Remote Installation Service (RIS)

Remote Installation Service (RIS) is a feature included in Microsoft's Windows 2000 server that allows network administrators to install the Windows 2000 Professional operating system and its upgrades to any number of client computers at one time from a centralized location. If the client computer is connected to the server through a local area network (LAN), the computer's hardware will find the RIS server and request a copy of the operating system. The network administrator can use the RISrep imaging option to copy several versions, or images, of a company's desktop configuration to the server so that if a request is made, the server can issue an "image" for a particular computer or user. Microsoft promotes the use of RIS as a way to configure new computers right out of the box and to restore the operating system on a computer that has failed.