Last Update: Sep 04, 2024 | Published: Nov 30, 2016
In the first part of this three-part series, I’ll show you how to deploy the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) and import a Windows 10 image ready for distribution over the network using Windows Deployment Services (WDS).
If you need to deploy Windows 10 on more than a handful of devices, or redeploy the OS regularly, then Windows Server WDS may be the solution you’re looking for. WDS provides a subset of the deployment features found in System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM), but doesn’t have the targeting, zero-touch installation and thin imaging options found in SCCM.
MDT and WDS are two separate tools that can be used together or individually. MDT is a free download from Microsoft, and allows system administrators to quickly customize Windows 10 images using a wizard-based approach to include line-of-business applications and device drivers. MDT also provides options for migrating user settings and backing up the currently installed OS at install time, courtesy of tools from the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK).
WDS is a feature of Windows Server, and when used alone, can be used to install full Windows 10 images across the network to PXE-boot capable devices. But in conjunction with MDT, WDS becomes a more powerful tool, allowing administrators to tailor installations and deployment options.
Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) enabled network cards can retrieve boot images from the network with the help of DHCP and TFTP. If you are using Hyper-V, only generation 2 virtual machines (VMs) support PXE. Physical machines need to have network cards that support PXE, and PXE boot should be enabled in the BIOS/UEFI.
In this lab, I use the following servers and devices, all running in Hyper-V VMs:
WDS doesn’t require Active Directory (AD), but to make life easier, I decided to use it for the purposes of this lab. I have one domain controller (DC) running Windows Server 2016. The DC also provides DNS and DHCP services. DHCP is required for WDS, and shouldn’t be running on the same server as the WDS server role.
MDT and WDS will be installed on separate servers, both running Windows Server 2012 R2, but could be installed on the same server. Finally, a bare metal Hyper-V generation 2 VM was used to install Windows 10 using WDS.
Before following the instructions below, you should have an AD domain already set up and configured, including the DHCP server role authorized in AD. For more information on installing AD on Windows Server, see Install Active Directory on Windows Server 2012 with Server Manager on the Petri IT Knowledgebase. The MDT and WDS servers should be joined to your domain. See Joining Windows Server 2012 to a Domain on the Petri IT Knowledgebase for more details.
First, we need to download and install Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) 2013 Update 2. Execute the downloaded Windows Installer (.msi) file and follow the instructions. The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) for Windows 10, version 1607 should also be installed on the MDT server. Run adksetup.exe and install it. On the Select the features you want to install screen, check Deployment Tools, Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE), and User State Migration Tool (USMT).
Download the Windows 10 Enterprise ISO evaluation from Microsoft’s website here. Or you can use any Professional or Enterprise SKU ISO, providing it wasn’t downloaded using the media creation tool. Once the ISO has downloaded on the MDT server, you’ll need to mount it. Right-click the ISO file in Explorer and select Mount from the menu. The ISO will be mounted to a virtual DVD drive in Windows.
Now let’s start the real work with MDT. WDS uses a boot image that points clients to an MDT deployment share containing our customized Windows 10 installation files. We will use the MDT Deployment Workbench management console (MMC) to create a deployment share on the server.
The next step is to import the Windows 10 ISO into MDT.
In this article, I showed you how to create an MDT deployment share and import a Windows 10 image into Deployment Workbench. In the second part of this series, I’ll show you how to customize the Windows 10 image in MDT using a task sequence, and how to configure WDS.