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OS Deployment
BigFix OS Deployment, which is part of the BigFix Lifecycle Management suite, provides a consolidated, comprehensive solution to quickly deploy new workstations and servers throughout a network from a single, centralized location. This solution saves time and money, enforces a standardized and approved image, and reduces risks associated with non-compliant or insecure configurations.
Configuring the OS Deployment Environment
To start working with OS Deployment, run the configuration Fixlets and tasks listed in the Setup Node.
Ports used by the Bare Metal OS Deployment Server
To ensure correct communication, check the ports used for the different deployment scenarios.

OS Deployment
BigFix OS Deployment, which is part of the BigFix Lifecycle Management suite, provides a consolidated, comprehensive solution to quickly deploy new workstations and servers throughout a network from a single, centralized location. This solution saves time and money, enforces a standardized and approved image, and reduces risks associated with non-compliant or insecure configurations.
- Product overview
- Configuring the OS Deployment Environment
  To start working with OS Deployment, run the configuration Fixlets and tasks listed in the Setup Node.
  - Update Server Whitelist for OS Deployment
  - Managing the Linux Image provider
    The Linux Image provider component is needed for reimaging Linux systems in your environment and it can be installed on Windows computers only.
  - Managing Bare Metal OS Deployment Servers
    The Bare Metal Server Manager dashboard manages the installation, upgrade, and uninstallation of Bare Metal OS Deployment servers.
  - Ports used by the Bare Metal OS Deployment Server
    To ensure correct communication, check the ports used for the different deployment scenarios.
  - Configuring the DHCP server
    To connect targets to the OS Deployment server, you might need to configure the DHCP server based on the characteristics of your network.
  - Deploying the Management Extender for Bare Metal Targets
    You can manage Bare Metal Targets from the BigFix infrastructure by installing and using the Management Extender for Bare Metal targets.
  - Activating Analyses
  - Health Checks Dashboard
  - Verifying Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA-256) readiness
    BigFix version 9.1 uses the SHA-256 hashing algorithm to increase file exchange security. OS Deployment manages file exchange within the application flows using SHA-256.
- Managing MDT Bundles and Deployment Media for Windows targets
  To perform OS Deployment of Windows operating systems, you prepare your deployment environment and resources using the Bundle and Media Manager Dashboard.
- Managing Drivers for Windows Deployments
  The Manage Images and Drivers node includes tasks to prepare and import drivers for deployment to Windows targets.
- Managing Linux OS Resources and Deployment Media
  You can import Linux OS Resources needed to create network boot media and to capture and deploy Linux images
- Managing Images
  The Manage Images and Drivers node includes tasks to capture, import and manage images for deployment to targets.
- Upload Mode
  By default, the OS images are permanently stored in the BigFix root server.
- Reimaging
  Reimaging is the process of saving the user state on a computer, installing a new image on it, and then restoring the user state.
- Installing Windows 10 or Windows 11 using in-place upgrade
  To upgrade your existing Windows systems to Windows 10 or Windows 11 you can use the in-place upgrade fixlets.
- Bare Metal deployments
  You can install and manage BigFix for OS Deployment servers and create profiles for bare metal deployments.
- Monitoring Deployment Activities
  You can track and monitor all deployment activities in your Endpoint Management network.
- Maintenance and troubleshooting
  You can monitor deployment activities, correct exceptions and adjust configuration settings specific to your environment through dashboards and tasks available for these purposes.
- Setting up OS Deployment in an air-gapped network
  You can choose to configure your OS Deployment and Bare Metal Imaging site in an air-gapped network.
- Deprecated and Superseded functionalities
  This topic lists the functionalities that are still present in OSD, but are deprecated.
- Create Ubuntu OS Resources manually

Ports used by the Bare Metal OS Deployment Server

To ensure correct communication, check the ports used for the different deployment scenarios.

Listening ports used during client network boot (PXE/TFTP protocols):

By default, Bare Metal OS Deployment Servers and targets use the following ports for communication:

Bare Metal Server:

DHCP : port 67 UDP
PXE BINL : port 4011 UDP
TFTP : port 69 UDP

Bare Metal Target:

DHCP : port 68 UDP
PXE BINL : port 4011 UDP

Note: PXE and TFTP ports are not needed when using network boot media.

Listening ports used for OS Deployment tasks and media creation

The following ports are used each time a computer connects to a Bare Metal Server. typical scenarios are:

Bare Metal deployments
Media creation
Reimaging deployments using multicast communication.

Reimaging in unicast mode does not require the Bare Metal Server component.

Bare Metal Server:

NBP : port 4012 UDP
FILE: port 4013 UDP & TCP
MCAST: ports 10000-10500 UDP
HTTP: port 8080 TCP (used for upgraded Bare Metal Servers from an earlier installation)
HTTP: port 8081 TCP (used for new Bare Metal Server installations)
HTTP: port 8088 TCP - Image Provider component used during Linux deployments
Database gateway: port 2020 TCP
HTTP: port 52311 TCP - Relay Downloader

Important:

For new Bare Metal Server installations, the default HTTP port is 8081. The default HTTP port 8080 is maintained only for servers that are upgraded from earlier versions.
The MCAST ports are not needed for unicast (default) deployments.

Bare Metal and reimaging targets:

NBP : port 4014 UDP
MCAST : port 450 UDP
MCAST : port 451 UDP
MCAST : port 9999 UDP

Ports for BigFix Bare Metal Server Web UI access (legacy)

Bare Metal Server:

HTTP: port 8080 TCP (for Servers that are upgraded from older installations)
HTTP: port 8081 TCP (used for new Bare Metal Server installations)
HTTPS : port 443 TCP