I've been tasked with creating a reloadable image via SCCM which needs to also contain SQL along with a few other packages. Based on what I have found researching SCCM, it appears that the OS image (WIndows 7) installation can be automatted. It also appears that application installations can also be automatted following the OS installation. My question is, can SQL 2008 be pre-installed on the Window 7 WIM image so an automatted install of SQL following the OS installation is not required, or must SQL be installed sequentially via an automation script after the OS is deployed?

SQL does not like the host being renamed so it would be post Win7 deployment. http://www.enhansoft.com/

Never specifically tried, but you should be able to. Many of the Microsoft product demo VHDs are syspreped and include SQL Server. Garth is correct that SQL Server doesn't like to have its name changed, but there is a documented and supported procedure for this that you could include in the deployment TS using sqlcmd: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143799.aspx.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys

Never specifically tried, but you should be able to. Many of the Microsoft product demo VHDs are syspreped and include SQL Server. Garth is correct that SQL Server doesn't like to have its name changed, but there is a documented and supported procedure for this that you could include in the deployment TS using sqlcmd: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143799.aspx.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys

I've done a similar process using Ghost and renaming the image but that process does not sysprep the Windows OS. SCCM will be used to ensure Windows gets unique GUID/SID's via a sysprep'd image. Would you foresee any SQL issues in that scenario? The one other caveat to this is the user application which will be installed after SQL is installed on the image will create SQL users ID's for the application. Do you foresee any security issues trying to build a pre-installed OS, SQL and User app WIM image for deployment through SCCM?

I've done a similar process using Ghost and renaming the image but that process does not sysprep the Windows OS. SCCM will be used to ensure Windows gets unique GUID/SID's via a sysprep'd image. Would you foresee any SQL issues in that scenario? The one other caveat to this is the user application which will be installed after SQL is installed on the image will create SQL users ID's for the application. Do you foresee any security issues trying to build a pre-installed OS, SQL and User app WIM image for deployment through SCCM?

I think it should work fine and does for Microsoft in their Demo VHDs. Distribution via ConfigMgr does not change the WIM so that doesn't really play into it.Jason | http://myitforum.com/cs2/blogs/jsandys | Twitter @JasonSandys