Operating System Deployment

Deploying a new operating system (OS) into any corporation, large or small, is a large undertaking with vast implications. The cost of not properly planning and executing your move to a new OS can be huge and includes things like extra work, upset users, and potential data loss. Understanding the technical complexity to deploy a new OS led to the operating system deployment (OSD) feature set introduced in Configuration Manager (ConfigMgr) 2007. OSD has been enhanced in ConfigMgr 2012 but the core functionality and look and feel remain the same.

This tutorial covers OSD in depth including applicable scenarios, detailed use, guidance, best practices, and troubleshooting. Detailed, quick-start walkthroughs are discussed in the "Image Operations" section. This single tutorial cannot and does not cover the complete range of information and knowledge required to deploy Windows fully in an enterprise environment, nor does it cover supplemental tools such as the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT). In addition, because the core of OSD has changed very little, most (if not all) information available on OSD in ConfigMgr 2007 is still applicable. Thus, some of the links or information presented in this tutorial may specifically refer to ConfigMgr 2007.

NOTE: OPERATING SYSTEM COVERAGE: Although this tutorial specifically covers Windows 7 deployments, nearly all concepts also apply to Windows XP; any differences will be mentioned and additional information or links to additional information provided. Nearly all deployment concepts applicable to Windows 7 are also applicable to Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 2008 R2; none of these other OS editions will be specifically called out in the text unless a significant difference in functionality exists from a ConfigMgr perspective. Similarly, Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP deployment concepts are nearly identical and thus Windows Server 2003 will not be mentioned. As Windows 2000 is not supported by ConfigMgr 2012 or Microsoft, it is not covered in this tutorial.
Windows 8 also is not specifically discussed in this tutorial for several reasons, including that it is a beta product (and subject to change) and that System Center 2012 Configuration Manager does not support it at RTM-if you try to deploy Windows 8 Beta with OSD in ConfigMgr, it will fail. It is also anticipated that Windows 8 will have many new setup and deployment-centric features, so much of this tutorial may not even apply. Simply attempting to cover any Windows 8 information here would be a disservice to you and an exercise in futility.