Automating USMT

The full power of the USMT is realized when you automate migration. Through the use of scripting techniques-or tools such as MDT 2010 and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007-you can automate the migration of large numbers of systems. The following list describes each option:

• Scripting You can execute USMT with a variety of scripting tools, including Windows PowerShell, VBScript, and batch script files. By including the appropriate command-line options, you can automate the migration process to collect and restore user state data. End users can then execute these scripts to migrate their own data.
• Microsoft Deployment Toolkit MDT 2010 fully enables user state migration as part of the LTI and ZTI deployment processes. You can customize the location of the data stores and customize the migration .xml files to include or exclude user state as defined by your requirements (although this is often not necessary with USMT 4.0). Using the default migration .xml files with MDT 2010 is an extremely simple, straightforward process. Thus, the only real effort is in creating custom migration .xml files for USMT, if necessary.
• Configuration Manager Configuration Manager can be used as is or with MDT 2010 to automate user state migration as part of operating system deployment. For more information about using USMT with Configuration Manager alone, see the System Center Configuration Manager 2007 documentation.