The basic steps for installing an RIS server are as follows:

1. Install the Remote Installation Services.

2. Run the Remote Installation Services Setup wizard.
3. Authorize the RIS server in Active Directory.
4. Grant the appropriate users the right to create computer accounts in the domain.

RIS can be installed through the Add/Remove Program applet within the Control Panel by selecting the Add/Remove Windows Components and choosing Remote Installation Services from the list. Once the necessary files are installed, open the Run command and type RISetup.exe. This will launch the Remote Installation Services Setup wizard that will walk you through the process of setting up the RIS server. The wizard will prompt you for the following information:

• The location of the folder that will store the images. This is the folder that must be placed on an NTFS partition separate from the system and boot partition.

• How the RIS server should respond clients requests.
• The location of the source files. This can be the path to the images or the CD.
• A friendly description and help text to identify the images.

Once RIS is installed you are not quite finished. For security purposes, you can’t install a RIS server on the network and start deploying images to workstations. Before RIS server can respond to clients requests, it must first be authorized to do so within Active Directory. You can authorize the RIS server using the RISetup -check command. Keep in mind as well that you must be a member of the Enterprise Admins group to authorize a RIS server.

The actual process for installing RIS is outlined below:

1. Click Start, point to Control Panel, and click Add/Remove Programs.

2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components. From the list of available components select Remote Installation Services.
3. After the service has been installed, open the run command and type RISetup.exe. This launches the Remote Installation Services Setup Wizard. Click Next.
4. Type in the path to where the RIS server will store the images. Remember this must be an NTFS volume. Click Next.
5. Choose how the RIS server will respond to clients. Click Next.
6. Specify the location of the installation files for the operating system. This maybe the path to your CD-ROM drive or a network location. Click Next.
7. Type in a name for the folder that will host the image of the operating system. Click Next.
8. Type in a friendly description and help text. This information is by clients used to identify images. Click Next. Click Finish.
9. Authorize the server in Active Directory by running the RISetup -check command.

So how does this work? When a RIS server is started on the network, Active Directory is queried to see if the IP address of the RIS server is present in the list of authorized RIS servers on the network. If there is no match found, the RIS server is not permitted to start on the network.

RIS is a very popular subject with Microsoft exams. Be prepared to be presented with a scenario in which a RIS server has been installed but is not able to respond to client requests. The problem will most likely be that the RIS server has not been authorized.

And finally your last step in configuring the RIS server to be used on the network is to grant the appropriate users the right to create computer accounts within the domain. This right will be granted to those responsible for deploying the images using RIS.