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Automated Deployment Options: An
Overview
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New
deployment tools and methods introduced with the Windows� 2000
Professional operating system make it easier, more
efficient, and less expensive to deploy. This paper gives an
overview of the main options that organizations can choose
if they wish to deploy Windows 2000 Professional
automatically, and outlines the process of upgrading from
prior versions of the Windows operating systems.
Introduction
Until recently, any
organization that deployed a desktop operating system had to
invest a significant amount of money and resources in the
deployment process. Even so-called automated deployment
methods were expensive and drained resources�the methods
were not always truly fully automated, and since they were
usually too complicated for novices to use, even a partially
automated deployment required the attention of an
information technologies (IT) professional.
Deployment tools and methods
introduced with Windows� 2000 Professional,
Microsoft�s latest desktop operating system for
businesses, make it easier, more efficient, and less
expensive to deploy. Based on the results of research with
business customers, and specifically IT professionals who
deploy desktop systems, Microsoft designed Windows 2000
Professional from the ground up to improve automated
deployment.
Automated Deployment Methods
Windows 2000
Professional supports a variety of automated deployment
methods:
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Automated
installation scripts, which are used to define
basic settings and user information on the destination
machine during setup without mandating user interaction.
This method can be used for both new installations (or
�clean installs�) and upgrades of existing systems.
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Disk-image
copying, or duplication, which is the process
of creating a master image, preparing that image for
duplication, then copying it to other systems. This
method is intended for new installations.
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Remote
installation, which is the process of
installing the operating system on client machines from
a remote location using network boot capabilities of the
client PC. This method is intended for new
installations.
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Automated
installation from a bootable CD-ROM, which is a
practical way to deploy the operating system
automatically on computers in organizations lacking an
IT department, or at remote sites with slow connections
to a central server. This method is intended for new
installations.
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Software
distribution, which entails the distribution of
operating system source and configuration files to
appropriate servers and distribution points, where
client machines then access them for installation. This
method is intended for upgrades only. |
Upgrading to Windows 2000
Professional
Three of the methods listed
above are meant for new installations of the operating
system. In many cases, however, business users will want to
upgrade to the new operating system over their existing
configurations, and thus save time and resources in the
overall setup and migration process. Windows 2000
Professional supports upgrades from any of the following
operating systems:
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Windows NT
Workstation 4.0
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Windows NT
Workstation 3.51
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Windows 98
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Windows 95 |
The upgrade process for each
operating system can be completely automated and scripted.
This paper provides an
overview of the ways in which Windows 2000 supports the
automated deployment methods listed above and outlines the
process of upgrading from prior versions of the Windows
operating systems. It is not intended as a comprehensive
treatment of these areas; for in-depth information, please
refer to the Deployment
Planning Guide
and Upgrading
to Windows 2000.
(For detailed information about customized deployments of
Microsoft Office and Microsoft Internet Explorer please
refer respectively to the Office
Resource Kits
and the Internet
Explorer Administration Kit
.)
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�
2000 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of
use.
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