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What other guides, programs, and utilities are available that will assist in creating unattended automated installation files?
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What other guides, programs, and utilities are available that will assist in creating unattended automated installation files?

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The Microsoft page I linked to is a fairly complete reference, with links to other pages as required.
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The Microsoft page I linked to is a fairly complete reference, with links to other pages as required.

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I need to create Server 2016 answer files for automating installations so that the installations can be unattended.<br />
<br />
I need to be able to fill out information in advance to answer information such as the following during the automated installation:<br />
<br />
- The administrator password<br />
- The computer name of the server<br />
- The domain the server will be joined to<br />
- The Server 2016 product number installation serial number key<br />
- The static IP address and DNS server addresses for the server<br />
- The domain administrator username and password for joining the Server 2016 server to the AD domain<br />
<br />
What are the best methods or utilities for creating such an unattended installation file?
</div>
</div>


I need to create Server 2016 answer files for automating installations so that the installations can be unattended.

I need to be able to fill out information in advance to answer information such as the following during the automated installation:

- The administrator password
- The computer name of the server
- The domain the server will be joined to
- The Server 2016 product number installation serial number key
- The static IP address and DNS server addresses for the server
- The domain administrator username and password for joining the Server 2016 server to the AD domain

What are the best methods or utilities for creating such an unattended installation file?

Best methods for creating Server 2016 answer files for automated installations

This topic area includes legacy versions of Windows prior to Windows 2000: Windows 3/3.1, Windows 95 and Windows 98, plus any other Windows-related versions including Windows Mobile.

Windows OS

A scripting language is a programming language that supports scripts, programs written for a special run-time environment that automate the execution of tasks that could alternatively be executed one-by-one by a human operator. Scripting languages are often interpreted (rather than compiled). Primitives are usually the elementary tasks or API calls, and the language allows them to be combined into more complex programs. Environments that can be automated through scripting include software applications, web pages within a web browser, the shells of operating systems (OS), embedded systems, as well as numerous games. A scripting language can be viewed as a domain-specific language for a particular environment; in the case of scripting an application, this is also known as an extension language.

Scripting Languages

The Microsoft Server topic includes all of the legacy versions of the operating system, including the Windows NT 3.1, NT 3.5, NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 and Windows Home Server versions.

Microsoft Server OS

Installation is the act of making a computer program program ready for execution. Because the process varies programs often come with a specialized program responsible for doing whatever is needed for their installation. Installation may be part of a larger software deployment process. Cross platform installer builders that produce installers for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux include InstallAnywhere, InstallBuilder and Install4J. Installers for Microsoft Windows include Windows Installer, InstallShield, and Wise Installation Studio; free installer-authoring tools include NSIS, IzPack, Clickteam, InnoSetup, InstallSimple and WiX. Mac OS X includes Installer, and also includes a separate software updating application.

Installation

Windows 10 is a personal computer operating system featuring the "universal application architecture" (UAP); apps can be designed to run across multiple devices with nearly identical code, including PCs, tablets, smartphones, embedded systems, Xbox One, Surface Hub and HoloLens. Windows 10 also includes a virtual desktop system, a window and desktop management feature called Task View, the Microsoft Edge web browser, support for fingerprint and face recognition login, voice-based search (Cortana), new security features for enterprise environments, and DirectX 12 and WDDM 2.0 to improve the operating system's graphics capabilities for games.

Windows 10

Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform and infrastructure for building, deploying and managing applications and services through datacenters. It provides both platform-as-a-service (PaaS) and infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) services and supports many different programming languages, tools and frameworks, including both Microsoft-specific and third-party software and systems. Cloud Services is a PaaS environment and can be used to create scalable applications and services; there are specific software development kits (SDKs) provided by Microsoft for Python, Java, Node.js and .NET. Azure also has file and storage services, data management, analytics and DNS services.

Azure

Windows Server 2016 is the successor to Windows Server 2012 R2. Built upon the same core code as Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 brings enhancements in security, servicing, and connectivity. A particular focus on this release was hybrid-cloud scenarios, and has close ties to Azure and other Microsoft cloud initiatives. This does not detract from the many improvements that are available for on-premises-only deployments

Windows Server 2016 comes in Datacenter, Standard, and Essentials editions, and for servicing, has adopted windows 10's cumulative model. The new nano-server install is designed to be remotely managed and is designed to be kept current through continuous feature updates. The full GUI install operates similarly to windows 10's "Long Term Servicing Branch" (LTSB) model with cumulative security updates.

Windows Server 2016 has also shifted from a per-processor-and-CAL licensing model to a per-core-and CAL licensing model. This brings Windows Server's licensing more in line with Microsoft's other products and makes hybrid-cloud license planning easier as well.