Chris Nackers

ConfigMgr / SCCM

Configuration Manager 2012 SP1 - What's New in OSD

2013-01-31

From the archive (2013). Written for the tools of the time, so some details may be out of date.

Just a summary of changes listed on TechNet.

The following items are new or have changed for operating system deployment in  SP1:

  • Changes to Configuration Manager Setup:

    • SP1 uses the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) instead of Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) to deploy an operating system. Before you run Setup, you must download and install Windows ADK on the site server and the provider computer.
    • The User State Migration Tool (USMT) for Windows 8 is installed as part of the Windows ADK. At the top-level site, Setup automatically creates the package for this new version of USMT at the site.
    • Setup automatically updates default boot images at the site. You must manually update any custom boot images.

  • Changes to task sequence:

    • The default task sequences have been modified to optimize the deployment of operating systems starting with Windows 7.
    • Support for computers that are in Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) mode. The task sequence sets the SMSTSBootUEFI built-in task sequence variable when it detects a computer that is in UEFI mode.
    • The default task sequence automatically partitions the computer based on whether it was booted in UEFI mode or BIOS mode (conditioned based on the value of the _SMSTSBootUEFI variable).
    • The build and capture task sequence was updated to apply an operating system image instead of running Setup.exe for installation. You can still run Setup.exe for Windows 8 deployments by editing the task sequence in the task sequence editor.
    • Support for operating system deployments to devices with limited available disk space (e.g. embedded devices). You can configure the Apply Operating System Image step to install the image directly from a distribution point even if the task sequence deployment is configured to download content to the task sequence cache first.
    • You can control the behavior of write filters on Windows Embedded devices when you deploy task sequences.

    Note:

    For information about task sequences, see Planning a Task Sequences Strategy in Configuration Manager.

  • Changes to how you create prestaged media:

    • You can specify applications, packages, and driver packages to deploy with the operating system.
    • When you deploy the task sequence by using prestaged media, the wizard checks the local task sequence cache for valid content first, and if the content cannot be found or has been revised, the content is downloaded from the distribution point.

  • Note:

    For information about creating prestaged media, see the How to Create Prestaged Media section in the How to Deploy Operating Systems by Using Media in Configuration Manager topic.

  • Changes to BitLocker support:

    • Use the Pre-provision BitLocker task sequence step to encrypt the disk drive from Windows PE and only encrypt the space used by data. The result is much faster encryption times.
    • TPM and PIN is now available as one of the key management options for the current operating system drive in the Enable BitLocker task sequence step.

  • You can configure the Windows PE scratch space in the boot image properties. For more information, see the How to Modify a Boot Image section in the How to Manage Boot Images in Configuration Manager topic.

  • Added language neutral boot images:

    • You can use the SMSTSLanguageFolder built-in variable to change the language for information displayed by Windows PE.
    • Languages are auto-detected and used when boot images are started from Software Center.

  • Added the following task sequence built-in variables:

    • SMSTSPersistContent: Use this variable to temporarily persist content in the task sequence cache.
    • SMSTSPostAction: Use this variable to run a command after the task sequence completes.
    • SMSTSLanguageFolder: Use this variable to change the display language of a language neutral boot image.
    • OSDPreserveDriveLetter: This variable determines whether or not the task sequence uses the drive letter on the operating system image WIM file. In , the drive letter on the WIM file was used when applying the operating system image WIM file. In  SP1, you can set the value for this variable to False to use the drive letter that you specify in the task sequence.
    • SMSTSDownloadProgram: Use this variable to specify an Alternate Content Provider, a downloader program that is used to download content instead of the default downloader, for the task sequence. As part of the content download process, the task sequence checks the variable for a specified downloader program. If specified, the task sequence runs the program to perform the download.
    • SMSTSAssignmentsDownloadInterval: Use this variable to specify the number of seconds to wait before the client will attempt to download the task sequence policy since the last attempt (which returned no policies). You can set this variable by using a prestart command from media or PXE.
    • SMSTSAssignmentsDownloadRetry: Use this variable to specify the number of times a client will attempt to download the task sequence policy after no policies are found on the first attempt. You can set this variable by using a prestart command from media or PXE.
    • _SMSTSBootUEFI: The task sequence sets the _SMSTSBootUEFI variable when it detects a computer that boots in UEFI mode.
    • _SMSTSWTG: Specifies if the computer is running as a Windows To Go device.

    Note:

    For more information about built-in task sequence variables, see Task Sequence Built-in Variables in Configuration Manager.

  • Changes to software update installation to offline operating system images:

    • Ability to continue updating an image even when one or more software updates fail to install.
    • Software updates are copied from the content library on the site server instead of the package source.

  • Ability to provision Windows To Go in . Windows To Go is an operating system stored on a USB-connected external drive. You can provision the Windows To Go drive much like you prestage media in . For more information about how to provision Windows To Go, see How to Provision Windows To Go in Configuration Manager.

  • Better monitoring and status for task sequence content and task sequence deployments.

  • New deployment setting allows you to deploy task sequences that are only available in Windows PE.

  • You can manage Windows PE optional components from the Optional Components tab in the properties for boot images.

  • You can export and import driver packages from the Driver Packages node in the Software Library workspace.