Optional applications selected via UDI interface and stand alone media

Question

I'm running SCCM 2012 sp1 with MDT integration.   I'm using a UDI from MDT to set some basic machine informatoin for imaging (select the OU in the domain, etc).  I also have some optional apps that a tech can select from the UDI to install during
the TS. 
All is working great with network based installations.  However, I have a need for some installations using stand alone media.  Is there a way to create stand alone media that will include those optional apps in the MDT UDI so that those apps can
install during the TS?   I don't think there is, but there are more brilliant minds than mine out there so I thought I would ask.  Maybe there's a way to generate stand alone media via a PS script or something, and have it include the additional
packages so they are on the media and can be called via the TS when it runs.
Thanks!

Answer 1

The root cause of this issue has nothing to do with UDI really, it is just the fact that installing applications using dynamic base variables is not supported in standalone media.  As you say everything has to be directly referenced by the task sequence
for it to work.
We had this same issue a couple of years ago in ConfigMgr 2007 and ended up building our own standalone media wizard using the SDK.  Sounds like a lot of work I know, but for us it was well worth it.  We have just migrated it to ConfigMgr
2012 and updated it to support the app model.
The reason it made sense for us to invest the time in it was because we are a fairly large enterprise (160,000 seats) with a single task sequence used worldwide.  The Windows 7 configuration requirements (not just in terms of app deployment) vary
dramatically from one country to another, but using variables to control deployment we have managed to retain a single TS but let the child site admins have some flexibility.  As we have many small branches/agencies with no ConfigMgr infrastructure we
had to come up with a solution which retained and reused the single TS design but also worked offline.  Standalone media is used to deploy Windows 7 to thousands of users.  Getting the local apps to install wasn't our only issue, the size
of the media was also a problem due to the number of dependencies required to support deployment in every country (drivers, language packs, x86+x64 etc.).
So our standalone media wizard does this:
Reads in the collection variables (used to customise deployment, deploy apps etc.)
Prompts the user for various options like x86/x64, HW types etc.
Creates a copy of the global TS, the wizard then modifies the copy so that a custom TS is created dynamically just for the media.
It disables any unwanted actions in the local TS to remove drivers, x86/x64, language packs etc.
Adds install application actions for each of the apps specified in the dynamic app install variables.
Prompts user for normal standalone media options like ISO, USB, Password, DPs etc.
Creates media based on local/temporary TS.
Deletes the local/temporary TS when complete.
This solves the issue for zero touch deployment but does it work with UDI?  Well the answer is yes and no.  We do use UDI (but again built with the MDT UDI SDK).  Out of the box, the answer is no.  UDI brings a slightly different
issue in that not only are the apps not referenced by the TS (so they are not in the media) but you are also then trying to dynamically change which apps are installed during deployment.  So even if the apps are directly referenced and in the media,
you still have to develop a way of controlling which TS app install actions run based on the user selection.
If you are willing to spend some time with the SDK then it can be done, you just may not find this worthwhile depending on the scale of your environment.
Mark.