Users Guide

Deploying Operating Systems

After the system hardware is versioned and configured, an operating system can be installed using

unattended setup files, samples of which are provided as part of DTK. The sample configuration files are

operating system specific, and have been enhanced for Dell systems. For information on modifying the

sample configuration files, see your operating system documentation.

For Windows PE, the sample configuration files contain examples to deploy the following

operating systems:

• On 13

generation of PowerEdge servers:

– Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter and Standard editions using Windows PE 5.0 (64-

bit) in BIOS and UEFI mode

– Windows Server 2012 Datacenter and Standard editions using Windows PE 4.0 (64-bit) in BIOS and

UEFI mode

– Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (64-bit) using Windows PE 3.0 (64-bit) in BIOS and UEFI mode

• On Dell Precision R7910:

– Windows 8.1 (64-bit) using Windows PE 5.0 (64-bit) in BIOS and UEFI mode

– Windows 7 (64-bit) using Windows PE 3.0 (64-bit) in BIOS and UEFI mode

– Windows 7 (32-bit) using Windows PE 3.0 (32-bit) in BIOS mode

NOTE: For the latest supported operating systems, see the Windows PE documentation.

For Linux, the sample configuration files contain examples to deploy the following operating systems:

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.0 (64–bit) in BIOS and UEFI mode

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5 (64–bit) in BIOS and UEFI mode

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP3 (64–bit) in BIOS and UEFI mode

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 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