Managing and Deploying Driver Packages

A new feature of Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2008 R2 is the ability to manage and deploy driver packages when performing deployment. Specifically, you can:

• Add driver packages to a Window Deployment Services server and deploy these driver packages to different client computers based on filtering criteria.
• Add boot-critical driver packages to boot images (supported for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 images only).

These new features make it simpler to ensure that the appropriate drivers are available during a deployment.

Deploying Driver Packages to Clients

You can use Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2008 R2 to deploy driver packages to client computers using the following methods:

• Method 1 Make all driver packages available to all clients. This is the simplest approach, and each type of client will use Plug and Play to install the driver package it needs. This method assumes that the devices that need the driver packages are connected to or attached to the clients before you deploy Windows to them. However, this method can cause problems if two or more incompatible drivers are installed on the same client. If this happens, try method 2.
• Method 2 Create a different driver group for each type of client and add different driver packages to each driver group as needed. A driver group is a collection of driver packages on a Windows Deployment Services server. They use filters to define which type of client has access to the driver group based on the client's hardware and the operating system being installed. You should use this method if you need to install specific driver packages on specific computers or if your hardware environment is too complex for method 1 above to work properly.
• Method 3 Create a different driver group for each type of client and add different driver packages to each driver group as needed. Then create an additional driver group and deploy all the driver packages in it to all computers. This method is useful if you have external hardware that is not connected to clients during the installation process. Once the installation is complete, you can connect the hardware and the driver package will install.

The sections that follow describe each method in more detail.