How to migrate WDS and MDT to a new Windows Server
Windows Deployment Services is the updated and redesigned version of Remote Installation Services (RIS). Windows Deployment Services enables you to deploy Windows operating systems over the network. With this solution, you do not have to install each operating system directly from a CD or DVD. In this article, we will show you the steps on How to migrate WDS and MDT to a new Windows Server. Please see An error occurred while trying to start the Windows deployment services error 0x906, and how to In-place upgrade for Windows Server 2012 to Windows Server 2019.
WDS cannot be run on a virtual machine in Windows Azure. Also, Windows Deployment Services server service is not cluster-aware. But, you can run multiple WDS servers in a network to provide fault-tolerance and load balancing
Note: Note that you cannot use Windows Deployment Services with the Server Core installation option. Also, Note that WDS will not be supported for Window 11, so now might be a good time to move to a hybrid MDT/WDS setup or another product.
Please, see How to download and install the Windows ADK Patches, and the Procedure for creating an MSSQL Always On Cluster on Azure.
WDS Partially Deprecated
Not sure you are aware yet? Therefore, before proceeding it is worth mentioning that the operating system deployment functionality of Windows Deployment Services (WDS) is being partially deprecated.
Starting with Windows 11, the workflows that rely on boot.wim from installation media or on running Windows Setup in WDS mode will no longer be supported. With this in mind, I would recommend using the hybrid MDT/WDS setup. Or a non-Microsoft solution with a custom boot.wim image. Please take a look at the image below for more information.
This change does not impact WDS PXE boot; you can still utilize WDS to PXE boot devices with custom boot images. However, running Windows Setup in WDS mode using boot.wim as the boot image is no longer supported. Despite this, workflows employing a custom boot.wim, such as those utilized by MDT or Configuration Manager, remain unaffected. Additionally, running Windows Setup from a network share is still a viable option.
Microsoft recommends using Microsoft Configuration Manager (formally SCCM) and Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT). This is because, SCCM and MDT provide a better, more flexible, and feature-rich experience for deploying Windows images.
Prerequisites for installing Windows Deployment Services
The table below outlines the requirements for installing the WDS role. Depending on whether you opt for the default installation (including both Deployment Server and Transport Server) or only the Transport Server role service.
| Deployment Server and Transport Server | Transport Server |
|---|---|
| AD DS. A Windows Deployment Services server must be either a member of an AD DS domain or a domain controller for an AD DS domain. The AD DS domain and forest versions are irrelevant; all domain and forest configurations support Windows Deployment Services. DHCP. You must have a working DHCP server with an active scope on the network because Windows Deployment Services uses PXE, which relies on DHCP for IP addressing. DNS. You must have a working DNS server on the network before you can run Windows Deployment Services. NTFS volume. The server running Windows Deployment Services requires an NTFS file system volume for the image store. Credentials. To install the role, you must be a member of the Local Administrators group on the server. To initialize the server, you must be a member of the Domain Users group. | For Windows Server 2008: The only prerequisite is that you must be a member of the Local Administrators group on the server to install Transport Server. Note also that a PXE provider is not installed with Transport Server, so you must create a custom PXE provider to network boot. For Windows Server 2008 R2: You must be a member of the Local Administrators group to install Transport Server. In addition, if you are using a Transport Server to network boot, your environment must contain DHCP (Windows Server 2008 R2 contains a PXE provider, which allows you to network boot). |
Also, see Failed Edge Transport: Easy Guide For Removal, and how to fix Hub Transport Server: Resolving ‘Failed to Reach Running Status’. See how to fix MDT Warning: Unable to set working directory, the application returned an unexpected code 2.
Why would you want to Migrate WDS
Security considerations or compliance requirements might require an organization to migrate its services to a more secure and compliant infrastructure due to end-of-life etc. This might involve changes in the deployment architecture or additional security measures. For example, due to hardware change, you may want to migrate the WDS roles to another server. If you wish to upgrade to a new OS, you should rather perform an in-place upgrade.
If your existing WDS infrastructure is experiencing performance issues, migrating to a new server might be necessary. This can involve moving to more robust hardware or adopting a distributed architecture as mentioned above.
Also, for Disaster Recovery Planning. You might include your WDS migration as part of a broader disaster recovery plan to ensure that the deployment services can be quickly restored in the event of a system failure or disaster.
Some firms may decide to consolidate or centralize their IT infrastructure for better management and efficiency. Migrating WDS to a centralized data centre or server may be part of this strategy.
Important information: Configuring Windows Deployment Services
When you are running Windows Deployment Services and a non-Microsoft DHCP server on the same computer. In addition to configuring the server to not listen on port 67. You will need to use your DHCP tools to add Option 60 to your DHCP scopes.
If DHCP is installed on a server that is located in a different subnet. You will need to do one of the following:
- If Windows Deployment Services and DHCP are running on the same computer. Configuring Windows Deployment Services to not respond to any client computers will not work. This is because although Windows Deployment Services will not respond, DHCP will. You can try to work around this issue by disabling the DHCP option 60 on the DHCP tab
- Configure your router to forward broadcast packets across subnets. All DHCP broadcasts by client PC on UDP port 67 should be forwarded directly to both the DHCP server and the WDS server. Also, all traffic on UDP port 4011 from the client computers to the Windows Deployment Services server should be routed appropriately (these requests direct traffic, not broadcasts, to the server).
- Lastly, add DHCP options 66 and 67. Option 66 should be set to the Windows Deployment Services server, and option 67 should be set to boot\x86\wdsnbp.com.
Install Windows Deployment Services Role
To Install the WDS role over the Server Manager, please follow the steps below. Please see how to set up and install WDS role.
Click Add roles and features as shown below.
On the Select installation type. Select Role-based or feature-based installation.
Select the Windows Deployment Services as shown below.
This will prompt the installation of these features that are required by WDS. Click on Add Features.
Click Next to continue
As discussed above, this window is just hampering on the prerequisites for deploying WDS.
Ensure that both Deployment Server and Transport Server are selected on the second screen of the installation wizard.
This is the most common option because it provides the full functionality of Windows Deployment Services, which you can use to configure and remotely install Windows operating systems. The Deployment Server is dependent on the core parts of Transport Server.
Click on Install to install the WDS role onto this server.
Click on the next window to Close it.
After installing, the WDS server, you must configure the WDS Server in order to be able to start the service. Otherwise, you will get the following error “An error occurred while trying to start the windows deployment services”. See this article for how to configure Windows Deployment Services on Windows Server 2019.
Since we are migrating, I will be copying the RemoteInstall Folder to the destination server before configuring WDS.Step 2 Copy the RemoteInstall Directory
This step is vital in achieving the steps to migrate WDS and MDT to a new Windows Server. To do this, stop the WDS service on the server you wish to migrate from.
As you can see, the services have been stopped.
Copy the RemoteInstall folder (Reminst folder) from the Windows Server 2019 to the destination Windows Server 2022 for example on (C:\RemoteInstall by default). This could be on any drive you have specified and not necessarily on C.
As you can see below, this directory has been successfully copied to the remote server.
Start the WDs services again on the server if you wish.
Take a look at this guide to see the steps on how to ADK|WinPE|MDT: Deploy Windows with WDS. You may also want to see the steps to How to check the version of Windows ADK, and how to uninstall and upgrade ADK, WinPE, and MDT.
Configure WDS
Launch WDS console, and select Windows Deployment Services. Ensure that you are a Domain Administrator. How to configure Windows Deployment Services on Windows Server 2019.
Click on Configure Server
On the before you begin page, click on Next.
Select integrate with Active Directory (AD), and click Next.
I will be specifying a different portion than the default. That is, the directory I have copied. When this is done, I will click on OK.
I will click on Next to proceed.
For the initial settings of PXE, I am fine with the second option “Respond only to known client computers”. Click next to continue.
As you can see, the configuration is in progress.
I will click on Finish o complete this process.
You can start adding images right now. I am not interested in this as I have to install MDT, ADK, WinPE etc on the destination.
Install and Migrate Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
MDT is a unified collection of tools, processes, and guidance for automating desktop and server deployment. You can use it to create reference images or as a complete deployment solution. MDT is one of the most important tools available to IT professionals today. Please see the differences between MDT and WDS.
Take a look at this guide to effectively Replicating MDT Deployment Share: How to Create a Selection Profile and Link MDT Deployment Shares. Here is another interesting guide: Copy Deployment Share between Servers without using linked Deployment Shares
In addition, MDT reduces deployment time and standardizing desktop and server images. MDT enables you to more easily manage security and ongoing configurations. When this step is complete, you should be done with the actions required to migrate WDS and MDT to a new Windows Server
MDT builds on top of the core deployment tools in the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK). With more guidance and features designed to reduce the complexity and time required for deployment in an enterprise environment.
Note: The MDT installation process removes any existing instances of MDT installed on the same computer. Existing deployment shares, distribution points, and databases are preserved during this process. They must be upgraded when the installation is complete. But since we are installing MDT anew, we do not care about this.
I hope you found this post useful on how to migrate WDS and MDT to a new Windows Server. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
