Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the slipstreaming process. By slipstreaming an OS, an RIS image can be installed, including a service pack. The RBFG tool can be used to create a boot disk for client computers that don't support the PXE .99c standard. This section also walks through the process to create the RBFG disk. Last in this chapter, a guideline to RIS Group Policy in Microsoft Active Directory is presented.

Highlights:

• Slipstreaming process

• RBFG

• RIS Group Policy

5.1 Slipstreaming

The OS image on the RIS server has the possibility to integrate a service pack into that image (e.g., Windows XP Professional will have service pack 2 integrated), so there is no need to deploy that package later in the process. Unfortunately, it's not possible to integrate a service pack after an image is uploaded to the server, so the process needs to be applied before the RIS image is being uploaded.

Over time, Microsoft will develop new service packs to various operating systems such as Windows XP. When new service packs are published to the public, the service pack must be tested on the network against business applications, and when the test is successful, a new image with Windows XP Professional with SP X can be integrated into one image. The new image can then be uploaded to the RIS server, ready to deploy to thousands of client computers.

If the service pack hasn't been integrated into the OS image, then it must be deployed later in...