The Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007 includes many important tools for Windows Vista deployment. Most important is the Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) which contains ImageX, Microsoft's new imaging tool, and Windows Deployment Services (WDS), the successor of Remote Installation Services (RIS). Please check out my summary about Windows Vista's deployment tools for more information. BDD 2007 Beta 2 extends Beta 1 with a couple of new features.
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Most interesting for me in BDD 2007 Beta 2 is Zero Touch Installation (ZTI). As far as I can understand Microsoft's announcement, it is an add-on for Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003. "Zero Touch" sounds promising, although I somehow doubt that this naming is justified. We use SMS 2003 for deploying Windows XP and are quite satisfied with it, though. I'll probably test ZTI soon and report about it here.
To download BDD 2007 Beta 2 you have to get an account at Microsoft Connect first.
This is the list of changes in the announcement for BDD 2007:
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- Zero Touch Installation (ZTI) using SMS 2003 (requires OSD Update build 3726) in addition to Lite Touch Installation (LTI) when SMS 2003 is not in place.
- Windows XP desktop image creation.
- x64 hardware (running Windows XP or Windows Vista).
- BDD Workbench installation of the Windows AIK during first use.
- Windows Deployment Services images for Refresh, Replace, New, and Upgrade scenarios.
- BDD Workbench now builds the set of files needed for SMS 2003 OS Deployment Feature Pack package creation.
- Office 2007 deployment is integrated into the BDD Workbench to build the source share, create, and populate the application selection screens.
- New OS source move feature-faster than copy when adding a new OS to Workbench and the source is the same drive-primarily added to enhance demos and training.
- Application grouping with dependency checking.
- Product ID key handling for Windows XP and Windows Vista deployment scenarios.
- Removable media deploy points and better filtering to reduce media size.
- Fewer restrictions on version mixing of newer WAIK and Vista releases.
- Version checks now performed and detected issues are displayed.
- User State Migration Tool (USMT) update for Windows Vista RC1.
Via Management Solution and Arlindo Alves
