Windows 7 and Deployment Image Servicing and Management
By
Patrick Nelson
Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) is a new
command-line image management tool for
Windows 7 and Windows
Server 2008 R2.
DISM is included in the Windows Automated Installation Kit
(Windows AIK.) It lets the person deploying Windows 7 see
components of an operating system image--that image can be
applied or mounted.
It also allows for the adding, removing of packages,
software updates and drivers.
DISM can be used to work with a
Windows 7 image and also a
Windows Pre-installation Environment (Windows PE) image.
DISM is good for managing the data and information in the
Windows 7 image, like inventory of components for example.
And it’s good for servicing the image, like adding drivers
or enabling Windows 7 features.
DISM replaces Package Manager (Pkgmgr.exe), PEimg, and
Intlcfg that were included in Windows Vista.
Those elements are now in one management tool. You can use
DIDSM on Vista Service Packs 1 and 2.
It will work like Package Manager and won’t provide the same
additional functionality which you will get with Windows 7.
You can use older Package Manager scripts in DISM.
DISM can be used to:
- add, remove, and enumerate packages and drivers;
- enable or disable Windows features;
- apply changes based on the offline Servicing section of an Unattend.xml answer file; configure international settings;
- upgrade a Windows image to a different edition;
- prepare a Windows PE 3.0 image;
- improve logging;
- service earlier versions of Windows such as Windows Vista with SP1 and 2 and Windows Server 2008;
- service all platforms (32-bit, 64-bit, and Itanium;)
- service a 32-bit image from a 64-bit host
- service a 64-bit image from a 32-bit host.
There’s a full list of limitations at Microsoft’s TechNet
which you can read here.
One of the main ones is that you must use an answer file if
you are installing multiple packages. That way you can get
the order right.
There are some things that DISM can’t be used for.
It won’t install packages over a network--the image has to
be on the local machine. Plus, it won’t install service
packs.
Multiple unattended files aren’t supported. Multiple servicing
commands are also not supported--each command has to be on a
separate line.
DISM can’t be used with images that are more recent than the
installed version of the Windows OEM Preinstallation Kit
(Windows OPK) or Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows
AIK) in which DISM is distributed.