Prerequisites For Deploying Operating Systems in Configuration Manager
Updated: January 25, 2016
Applies To: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP2, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager SP1
Operating system deployment in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager has external dependencies and dependencies within the product.
Dependencies External to Configuration Manager
The following table provides information about external tools, installation kits, and operating systems that are required to deploy operating systems in Configuration Manager.
Dependency |
More information |
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User State Migration Tool (USMT) |
Configuration Manager uses a USMT package that points to USMT source files to capture and restore the user state as part of your operating system deployment. Starting in Configuration Manager SP1, Configuration Manager Setup at the top-level site automatically creates the USMT package. In Configuration Manager without a service pack, you must create the USMT package in the Packages node under Application Management in the Software Library workspace. The required version of USMT is dependent on the operating system version that you deploy. The following table provides information about the required USMT versions.
1You can only deploy Windows 8.1 from a site server that is running System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager. 2You can only deploy Windows 8 from a site server that is running Configuration Manager SP1. You can install the USMT versions at the following locations:
For more information about common user state migration scenarios, see the following:
For more information about capturing and restoring user state, see How to Manage the User State in Configuration Manager. |
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Windows PE |
Windows PE is a Windows operating system with limited services that is used during the pre-installation and deployment of Windows operating systems. The following table provides a list of the Configuration Manager versions, the supported version of Windows AIK or Windows ADK, the Windows PE version on which the boot image is based that can be customized from the Configuration Manager console, and the Windows PE versions on which the boot image is based that you can customize by using DISM and then add the image to Configuration Manager.
1 You can only add a boot image to Configuration Manager when it is based on Windows PE 3.1. Install the Windows AIK Supplement for Windows 7 SP1 to upgrade Windows AIK for Windows 7 (based on Windows PE 3) with the Windows AIK Supplement for Windows 7 SP1 (based on Windows PE 3.1). You can download Windows AIK Supplement for Windows 7 SP1 from the Microsoft Download Center.
For more information about how to customize a boot image and then add it to Configuration Manager, see How to Customize Windows PE Boot Images to Use in Configuration Manager. For more information about the boot images that provide Windows PE, see Planning for Boot Image Deployments in Configuration Manager. |
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For System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager and later: Windows ADK for Windows 8.1 |
Windows ADK is a set of tools and documentation that support the configuration and deployment of Windows operating systems. Starting in Configuration Manager SP1, Configuration Manager uses Windows ADK to automate Windows installations, capture Windows images, migrate user profiles and data, and so on. The following features of the Windows ADK must be installed on site server of the top-level site of the hierarchy, on the site server of each primary site in the hierarchy, and on the SMS Provider site system server:
1 USMT is not required on the SMS Provider site system server. Note You must manually install the Windows ADK on each computer that will host a central administration site or primary site server before you install the Configuration Manager site. For more information about Windows ADK, see Windows Deployment with the Windows ADK.. |
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For Configuration Manager SP1 only: Windows ADK for Windows 8 |
Windows ADK is a set of tools and documentation that support the configuration and deployment of Windows operating systems. Starting in Configuration Manager SP1, Configuration Manager uses Windows ADK to automate Windows installations, capture Windows images, migrate user profiles and data, and so on. The following features of the Windows ADK must be installed on site server of the top-level site of the hierarchy, and on the site server of each primary site in the hierarchy:
Note You must manually install the Windows ADK on each computer that will host a central administration site or primary site server before you install the Configuration Manager site. Before you can upgrade Configuration Manager with no service pack, you must first uninstall the Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) before you can install the Windows ADK. For more information about Windows ADK, see Windows Deployment with the Windows ADK.. Note Cumulative update 3 for Configuration Manager SP1 adds support for Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 as clients. Configuration Manager SP1 with cumulative update 3 provides limited support for operating system deployment for these operating systems. This is because the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) for Windows 8.1 is not supported with Configuration Manager SP1. However, all of the standard capture and deployment methods (such as PXE, boot media, standalone-media) are supported. Maintenance actions for images (such as applying software updates to an operating system image or boot image) that require the new Windows ADK are not supported. Those actions must be performed offline on a computer that has the Windows ADK for Windows 8.1 installed. For information about cumulative update 3, see Description of Cumulative Update 3 for System Center 2012 Configuration Manager Service Pack. |
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For Configuration Manager with no service pack only: Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) for Windows 7 |
Windows AIK is a set of tools and documentation that support the configuration and deployment of Windows operating systems. Configuration Manager with no service pack, uses Windows AIK to automate Windows installations, capture Windows images, migrate user profiles and data, and so on. For more information about Windows AIK, see Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7. Note When you use Configuration Manager without service pack to install a central administration site or primary site, Configuration Manager automatically installs the Windows AIK on the site server if Windows AIK is not already installed. |
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Internet Information Services (IIS) on the site system servers to run the distribution point, state migration point, and management point |
For more information about this requirement, see the Prerequisites for Site System Roles section in the Supported Configurations for Configuration Manager topic. |
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Windows Deployment Services (WDS) |
WDS is needed for PXE deployments, when you use multicast to optimize bandwidth in your deployments, and for offline servicing of images. If the provider is installed on a remote server, you must install WDS on the site server and the remote provider. For more information, see Windows Deployment Services in this topic. |
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Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) |
DHCP is required for PXE deployments. You must have a functioning DHCP server with an active host to deploy operating systems by using PXE. For more information about PXE deployments, see Planning for PXE-Initiated Operating System Deployments in Configuration Manager. |
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Supported operating systems and hard disk configurations |
For more information about the operating system versions and hard disk configurations that are supported by Configuration Manager when you deploy operating systems, see Supported Operating Systems and Hard Disk Configurations for Operating System Deployment. |
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Windows device drivers |
Windows device drivers can be used when you install the operating system on the destination computer and when you run Windows PE by using a boot image. For more information about device drivers, see Planning a Device Driver Strategy in Configuration Manager. |
Configuration Manager Dependencies
The following table provides information about Configuration Manager operating system deployment prerequisites.
Dependency |
More information |
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Operating system image |
Depending on the method that you plan to use to deploy operating system images, there are several dependencies that must be considered. For more information about these dependencies, see Determine the Operating System Deployment Method to Use in Configuration Manager. |
Driver catalog |
To deploy a device driver, you must import the device driver, enable it, and make it available on a distribution point that the Configuration Manager client can access. For more information about the driver catalog, see Planning a Device Driver Strategy in Configuration Manager. |
Management point |
Management points transfer information between client computers and the Configuration Manager site. The client uses a management point to run any task sequences that are required to complete the operating system deployment. For more information about task sequences, see Planning a Task Sequences Strategy in Configuration Manager |
Distribution point |
Distribution points are used in most deployments to store the data that is used to deploy an operating system, such as the operating system image or device driver packages. Task sequences typically retrieve data from a distribution point to deploy the operating system. For more information about task sequences, see Planning a Task Sequences Strategy in Configuration Manager For more information about how to install distribution points and manage content, see Configuring Content Management in Configuration Manager |
PXE-enabled distribution point |
To deploy PXE-initiated deployments, you must configure a distribution point to accept PXE requests from clients. For more information about how to configure the distribution point, see Planning for PXE-Initiated Operating System Deployments in Configuration Manager. |
Multicast-enabled distribution point |
To optimize your operating system deployments by using multicast, you must configure a distribution point to support multicast. For more information about how to configure the distribution point to support multicast, see Planning a Multicast Strategy in Configuration Manager. |
State migration point |
When you capture and restore user state data for side-by-side and refresh deployments, you must configure a state migration point to store the user state data on another computer. For more about how to configure the state migration point, see Install Site System Roles For information about how to capture and restore user state, see How to Manage the User State in Configuration Manager. |
Reporting services point |
To use Configuration Manager reports for operating system deployments, you must install and configure a reporting services point. For more information, see Configuring Reporting in Configuration Manager. |
Security permissions for operating system deployments |
The Operating System Deployment Manager security role is a built-in role that cannot be changed. However, you can copy the role, make changes, and then save these changes as a new custom security role. Here are some of the permissions that apply directly to operating system deployments:
For more information about custom security roles, see the Create Custom Security Roles section in the Configuring Security for Configuration Manager topic. |
Security scopes for operating system deployments |
Use security scopes to provide administrative users with access to the securable objects used in operating system deployments, such as operating system and boot images, driver packages, and task sequence packages. For more information about security scopes, see Planning for Security Scopes in the Planning for Role-Based Administration section in the Planning for Security in Configuration Manager topic. |
Windows Deployment Services
Windows Deployment Services (WDS) must be installed on the same server as the distribution points that you configure to support PXE or multicast. Whether you must install WDS manually or if it is already installed on the server depends on the operating system of the server.
Windows Server 2008: WDS is included in the operating system.
Important
PXE and multicast are not supported on computers running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2 that is installed with the Server Core installation option. The Server Core installation option installs a minimal environment that avoids extra overhead and limits the roles that can be performed by the server, including WDS, which is required for PXE deployments and multicast.
Windows Server 2003 (minimum version of SP2: The Windows Deployment Services role can be added by using Add or Remove Programs.
For PXE deployments, WDS is the service that performs the PXE boot. When the distribution point is installed and enabled for PXE, Configuration Manager installs a provider into WDS that uses the WDS PXE boot functions.
Note
The installation of WDS might fail if the server requires a restart.
Other WDS configurations that must be considered include the following:
The WDS installation on the server requires that the administrator is a member of the Local Administrators group.
The WDS server must be either a member of an Active Directory domain or a domain controller for an Active Directory domain. All Windows domain and forest configurations support WDS.
If the provider is installed on a remote server, you must install WDS on the site server and the remote provider.