Notes from imaging 200+ Windows machines with SCCM
PXE boot, post-image configuration, and software deployment at campus scale.
I have imaged and deployed more than 200 Windows laptops and desktops at Guttman with SCCM. The work falls into three parts.
PXE boot
The machine boots from the network and pulls the image. When PXE fails, check the network path first. Is the port on the right VLAN, and can the machine reach the deployment point?
Post-image configuration
The image is only the starting point. Each machine still needs to be named, joined to the domain, and placed where the right policies apply.
Software deployment
Push applications as a deployment rather than baking everything into the image. The image stays smaller, and updates do not mean rebuilding it.
The part nobody sees
Asset records. Every machine that goes out gets tracked, and the records matter later for loaners, repairs, and salvage decisions.