
Microsoft Software Assurance membership.How does an SA member integrate DaRT into MDT? First, let’s look at the requirements: SEE: Power checklist: Troubleshooting hard drive failures (Tech Pro Research) Requirements While this won’t likely apply to smaller companies or those that don’t have SA, larger enterprises may benefit greatly from the value-added features, like DaRT for troubleshooting and support of devices and users. It’s available to organizations that use the Microsoft Software Assurance program (SA), which provides business customers with maintenance and support for Microsoft OSes and applications, along with upgrade assurance to the latest versions of Microsoft software. What’s needed is a solution that addresses a large percentage of common troubleshooting issues, is vetted by Microsoft, and that resides on the network as a sort of “ digital Swiss army knife.” Such a suite exists in the form of Microsoft’s Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset, or DaRT for short.ĭaRT is part of the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP). The processes involved may change from site to site, but the reliance on multiple software tools and tricks is still part of the equation. But what of troubleshooting issues or providing support for problematic installations?

It performs these features with a “Lite-Touch” (LTI) or “Zero-Touch” (ZTI) methodology that is user-customizable to largely automate the entire process by way of scripts and leveraging network resources. As I’ve written about Microsoft Deployment Toolkit (MDT) and Windows Deployment Services (WDS) in the past, it’s moved toward a modular deployment platform that seamlessly integrates with an existing Active Directory (AD) environment and scales according to your organization’s needs. Microsoft’s approach to deploying Windows and applications to devices has changed a bit in recent years. How to integrate DaRT into the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit and Windows Deployment ServicesĪdd a high-powered suite of troubleshooting applications to MDT and WDS to supercharge deployments and troubleshooting capabilities.ĭefend your network with Microsoft outside-in security services
