Remote Installation Services

Remote Installation Services (short: RIS; German: Remote Installation Services ) are an optional component of Microsoft Windows 2000 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 in order to create the memory images of operating systems or complete computer configurations, including desktop settings and application programs, these network clients can be distributed to these partially or completely reinstall via remote service.

Operation

On the RIS server, multiple images of the desired operating systems can be created. The images are generated directly on the server by reading the installation CD of the operating system. It is not necessary ( but possible ) to first install a PC to generate from this an image. As with an unattended installation will work with response files that are associated with an image. In these files, information such as the license key or the computer name are stored. Response files are editable and can contain all the necessary information as required or only basic information. This allows the installation on the client are performed completely without user input, or the user must have some information such as Enter the computer name during the installation procedure.

Installation is done using PXE technology, to install computer is booted over the network card and loads the image to be installed over the network from the RIS server. For non- PXE-enabled computers can be started with a purpose created boot disk.

RIS can be used to perform the initial installation of the operating system or to overwrite an existing installation. With this technology, no additional operating system components as optional services can be added to an existing system. RIS is often used to ensure a standardized basic installation on multiple computers. Basic requirements for the application are configured Active Directory and the installation of the operating system on drive C:. With RIS, no other drive can be selected for installation.

The three main components of the RIS Boot Information Negotiation Layer ( BINL ), Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) and Single Instance Store (SIS).

Development

Successor of Remote Installation Services were with the introduction of Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Windows Deployment Services ( WDS).