Yet another deployment related resource made available by the Redmond Company. Microsoft is doing everything, but actually installing the operating system onto corporate networks. In this context, the Windows Vista Deployment Step by Step Guide is designed to join the concert of resources already made available for the sole purpose of enabling the migration and deployment of Vista.

"This document provides instructions for implementing a basic image-based deployment of Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. We recommend that you first use the steps provided in this guide in a test lab environment as a means to become familiar with new and updated deployment features and technologies available in Windows Vista," Microsoft informs.

The Windows Vista Deployment Step by Step Guide addresses IP professionals looking to create and deploy operating system images of Windows Vista. The guide outlines the Tools and Technologies available with Vista, the Requirements and Prerequisites of an OS image creation and deployment and Additional Resources complementing the document.

Microsoft brakes the Vista image creation and deployment process into five stages. Building a Lab Environment is the first one, then comes Building an Answer File via Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM) while Building a Master Installation by combining the product DVD and the answer file, is the third step. The last two stages involve creating and deploying the OS image.

The Windows Preinstallation Environment (Windows PE) and ImageX technologies will enable the creation of an image based on the master installation. And via Windows PE and ImageX technologies, the image can be deployed on computers from a corporate network.