Best Practices

I've used this link to help bulid my answer files. I've added a few more items on since then, but this will get you started.

http://www.itninja.com/link/sysprep-windows-7-tutorial

I use both scripted and system images. For my system images I use http://www.itninja.com/blog/view/driverfeed-workaround-for-k2000-v3-4 to help with the drivers. This saves a ton of time when building images.

I currently use http://www.kace.com/support/resources/kb/article/Get-Set-ComputerName?action=artikel&id=1137 to name my machines. Setup correctly this will prompt at the beginning of an image, and apply the name as a midlevel task. I have used http://mystuff.clarke.co.nz/MyStuff/wsname.asp in the past, and it works just as well (our needs have changed since).

This will help if you have any reboot tasks set in your post installs http://www.itninja.com/question/k2000-postinstall-task-converter.

I have not created an image for 2008 yet, but I hear I will need to soon. Like Philologist it should be almost the same answer file. Definitely keep a master image. Just duplicate off of that and create seperate post installs. It will make things a lot faster down the road.

  I have not done W2K8R2 with the KACE yet.  I would assume it is very similar to deploying W7x64.

  In terms of best practices, most of the deployment information you need will actually revolve around what type of deployment you want to do (imaging vs. scripted deployment), and the Microsoft configuration tools involved.  For instance, you will likely benefit from looking at the best practices for Sysprep, Diskpart, MSIexec, and the User State Migration Tool.

  The only real best practice specific to the K2K I could give you with imaging, for instance, is to try to keep the image as clean as possible, and to lay down software as post-install tasks so that you don't need to update the image just to update a software version.  In many cases, it is much easier to change a post-install task than to change the image.

  Most of the best practices will simply be best practices deploying the OS itself rather than being K2K specific, and general advice, such as saving a copy of your image when you make major changes, just in case something doesn't go well.