Dell OpenManage Deployment Toolkit Version 4.3 User's Guide

Dell systems can be deployed using several methods. The most common method is using the Systems Build and Update Utility (SBUU) on the Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD that is shipped with your system. Currently, this method is used to deploy a single system at a time with the installation wizard.

DTK, on the other hand, offers a complete set of utilities, sample scripts, and RPM packages that can be used to automate deployment on large numbers of Dell systems. This guide is designed to help you through some of the most basic planning considerations, logistical preparations, and deployment procedures to get you started using DTK to deploy Dell systems.

A well-thought-out deployment plan is critical to the success of your deployment effort and includes the following considerations:

• Assessing your existing IT environment
• Selecting an operating system
• Selecting the optimum Dell OpenManage systems management software configuration for your system
• Choosing a deployment method

DTK is flexible enough to fit into almost any deployment plan.

DTK components can be used in many different ways to assist IT staff in deploying Dell systems in large numbers. Because all the tools and scripts are task-oriented, many of them can be used separately to perform a specific task on many systems or collectively to perform many tasks on many systems at once. For information on the deployment methods, see Running The Deployment Scripts .