Optimized operating system image deployment

A system for optimized operating system (OS) image deployment comprising:

• a computer system including at least one processor and a memory, and configured to perform operations including:
• installing a pseudo-image on a partition of the memory, wherein the pseudo-image is configured to enable the computer system to be booted from the partition, and wherein the pseudo-image is associated with an OS data image stored on a remote server communicatively coupled to the computer system by a network;
• booting the computer system using the partition of the memory that includes the pseudo-image;
• executing an OS install program associated with the pseudo-image;
• during execution of the OS install program:
• identifying a request by the OS install program for particular data from the pseudo-image;
• determining that the requested particular data is not stored in the pseudo-image;
• and
• in response to determining that the requested particular data is not stored in the pseudo-image, retrieving the requested particular data over the network from the OS data image on the remote server.

An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory, computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions thereon that are executable by a processor of a computer system to perform operations for optimized operating system (OS) image deployment, the operations comprising:

• installing a pseudo-image on a partition of the memory, wherein the pseudo-image is configured to enable the computer system to be booted from the partition, and wherein the pseudo-image is associated with an OS data image stored on a remote server communicatively coupled to the computer system by a network;
• booting the computer system using the partition of the memory that includes the pseudo-image;
• executing an OS install program associated with the pseudo-image:
• during execution of the OS install program:
• identifying a request by the OS install program for particular data from the pseudo-image;
• determining that the requested particular data is not stored in the pseudo-image;
• and
• in response to determining that the requested particular data is not stored in the pseudo-image, retrieving the requested particular data over the network from the OS data image on the remote server.