In this post I describe how to deploy Windows 7 or Windows 8 to systems located on remote locations isolated from the network and with no connectivity to the SCCM 2012 infrastructure.
Problem
Sometimes an organization may have remote branch locations with a few desktop systems and no server-type computer to be a distribution point. Although a distribution point is supported on Windows 7 (with limitations), initially there's no Windows 7 (or greater) OS on any workstation. Or the branch location is segmented off from the corporate network due to security or bandwidth limitations. Yet the organization has the need to deploy the Windows image that SCCM is deploying to well connected computers.
Solution
SCCM allows you to copy your Windows image, task sequence and all of its referenced packages or applications to media (CD/DVD or USB). You then use this media on remote systems to install Windows on them without the need to communicate with the SCCM infrastructure.
Requirements
How
In the SCCM console, click on "Create Task Sequence Media" in the "Task Sequences" node and select "Stand-alone media".
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In the next page of the wizard you select the media type (CD/DVD or USB). In this example, we select CD/DVD and indicate the path and file name. Note that if the path contains a folder, you must have created it prior to running the wizard.
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Complete the wizard by specifying an optional password to protect the media, the task sequence that you want to use, and the distribution point(s) where the content referenced by the task sequence can be copied from.
If the CD/DVD media is too small, SCCM will store the content on multiple CD/DVDs, adding a sequence number to each output file. When the stand-alone media runs, SCCM will prompt for the next media.
Limitations
The following is not supported for stand-alone media.
Problem
Sometimes an organization may have remote branch locations with a few desktop systems and no server-type computer to be a distribution point. Although a distribution point is supported on Windows 7 (with limitations), initially there's no Windows 7 (or greater) OS on any workstation. Or the branch location is segmented off from the corporate network due to security or bandwidth limitations. Yet the organization has the need to deploy the Windows image that SCCM is deploying to well connected computers.
Solution
SCCM allows you to copy your Windows image, task sequence and all of its referenced packages or applications to media (CD/DVD or USB). You then use this media on remote systems to install Windows on them without the need to communicate with the SCCM infrastructure.
Requirements
- The task sequence that you use must have a boot image configured.
- The content referenced by that task sequence must be distributed to a distribution point where you have read access.
- If you use USB media, it must be connected to the same computer where you run the wizard.
How
In the SCCM console, click on "Create Task Sequence Media" in the "Task Sequences" node and select "Stand-alone media".
If the CD/DVD media is too small, SCCM will store the content on multiple CD/DVDs, adding a sequence number to each output file. When the stand-alone media runs, SCCM will prompt for the next media.
Limitations
The following is not supported for stand-alone media.
- Auto applying device drivers
- Installing software updates
- Installing software before the operating system
- User-device association for user device affinity
- Dependencies for applications
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