Windows MDT is a deployment solution from Microsoft.
Windows MDT is a deployment solution from Microsoft.
Hello, I'm trying to figure out if Windows MDT is suitable for handling big deployments. Could someone with relevant experience confirm or share their thoughts? I'd appreciate any advice or examples they might have.
In our workplace we rely on Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM for short) 2012 R2 with MDT to capture our devices, excellent software performance. It streamlines the imaging process by minimizing user interaction. While SCCM isn’t mandatory for using MDT, you’ll need Windows Server 2008 R2 with WDS and DHCP roles—there are several setup steps involved. If you have questions, feel free to search online; Google can be helpful!
Also at work... we don’t have many devices—300 is enough, though we run them in groups of 150 and with a team so it’s not too bad. Still, imaging can become a real headache. We usually clone with Clonezilla and make a master image on one machine, then copy it to others. But modern UEFI systems are causing problems and we’re seeing strange issues. This suggests the imaging process itself is the issue.
My main concern right now is: what should we actually do? For now, we just need to create a master .wim file on a “master” machine. We don’t have to worry about drivers or software injection—those are already in the image. The tricky part is turning that .wim file into a USB drive for cloning. From what I understand, you’d need to build a Windows installer from the image and then install the software on the target machines. Or maybe there’s another way?
I’m trying to keep things simple. We always have time to make a master image, and each machine is set up individually for the user. We don’t use Active Directory or anything complex—just plain personalization. It’s not super secure, but that’s not my priority right now.
If you have any tips or tools that make this easier, it would be really helpful! I’m interested in learning more about the Microsoft approach and want to simplify everything a bit. (SmartDeploy sounds like a great tool for this!)
These are similar topics I hope they're covered in college when you pursue a Systems Administration degree. But we'll focus on mastering the SAP front end instead. It's okay—I'm graduating this semester, sigh. I still use the "just an intern" reason, but it won't last long! Lol