14 # Comparison between LTI, ZTI, and UDI Deployments strategies:

Comparison between LTI, ZTI, and UDI Deployments strategies:

 

This post is for you to get to know the different types of OS deployment strategies, their requirements and will help you understand which strategy suits the best with the resources available with you.

 

SCCM 2007/2012 supports the following types Operating System deployment strategies,

1. LTI – Light Touch Installation
2. ZTI – Zero Touch Installation
3. UDI – User Driven Installation

There is one more type called HTI – High Touch Installation which is carried out by using Retail Media (Installation DVD) and/or Standard Image. The way we used to install Operating System earlier, carrying CD/DVDs around.

 

Table here is sourced from: http://systemscenter.ru/mdt2012.en/choosingltiztiorudideployments.htm

 

LTI deployment	ZTI deployment	UDI deployment
Allows selection of the level of automation	Supports only fully automated deployments	Allows selection of the level of automation
Has minimal infrastructure requirements	Requires Configuration Manager　2012 or Configuration Manager　2007　R3	Requires Configuration Manager　2012 or Configuration Manager　2007　R3
Supports deployments over a network using a shared folder or locally using removable storage such as a CD, DVD, or UFD	Supports deployments only from Configuration Manager　2012 or Configuration Manager　2007　R3 distribution points	Supports deployments only from Configuration Manager　2012 or Configuration Manager　2007　R3 distribution points
The deployment process can be initiated manually or automatically using Windows Deployment Services	The installation process can be initiated by Configuration Manager　2012, Configuration Manager　2007　R3, or Windows Deployment Services	The installation process can be initiated by Configuration Manager　2012, Configuration Manager　2007　R3, or Windows Deployment Services
The deployment process is configured using the Deployment Workbench	The deployment process is configured using the Configuration Manager console in Configuration Manager　2012 or Configuration Manager　2007　R3	The deployment process is configured using the Configuration Manager console in Configuration Manager　2012 or Configuration Manager　2007　R3 and the UDI Wizard Designer.
Can require less initial IT administration configuration time	Requires more initial IT administration configuration time	Requires more initial IT administration configuration time
Can require interaction by the user or deployment technician	Requires no interaction by the user or deployment technician	Can require interaction by the user or deployment technician
Increases the risk of introducing configuration errors	Reduces the risk of introducing configuration errors	Increases the risk of introducing configuration errors
Requires users or deployment technicians to have credentials with elevated permissions	Users and deployment technicians are not required to have credentials with elevated permissions	Requires users or deployment technicians to have credentials with elevated permissions
Requires that users or deployment technicians know some configuration settings prior to initiating the MDT deployment process	Users and deployment technicians do not need to know configuration settings prior to initiating the MDT deployment process	Requires that users or deployment technicians know some configuration settings prior to initiating the MDT deployment process
Can be used with slow connections or in instances where no network connectivity exists	Requires a high-speed, persistent connection	Requires a high-speed, persistent connection
Requires little or no infrastructure to support deployment	Requires an infrastructure sufficient to deploy operating system images	Requires an infrastructure sufficient to deploy operating system images
Supports deployment over the network or local to the computer from media	Supports only network deployments	Supports only network deployments
Does not require management of target computers using Configuration Manager　2012 or Configuration Manager　2007　R3	Requires that target computers be managed using Configuration Manager　2012 or Configuration Manager　2007　R3	Requires that target computers be managed using Configuration Manager　2012 or Configuration Manager　2007　R3
Supports security policies in which automatic software installation is prohibited	Supports only security in which automatic software installation is allowed.	Supports only security in which automatic software installation is allowed.
Supports deployment to target computers isolated by firewalls	Requires remote procedure call (RPC) communication with target computers	Requires RPC communication with target computers

 

 

 

At some point in the process of Operating System Deployment, you must provide all the information necessary to install Windows and the applications on target computers. The question is, when do you provide this information? The more information you provide in advance, the less interaction is required during deployment.

SCCM Interview Questions/FAQs - Part 6 (Operating System Deployment FAQs)

Part # 6 – OS Deployment

1) Can I use stand-alone media to deploy operating system images to Computers that are not Configuration Manager 2007 clients?

Ans: Yes.

Explanation: You can use stand-alone media to deploy Operating system images to computers that are not Configuration Manger Clients. But, all the necessary installation files must be contained on the installation media because the media will not have a connection to the SCCM 2007 site.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680865.aspx & http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632784.aspx

2) Can I use stand-alone media to distribute software updates?

Ans: No

Explanation: Using stand-alone media to distribute software updates is not supported because stand-alone media has no connection to a Configuration Manager 2007 site.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680701.aspx

3) Can computers locate and install device drivers immediately after they have been imported into the drive catalog?
Ans: No.
Explanation:  For a computer to locate and install a device driver, the device driver must be imported into the driver catalog and made available on an accessible distribution point.
Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693985.aspx


4) Can task sequence names be the same?

Ans: Yes.

Explanation: Task sequence names do not need to be unique. You can reuse the same name for different task sequence.
Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693631.aspx & http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680818.aspx

5) Do task sequence variables that are assigned to a collection take precedence over task sequence variables that are assigned to a specific computer?

Ans: No.

Explanation: Variables assigned to a specific computer will have a higher priority that variables assigned to the collection or collections where the Configuration Manager client is located. For example, if collection A has a variable assigned to it and Computer A, which a member of collection A, has a conflicting variable assigned to it, the variable assigned to Computer A will receive higher priority than that of the variable assigned to Collection A.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693541.aspx & http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680451.aspx

6) Can I add as many device drivers as possible to boot images to complete an operating system deployment?

Ans: No.

Explanation: You should add only network and mass storage device drivers to a boot image. Adding device drivers to a boot image can increase the memory requirements of the boot image. If the memory requirements of the boot image exceed the memory of the target computer, the deployment will fail.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680959.aspx & http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb633028.aspx

7) Will importing computer information that already exists in the Configuration Manager 2007 database create a duplicate record?

Ans: No.

Explanation: if the computer to be imported already exists in the SCCM 2007 database, the new computer information will overwrite the existing computer information.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb633291.aspx

8) Can I deploy an operating system to a computer with no formatted partition?

Ans: Yes.

Explanation: If there is no formatted partition available, the Configuration Manager 2007 task sequence engine will create and format a temporary partition to use as the local data path.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693478.aspx

9)  If you advertise a task sequence to a SCCM 2007 collection, will any associate SCCM 2007, sub-collections also receive the advertisement?

Ans: No.

Explanation: Task sequence advertised to a SCCM 2007 collection are not advertised to SCCM 2007 sub-collections and task sequence can be advertised only to SCCM 2007 client computers, not the specific users.
Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693631.aspx

10) When a task sequence steps fails, does the task sequence continue on with the next task sequence step?

Ans: No.

Explanation: By default, a task sequence will fail after one step or action fails. To continue after a task sequence step failure, edit the task sequence and select Continue on error on the Options tab.

Reference: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb632410.aspx