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D4B3 New Feature: Multiple task sequence templates

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First, let me mention a design change:  In Deployment 4, there are no longer any "builds" in the Deployment Workbench.  Instead of creating a build, you will create a task sequence.  This is more in line with the System Center Configuration Manager way of doing things.  Behind the scenes, much of the same configuration exists; it's just presented differently.

Next, we now support multiple task sequence templates.  Right now, we have provided three templates for Lite Touch and SMS 2003 deployments:

  • Client.xml.  This is the closest to the original template provided in BDD 2007: it performs all the steps necessary to deploy an OS (any version, any scenario, with optional capture).
  • Server.xml.  This is a new template designed to deploy a server operating system, either Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2008 (still in beta).  The main different between this one and the client.xml: there are no user state migration steps in the server template since USMT doesn't support servers.
  • ClientReplace.xml.  This task sequence gathers the user state from a computer being replaced and stores it on a server; from there it can be loaded on a new server.  There are a few optional steps in this task sequence too: it can back up the existing OS (just in case), and it can also wipe the hard drive so that the computer is ready to be boxed up and disposed of.  (Note that this may not work yet for SMS 2003's "old computer" advertisement.)

There are also three templates for ConfigMgr 2007, equivalent to the ones above:

  • SCCM_Client.xml.
  • SCCM_Server.xml.
  • SCCM_ClientReplace.xml.

If you wanted, you could also create your own templates.  Just drop them into the \Program Files\Deployment 4\Templates directory (for Lite Touch or SMS 2003) or the \Program Files\Deployment 4\SCCM directory (for ConfigMgr 2007) and we'll automatically find them.  (Be sure to change the description in the file so you can tell which one is which.)

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    What is Deployment 4? Deployment 4 combines the guidance and toolset from previous releases of Business

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    Well for those of you that have already installed Deployment 4 may have notice that Deployment 4 does