Windows Server blog by Kurt Roggen [BE] : Deployment

Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) Guides for Windows Server 2008

Kurt Roggen — Fri, 23 May 2008 07:55:59 GMT

The Infrastructure Planning and Design (IPD) guides are the next version of Windows Server System Reference Architecture. The guides in this series help clarify and streamline design processes for Microsoft infrastructure technologies, with each guide addressing a unique infrastructure technology or scenario.

Infrastructure Planning and Design guides share a common structure, including:

Definition of the technical decision flow through the planning process.
Listing of decisions to be made and the commonly available options and considerations.
Relating the decisions and options to the business in terms of cost, complexity, and other characteristics.
Framing decisions in terms of additional questions to the business to ensure a comprehensive alignment with the appropriate business landscape.

These guides complement product documentation by focusing on infrastructure design options.
Each guide leads the reader through critical infrastructure design decisions, in the appropriate order, evaluating the available options for each decision against its impact on critical characteristics of the infrastructure.

The IPD Series highlights when service and infrastructure goals should be validated with the organization and provides additional questions that should be asked of service stakeholders and decision makers.

IPD consists of the following downloadable packages:

Infrastructure Planning and Design Series Introduction
Selecting the Right Virtualization Technology
Microsoft SoftGrid Application Virtualization
Windows Server Virtualization (for Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V and Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1)
New! Windows Deployment Services
New! Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Domain Services
New! Windows Server 2008 Terminal Services

The guides are available as individual downloads or as a single all-in-one package.

Download here

Missing the WDS (Windows Deployment Services) snapin from RSAT on Windows Vista?

Kurt Roggen — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 23:03:46 GMT

As you probably still remember from my previous post "RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools): what's included and what's NOT!!", some snapins are still missing from RSAT.
Here's a way to get the WDS snapin running on your Vista workstation for remote administration of your Windows Server 2003 and/or Windows Server 2008-based Windows Deployment Servers, by taking the following unsupported steps:

Step 1: Locate a Windows 2008 Server which has the WDS Server Role installed via Server Manager features/roles.
The installed OS platform architecture must match your client (use 32-bit OS server if using 32-bit OS client, and the same for 64-bit).

Step 2: Locate the following files:

%systemroot%\system32\WdsMgmt.msc
%systemroot%\system32\en-US\WdsMgmt.msc

%systemroot%\system32\wdsmgmt.dll
%systemroot%\system32\en-US\wdsmgmt.dll.mui

%systemroot%\system32\WdsImage.dll
%systemroot%\system32\en-US\WdsImage.dll.mui

%systemroot%\system32\wdscsl.dll
%systemroot%\system32\wdstptc.dll

%systemroot%\system32\WdsTptMgmt.dll
%systemroot%\system32\en-US\WdsTptMgmt.dll.mui

%systemroot%\system32\wdsmmc.dll
%systemroot%\system32\en-US\wdsmmc.dll.mui

NOTE: If not running US English, the path would not be EN-US; it would be the language(s) running on the server
If you don't have a running WDS server, here are all the files you need for a Vista (en-US) x86 and x64. I've even included an install.cmd and instructions.txt file.

Step 3: Copy all files to the Vista machine running RSAT tools and place them in the same paths as above (step 2).

Step 4: Run as an administrator:

regsvr32 WdsMgmt.dll
regsvr32 WdsTptMgmt.dll
regsvr32 WdsMmc.dll

Step 5: Create a shortcut in the %ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools to the WDS snapin (WdsMgmt.msc).

Here you go!!

Configuring Server Core via a GUI

Kurt Roggen — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:36:32 GMT

Configuring Windows Server 2008 Server Core installations can be quite challenging... surely if you are not familiar with your command line tools!!
MVP Guy Teverovsky decided to build a GUI for performing the typical initial configuration tasks on Server Core installations, such as:

Product Activation
Configuration of display resolution
Clock and time zone configuration
Remote Desktop configuration
Management of local user accounts (creation, deletion, group membership, passwords)
Firewall configuration
WinRM configuration
IP configuration
Computer name and domain/workgroup membership
Installation of Server Core features/roles

Some screenshots below:

You do not actually need to install the application. The 4 files in the program's folder can be copied and used on other Server Core installations without installing the application.

Download here

For more information: Guy Teverovsky's blog: Windows Server Core - CoreConfigurator to the rescue

Windows Server 2008 Web Edition wont require CALs

Kurt Roggen — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:05:56 GMT

Michael Kleef states:

"Yes you heard right! The Web SKU of Windows Server 2008 does not require CALs but can be deployed only in internet facing scenarios.

Additionally there's no restriction on the number of users. Good news huh? That's gotta mean cheaper Windows web hosting on IIS 7 coming soon to a web hoster near you!"

Windows Media Services 2008 Server Role package for Windows Server 2008

Kurt Roggen — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 05:52:59 GMT

In Windows Server 2008, the Streaming Media Services server role and remote administration tools are not included in Server Manager.
To obtain the new features and tools available in Windows Media Services for Windows Server 2008, such as the built-in WMS Cache/Proxy plug-in, you must obtain and run the appropriate Streaming Media Services role installer file on the updated platform.

These Microsoft Update Standalone Package (MSU) files install either 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) versions of:

Windows Media Services and the rest of the Streaming Media Services role in Server Manager, on “full” installations of Standard and Enterprise editions of Windows Server 2008
The Streaming Media Services Server Core role, on “Server Core” installations of Standard and Enterprise editions of Windows Server 2008
The Windows Media Services snap-in for Microsoft Management Console (MMC) on a computer that is running the Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate edition of the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system

Download here

For more information: How to install Windows Media Services in Windows Server 2008

WAIK 1.1 for Windows Vista SP1 & Windows Server 2008

Kurt Roggen — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:24:50 GMT

The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is designed to help corporate IT professionals customize and deploy the Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 family of operation systems. The Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) is a set of tools and documentation that support the configuration and the deployment of Windows operating systems. By using Windows AIK, you can perform unattended Windows installations, capture Windows images with ImageX, and create Windows PE images.

New features in the Windows AIK

Supports Windows Vista Service Pack 1 and Windows Server 2008
Supports for Windows Server 2008 ServerManagerCmd.exe. Documents how to build answer files for the Server Manager CLI used to install and to remove Windows Server 2008 roles, role services, and features.
Support for Windows Server 2008 ICT (Initial Configuration Tasks). Documents schema definitions how to add tasks, links, and branding material to the out-of-box experience.
Supports Windows Setup cross-platform deployment. You can install 64-bit version of Windows from a 32-bit preinstallation environment WinPE.
Contains Windows PE 2.1.

Boot from Hard Disk. Support for booting directly from the hard disk, not into RAM Disk.
Oscdimg tool. Updated features including support for larger images.
Writable RAM drive. When booting from read-only media, Windows PE automatically creates a writable RAM disk (drive X) and allocates 32 megabytes (MB) of the RAM disk for general-purpose storage. You can customize the size up to 512 MB using PEImg /scratchspace.

Contains several new tools (%programFiles%\Windows AIK\Tools\<platform>)

Driver Package Installer (DPInst). Add non-boot critical drivers during Windows Setup using the Driver Package Installer (DPInst)
Boot critical driver projection tool (PostReflect.exe).
Windows Vista SP1 Files Removal Tool (VSP1Cln.exe). Remove archived Vista RTM files and reclaim disk space after Windows Vista SP1 is applied.
Windows Deployment Services Multicast (WDSmcast.exe). WDSmcast.exe is used by computers to join multicast transmissions offered by a Windows Server 2008 based WDS (Windows Deployment Server). More about this in an upcoming blogpost...

Contains Windows Vista Deployment Error Diagnostic Guide. Describes how to diagnose error logs related to deploying Windows Vista, specifically how to interpret errors related to Windows Setup (Setup.exe) and Package Manager (Pkgmgr.exe).

Download WAIK1.1 here.

Deploying Windows Server 2008 Server Roles

Kurt Roggen — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:27:00 GMT

As I've mentioned already in a previous post, there is no more BDD SA (Business Desktop Deployment Solution Accelerator). It has been renamed to "Microsoft Deployment" (tools). Microsoft Deployment is the next version of Business Desktop Deployment (BDD) 2007.

The current generation of automated deployment tools from Microsoft is increasingly unified; the same tools, utilities and products in many cases offer support and functionality for desktop and server deployment tasks.

Microsoft Deployment unifies the tools and processes required for desktop and server deployment into a common deployment console and collection of guidance. Microsoft Deployment adds integration with recently released Microsoft deployment technologies to create a single path for image creation and deployment, including:

System Center Configuration Manager 2007 Operating System Deployment (OSD)
Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK)
Windows Deployment Services with new multicast technology (WDS in Windows Server 2008)
Application Compatibility Toolkit 5.0 (ACT)
User State Migration Tool 3.0.1 (USMT)
Office system 2007
Windows Server 2008 Server Manager for automated server role definition

Lite Touch Installation (LTI) now supports Windows Server 2008 deployments:

Support for deploying Windows Server 2008 Beta 3 and RC0, including support for Server Core installation options.
Automated server role definition using Server Manager

Let's have look at deploying a typical Branch Office Server which holding its typical roles:

(Read-Only) Domain Controller
DNS Server
DHCP Server
WINS Server (optional)
Windows Deployment Server (for local deployment of your clients and possibly servers)

Throughout the Task Sequencer, you now have the option to "Install Roles and Features" and furthermore configure some of those Server Roles once they are installed. For your information, it also support the Server Role for "Windows Server Virtualization".

Task Sequencer now supports Server Manager operations to "Install Roles and Features".

Automated server role definition using Server Manager, where ServerManagerCmd.exe does the actual work.

1. Read Only Domain Controller

Configuration of the Active Directory Domain Services role, which drives dcpromo.exe.

2. DNS Server

As part of the Active Directory Installation process, DNS will be installed.
You can configure separate zones via the "Configure DNS" task, which drives the DNScmd.exe.

3. DHCP Server

Configuration of DHCP Scope(s) will be driven by netsh.exe in the background.

4. WINS Server

Configuration of WINS will be driven by netsh.exe in the background.

5. Windows Deployment Server

Initial installation parameters are required for a Server Role installation (using ServerManagerCmd.exe) and also drive WDSutil.exe.
However, further configuration (adding boot images, installation images, etc...) should be done through the WDSutil.exe CLI (via a custom created Task).

For more information, have a look at a previous post on Windows Deployment Services in Windows Server 2008.

Related blogs: Microsoft Deployment Team blog

Tags: Windows Server 2008 Server Manager BDD MS Deployment tools

Windows Imaging (.WIM) files & ImageX

Kurt Roggen — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 14:16:43 GMT

The Microsoft Windows Imaging format (WIM) is a file-based image format, instead of the sector-based image formats you find a lot today. Using a file-based image format, WIM provides several benefits:

This WIM image format is hardware-agnostic, meaning that you need only one image to address many different hardware configurations. Together with the HAL independence of Windows Vista you can reduce the number of images dramatically.
The WIM image format also lets you store multiple images within one actual file. Microsoft ships multiple SKUs in one WIM image file. You store images with and without core applications in a single image file. Also, you can mark one of the images as bootable, allowing you to start/boot a machine from a disk image contained in a WIM file.
The WIM image format enables compression and single instancing, reducing the size of image files significantly and thus their transfer over the network.
Single instancing is a technique that allows you to store two or more copies of a file for the space cost of one copy.
For example, if images 1, 2, and 3 all contain file A, single-instancing stores a single copy of the file A and points images 1, 2, and 3 to that copy.
The WIM image format allows you to do offline image servicing. You can add or delete certain operating system components, patches, and drivers without creating a new image. Rather than spending a few hours updating an image, which you do now with Microsoft Windows XP, for example, you can update an image in minutes. For example, to add a patch to a Windows XP image, you must boot the master image, add the patch, and then prepare the image again. With Windows Vista, you can simply service the image offline.
The WIM image format lets you install a disk image on partitions of any size, unlike sector-based image formats that require you to deploy a disk image to a partition that's the same size or larger than the source disk.
Windows Vista provides an API for the WIM image format called WIMGAPI that developers can use to work with WIM image files.
The WIM image format allows for non-destructive deployment. This means that you can leave data on the volume to which you apply the image because the application of the image does not erase the disk's existing contents. A tool that will help you in that area is USMT (User State Migration Tool).
Ready for "carousel multi-cast implementations" as found in Windows Server 2008 (see previous post).

ImageX is a command-line tool in Windows Vista & Windows Server 2008 that you can use to create and manage Windows image (.wim) files. A .wim file contains one or more volume/partition images that contain images of an installed Windows operating system.

To modify your volume images, you must install the Windows Imaging File System Filter (WIM FS Filter) driver on a computer running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 1 (SP1), Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008. Installing the WIM FS Filter driver enables you to mount a .wim file as if it were a directory and to browse, copy, paste, and edit the volume images from a file management tool, such as Windows Explorer, without extracting or recreating the image.

ImageX is part of the WAIK (Windows Automated Installation Kit).

For more information: Vista TechCenter

Richard Smith has written has written a nice little GUI on top of imageX - called GimageX.exe - making it more user friendly. Just drop the GImageX.exe into a folder with the ImageX files in your Windows PE environment. It even supports the configuration file wimscript.ini, which determine which files and folders must be excluded from the capture process when using the /capture option or excluded from the compression process when using the /compress option.

The GUI allows you to :

Map a drive
Capture a wim file
Deploy/Apply image from a .wim file

Capture a .wim file

Deploy/Apply an image from a .wim file

MS Deployment Tools (Codename "Deployment 4")

Kurt Roggen — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 21:25:00 GMT

"Deployment 4" Beta 3 combines the guidance and toolset from previous releases of Business Desktop Deployment and beta releases of Windows Server Deployment.

This release continues to support Zero Touch Installation (ZTI) of desktop operating systems using Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003 with the Operating System Deployment Feature Pack and adds new deployment and task sequencing capabilities for desktops and servers using System Center Configuration Manager 2007.

Deployment 4 also continues to provide Lite Touch Installation (LTI) support without infrastructure requirements and adds capabilities for Windows Server 2003 and pre-release versions of Windows Server 2008 (including support for Server Core installation options).

Some of the enhancements you will find are:

Enhanced disk and network interface cards (NICs) configuration options, including support for static TCP/IP configuration.

Design changes to ease the migration from LTI to Configuration Manager 2007.

Support for multiple task sequence templates. (Client template: Windows XP/Vista, Server template: Windows Server 2003/2008)

Support for multiple task sequence templates.

Enhanced disk and NIC configuration options, including support for static TCP/IP configuration

Enhanced disk configuration options.

Notice all wizards are no longer HTML based, but true mmc based wizards...

Where to Find Deployment 4 Beta 3

Deployment 4 Beta 3 is part of the Windows Server 2008 Beta and TAP Programs.
It is also available as an open beta download.

To join Deployment 4 beta 3 program, follow these steps:

Visit the Microsoft Connect Web site (http://connect.microsoft.com).
Click Invitations on the Connect menu.
You will need to sign in using a valid Windows Live ID before you can continue to the Invitations page.
Enter your Invitation ID in the box. Your invitation ID is: BDDP-QMYH-VWTH
Click Go.
If you have not previously registered with Microsoft Connect, you might be required to register before you continue with the invitation process.

To download Deployment 4, click Download Now

For more information: Microsoft Deployment Team blog, Michael Niehaus blog

Windows Server 2008: Windows Deployment Services (WDS)

Kurt Roggen — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 20:00:43 GMT

The Windows Deployment Services server role in Windows Server 2008 is the updated and redesigned version of Remote Installation Services (RIS). Windows Deployment Services enables you to deploy Windows operating systems, particularly Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. Deployment of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are also still possible, but only through the use of the Windows Imaging (.wim) format, since there is no more WDS-mixed mode.

The components of Windows Deployment Services can be organized into the following three categories:

WDS Server components
These components include a Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) server and Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server for network booting a client to load and install an operating system. Also included is a shared folder (reminst) and image repository that contains boot images (from within boot.wim), install images (from within install.wim) and files that you need specifically for network boot (pxeboot.com, pxeboot.n12).
There is also a networking layer, a multicast component (Transport Server) and a diagnostics component.
More about that later below...
WDS Client components
These components include a graphical user interface that runs within the Windows Pre-Installation Environment (Windows PE). When a user selects an operating system image, the client components communicate with the server components to install an available image.
WDS Management components
These components are a set of tools that you use to manage the server, operating system images, and client computer accounts, such as WDSutil.exe.

Although WDS was already available as an OOB release (included in Windows AIK 1.0 and Windows Server 2003 SP2), some new features are introduced exclusively with Windows Server 2008:

Multicast deployment
Enhanced TFTP download performance
Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) network boot support for x64 systems

Multicast "carousel"

Microsoft is delivering a new multicast engine that takes advantage of the file-based Windows Imaging Format (WIM) infrastructure to allow for some very unique capabilities.

The multicast broadcast is a "round robin" broadcast of file streams that will continue to broadcast until every client computer's needs have been met. Because of this, it doesn't matter when clients come online, they can join at any time in the transfer. They listen to the WDS server and when the server has completed the image file broadcast, it starts over from the beginning. If a client misses a file, it just listens until the file comes around again (I like to call it multicast carousel).

The protocol is completely new and features congestion control and flow control - meaning that it works well on production networks without interfering with existing network communication.

The key advantage of multicast is of course allowing multiple computers to receive a communication simultaneously. The sender (the WDS server) sends the information to be communicated only once. Each client must then listen to the entire communication from begin to end to receive it. Since all clients are specifically listening to one network address simultaneously, the benefit is twofold: enhanced deployment speed since the network is less congested with multiple clients performing the same task; and decreased network saturation since every client is listening to the single stream.

The WDS management tools allow administrators to monitor real-time transmission progress to clients (including removing clients from a transmission). The management tools also offer full logging and reporting.

Setting up a Multicast WDS Server in 5 steps

Step 1. Adding the WDS Server Role

During your Windows Deployment Services installation (through Server Manager), you can choose to install Transport Server or Deployment Server (which includes the core parts of Transport Server).

To install the Transport Server, there are no specific requirements.
To install the Deployment Server, your environment must still meet the following 4 requirements: Active Directory, DHCP, DNS, NTFS filesystem

Step 2. Adding Boot image(s)

Boot images are the images that you boot a client computer into before installing the operating system image. The boot image presents a boot menu that contains the images that users can install onto their computers. These images contain Windows PE 2.0 and the Windows Deployment Services client application.
You can use the default boot image (boot.wim) that is included in the Windows Server 2008 installation media in the \Sources folder.

NOTE: You should use only the boot.wim file from the Windows Server 2008 DVD. If you use the boot.wim file from the Windows Vista DVD, you will not be able to use the full functionality of Windows Deployment Services (for example, multicasting)

In addition, there are two types of images that you can create from boot images: capture images and discover images.

Capture images are modified boot images that launch the Windows Deployment Services Capture utility instead of the Windows Setup. When you boot a reference computer (that must be prepared with Sysprep!!) into a "capture image", a wizard allows to create an "install image" of the reference computer and saves it as a .wim file. After you create the customized "install image", you can upload the image to the WDS server for PXE boot deployment.
WDS Client Capture Wizard

TIP: Replace pxeboot.com by pxeboot.n12 to avoid pressing an extra F12 at PXE-boot time.

Step 3. Adding Install(ation) image(s)

You can build custom install images from reference computers and deploy them to client computers. A reference computer can be a computer with a standard Windows installation or a Windows installation that has been configured for a specific environment.
You can use the default install image (install.wim) -containing several SKUs of Windows Server 2008 - that is included in the Windows Server 2008 installation media in the \Sources folder. Identical for Windows Vista SKUs.

I added some "Image Groups" (Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008) to create a logical hierarchy with all images you load into you WDS infrastructure.

Step 4. Build Unattend files

Windows Deployment Services allows you to automate the Windows Deployment Services client and the latter stages of Windows Setup. This two-stage approach is accomplished by using two unattend files:

WDS client unattend file. This file uses the Unattend.xml format and is stored on the Windows Deployment Services server in the \WDSClientUnattend folder. It is used to automate the Windows Deployment Services client user interface screens (such as entering credentials, choosing an install image, and configuring the disk). Using the Windows System Image Manager (part of the Windows AIK), you can find all these settings under the OS component x86_Microsoft-Windows-Setup_version.build - Windows Deployment Services node.
Install image unattend file. This file uses the Unattend.xml (Vista and later) or Sysprep.inf (pre-Vista) format, depending upon the version of the operating system in the image. It is stored in a subfolder (either $OEM$ structure or \Unattend) in the per-image folder. It is used to automate the remaining phases of setup (for example, offline servicing, Sysprep specialize and mini-setup).

To automate the installation, create the appropriate unattend file depending on whether you are configuring the Windows Deployment Services client or Windows Setup. We recommend that you use Windows System Image Manager (part of the Windows AIK) to author the unattend files.

Step 5. Create a Multicast transmission

Multicast transmissions allow to deploy an image to a large number of client computers without overburdening the network. This feature is disabled by default. When you create a transmission, you have two options for the multicast type:

Auto-Cast. This option indicates that as soon as an applicable client requests an install image, a multicast transmission of the selected image begins. Then as other clients request the same image, they are joined to the transmission that is already started.
Scheduled-Cast. This option sets the start criteria for the transmission based on the number of clients that are requesting an image and/or a specific day and time.

Additional reading:

Windows Deployment Services role
Windows Deployment Services & Multicasting
Windows Server Deployment Solution Accelerator (WSD SA)
Assign a shorter DHCP lease time for PXEclient/BOOTP clients
Technet Magazine May 2007

Windows Server 2008 & HP Servers

Kurt Roggen — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 21:00:34 GMT

You started evaluating Windows Server 2008 on some lab servers?? Well, HP published a few papers on the subject...
As always, you will need the Proliant Support Pack - version 7.80 supports Windows Server 2008 Beta 3 - and has been completely re-engineered using the HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM).

ProLiant Support Packs (PSP) represent operating system (OS) specific bundles of ProLiant optimized drivers, utilities, and management agents. These bundles of software are tested together to ensure proper installation and functionality. PSPs are released concurrently with HP's SmartStart CD, and can also be released outside of the SmartStart cycle and available to customers from the HP Software & Driver Downloads pages.

Key topics addressed in this paper are:

• Supported configurations of ProLiant and Integrity servers
• Recommended system configuration and server platforms (including server core driver support)
• Supported software, storage options and network adapters
• Procedures for new installations
• Known issues with workarounds
• Support limitations for Windows Server 2008 Beta 3

Find below the ProLiant servers, ROM version, and ROM date that support Windows Server 2008 Beta 3.
Refer to the following web resources to determine the ROM version and family of the supported ProLiant server:

• Software and drivers
• Windows on ProLiant support matrix

Download HP PSP 7.80 here

For more information:

Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Beta 3 on HP Servers
Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Beta 3 on HP StorageWorks Arrays

Windows Server 2008 Deployment Solution Accelerator (WSD SA)

Kurt Roggen — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:35:50 GMT

Nope, i'm not talking about WDS (Windows Deployment Services) but WSD (Windows Server Deployment).

The Microsoft Solution Accelerator for Windows Server Deployment (WSD) provides guidance, best practices and tools to help you quickly deploy Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 to create fully functional baseline servers, ready for provisioning.

Sounds like BDD (Business Desktop Deployment)?? In many ways, yes... it even has the "Deployment Workbench" MMC snapin... however server deployments offer some unique challenges, which BDD does not face:

Hardware configuration (BIOS, remote management boards, OEM configuration utilities)
Advanced network configuration (static IP addresses, multiple network adapters, NIC Teaming, TCP/IP offloading, speed/duplex configuration, network load balancing, clustering)
Advanced disk configuration (multiple disks, multiple partitions, RAID controllers, OEM configuration partitions, SAN configuration (fibre channel, iSCSI), out-of-box mass storage drivers)
OS configuration (server role installation and configuration (such as RODC, NAP, etc...), server products SKUs (such as Server Core), x64 hardware)

So, based on the BDD 2007 methodology, leveraging the latest tools and technologies (WDS multicast, SCCM 2007), WSD (Windows Server Deployment) will support both Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server 2008 deployments, using Lite Touch Deployment/Installation (LTI) and/or Zero Touch Deployment/Installation (ZTI), covering 3 scenarios:

New computer/server installation
Upgrade
Side-by-side

Lite Touch Deployment (LTD)

LTD does not require any existing deployment/management infrastructure. It can use network shares, Windows Deployment Services, CD/DVD or USB and leverages the stand-alone version of SCCM 2007 task sequencer.

Zero Touch Deployment (ZTD)

ZTD is layered on top of SCCM 2007 OS deployment (OSD) capabilities and adds additional functionality to SCCM.

WSD SA will be released shortly after the release after Windows Server 2008 as an RTW (Release To the Web) and rumors are it should become available 60 days after the release of SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager) 2007.

For more information, keep watching the Windows Server Deployment Solution Accelerator website for updates.