Lite-Touch, High-Volume Deployment for Education

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Applies To: Windows 8.1

For a Windows 8.1 deployment to PCs in education, a Light Touch, High-Volume strategy lets you automate much of the deployment process with tools like Windows ADK, MDT, ACT, and System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager.

As you perform more or larger deployments, it becomes necessary to reduce the amount of touch points that IT staff have with the computers being deployed. This means using a deployment tool to help automate the process as much as possible. MDT is an essential tool for performing deployment using this strategy. Leveraging MDT’s database capabilities enables you to further abstract deployments, making many of the configuration settings dynamic. For example, you might use the MDT database to store settings customized for both classroom and administrative staff deployments.

This section looks at the Lite Touch Installation (LTI) process, including requirements, the tools involved, and a high-level description of the process itself.

Requirements

To use an LTI deployment strategy, you need:

  • An IT pro computer running Windows 8.1

  • A reference computer matching those to be deployed

  • MDT

  • Windows ADK

  • VL Windows media

  • A file server from which to serve the files related to the deployment (This server can be the same computer as the IT pro’s computer.)

  • A USB or DVD flash drive from which to start client computers or the Windows Deployment Services role installed on a computer running the Windows Server operating system

Deployment tools

A Lite-Touch, High-Volume deployment strategy uses the following tools:

  • MDT

  • Windows ADK

  • ACT

  • Optionally, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager

Limitations

The Lite-Touch, High-Volume deployment strategy has the following limitation:

  • Interaction. The LTI deployment strategy requires interaction during the deployment process.

Deployment process

The deployment process is described in Table 4.

Table 4. The Lite-Touch, High-Volume Deployment Process

Step Description More information

Use the Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit for the new version

If the deployment will be a new version of Windows, use the MAP Toolkit to assess readiness.

Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) Toolkit

Use ACT (optional)

Use the ACT to test and mitigate compatibility issues.

Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) Technical Reference

Install the file server

Install a file server that will be used as the distribution share.

Install MDT and additional components

Install MDT and additional components, like Windows ADK and the USMT.

Microsoft Deployment Toolkit

Create a distribution share

Create a share on the file server that contains the operating system, applications, devices drivers, and other files needed for the deployment.

Create a task sequence

Use MDT to create and customize a task sequence.

Create a deployment point

Use MDT to create and update a deployment point.

Create a Windows PE start method

Create a device or prepare another method for Windows PE to start.

Booting Windows PE

Additional resources

See also