A systems administrator is tasked with deploying 50 new virtual web servers. Each server must have the same operating system, patch level, and a pre-installed web server application. The administrator's primary goals are to ensure configuration consistency and minimize deployment time. Which of the following installation methods BEST meets these requirements?
The correct answer is template deployment. A virtual machine (VM) template is a master copy of a virtual machine that includes a pre-installed operating system, applications, and all necessary configurations and patches. Deploying new VMs from a template is the most efficient method for creating multiple, identical servers because it simply clones the master image, which is significantly faster than performing a full OS installation for each machine. This method ensures consistency and drastically reduces deployment time, which directly addresses the scenario's requirements.
An unattended installation uses a script or answer file to automate the steps of a traditional OS installation. While this provides consistency, it is slower than template deployment because it must run through the entire installation and patching process for each of the 50 servers individually.
A Physical to Virtual (P2V) conversion is a process used to migrate an existing physical server into a virtual machine. It is not a method for deploying multiple new servers.
A bare metal installation involves installing an operating system directly onto a physical server's hardware. This is incorrect because the scenario specifies the deployment of virtual servers.