In most cases you will run install SQL Server interactively, starting SETUP.EXE (as described in Chapter 4, "Server Installation") and determining the settings for each installation option by responding to the setup program's on-screen instructions. This can be referred to as an attended installation.
The setup program also allows you to install SQL Server without having to respond to prompts from the setup program. Instead, you create an initialization file that contains the settings for each installation option, and you save the initialization file on a storage device accessible to the computer(s) that will be set up. You can create as many initialization files as needed to support the servers to be installed. When appropriate, you start SETUP.EXE with command-line options that cause it to run in unattended mode, specifying the initialization file to be used to configure the new installation. This is referred to as unattended installation.
Unattended installation is convenient if you will be installing several SQL Servers with identical configurations. It is also convenient if you would like to use SQL Executive to schedule an installation.
Unattended setup supports installation for the local server only. It does not permit remote server installation.
For more information, choose one of the following topics:
Creating a Setup Initialization File
Performing an Unattended Installation
Format of the Setup Initialization File
A Sample Setup Initialization File