Config Manager 2012 SP1 OSD - Whats New?

I have been asked quite a lot about some of the changes that are coming as part of SCCM 2012 SP1. So I thought I'd take a moment to put these changes on the blog. 

Below are the changes for OSD on SCCM SP1 that Microsoft provided. 

The following items are new or have changed for operating system deployment in Configuration Manager SP1:

• Changes to Configuration Manager Setup:
• Configuration Manager SP1 uses the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (Windows ADK) instead of Windows Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK) to deploy an operating system. Before you run Setup, you must download and install Windows ADK on the site server and the provider computer.
• The User State Migration Tool (USMT) for Windows 8 is installed as part of the Windows ADK. At the top-level site, Setup automatically creates the package for this new version of USMT at the site.
• Setup automatically updates default boot images at the site. You must manually update any custom boot images
• Changes to task sequence:
• The default task sequences have been modified to optimize the deployment of operating systems starting with Windows 7.
• Support for computers that are in Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) mode. The task sequence sets the SMSTSBootUEFI built-in task sequence variable when it detects a computer that is in UEFI mode.
• The default task sequence automatically partitions the computer based on the default Windows configuration for the operating system.
• The build and capture task sequence was updated to apply the operating system image instead of running Setup.exe for installation. You can still run Setup.exe for Windows 8 deployments.
• You can control the behavior of the write filter on Windows Embedded devices when you deploy task sequences.
• Changes to how you create prestaged media:
• You can specify applications, packages, and driver packages to deploy with the operating system.
• You can add or remove content for prestaged media.
• When you deploy the task sequence by using prestaged media, the wizard checks the local task sequence cache for valid content first, and if the content cannot be found or has been revised, the content is downloaded from the distribution point.
• Changes to BitLocker support:
• Use the Pre-provision BitLocker task sequence step to encrypt the disk drive from Windows PE and only encrypt the space used by data. The result is much faster encryption times.
• TPM and PIN is now available as one of the key management options for the current operating system drive in the Enable BitLocker task sequence step.
• Added language neutral boot images:
• You can use the SMSTSLanguageFolder built-in variable to change the language for information displayed by Windows PE.
• Languages are auto-detected and used when boot images are started from Software Center.
• Added the following task sequence built-in variables:
• SMSTSPersistContent: Use this variable to temporarily persist content in the task sequence cache.
• SMSTSPostAction: Use this variable to run a command after the task sequence completes.
• SMSTSBootUEFI: The task sequence sets the SMSTSBootUEFI variable when it detects a computer that is in UEFI mode.
• SMSTSLanguageFolder: Use this variable to change the display language of a language neutral boot image.
• OSDPreserveDriveLetter: This variable determines whether or not the task sequence uses the drive letter on the operating system image WIM file. In Configuration Manager, the drive letter on the WIM file was used when applying the operating system image WIM file. In Configuration Manager SP1, you can set the value for this variable to False to use the drive letter that you specify in the task sequence.
• SMSTSDownloadProgram: Use this variable to specify a downloader program that is used to download content instead of the downloader for the task sequence. As part of the content download process, the task sequence checks the variable for a specified downloader program. If specified, the task sequence runs the program to perform the download.
• Changes to software update installation to offline operating system images:
• Ability to continue updating an image even when one or more software updates fail to install.
• Software updates are copied from the content library on the site server instead of the package source.
• Better monitoring and status for task sequence content and task sequence deployments.
• New deployment setting allows you to deploy the task sequences that are only available in Windows PE.
• You can manage Windows PE optional components from the Optional Components tab in the properties for boot images.
• You can export and import driver packages from the Driver Packages node in the Software Library workspace.
  
  For more details all the other System Center SP1 changes can be found here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj649385#BKMK_SCCMWN
  
  Hope that helped.