install and configure Windows Deployment Services

I will teach you in this documentary How to install and configure Windows Deployment Services

Windows Deployment Service (WDS) is a powerful tool that enables network-based installation of the Windows operating system on computers that do not use physical media. This guide will walk us through the process of installing and configuring WDS on a Windows server, thus ensuring complete deployment and optimization of the said operating system within the network

How to install and configure Windows Deployment Services.

How to install and configure Windows Deployment Services?

If you want to learn how to install and configure Windows Deployment Services on a Windows server, check out the following guide:

Ensure that the prerequisites are met
Install the Windows Deployment Services role
Configure Windows Deployment Services
Add boot and installation images Add a boot image to the WDS server Add the installation image to the server

Let's get started with this guide.

1] Prerequisites must be met.

Before installing and configuring WDS, it is necessary to ensure that the prerequisites are met. Otherwise, you may encounter problems during the installation or functionality of WDS.

Active Directory (AD) – The server must be a domain controller or a member.
DHCP – WDS relies on DHCP to provide PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) boot capabilities to client computers.
DNS – Domain Name System must be configured and operational.
NTFS Partition – The WDS server requires an NTFS partition for the image.
After verifying that the above requirements are met, the next step is to install the Windows Deployment Services role.

2] Install Windows Deployment Services role

After verifying the prerequisites, the first step in configuring the Windows Deployment Service is to install the WDS role. This role allows the server to deploy the Windows operating system to the client computer through a network-based installation.

Launch Server Manager, go to the Admin tab, select Add Roles and Features, and press the Next button.
In the Select Installation Type window, select the Role-based or Feature-based installation option and click the Next button.
Select the server where the WDS roles are to be installed by clicking Select a server in the Servers tab and then clicking the Next button.
Second step: Select the server roles, so I must check Windows Deployment Services and then click the Next button.
In the Roles window, click the Add Roles button and then click Next.
The Role Services window wizard will appear on the screen. By default, the Deployment Server and Transport Server checkboxes will be checked.
Finally, click the Setup button, follow all the prompts and then click the Close button.

3] Configure Windows Deployment Services

After you configure the WDS roles, the next step is WDS configuration. WDS configuration is the specification of where WDS stores its files, configures the PXE boot option, and configures how the server responds to requests made by clients.

Open Service Manager, navigate to the Tools tab, and click on Windows Deployment Services.
In the Windows Deployment Services window, expand the Server option, and then right-click on the server.
Select the Configure Server option and press the Next button when the Windows Deployment Services Configuration Wizard appears on the screen.
In the Installation Options window, choose to integrate WDS with Active Directory or configure it in standalone mode (for a non-domain environment), but we are going to select the first option for now. Click the Next button after each step.
Enter the path to the remote installation folder location > Next > Yes.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC >>> Initial PXE Server Configuration Select an option and click Next.

4] Add Boot and Installation Images

Boot and installation images form essential components. One serves to boot the client machines into a pre-installed environment; the latter carries the system files to be installed on the client machines.

Insert the Windows installation media into the server's optical drive or mount the Windows installation ISO file if using an image. Users can also use a bootable USB stick containing the Windows installation file. They need to copy the Boot.win file located in the source directory on the WDS server.

Now, change install.ESD in the middle of the Windows installation, to install.WIM. You can use the DISM command for this. Open Command Prompt as administrator and then proceed with the following commands.
Use "cd" to navigate to the directory containing install.esd. cd c:/filepath List the available images along with their index numbers using the following command. dism /Get-WimInfo /WimFile:install.esd Change install.esd to install.wim using the dism /export-image command to convert the file.
Replace SourceIndex with the index number of the image you want to export, such as 1, 2, etc.: dism /export-image /SourceImageFile:install.esd /SourceIndex:1 /DestinationImageFile:install.wim /Compress:max /CheckIntegrity You should now see the install.win file created in your destination folder.

5] Add a Boot Image to the WDS Server

Once the boot.wim file is well prepared, the next thing you need to do is add it to the Windows Deployment Services server. The boot image is where the client boots to start the installation process on Windows PE. Here is how you can do the same: Open the Windows Deployment Services console, expand the Servers section, and then further expand the WDS Server Name.

To add a boot image, right-click on Boot Images and then select Add Boot Image.
In the Image File field, click Browse to navigate to the location where Boot.wim is installed, select it and press the Open option.
Once Boot.wim has been selected, customize the name of the image to something descriptive as this will be its identifier later when you select it during PXE boot on the client machines. Click Next on each window to begin adding the server boot image.
Once the boot image has been successfully installed, click the Finish button. The boot image is now configured in WDS and will be used to boot the client machines into Windows PE when they boot from the network.

6] Add the Installation Image to the Server

After the boot image, users now need to add an installation image. The installation image is what contains the actual operating system that will be deployed to the client machines. This image usually comes from the install.wim file we prepared earlier.

Launch the Windows Deployment Services console and expand the Server node and then the WDS server.
Right-click on Install Image, select Add Installation Image and for the first time users add an installation image, a new image group will be created. Or select one from the Select an existing image group drop-down menu if an image group already exists.
After this, click on the Finish and Next buttons. After the image group is created, click on Browse to navigate to the location where it will be installed. The wim file is installed, select it and then press Open.

After selecting the IWhen the process is complete, click Finish. The installation image will now appear under the Install Images node in the WDS console.