Planning

Figure 2 illustrates the primary activities that occur during the Planning Phase. While other teams are developing images, project plans, and so on, the Deployment feature team is starting to focus on the existing production environment to decide how to approach the deployment. The team must look at all the locations and departments whose computers will be upgraded and decide in which order the upgrades will occur.

Figure 2. Activities during the Planning Phase

On This Page

Roles and Responsibilities
Selecting Deployment Scenarios
Selecting Deployment Methods
Ensuring That the Required Infrastructure Exists
Determining the Appropriate Processing Rules
Determining the Monitoring Plan
Training Team Members
Milestone: Deployment Plan Complete

Roles and Responsibilities

All six role clusters from the MSF Team Model play a role in the Planning Phase. Table 2 lists those roles and defines the focus areas for each role cluster relative to the deployment process in the Planning Phase.

Note   For more information about MSF role clusters, see the white paper, “MSF Team Model,” at https://www.microsoft.com/technet/itsolutions/msf/default.mspx.

Table 2. Team Roles and Responsibilities in the Planning Phase

Selecting Deployment Scenarios

As the first step in the Planning Phase, select the deployment scenarios that are appropriate for the environment. Table 3 lists the deployment scenarios and provides a brief description of each.

Table 3. Deployment Scenarios and Descriptions

Based on the existing environment, the team can select any combination of these scenarios in the deployment. For example, if the organization is only upgrading existing computers, only the Refresh Computer and/or Upgrade Computer scenarios are necessary. If the organization is deploying new computers for some users and upgrading the remaining computers, use the Upgrade Computer, Replace Computer, and Refresh Computer scenarios.

For more information on the Windows Vista upgrade and migration paths, see “Upgrade and Migration Paths” in the Getting Started Guide.

Selecting Deployment Methods

In most instances, the team will use a combination of LTI and ZTI to deploy the target operating systems to the target computers. In BDD 2007, LTI and ZTI use the same common set of scripts and configuration files (such as CustomSettings.ini) for deploying the target operating system. However, there are instances in which one method of deployment may be more advantageous.

For more information about:

• ZTI deployment, see the Zero Touch Installation Guide.

• LTI deployment, see the Lite Touch Installation Guide.

Deploying Operating Systems by Using LTI

LTI requires minimal infrastructure to operate. The team can deploy target operating systems over the network by using a shared folder or locally by using a removable storage (such as a CD, DVD, USB hard drive, or other devices). Team members can initiate the deployment process automatically (by using Windows DS) or manually. They initially configure LTI by using Deployment Workbench, and then further customize CustomSettings.ini for the environment.

In LTI deployment, the team provides configuration settings for groups of computers. The configuration settings for each individual computer are usually provided manually during the deployment process. As a result, customizing LTI usually takes less effort than customizing ZTI.

Deploying Operating Systems by Using ZTI

ZTI requires SMS 2003, SMS 2003 SP2, and the SMS 2003 OSD Feature Pack. The team deploys target operating systems from SMS 2003 distribution points. The installation process can be initiated by SMS 2003 or by Windows DS. The ZTI deployment process is always initiated automatically. Like LTI, the team initially configures ZTI by using Deployment Workbench and then further customizes CustomSettings.ini for your environment.

In ZTI deployment, the team must provide all configuration settings for each target computer being deployed by ZTI. By definition, there is no manual configuration in ZTI. As a result, customizing ZTI usually takes more effort than customizing LTI.

Contrasting LTI and ZTI

Table 4 contrasts the use of LTI and ZTI in the deployment.

Table 4. Contrast of LTI and ZTI Deployments

Ensuring That the Required Infrastructure Exists

Before using BDD 2007 to deploy Windows, ensure that the infrastructure that BDD 2007 requires exists. For most production environments, the majority of the services required for the deployment already exist, but verify that all the following components are in place before continuing the deployment process.

For a detailed listing of required infrastructure for:

• BDD 2007, see “Software Requirements” in the Getting Started Guide.

• LTI, see “Ensuring That the Required Infrastructure Exists” in the Lite Touch Installation Guide.

• ZTI, see “Ensuring That the Required Infrastructure Exists” in the Zero Touch Installation Guide.

Determining the Appropriate Processing Rules

The ZTI and LTI deployment processes use processing rules that determine the steps and configuration parameters during the process of deploying the images to the target computers. These settings are stored and managed in CustomSettings.ini.

For more information on:

• Determining the processing rules required for minimal functionality in LTI, see “Configuring the Appropriate Processing Rules” in the Lite Touch Installation Guide.

• Determining the processing rules required for minimal functionality in ZTI, see “Configuring the Appropriate Processing Rules” in the Zero Touch Installation Guide.

• Extending functionality in LTI and ZTI, see the Deployment Configuration Guide.

• Providing examples for configuring the processing rules in LTI and ZTI, see the Deployment Configuration Samples Guide.

Determining the Monitoring Plan

The ZTI Management Pack for MOM 2005 monitors the deployment of operating system images to the target computers and collects data, and team members can use it monitor the ZTI and LTI deployment processes, as well. With the MOM Reporting Services, team members can generate reports about the deployment process. For more information on the ZTI Management Pack, see the Zero Touch Installation Management Pack.

Training Team Members

Before beginning deployment, ensure that all team members are properly trained to deploy, manage, operate, troubleshoot, and support the deployment process and deployed computers. Customize the training for each team.

To train the team members:

• Identify the training requirements for the organization. Each team has different training requirements. At a minimum, all team members must be able to describe the high-level steps in the deployment process. Other team members require detailed knowledge of the technologies and processes involved in the deployment process.

• Determine budgeting requirements for training. Include training as a part of the budgetary estimates. In addition to the cost of training, include any estimated travel expense and human resource costs.

• Include training in the project plan. Ensure allocation of resources to allow training attendance in the project plan. While team members are attending training, they will be unavailable for other tasks in the project.

• Schedule team members’ training prior to their involvement in the project. The training should occur before the team members engage the project. Ensure that training is provided early enough in the process to allow team members adequate time to become familiar with the technologies and processes.

Milestone: Deployment Plan Complete

Milestones are synchronization points for the overall solution. For more information, see the Plan, Build, and Deploy Guide for BDD 2007.

At this milestone, shown in Table 5, the team has completed the required tasks, and the deployment plan is complete.

Table 5. Planning Phase Project Milestones and Deliverable Descriptions

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