Using the Controller interfaces

There are three types of interfaces available for interacting with the Controller. Each is shown in the following illustration and is described below.

• ADS Management snap-in: Automated Deployment Services includes a snap-in to the Microsoft Management Console to provide a graphical user interface. The snap-in is an optional component that you can install from the Automated Deployment Services CD by selecting ADS Management under Administration Tools when you run the Setup Wizard. You can install the snap-in on any computer that meets the system requirements. For more information, see System requirements. For step-by-step instructions on the procedures that you can perform using the ADS Management snap-in, see the topics in the How to.
• Command-line tools: ADS command-line tools are programs that manage ADS functions, such as managing devices, images, and jobs. The functionality available through the command-line tools is very similar to what is available through the ADS Management snap-in. For a list of all command-line tools and links to topics about each tool, see Command-line tools. These command-line tools can be run locally on the Controller or by using Terminal Services or Telnet. You can also install the tools on any computer that meets the system requirements. For more information, see System requirements. Command-line tools are installed in the \Program Files\Microsoft ADS\tools and \Program Files\Microsoft ADS\bin directories on the Controller. These directories are added to the PATH so you can run the tools from any command window. To get help on any command-line tool, at the command prompt type the tool name with the /? argument, for example: adsset /?
• Custom applications and scripts: The Controller service functionality is exposed through a Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) provider, which means that you can write your own scripts and custom applications that use the WMI scripting application programming interface (API) or the Component Object Model (COM) to programmatically interact with the Controller. For information on programming with the ADS object model, see ADS Programmer's Guide.