Owner's Manual

20 Prerequisites and Deployment
Deployment
Dell systems can be deployed using several methods. The most common
method is using the Systems Build and Update Utility
(SBUU) on the
Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD that is shipped
with your system. Currently, this method is used to deploy a single system at
a time with the installation wizard.
DTK, on the other hand, offers a complete set of utilities, sample scripts, and
RPM packages that can be used to automate deployment on large numbers of
Dell systems. This guide is designed to help guide you through some of the
most basic planning considerations, logistical preparations, and deployment
procedures to get you started using DTK to deploy Dell systems.
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.
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 multiple tasks on many systems at
once. For information on the deployment methods, see "Running the
Deployment Scripts" on page 83.
Deployment Matrix
Depending on the scope, current business needs, network setup, and process,
you can select any of the suggested methods of deployment. Table 2-4
provides the configuration complexity and pros and cons of each deployment
method. After you have decided which deployment method best fits your
needs, you are ready to begin preparing for the deployment.