Deploy Images (Standard 8)
7/8/2014
Review deployment scenarios for your Windows Embedded 8 Standard (Standard 8) images.
You can deploy an image to a production device or to an end-user device by using existing Microsoft technologies such as Sysprep, ImageX, System Center Configuration Manager, Windows Deployment Services (WDS), and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM). For Windows Embedded 8 Standard (Standard 8), DISM is the preferred method of deployment.
For purposes of this information, a production device is an embedded device that is in production at an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) factory. An OEM must deploy an image to each production device before the device can be sold. An end-user device is an embedded device belonging to a company that uses embedded devices. The company deploys an image to each new embedded device to further customize the image and add additional software, and it also deploys an image when an embedded device in the field needs an update.
This section introduces some common deployment scenarios that Standard 8 supports.
Deployment Scenarios
Customizing an existing image on new hardware and deploying it
A company that receives a new embedded device from an OEM might install some software tools and applications that the company needs on it. After you make configuration changes and add the necessary software, you can use Sysprep to prepare the image for deployment to multiple end-user devices. You can then deploy the image using any of the deployment mechanisms that support Windows 8, such as DISM.
Deploying an existing image to new or repurposed hardware
A company might receive an embedded device that needs an existing image deployed to it. You can use one of the following methods to deploy the image:
- Remote installation using a Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) Server
If the target device supports a network boot using PXE, you can configure it to boot to the Configuration Manager Operating System Deployment (OSD) Server, and then follow the on-screen instructions to install a preconfigured image that is created for the device. - Offline Media
If the target device has no connection to a network with access to existing images, you can use other bootable media (for example, a USB flash drive) that contains the image file and ImageX tool, and use ImageX to deploy the image. - Offline Media and a Network Share
If the target device can access a network share, you can use bootable media, and load an image via the network connection. - Automated Download using Target Machine Update
Using Configuration Manager or WDS, you can provide an image and some device-specific data, such as machine ID and subnet membership, to the Configuration Manager or WDS database. Then, you can configure the target device to do a network boot using PXE, which deploys the image without user interaction.