Windows XP Professional, as a client OS in a Windows 2000 Server or Windows 2003 Server Active Directory domain environment, offers so much more than centralized client management services. One of these additional benefits is automated installation.
Automated installation refers to the ability to reduce the need for human intervention in the initial installation of Windows XP Professional onto a new system. However, you can also use automated installation to upgrade systems, clone systems, and distribute hot fixes and service packs to clients.
Window XP Professional supports a wide variety of initial installation options that either eliminate or greatly reduce the need for human intervention during the installation process. Plus, most of these automated installation options shorten the installation time by as much as 75% over that of a fully manual installation of the OS. You can install Windows XP Professional using an answer script alone or using an answer script with a uniqueness database file. You can write these scripts by hand or use Setup Manager to create these scripts via an easy to follow step-by-step wizard. Use scripted installations to perform fresh installations or to upgrade an existing OS to Windows XP Professional.
If you want to clone an existing installation, you can use the Sysprep tool. Sysprep is an automated installation tool that prepares an existing system for duplication or cloning. Sysprep does not provide the actual duplication or cloning service. It does configure the OS so when it is copied onto another system, it can boot properly and be uniquely identified to the domain. You must use a drive duplication or cloning tool, such as Norton's Ghost, to copy the system prepared by Sysprep onto a hard drive of another computer. The remarkable benefit of Sysprep is that it allows you to fully duplicate a client system including all of its installed software and every configuration setting.
Another automated installation option is Remote Installation Service (RIS). Remote Installation Service is part of Windows 2000 Server and Windows 2003 Server. The service constructs system images, which can be installed onto new systems over the network. In fact, if the destination client system has the correct hardware, you can start the installation of the new client by simply connecting the network cable and powering the target system. You can use RIS to deploy "factory sealed" versions of OSs, versions of OSs updated with slipstreamed service packs, or even fully configured desktops (by employing Sysprep).
In addition to automating the initial installation or even upgrade installation, Windows XP Professional also supports many improved update deployment options. These include slipstream installation of service packs, scripted deployment of multiple hotfixes, Automatic Updates, and Software Update Services (SUS).
Slipstreaming service packs is a means by which a service pack can be integrated with the original distribution files for an OS to create an updated collection of source files. You install the OS using the updated set of source files, which includes the service pack.
Keeping up with hotfixes to keep security and productivity vulnerabilities at bay can often be a daunting task. One deterrent to installing hotfixes as they are made available is that they usually require a reboot of the system to complete the installation. Multiple hotfixes can result in multiple reboots, which causes longer downtime and a higher requirement for administrator oversight throughout the hotfix installation process. However, with Qchain, you can install multiple hotfixes sequentially with only a single final reboot. Any administrator with a few basic scripting skills can employ Qchain to update one or 10,000 clients with numerous hotfixes via a script distributed by a GPO.
Automatic Updates is an enhancement to Windows Update in which hotfixes, service packs, new drivers, and software updates from Microsoft can be downloaded and installed automatically on an administratively defined schedule. Administrators can configure Automatic Updates via GPOs to retain complete control over client system updates.
Software Update Services is a new solution from Microsoft that brings Windows Update into your enterprise network. The tool deploys your own internal version of Windows Update. As the network administrator, you gain complete control over what updates are viewable, accessible, downloadable, and installable to all clients. Use Software Update Services to test new updates before distribution and to create unique distribution groups. Software Update Services is a flexible update management system that manages update distribution for any Windows client or server systems for any network size.
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