Distribution Point and WDS - TS pulling image across WAN from SCCM 2012 R2 Primary

[boyjaew2]

I have set up a distribution point for a primary site. Remarkably I didn't have to fuss too much to get PXE to work. What I'm seeing now though, is an unknown client will PXE fine from the distribution point location which is in the proper boundary group, but then it will the image.wim in the task sequence across the WAN rather than locally.

 

I have WDS up and running on the DP and have distributed successfully (from sccm primary to DP) everything included in the task sequence other than the image.wim for the task. I get "failed to distribute content" under Distribution status, but see nothing failing in distmgr.log, but I also never see it actually adding the package to the DP, just the primary site location.

 

This is a snip from the most recent attempt in distmgr.log which has been queued for about 4 days, but doesn't succeed.

 

Found notification for package 'CCM00055' SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:27 AM 6236 (0x185C)
Used 0 out of 5 allowed processing threads. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:27 AM 6236 (0x185C)
Starting package processing thread, thread ID = 0x1154 (4436) SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:27 AM 6236 (0x185C)
Sleep 3600 seconds... SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:27 AM 6236 (0x185C)
STATMSG: ID=2300 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER" SYS=SCCM12.mydomain.com SITE=CCM PID=4068 TID=4436 GMTDATE=Mon Apr 07 17:13:27.909 2014 ISTR0="Elitebook 840 G1" ISTR1="CCM00055" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=1 AID0=400 AVAL0="CCM00055" SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:27 AM 4436 (0x1154)
No action specified for the package CCM00055. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:27 AM 4436 (0x1154)
Start validating package CCM00055 on server ["Display=\\goldendp.mydomain.com\"]MSWNET:["SMS_SITE=CCM"]\\goldendp.mydomain.com\... SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:27 AM 4436 (0x1154)
DP health monitoring task has been started successfully to verify package 'CCM00055'. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:28 AM 4436 (0x1154)
Package CCM00055 does not have a preferred sender. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:29 AM 4436 (0x1154)
The package and/or program properties for package CCM00055 have not changed, need to determine which site(s) need updated package info. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:29 AM 4436 (0x1154)
CDistributionSrcSQL::UpdateAvailableVersion PackageID=CCM00055, Version=2, Status=2301 SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:29 AM 4436 (0x1154)
StoredPkgVersion (2) of package CCM00055. StoredPkgVersion in database is 2. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:29 AM 4436 (0x1154)
SourceVersion (2) of package CCM00055. SourceVersion in database is 2. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:29 AM 4436 (0x1154)
STATMSG: ID=2301 SEV=I LEV=M SOURCE="SMS Server" COMP="SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER" SYS=SCCM12.mydomain.com SITE=CCM PID=4068 TID=4436 GMTDATE=Mon Apr 07 17:13:29.764 2014 ISTR0="Elitebook 840 G1" ISTR1="CCM00055" ISTR2="" ISTR3="" ISTR4="" ISTR5="" ISTR6="" ISTR7="" ISTR8="" ISTR9="" NUMATTRS=1 AID0=400 AVAL0="CCM00055" SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:29 AM 4436 (0x1154)
Exiting package processing thread. SMS_DISTRIBUTION_MANAGER 4/7/2014 11:13:29 AM 4436 (0x1154)

 

 

I have a volume on the DP dedicated for WDS which includes the following directories: RemoteInstall, SCCMContentLib, SMS, SMS_DP$, SMSSIG$ and a SOURCES folder which I robocopy'd relevant folders and files needed for OSD at the DP location from the primary site server. I set all permissions the same on both sets of folders; the ones on the primary site and the DP site.

 

I'm wondering if I have the task sequence wrong? I thought the OSD TS was supposed to use content closest to the client, but do I have to build a new TS to point to DP content - SOURCES folder on DP - or should the content from the SOURCES folder be in a different location on the DP i.e. RemoteInstall folder or something?

 

The imaging task actually succeeds, much to my amazment, but as you can imagine, I don't want that running over the WAN.

 

Thanks in advance for any input,

[Rocket Man]

Hi There

 

You say you have a DP configured at your PS location and this works fine. You say you robocopied the directories from the PS DP to a remote DP?

Is this correct?

 

OR is it the Sources folder you have robocopied? There should be only one sources folders central to everything and all packages with in your hirearchy points back to this as it's data source. For example if you have 1 PS with a local DP and 15 remote DPs, there should still only be one Sources folder with all the packages content, normally this is located at the PS location in a PS ----> remote DP hirearchy.

 

Also the reason why your imaging is pulling the wim file across the link is because you have more than likely specified in the deployment to use a remote DP if content cannot be found at the local DP. If you de-tick this option it will not look for a remote DP....but the imaging will fail as your wim file is not present within the DP boundary that your client machine resides in at the remote location.

[boyjaew2]

I see.

 

Yes, I robopcoy'd JUST the sources folder and from what I gather this was unnecessary and probably a bad idea.

 

Moving forwad it sounds like I want to remove the SOURCES folder from the remote DP and double check the fallback option on the task and make sure it's not failing over to the PS DP. About the .wim not being present, should I just wait for the distribution task to workitself out pending the SOURCES folder removal? It seems like it's trying everyday. Or is there another step to get the wim properly distributed? The driver packages and boot images all moved successfuly from what I can tell. The image DID complete. It just pulled 9GB over our WAN to do it.

[Rocket Man]

Are you distributing the image package using the central source as the data location for the file?

9 GB is quite a large file and depending on your WAN link depends on how successful it is at distributing. If it is due to the size and not to with the possible way you have specified the data source for it then you could create a pre-stage media content file from it. This functionality is to help with large packages distributing across bad WAN links.

What speed are your links?

[boyjaew2]

Yes, I have distributed the image package from the primary. Is that the wrong way? I think I must be misunderstanding what happens. I thought by distributing the content, among other things, I was sending all the actual content over to the remote DP so that they'd be local to that site when I ran my task sequence. I was thinking about that though and if the UNC path for the image is the local DP then that IS probably where it's going to get it from. Which is what I don't want.

 

We have a 10mbps MPLS link bewteen sites, but my goal was to have all the big stuff, like the image.wim, already sitting at the remote DP site. I DO NOT want to be pulling images across that link. So, do I have to build a new task pointing to the remote DP for the .wim or go with the prestaged content? I have not created a prestaged content file before, but that kinda sounds like what I'm trying to do.

 

smsts.log from test image task: I bolded the parts that especially confuse me. Will creating a prestaged content file make the .wim available locally? Should I move the .wim manually to a specific folder on the remote DP? Where is that "DownloadOnDemand" flag set?

 

Command line for extension .exe is "%1" %* TSManager 4/7/2014 5:10:47 PM 648 (0x0288)
Set command line: OSDApplyOS.exe /data:CCM00055,%OSDDataImageIndex% TSManager 4/7/2014 5:10:47 PM 648 (0x0288)
Start executing the command line: OSDApplyOS.exe /data:CCM00055,%OSDDataImageIndex% TSManager 4/7/2014 5:10:47 PM 648 (0x0288)
!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------! TSManager 4/7/2014 5:10:47 PM 648 (0x0288)
Expand a string: WinPE TSManager 4/7/2014 5:10:47 PM 648 (0x0288)
Executing command line: OSDApplyOS.exe /data:CCM00055,%OSDDataImageIndex% TSManager 4/7/2014 5:10:47 PM 648 (0x0288)
Command line for extension .exe is "%1" %* ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:47 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Set command line: "OSDApplyOS.exe" /data:CCM00055,1 ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:47 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Searching for next available volume: ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:47 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Volume C:\ is a valid target. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Found volume C:\ ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Windows target partition is 0-1, driver letter is C:\ ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Succeeded loading resource DLL 'X:\sms\bin\x64\1033\TSRES.DLL' ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
The machine does not have a local client cache. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
ResolveSource flags: 0x00000000 ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
SMSTSPersistContent: . The content for package CCM00055 will be persisted ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
DownloadOnDemand flag is true. Attempting to download content locally for Package CCM00055. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Locations: Multicast = 0, HTTP = 1, SMB = 0. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Package Flags: 0x01000000 ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)

 

And we're off to the races at this point pulling across the WAN.

Multicast is not enabled for the package. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Trying http://SCCM12.mydomain.com/SMS_DP_SMSPKG$/CCM00055. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
GetDirectoryListing() entered ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Initializing HTTP transport. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Setting URL = http://SCCM12.mydomain.com/SMS_DP_SMSPKG$/CCM00055. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Address=http://SCCM12.mydomain.com, Scheme=http, Object=/SMS_DP_SMSPKG$/CCM00055, Port=80. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Setting Authenticator. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Set authenticator in transport ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
WinHttp credentials set ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
CLibSMSMessageWinHttpTransport::Send: URL: SCCM12.mydomain.com:80 PROPFIND /SMS_DP_SMSPKG$/CCM00055 ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
401 - Unsuccessful with anonymous access. Retrying with context credentials. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Using thread token for request ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
401 - Unsuccessful with context credentials. Retrying with supplied credentials. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Request was successful. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
DAV response string is:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?><D:multistatus xmlns:D="DAV:"><D:response><D:href>http://SCCM12.mydomain.com/SMS_DP_SMSPKG$/sccm?/CCM00055/</D:href><D:propstat><D:status>HTTP/1.1 200 OK</D:status><D:prop><D:getcontenttype/><D:supportedlock/><D:getetag/><D:creationdate/><D:iscollection>1</D:iscollection><D:resourcetype><D:collection/></D:resourcetype><D:ishidden>0</D:ishidden><D:displayname>http://SCCM12.mydomain.com/SMS_DP_SMSPKG$/sccm?/CCM00055/</D:displayname><D:getlastmodified></D:getlastmodified><D:getcontentlanguage/><D:getcontentlength>0</D:getcontentlength></D:prop></D:propstat></D:response><D:response><D:href>http://SCCM12.mydomain.com/SMS_DP_SMSPKG$/CCM00055/sccm?/Elitebook%20840%20G1.wim</D:href><D:propstat><D:status>HTTP/1.1 200 OK</D:status><D:prop><D:getcontenttype/><D:lockdiscovery/><D:supportedlock/><D:getetag/><D:getcontentlanguage/><D:iscollection>0</D:iscollection><D:creationdate/><D:resourcetype/><D:ishidden>0</D:ishidden><D:displayname>http://SCCM12.mydomain.com/SMS_DP_SMSPKG$/CCM00055/sccm?/Elitebook%20840%20G1.wim</D:displayname><D:getlastmodified>Tue, 01 Apr 2014 15:53:11 GMT</D:getlastmodified><D:getcontentlength>9076271985</D:getcontentlength></D:prop></D:propstat></D:response></D:multistatus> ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
List of files to be downloaded ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
File: http://SCCM12.mydomain.com:80/SMS_DP_SMSPKG$/CCM00055/sccm?/Elitebook%20840%20G1.wim ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
GetDirectoryListing() successfully completed ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Succeeded loading resource DLL 'X:\sms\bin\x64\1033\TSRES.DLL' ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
401 - Unsuccessful with anonymous access. Retrying with context credentials. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
401 - Unsuccessful with context credentials. Retrying with supplied credentials. ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:48 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Downloading file /SMS_DP_SMSPKG$/CCM00055/sccm?/Elitebook%20840%20G1.wim range 0-2147483646 ApplyOperatingSystem 4/7/2014 5:10:49 PM 2020 (0x07E4)
Executing command line: X:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe /k TSBootShell 4/7/2014 5:14:12 PM 764 (0x02FC)
The command completed successfully. TSBootShell 4/7/2014 5:14:12 PM 764 (0x02FC)
Successfully launched command shell. TSBootShell 4/7/2014 5:14:12 PM 764 (0x02FC)

 

Thanks again for the help.

[Rocket Man]

Yes, I have distributed the image package from the primary. Is that the wrong way?

 

 

This is the correct way.

 

 

I thought by distributing the content, among other things, I was sending all the actual content over to the remote DP so that they'd be local to that site when I ran my task sequence

 

Yes again this is correct. The packages will be in the content share at the remote DP, so any client looking for content at this boundary will look at it's local DP for the content.

 

I was thinking about that though and if the UNC path for the image is the local DP then that IS probably where it's going to get it from. Which is what I don't want

 

 

Not sure if I am getting you correct here. But the UNC path for the image file (the data source) should always be the the sources folder in the central site and from here you distribute this out as a package to your remote content shares which are created during thr DP installation/configuration.

 

 

So, do I have to build a new task pointing to the remote DP for the .wim

 

How do you specify in the TS to point to a remote DP for content?. You can specify not to look for content at another DP if the local DP has not get the content, which I think is what is happening at the moment with yourself. A single TS can do many remote sites aslong as the content that is attached in the indvidual tasks of the sequence is present at the remote DPs.

 

 

Should I move the .wim manually to a specific folder on the remote DP?

No you should never move packages manually, only distribute them as there are hash enteries associated with each distribution and recorded for SCCM reference.

 

Initially when I was only starting to use SCCM i had a few remote DPs and I distributed a small standard image out to them successfully, which created a folder associated with it's package ID in the content folder of the DPs. I then had a huge golden image which was approx 16GB in size, so what I done was manually copied this image into the smaller images content folder at all DPs and changed the the image file in the TS to point to this imported larger image. I thought this woud trick SCCM and yes it did in a way and yes it work but after some research I found that this is not a good thing to do as there are hash enteries recorded for each distribution.

We now have sufficient links between sites so distributing large images is not a problem now.

 

Will creating a prestaged content file make the .wim available locally?

 

 

Yes it will. There are some bloggs on the net about it if you look for them. i never had to this or even tried, but from what i understand you have to choose the package on the site server and create a content file for it. The content file will then have the larger part of the package. Then you have to get this content file to the remote DP by whatever means (robocopy would do if the link can copy it) and run a command that extracts the binaries of the package and then it links back up to the central site (don't hold me to this but this is more or less along the lines what it does).

 

 

DownloadOnDemand flag is true. Attempting to download content locally for Package CCM00055.

 

Have you specified on this package to copy to a content share?. If so does this CCM00055 folder exist and also contain the file(s) associated with it on the DP content share at this location?

[boyjaew2]

Thanks for all the help. I really appreciate it. This all makes sense. I think I have it sorted for the most part and it looks like adjusting some of the settings on the various packages under "Distribution Settings" and on the remote DP distributon point settings - "Enable this distribution point for prestaged content" is what was giving me issues. I didn't have these setup correctly. So, the remote DP was waitng for prestaged content and the packages were all set to "Manually copy the content in this package to the distribution point". After I got those straightened out, at least, the actual distribution was succesful. I've yet to test the image deployment, but I think it will work now.

 

I have to test tonight and hopefully I can follow up with a note of success.

 

One thing I've never been quite clear on is: when you set up WDS (via turning things on in sccm) it builds all those folders - RemoteInstall, SCCMContentLib,SMS etc. And, the share names don't help matters much. I've never been very clear as to what goes where. For example the obvious choice in my mind for where to see the images I build is RemoteInstall\Images. Yet, nothing ever ends up in that folder on either site. If you could either tell me where to look to confirm where the CCM00055.wim is on the remote DP or point me in the direction of some solid dox on the matter, that would be very useful to me. I see .ini files and what look like hashes for it, but not the full 8GB .wim anywhere.

[boyjaew2]

Rocket Man,

Thanks, for helping me get this thing sorted.

 

 

[Rocket Man]

Nice Pic lol..

Good to hear it's sorted. How did you get the image across, standard distribution or Prestage content file?

 

Also I see your downloading everything first. If you specify in the properties of each package that is associated within your task sequence to copy to content share you would have an option in the deployment to access content directly from DP, which will make the overall deployment a considerable lot less time consuming and also less taxing on the network.

 

By doing this answers your question.

If you could tell me where to look to confirm where the CM00005.wim is

&

I see ini files and what look like hashes for it, but not the whole 8GBwim.

 

You will then find all the distributed files in their entirety in the SMSPKGC$ directory on the DPs where C is the drive the content folders are installed on. If the shares are on an E drive partition the share will be named SMSPKGE$

 

Hope this answers your questions.

[boyjaew2]

Dang it. Looks like I spoke too soon, still pulling image from primary DP over the internet.

 

I had decided to go with the "Copy to share" option and created a custom share. I thought that would do the trick. I currently have nothing in my SMSPKGW$ directory - thanks for that info by the way - Should I NOT have created the custom share (PackagesFromSccm12$\Images)? What do you think?

 

All the bits for the OSD are on the remote DP, but maybe in the wrong place? Man, this is confusing. I feel like a damn idiot.

 

Below are the settings for the .wim

 

 

Data Source settings

 

 

Distribution settings