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Let's Build A Standalone Deployment Server!

  • Article

You have decided to deploy OS images over the network but you want to test it out or you want to create a small deployment lab.  Building a standalone deployment server is the way to go. Windows Deployment Service (WDS) and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) are an easy way to accomplish that.  In this standalone setup the server is not part of a domain and has DNS (Domain Name System) and DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) on the same system as WDS and MDT.

In order to keep up with the demand of deploying workstation images to hundreds and thousands of systems quickly you need to have a deployment mechanism in place.  There are plenty of products out there that can deploy images.  But let's say you don't have those products.  How can you do it?  Well MDT and WDS do a great job together, also they are free (as long as you have a Windows Server license for WDS).

Assumption

Windows Server is fully installed on the system without any outstanding issues.  A basic understanding of Windows Server administration.  The IP address range has already been determined.  A user account on the server has been created with read access to the deployment share.

DNS

Installation

  1. Open Server Manager
  2. Click Manage
  3. Click Add Roles and Features
  4. The Add Roles and Features Wizard window will appear
    1. On the Before you begin screen click Next
    2. On the Select installation type window click Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
    3. On the Server destination server window select
      1. Select a server from the server pool
      2. Under Server Pool select the server name
  • Click Next
  1. On the Select server roles screen select DNS
    1. On the pop-up window click Add Features
    2. Click Next
  2. On the Select features screen click Next
  3. On the DNS Server screen click Next
  4. On the Confirm installation selections screen click Restart the detitanation server automatically if required. Click Yes to the pop-up then click Install
  5. Wait for the installation to complete.
  6. Once the installation is complete click the Close

Configuration

  1. Click Start -> Windows Administrative Tools -> DNS.
  2. In the DNS Manager window click on the server name.
  3. In the right pane, right-click Forward Lookup Zones and then click New Zone…
  4. In the New Zone Wizard on the Welcome screen click Next.
  5. On the Zone Type screen select Primary zone and click Next.
  6. On the Zone Name screen enter the name of the Zone and click Next
  7. On the Zone File screen leave the default selections and click Next.
  8. On the Dynamic Update screen select Allow both nonsecure and secure dynamic updates and click Next.
  9. On the Complete the New Zone Wizard screen click Finish.

DHCP

Installation

  1. Open Server Manager
  2. Click Manage
  3. Click Add Roles and Features
  4. The Add Roles and Features Wizard window will appear
    1. On the Before you begin screen click Next
    2. On the Select installation type window click Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
    3. On the Server destination server window select
      1. Select a server from the server pool
      2. Under Server Pool select the server name
  • Click Next
  1. On the Select server roles screen select DHCP
    1. On the pop-up window click Add Features
    2. Click Next
  2. On the Select features screen click Next
  3. On the DHCP Server screen click Next
  4. On the Confirm installation selections screen click Restart the detitanation server automatically if required. Click Yes to the pop-up then click Install
  5. Wait for the installation to complete.
  6. Once the installation is complete click the Close
  1. On the Server Manager window click the Warning icon at the top and then click Complete DHCP Configuration.
  2. The DHCP Post-Install configuration wizard opens up.
    1. On the Description screen click Commit.
    2. On the Summary screen click Close.

 Configuration

  1. Click Start -> Windows Administrative Tools -> DHCP.
  2. In DHCP window expand the server in the left pane.
  3. Right-click IPv4 and click New Scope…
  4. The New Scope Wizard window appears.
    1. Click Next.
    2. On the Scope Name screen enter a name and description for the scope and click Next.
    3. On the IP Address Range screen enter the Start IP address and End IP address Verify that the Subnet mask is correct and then click Next.
    4. On the Add Exclusions and Delay screen do not enter any information, click Next.
    5. On the Lease Duration screen change the Days to 1, click Next.
    6. On the Configure DHCP Options screen select Yes and click Next.
    7. On the Router (Default Gateway) screen do not enter an IP address, click Next.
    8. On the Domain Name and DNS Servers screen enter the IP address of the server and click Add, then click Next.
    9. On the WINS Servers screen do not enter any IP address, click Next.
    10. On the Activate Scope screen select Yes and then click Next.
    11. On the Completing the New Scope Wizard screen click Finish.
  5. Reboot the server.

MDT

Installation

  1. Install ADK
    10. Go to Windows ADK website and download the latest Windows ADK for Windows 10. 11. Run exe 12. The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit – Windows 10 window opens. 13. On the Specify Location screen
    1. select the Download the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit – Windows 10 for installation on a separate computer radio button. 2. Browse to the desired download path to save the files.
  • Click Next
  1. On the Windows Kits Privacy screen select No and then click Next.
  2. On the License Agreement screen click Accept.
  3. On the Download is complete screen click Close.
  4. Copy the files to the server if needed.
  5. Open the folder with the downloaded files.
  6. Run adksetup.exe
  7. The Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit – Windows 10 window opens.
  8. On the Specify Location screen browse to the desired install path and click Next.
  9. On the Windows Kits Privacy screen select No and then click Next.
  10. On the License Agreement screen click Accept.
  11. On the Select the features you want to install screen select the following items and then click Install
    1. Deployment Tools
    2. Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE)
  • User State Migration Tool (USMT)
  1. Wait for the installation to complete.
  2. Uncheck Learn more about the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit and then click Close.
  1. Install MDT
    1. Go to the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit site and download the latest version of MDT.
    2. Run the MDT setup.
    3. On the Welcome screen click Next.
    4. On the End-User License Agreement screen select I accept the terms in the License Agreement and click Next.
    5. On the Custom Setup screen select the desired installation location and click Next
    6. On the Customer Experience Improvement Program screen select I don’t want to join the program at this time and click Next.
    7. On the Ready to install screen click Install.
    8. When the installation completes click Finish.

Configuration

Adding Deployment Share

  1. Click Start -> Microsoft Deployment Toolkit -> Deployment Workbench.
  2. The Deployment Workbench window opens.
  3. An existing deployment share can be added or a new one can be created.
    1. Opening an existing deployment share.
      1. Right-click Deployment Shares and click Open Deployment Share.
      2. The Open Deployment Share Wizard appears.
  • On the Path screen browse to the deployment share and click Next.
  1. On the Summary screen click Next.
  2. When the operation completes click Finish on the Confirmation screen.
  1. Creating a new deployment share.
    1. Right-click Deployment Shares and click New Deployment Share.
    2. The New Deployment Share Wizard appears.
  • On the Path screen browse to the desired location for the new deployment share and then click Next.
  1. On the Share screen type in the desired name of the share or leave the default and then click Next.
  2. On the Descriptive Name screen type in a description for the share and then click Next.
  3. On the Options screen select the options you would like to have the deployment perform and then click Next. Note: these can be changed later.
  • On the Summary screen review the selections and then click Next.
  • Once complete click Finish on the Confirmation screen.

Update username and password for Deployment Share

A username and password are required for the boot image from MDT to access the MDT share.

  1. Create Deployment service account
    1. Click Start -> Windows Administrative Tools -> Computer Management.
    2. Expand System Tools -> Local Users and Groups.
    3. Right-click Users and click New User…
    4. On the New User window enter the information for the MDT Deployment service account and then click Create.
    5. Close the Computer Management window
  2. Set Share and Security Permissions
    1. Open File Explorer.
    2. Navigate to the deployment share.
    3. Right-click on the deployment share and click Properties.
    4. Set the following permissions for the Deployment service account on the Deployment share.
      1. Share permissions – Read
      2. Security permissions – Read & Execute, List Folder Contents, Read
    5. Add Deployment service account to the Bootstrap.ini file.
      1. Open the MDT Deployment Workbench.
      2. Right-click the deployment share and then click Properties.
      3. Click the Rules tab and then click Edit ini in the lower right of the Properties windows.
      4. The Bootstrap.ini file will open in Notepad.
      5. Under the [Default] section of the Bootstrap.ini file enter the following information.
        1. UserID=Deployment service account name
        2. UserDomain=Name of the deployment server
  • UserPassword=Password for the deployment service account
  1. Save and close the Bootstrap.ini file.
  2. Close the deployment share Properties window.
  3. Right-click on the Deployment share and click Update Deployment Share.
  4. On Options screen of the Update Deployment Share Wizard select Completely regenerate the boot images and then click Next.
  5. Click Next on the Summary
  6. Click Finish on the Confirmation

Windows Deployment Services (WDS)

WDS facilitates the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) portion of the network deployment of the Windows 10 image to the laptops.   PXE facilitates the network booting of a computer to be able to pull down a bootable image file.

Installation

  1. Open Server Manager
  2. Click Manage
  3. Click Add Roles and Features
  4. The Add Roles and Features Wizard window will appear
    1. On the Before you begin screen click Next
    2. On the Select installation type window click Role-based or feature-based installation and click Next.
    3. On the Server destination server window select
      1. Select a server from the server pool
      2. Under Server Pool select the server name
  • Click Next
  1. On the Select server roles screen select Windows Deployment Services
    1. On the pop-up window click Add Features
    2. Click Next
  2. On the Select features screen click Next
  3. On the WDS screen click Next
  4. On the Select role services screen select both Deployment Server and Transport Server, click Next
  5. On the Confirm installation selections screen click Restart the detitanation server automatically if required. Click Yes to the pop-up then click Install
  6. Wait for the installation to complete.
  7. Once the installation is complete click the Close

Configuration

  1. Click Start -> Windows Administrative Tools -> Windows Deployment Services.
  2. The Windows Deployment Services window opens.
  3. In the left pane expand Servers
  4. Right-click on the server and click Configure Server
  5. The Windows Deployment Service Configuration Wizard
    1. On the Before You Begin screen click Next
    2. On the Install Options screen select Standalone server, click Next
    3. On the Remote Installation Folder Location screen select the location path and then click Next.
    4. On the Proxy DHCP Server screen select both options and then click Next
    5. On the PXE Server Initial Settings screen select Respond to all client computers (known and unknown) , click Next.
    6. On the Task Progress screen, click Finish when it completes.
  6. If the WDS server did not start, right-click the server and select All Tasks -> Start.
  7. Right-click on the server and click Properties.
  8. On the server properties page go to the Boot tab.
    1. Under the PXE Boot Policy section select Continue the PXE boot unless the user presses the ESC key for both Known and Unknown clients.
    2. Click OK
  9. Under the server right-click Boot Images and click Add Boot Image…
  10. The Add Image Wizard window appears.
    1. On the Image File screen browse to the file location of the MDT boot image (it is in the boot folder in the deployment share) and then click Next.
    2. On the Image Metadata screen type in the name and description for the image and then click Next.
    3. On the Summary screen review the information and then click Next.
    4. On the Task Progress screen click Finish when complete.

Note: If you receive and Access Denied error make sure that the share permissions on the RemoteInstall have the user account that is being used listed and have at least Read and Change permissions.

Finished

The server is now configured to answer PXE requests and deploy an image that is configured in MDT.  An imaged must be developed in MDT before it can be deployed.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    November 15, 2017
    thank you for this post! :)
  • Anonymous
    May 21, 2019
    Be aware that, starting with Windows 10, version 1809, Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE) is released separately from the Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK).