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Probably the simplest way is to perform a standard GUI based install on a server. Just before you hit the final Install button it will give you a path to an ConfigurationFile.ini file (usually in C:\\Program Files\\Microsoft SQL Server\\100\\Setup Bootstrap\\Log\\). This ini file contains all the information for performing the install. You can use this as your template (and change parameters as needs be) then just launch it from the command line with setup.exe /configuationfile="path to file\\file.ini". Here's a sample of one of those files... ---------- > ;SQLSERVER2008 Configuration File > [SQLSERVER2008] > > ; Specify the Instance ID for the SQL > Server features you have specified. > SQL Server directory structure, > registry structure, and service names > will reflect the instance ID of the > SQL Server instance. > > INSTANCEID="MSSQLSERVER" > > ; Specifies a Setup work flow, like > INSTALL, UNINSTALL, or UPGRADE. This > is a required parameter. > > ACTION="Install" > > ; Specifies features to install, > uninstall, or upgrade. The list of > top-level features include SQL, AS, > RS, IS, and Tools. The SQL feature > will install the database engine, > replication, and full-text. The Tools > feature will install Management Tools, > Books online, Business Intelligence > Development Studio, and other shared > components. > > FEATURES=SQLENGINE,REPLICATION,FULLTEXT,BIDS,CONN,IS,BC,SDK,BOL,SSMS,ADV_SSMS,SNAC_SDK,OCS > > ; Displays the command line parameters > usage > > HELP="False" > > ; Specifies that the detailed Setup > log should be piped to the console. > > INDICATEPROGRESS="False" > > ; Setup will not display any user > interface. > > QUIET="False" > > ; Setup will display progress only > without any user interaction. > > QUIETSIMPLE="False" > > ; Specifies that Setup should install > into WOW64. This command line argument > is not supported on an IA64 or a > 32-bit system. > > X86="False" > > ; Detailed help for command line > argument ENU has not been defined yet. > > > ENU="True" > > ; Parameter that controls the user > interface behavior. Valid values are > Normal for the full UI, and > AutoAdvance for a simplied UI. > > UIMODE="Normal" > > ; Specify if errors can be reported to > Microsoft to improve future SQL Server > releases. Specify 1 or True to enable > and 0 or False to disable this > feature. > > ERRORREPORTING="False" > > ; Specify the root installation > directory for native shared > components. > > INSTALLSHAREDDIR="C:\\Program > Files\\Microsoft SQL Server" > > ; Specify the root installation > directory for the WOW64 shared > components. > > INSTALLSHAREDWOWDIR="C:\\Program Files > (x86)\\Microsoft SQL Server" > > ; Specify the installation directory. > > INSTANCEDIR="C:\\Program > Files\\Microsoft SQL Server" > > ; Specify that SQL Server feature > usage data can be collected and sent > to Microsoft. Specify 1 or True to > enable and 0 or False to disable this > feature. > > SQMREPORTING="False" > > ; Specify a default or named instance. > MSSQLSERVER is the default instance > for non-Express editions and > SQLExpress for Express editions. This > parameter is required when installing > the SQL Server Database Engine (SQL), > Analysis Services (AS), or Reporting > Services (RS). > > INSTANCENAME="MSSQLSERVER" > > ; Agent account name > > AGTSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\\NETWORK > SERVICE" > > ; Auto-start service after > installation. > > AGTSVCSTARTUPTYPE="Manual" > > ; Startup type for Integration > Services. > > ISSVCSTARTUPTYPE="Manual" > > ; Account for Integration Services: > Domain\User or system account. > > ISSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\\NETWORK > SERVICE" > > ; Controls the service startup type > setting after the service has been > created. > > ASSVCSTARTUPTYPE="Automatic" > > ; The collation to be used by Analysis > Services. > > ASCOLLATION="Latin1_General_CI_AS" > > ; The location for the Analysis > Services data files. > > ASDATADIR="Data" > > ; The location for the Analysis > Services log files. > > ASLOGDIR="Log" > > ; The location for the Analysis > Services backup files. > > ASBACKUPDIR="Backup" > > ; The location for the Analysis > Services temporary files. > > ASTEMPDIR="Temp" > > ; The location for the Analysis > Services configuration files. > > ASCONFIGDIR="Config" > > ; Specifies whether or not the MSOLAP > provider is allowed to run in process. > > > ASPROVIDERMSOLAP="1" > > ; A port number used to connect to the > SharePoint Central Administration web > application. > > FARMADMINPORT="0" > > ; Startup type for the SQL Server > service. > > SQLSVCSTARTUPTYPE="Manual" > > ; Level to enable FILESTREAM feature > at (0, 1, 2 or 3). > > FILESTREAMLEVEL="0" > > ; Set to "1" to enable RANU for SQL > Server Express. > > ENABLERANU="False" > > ; Specifies a Windows collation or an > SQL collation to use for the Database > Engine. > > SQLCOLLATION="SQL_Latin1_General_CP1_CI_AS" > > ; Account for SQL Server service: > Domain\User or system account. > > SQLSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\\NETWORK > SERVICE" > > ; Windows account(s) to provision as > SQL Server system administrators. > > SQLSYSADMINACCOUNTS="mydomain\\DBAGroup" > > ; Provision current user as a Database > Engine system administrator for SQL > Server 2008 R2 Express. > > ADDCURRENTUSERASSQLADMIN="False" > > ; Specify 0 to disable or 1 to enable > the TCP/IP protocol. > > TCPENABLED="0" > > ; Specify 0 to disable or 1 to enable > the Named Pipes protocol. > > NPENABLED="0" > > ; Startup type for Browser Service. > > BROWSERSVCSTARTUPTYPE="Disabled" > > ; Specifies how the startup mode of > the report server NT service. When ; > Manual - Service startup is manual > mode (default). ; Automatic - Service > startup is automatic mode. ; Disabled > - Service is disabled > > RSSVCSTARTUPTYPE="Automatic" > > ; Specifies which mode report server > is installed in. ; Default value: > “FilesOnly” > > RSINSTALLMODE="FilesOnlyMode" > > ; Add description of input argument > FTSVCACCOUNT > > FTSVCACCOUNT="NT AUTHORITY\\LOCAL > SERVICE"

SirSQL has rightly point out that the configuration file is the way to go. You can use the configuration file to deploy SQL Server throughout the enterprise with the same configuration Following are BOL links to get you going http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd239405.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms143219.aspx http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb500442.aspx http://sqlblog.com/blogs/john_paul_cook/archive/2008/08/15/sql-2008-configurationfile-ini-file-not-just-for-unattended-installs.aspx (A good thing to know)