RIS on Windows Server 2003

[Pete]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup_deployment (More info?)

We're soon to roll out a few hundred PCs and laptops with Windows XP Pro and
I'm trying to find out the best way to do it.

If I use RIS then I believe that I can roll out the XP operating system and
possibly MS Office as well at the same time.

Can RIS roll out other programs and apps as well (such as WinZip, Acrobat
Reader and other apps that may be in our standard build) or is it basically
just the O/S and MS Office?

We've used ghosting before which has worked quite well as we can build one
machine with everything installed and configured how it should be then put
the ghost image on all other machines of the same type.

Are there any advantages to using RIS over ghosting? or vice versa?

How do other people go about rolling out a desktop installation to a few
hundred machines?

Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Pete.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup_deployment (More info?)

RIS can't directly roll out applications, but you can add
the source files to your desktop build (or on a share)
and use scripts to execute them.


>-----Original Message-----
>We're soon to roll out a few hundred PCs and laptops
with Windows XP Pro and
>I'm trying to find out the best way to do it.
>
>If I use RIS then I believe that I can roll out the XP
operating system and
>possibly MS Office as well at the same time.
>
>Can RIS roll out other programs and apps as well (such
as WinZip, Acrobat
>Reader and other apps that may be in our standard build)
or is it basically
>just the O/S and MS Office?
>
>We've used ghosting before which has worked quite well
as we can build one
>machine with everything installed and configured how it
should be then put
>the ghost image on all other machines of the same type.
>
>Are there any advantages to using RIS over ghosting? or
vice versa?
>
>How do other people go about rolling out a desktop
installation to a few
>hundred machines?
>
>Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.
>
>Pete.
>
>
>.
>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win2000.setup_deployment (More info?)

RIS can do applications - if you build a model machine then run RIPREP.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/default.asp?url=/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/distrib/dsed_dpl_dgsx.asp

Our method for rolling out hundreds of machines is as follows:
RIS
CMDLINES.TXT in the RIS process to install some simple applications (WinRAR,
Anti-virus)
Then Group Policy and MSI packages to install MS Office, IE6SP1, Acrobat
Reader etc etc
SUS to install all Windows updates.

We used to use Ghost but found the static Ghost images too limiting. With
RIS we can easily update the images on the RIS server and can quickly and
easily deal with new computer models, drivers etc.

"Pete" <peter.brown@logicacmg.com> wrote in message
news:ePvxl33NEHA.268@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> We're soon to roll out a few hundred PCs and laptops with Windows XP Pro
and
> I'm trying to find out the best way to do it.
>
> If I use RIS then I believe that I can roll out the XP operating system
and
> possibly MS Office as well at the same time.
>
> Can RIS roll out other programs and apps as well (such as WinZip, Acrobat
> Reader and other apps that may be in our standard build) or is it
basically
> just the O/S and MS Office?
>
> We've used ghosting before which has worked quite well as we can build one
> machine with everything installed and configured how it should be then put
> the ghost image on all other machines of the same type.
>
> Are there any advantages to using RIS over ghosting? or vice versa?
>
> How do other people go about rolling out a desktop installation to a few
> hundred machines?
>
> Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks.
>
> Pete.
>
>