What Is WDS?

WDS consists of the following components:
■ Server components Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) server and
Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server
■ Client components Windows Pre-Installation Environment (Windows PE)
■ Management components Tools that can be used to manage the server,
OS images, and client computer accounts
Table 1.4 shows the changes.
Table 1.4 Windows Deployment Modifications Made in WDS
for Windows Server 2008
Changes from RIS Changes from WDS on Windows Server 2003
Ability to deploy Windows Ability to create multicast transmissions of
Vista and Windows 2008. data and images.
Windows PE is the boot Ability to transmit data and images using
operating system. multicasting on a stand-alone server (when
you install Transport Server).
Image-based installation
using Windows image
(.wim) files.
Ability to create multicast Does not support RISETUP images or
transmissions of data OSChooser screens.
and images.
Ability to transmit data Enhanced TFTP server.
and images using multicasting Ability to network-boot x64-based computers
on a stand-alone server with Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI).
(when you install Transport
Server).
An extensible and Metric reporting for installations.
higher-performing PXE server.

Deploying Servers • Chapter 1 43

The following are the requirements for installing WDS:
■ AD DS (member server or DC)
■ DHCP (WDS works with PXE, which works with DHCP)
■ DNS.
■ NTFS volume (required for storing images)
■ Credentials (to install WDS, local administrator rights are needed)
Table 1.4 Continued. Windows Deployment Modifications Made in WDS
for Windows Server 2008
Changes from RIS Changes from WDS on Windows Server 2003
A new boot menu format
for selecting boot images.
A new GUI that you can use
to select and deploy images
and to manage WDS
servers and clients.

The Deployment Server requires that AD DS, DHCP, and DNS are available
on your network. The Transport Server does not require any additional
roles or services. Both of these services require an NTFS partition
for the file store.
Before you begin, you need to configure WDS by running either the
Windows Deployment Services Configuration Wizard or WDSUtil.exe.
You will also need to add at least one boot image and one install image
to the image store.
To install Windows operating systems from a WDS server, either the
client computers must be PXE-enabled or you must use the Windows
Server 2008 version of Windows PE.