtual box that is has a snapshot right before sysprep and when we need new updates - we deploy those - sysprep and then upload the image and then revert back to a new snapshot. I have seen a few references to single digit deployments - the closest we get is about 40 minutes to the desktop - is that pretty close to what other are getting?
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With mdt we can deploy windows 7 in < 10 minutes. - Jbr32 10 years ago
Answers (4)
You can do everything you want with 1 image, all drivers for variuos hardware and any software that you desire using the proper task sequense. I don't use MDT, it's NEVER an option. Plus you can have the name included at the start of your HTA. If any of you are interested in this solution I'll provide details and links. Looking to see if anyone out there does something close to what I'm saying?? Let me know and I'll provide info using onlt SCCM 2012R2..
KED
40 minutes seems reasonable to me for image time. That includes drive prep, applying the image, using the driver feed, and downloading/applying post install tasks. Remember image time is also somewhat hardware dependant. If you're installing to a machine with atom CPU and 5400 RPM HDD it may take hours. On a i5 with SSD it could be 20 minutes.
Jbr32 can deploy is less than 10 minutes. But only by including all drivers and software in your image probably. Of course that is going to be faster. But then you'll have way more images.
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We actually using thin images; so the < 10 minutes gets you a Windows 7 64 bit machine with some MS updates and Kace. When you run MDT on the client you check off a bunch of Y/N switches which create registry keys that Kace then looks for to install software. For example, if you wanted MS Office 2013 you would simply check off the box, this creates a registry in a specific place. Kace, once inventory is complete, reads the registry for a software WANTED value and adds that to the MI's deployment label. So 10 minutes for the base OS with Kace, then you get yourself a cup of coffee will Kace does its magic to pull down the other installers. - Jbr32 10 years ago
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Meant to edit my response but accidentally hit delete. How do you handle drivers? - SDNBTP 10 years ago
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Drivers are baked into mdt. We baked them in for most of our standard models. - Jbr32 10 years ago
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How long for the entire process, including the software deployment? I think that's what OP wanted to know. Having the drivers in there will save time but the driver feed is pretty nice, especially if you have a lot of different models. - SDNBTP 10 years ago
We took a little different approach as these are all thick provisioned - office (not activated), all updates, created in a vm and then syspreped - uploading the wim - post install does antivirus - we have two things to do when wkstn is finished - name wkstn and join domain - that's it. I still can't get the set/get computername task working (never have) - I wouldn't say we are zero touch but we are alot closer to it using imaged based than the scripted install - any special software can still be done with post install.
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Get computername task should be one of your first tasks. It must run prior to diskpart running, which blows away the drive. The set task should be your first mid level task. I believe the set task only works if you have this line in your unattend file, with the wildcard:
<ComputerName>*</ComputerName>
This is where the name gets injected. If this line doesn't exist it won't work. - SDNBTP 10 years ago
Thanks for that - the tasks were in the right place but I had removed the <computername> reference from the unattend.xml - will restore on next build. Thank you