Windows Deployment Services: What's New

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

The following table compares the features and functionality that is included in each version of Windows Deployment Services:

Feature	Windows Server 2003	Windows Server 2008	Windows Server 2008 R2
Operating systems deployed	Legacy mode: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 Mixed mode: Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 Native mode: Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2	Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows Server 2003 Windows Vista Windows Server 2008 Windows 7 Windows Server 2008 R2	Windows XP Windows Server 2003 Windows Vista with SP1 Windows Server 2008 Windows 7 Windows Server 2008 R2
Image types deployed	Legacy mode: RISETUP and RIPREP Mixed mode: RISETUP, RIPREP, .wim Native mode: .wim	For a new installation, only .wim images are supported. If you upgrade from Windows Server 2003, you can convert any RIPREPP images to .wim format after the upgrade. However, RISETUP images are not supported.	.wim .vhd images of Windows Server 2008 R2 are supported as part of an unattended installation (managed using the command line only).
Boot environment	Legacy mode: OSChooser Mixed mode: OSChooser and Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) Native mode: Windows PE	Windows PE	Windows PE
Administration experience	Legacy mode: Remote Installaton Services (RIS) toolset Mixed mode: RIS toolset to manage RISETUP and RIPREP images. Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in and WDSUTIL to manage .wim images. Native mode: MMC snap-in and WDSUTIL	MMC snap-in and WDSUTIL	MMC snap-in and WDSUTIL
Multicasting	Not supported.	Supported for install images. (The Boot.wim file must be from the Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista with SP1, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2 DVD.)	Supported for install images. (The Boot.wim file must be from the Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista with SP1, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2 DVD.) Supported for boot images for computers with EFI (managed using the command line only). Provides the ability to automatically disconnect slow clients and divide transmissions into multiple streams based on client speeds (boot image must be Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2). Provides support for multicasting in environments that use IPv6 (the boot image must be from Windows Vista with SP1, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 R2).
Driver provisioning	Not supported.	Not supported.	Provides the ability to deploy driver packages to client computers based on their hardware as part of an installation (the install image must be Windows Vista with SP1, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008). Provides the ability to add driver packages to boot images (Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7 images only).
Extensibility	Not supported.	Supports transmitting data and images by using multicasting on a stand-alone server (Transport Server). However, you must develop a way to boot clients.	Supports transmitting data and images by using multicasting on a stand-alone server (Transport Server). Includes a PXE provider to boot clients.
Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)	Supports network booting of itanium-based computers with EFI.	Supports network booting of Itanium-based and x64-based computers with EFI.	Supports network booting of x64-based computers with EFI. Includes Auto-add functionality. Includes DHCP referral to direct clients to a specific PXE server. Provides the ability to deploy boot images using multicasting.