Windows 7 / Getting Started

Operating Modes

To provide a clear path between legacy RIS functionality and Windows Deployment Services functionality, Windows Deployment Services supports three modes (legacy and mixed modes are available only in Windows Server 2003):

  • Legacy mode This mode uses the Client Installation Wizard (OSChooser) and Riprep (sector-based) images. This mode is compatible with RIS. Moving from RIS-only functionality to legacy mode happens when you install the Windows Deployment Services update on a server running RIS.
  • Mixed mode This mode supports both OSChooser and Windows PE for boot environments and Riprep and ImageX imaging. Moving from legacy mode to mixed mode happens when you configure Windows Deployment Services and add .wim image files to it.
  • Native mode This mode supports only the Windows PE boot environment and .wim image files. The final move to native mode occurs after you have converted all legacy images to the .wim image file format and have disabled the OSChooser functionality.

Your choice of operating mode will depend on which client operating systems you are deploying and your investment into legacy Riprep images. You don't need to abandon your current deployment images; operating in mixed mode allows you to continue to deploy legacy RIS images from OSChooser. It also allows you to deploy new .wim images of Windows 7 using Windows PE.

The mode used by Windows Deployment Services is not a simple selection in a dialog box. Each mode is activated in a specific way. The following sections describe each mode in more detail and how to configure each mode.

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In this tutorial:

  1. Configuring Windows Deployment Services
  2. Introducing Windows Deployment Services
  3. Service Architecture
  4. PXE Services
  5. Operating Modes
  6. Legacy Mode
  7. Mixed Mode
  8. Native Mode
  9. Planning for Windows Deployment Services
  10. Choosing a Version of Windows Deployment Services
  11. New Features of Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2008 R2
  12. Server Requirements
  13. Client Computer Requirements
  14. DHCP Requirements
  15. Routing Requirements
  16. Capacity Requirements
  17. Installing Windows Deployment Services
  18. Windows Server 2003
  19. Windows Server 2008 R2
  20. Windows 7 Configuring Deployment Services
  21. Preparing Discover Images
  22. Windows Importing Images
  23. Importing Boot Images
  24. Importing Install Images
  25. Managing and Deploying Driver Packages
  26. Deploying Driver Packages to Clients Using Method 1
  27. Deploying Driver Packages to Clients Using Method 2
  28. Deploying Driver Packages to Clients Using Method 3
  29. Managing Driver Groups and Driver Packages
  30. Adding Driver Packages to Boot Images
  31. Managing Image Security
  32. Pre-staging Client Computers
  33. Configuring Administrator Approval
  34. Windows 7 Installing
  35. Capturing Custom Images
  36. Creating Multicast Transmissions
  37. Performing Multicast Deployment
  38. Using Windows Deployment Services with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit