[singlepic id=903 w=320 h=240 float=right]Ask any MCITP or Windows 7/Server 2008 IT profressional what one of the toughest concepts to master is, and more than likely “Deployment” will be at the very top of the list. Whether you’re learning this for the real world or you’re trying to pass the 70-680 or 70-686 exams to get certified, deploying Windows is something that should be well mastered!

This is one of the first of our new deployment series of content we’ll be producing within the coming days. Keep an eye on our Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube sites as we produce various pieces of content to help you wrap your brain around the deployment of Windows!

Intro to WAIK with Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2

The WAIK(Windows Automated Installation Kit) is a package download that contains some of the most essential tools in performing a successful roll-out of Windows to one or multiple machines at once.

Here’s a small overview of the different tools that accompany WAIK.

• Windows SIM(System Image Manage) – Manage Windows images, create answer files and control the shared Windows distribution data.
• ImageX.exe – A command line tool used for capturing and deploying images.
• DISM(Deployment Image Servicing Management) – A command line tool used for applying updates, language packs and drivers to Windows images both online and offline.
• Windows PE(Preinstallation Environment) – A bootable environment that can be copied to a flash drive or burned to a CD/DVD for performing Windows deployments.
• USMT(User State Migration Tool) – A command line tool that can be used to do advanced migrations of user profile information.

Please check out the companion video to this overview here:

Keep an eye out for more coming articles, videos, and audio recordings involving this series!

Chris Pope – MCT, MCITP:Enterprise Admin, MCSE:Security, MCTS:Exchange, MCSA:Messenger, A+,Network+,Security+