User's Manual

Choosing a Microsoft Windows PE-Based Deployment Method 25
2
Choosing a Microsoft Windows
PE-Based Deployment Method
A well-thought-out deployment plan is critical to the success of your
deployment effort and includes the following considerations:
• Assessing your existing IT environment
• Selecting an operating system
• Selecting the optimum Dell OpenManage systems management software
configuration for your system
• Choosing a deployment method
The Deployment Toolkit (DTK) is designed to be flexible enough to fit into
almost any deployment plan. For the purposes of this document, however, the
focus is on two specific deployment methods: CD-based deployment (local)
and network-based deployment (remote).
Choosing a Deployment Method for Microsoft
Windows PE
DTK components can be used in many different ways to assist IT staff in
deploying Dell systems in large numbers. Because all the tools and scripts are
task oriented, many of them can be used separately to perform a specific task on
many systems or collectively to perform many tasks on many systems at once.
The configuration complexity and pros and cons of each deployment method
are provided in Table 2-1. After you have decided which deployment method
best fits your needs, you are ready to begin preparing for the deployment.
CD-Based Local Deployment
The general CD-based deployment process includes:
• Creating a bootable Microsoft Windows PE CD
• Integrating latest drivers to recognize Dell-specific components
• Integrating DTK and its components (tools and scripts)
• Integrating operating system installation files for deployment