ADS Sequence Files

Windows Server 2003 Automated Deployment Services (ADS) provide XML files that define the sequence of operations for common deployment and management jobs. These jobs are known as task sequences and the files defining these sequences are known as sequence files. Each operation, or task, within a sequence is enclosed in several XML tags.

ADS provides several sample sequence files that you can use as templates to create customized sequences. For example, Web Listing A shows the boot-to-da.xml sample sequence file, which defines the sequence to boot a system to the ADS Deployment Agent. The code at callout A shows the ADS XML schema reference; the code at callout B gives a description of the sequence's task. The code at callout C performs the task (i.e., boots to the Deployment Agent).

You can reorder or combine tasks within a sequence file as necessary to customize your deployment. For example, you can customize sequences to copy extra files to the local disk or to modify the registry. All sequence files reside in the C:\program files\microsoft ads\samples\sequences folder on the ADS server. For more information about sequence files and the default sequence templates, refer to the ADS online documentation.