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Network Installs

Overview

One critical component of network installs is the concept of "imaging," or creating an identical copy of a fully configured machine. Once you make an image, you can then replicate it across subsequent computers, letting you set up multiple computers simultaneously.

Here's an excellent article on the topic written by Ryan Faas for ComputerWorld (April 29, 2003).

Mac OS X

Use Disk Utility to create disk images that can be used for network installs. Mac OS X Server supports NetBoot and Network Install if you have Mac OS X Server deployed. See Apple's web site or check out "Hands on: A close-up look at Mac OS X's NetBoot" for more information (ComputerWorld, August 13, 2003).

Apple Remote Desktop also supports remote installation of software.

Windows XP

Windows XP Professional supports network booting and network installation if you have Windows 2003 Server and Active Directory deployed (XP Home does not). To do so, install the operating system, create an image of the installation, copy it to a share on a server, and set up a few simple settings (a wizard will guide you through this).

Not all PCs can boot directly from networks; it depends on the PC's BIOS settings and network card. However, any PCs bought for an environment that would use network installs will almost certainly support it. Even if a computer doesn't support it, you can still boot it from a floppy created with a wizard on the server to achieve the same effect.

Once you start your network boot, you'll be presented with a series of text-mode screens (similar to the first part of Windows XP setup). After being warned that your drive will be wiped, XP will ask for a domain username and password for someone who has been given the appropriate permissions, and will then ask which operating system image you would like to install (such as “Windows 2000 – Marketing”, or “Windows XP – Sales Staff”). This last step is skipped if only one option is available (or permitted).

After setup starts, simply wait for it to finish — no further user interaction is required. No hardware left to install, no Windows Activation or registration windows, and no settings to confirm. One exception — if you don't include the product key with the server image (which you can do by adding it to a configuration file), you'll be asked for it halfway through the setup process.

XP also has Group Policy software deployment. This is a tool administrators can use for installing software, operating system updates and service packs, scripts, and essentially anything else packaged into a Windows Installer file. Software can be assigned (installed automatically) or published (not installed until needed, such as the first time you open a PowerPoint presentation), and can be applied to computers or users. The end result is that when the computer boots up (if assigned to the machine) or the user logs on (if assigned to the user), the software will automatically be installed. The only indication to the end user that software is being installed is a message (along the lines of "Installing managed software Microsoft Office XP Professional...") displayed in the startup status window after the other messages (such as "Preparing network connections...").

Both Mac OS X and Windows XP Professional support Netboot and network installs. Both allow administrators to remotely install software and upgrade the operating system. Windows XP Home does not have any such abilities.

Conclusion

Mac OS X: 7
Windows XP Pro: 7
Windows XP Home: 0

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