Windows Deployment Services (WDS) is a deprecated component of the Windows Server operating system that enables centralized, network-based deployment of operating systems to bare-metal computers. It is the successor to Remote Installation Services (RIS). WDS officially supports remote deployment of Windows Vista and later, as well as Windows Server 2008 and later. However, because WDS uses disk imaging, in particular the Windows Imaging Format (WIM), it could deploy virtually any operating system. This is in contrast with its predecessor, RIS, which was a method of automating the installation process.
WDS was first bundled with Windows Server 2008 and made available as a supplement for Windows Server 2003 R2. Microsoft deprecated some parts of WDS in Windows Server 2022. It can no longer deploy Windows 11 using a boot.wim file used directly from a Windows ISO or from physical media.