SCCM OSD

anything I don't mind · 24 Feb 2012 at 14:40

Has anyone deployed windows 7 via sccm operating system deployment?

There are a lot of guides on the internet and it is looks like a very unnecessarily convoluted process.

http://blogs.technet.com/b/gborger/...a-windows-7-capture-image-using-sccm-osd.aspx

In the past I have just created a windows 7 installation with all the applications and used sysprep and scripting to automate the whole process. For deployment i have just used manual or pxe boot. (using clonezilla)

With the sccm method it definitely appears to be less customizable because it appears that you just specify a basic windows 7 reference image (which is the normal windows 7 disk) then you use sccm to add it to the domain and deploy applications within it. This seems very restricted in terms of advanced application deployment that requires a lot of registry changes.

Microsoft have also gone out of their way to use strange terminology like reference images, boot images, task sequences. Seems a bit gimmicky.

Has anyone actually used this method to deploy advanced enterprise images?

It appears to me that SCCM OSD is basically just installing a basic windows image with no customizations and then depends on SCCM afterwards to actually install applications and customizations. is that correct ?

anything I don't mind · 27 Feb 2012 at 21:05

I read that it takes 1 hour per pc to install with sccm and that is not including post image tasks. If you are installing applications and running scripts then you might have to restart a few times. You also have to create the profiles of all the users. The first time they log in they will have to wait 20 mins and a few reboots. Unless sccm can do that automatically?

anything I don't mind · 27 Feb 2012 at 22:41

I just want to point out that the old way of just imaging with sysprepped machines does not require a full reimage when an application has an update. I would like to ask is sccm capable of detecting already installed applications within a domain on client machines and then act as management tool for these applications ? Does deploying the package via sccm rather than just a scripted install make any difference within sccm. Is it recommended?

anything I don't mind · 28 Feb 2012 at 10:34

OK fair point, but generally I would not remake an image like that. I would just run an update or uninstall reinstall after the image. But yea i am sure SCCM makes things easier and faster, it would have to considering it costs £1000s. If it didn't then it would be a waste of money right?

Well I might be working on a project for updating 2000s machines to windows 7. But they want to use SCCM which i am not too happy about.

anything I don't mind · 28 Feb 2012 at 10:59

Well if you take for example the document management system that we use. It requires installation of two applications that require reboots, then requires applying local machine reg files, copying configuration files. Then within the user context, it requires additional set up, reg files to the local user and more copying of configuration files.

What about powershell scripts, I would guess i can use powershell scripts in task sequences.

It doesn't sound easier, from what ive seen it looks like MS have just added a layer of BS to make money. But i could be wrong.

The reason people prepare images with applications preinstalled is because using group policy or scripting installation of advanced applications post login can be problematic. I can't see how adding fancy words like task sequence is going to make that process any smoother.