What is this course about?

An effective deployment and administration strategy is essential to the successful integration of Windows 7 in your environment. This course teaches you to deploy Windows 7 in an automated fashion, as well as to optimise administration and troubleshooting of client workstations. You will learn how to develop customised Windows Imaging Format (WIM) files, manage licensing and activation, streamline migration and security updates, and troubleshoot and administer Windows 7 with built-in tools and utilities.

Who will benefit from this course?

This course is beneficial for desktop administrators, helpdesk support, deployment groups, managers and anyone responsible for deploying or administering Windows 7.

What background knowledge do I need?

Knowledge at the level of Course 2400, Windows^® 7: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction, or previous experience managing Windows systems is assumed. Experience with command line utilities is helpful.

Are we going to be using graphical tools and command line tools?

Yes, we will be using a number of graphical administration and deployment tools including Remote Desktop Services (RDS), Remote Assistance, Windows System Image Manager (WSIM), and Microsoft Desktop Optimisation Pack (MDOP). In addition, we will be using command line utilities to automate deployment and administration. We will be using Windows Automated Installation Kit (WAIK) and PowerShell, among others.

Can you tell me approximately how much time is spent on deployment vs. management in the course?

Yes. Approximately, 40% of the course covers deployment, and 40% is devoted to managing. The remaining 20% covers both deployment and management, as these topics overlap in many areas.

What is ImageX?

ImageX is a new file-based imaging tool from Microsoft. While it provides some of the features of typical third-party cloning utilities, it extends those features to allow single instance stores and in-place updates; however, it does not provide partitioning or multicasting capabilities found in many third-party imaging tools. This tool is discussed in the course and used in the hands-on exercises.

How much time is spent on each topic?

What kinds of hands-on exercises will I perform?

Approximately 40 percent of class time is spent in hands-on exercises. Hands-on exercises provide immediate reinforcement of the material covered. Exercises include:

• Building custom Windows PE boot media
• Crating and rolling out custom WIM files
• Installing Windows across the network with WDS
• Centralising management with scheduled tasks and group policies
• Administering systems from the command line and with PowerShell
• Recovering modified and deleted files
• Analysing and monitoring system performance

Does this course cover how to manage Microsoft's new Volume Licensing 2.0 Activation in our environment?

Yes. We contrast Multiple Activation Keys (MAK) and Key Management Services (KMS) for activation of Vista, Windows 7 and Server 2008. We have hands-on exercises that cover the planning stages, and enumeration of pre-deployed systems.

I've been deploying and administering Windows for many years, will this course still be useful to me?

Yes, the new deployment tools have been streamlined and the recovery tools have been significantly enhanced in this version of the Windows client. You will learn how to optimise your deployment process, including maintenance tasks. You will also learn the concepts required to successfully recover individual files to entire systems.

Am I going to implement WDS?

Yes. You install, configure and customise Windows Deployment Services (WDS). WDS replaces Remote Installation Services (RIS). The primary advantage to WDS over RIS is the ability to use Windows PE based boot images and multi-cast images to client workstations.

Is this course appropriate for small to medium sized organisations?

Yes, this course provides information and experience useful to those deploying or administering Windows 7 in any size environment. The more workstations you are responsible for, the more benefit this class will have for you and your organisation.

How does this course relate to other Learning Tree courses?

Learning Tree offers a number of courses that will help you expand upon the knowledge gained in this course and further your skills in several key areas. Those courses include:

• 960, Windows Server® 2008: A Comprehensive Hands-On Introduction 
• 961, Windows Server® 2008 Administration: Hands-On 
• 962, Windows Server® 2008 Active Directory Domain Services: Hands-On 
• 963, Windows Server® 2008 Group Policy Management: Hands-On 
• 964, Windows Server® 2008 Security Infrastructure: Hands-On 
• 966, Internet Information Services 7.5 for Windows Server® 2008: Hands-On 
• 969, Windows PowerShell? Hands-On: Automating Administrative Tasks 
• 968, Windows Server® 2008 Hyper-V? Virtualisation: Hands-On