using Multiple Task Sequences via PXE

[anyweb]

This tip will show you how to let your local I.T. guy see a Task Sequence menu after PXE booting the computer.

 

first of all create a new collection (in your Deploy collection) called MultiTask.

 

 

from your list of available Task Sequences that you have already made, choose one, and right click and select Advertise.

 

 

advertise it to your Multitask collection, make sure PXE boot is enabled and choose next

 

 

make sure that you do not set any mandatory options (in other words, it is now voluntary) and click next

 

 

set your distribution point settings

 

 

and leave interaction as default

 

 

and click next until complete through security and summary.

 

repeat the above steps with at least one more Task Sequence, after this, you can verify that the task sequences are advertised to the MultiTask collection by looking at the collection properties and clicking on the Advertisements tab

 

 

Now using Computer Association, import a computer (or create a direct membership) into the MultiTask collection

 

 

and pxe boot it, you should see the following

 

 

do as it says and press F12

 

it will start loading Windows PE

 

 

If however, you see some of your Windows Deployment Services menus (like capture or deploy) then you will need to reconfigure the WDS server properties and set the PXE respone time to more than than PXE response time set in SCCM, and then restart the WDS service. If that doesn't help then verify that the computer you imported is not obsolete in SCCM.

 

 

followed by this, just click next, if you want it to prompt for a password then configure the PXE Service Point role with a password

 

 

then you'll see your list of Task Sequences, select one and you are done !

 

 

Note: if you want the password and choice menu removed via a script then checkout this post

[PhilG]

Hello.

I've been assigned as the head SCCM guy at work and have referenced this website often, utilizing some of the concepts that you have made available. THANK YOU for taking the time and providing this valuable information!

 

My dilemma - I have been tasked with the following:

Modify our Production Windows 7 imaging Task Sequence to choose from a menu via PXE which software package/s is/are needed for a particular department. (The Production Task Sequence formats the harddisk, installs the OS, applies needed specific device drivers through logic conditions (we have quite the heterogenous setup here with many different HP, Dell, and other workstation/laptop devices), and then install the needed core software packages (MS Office 2010, Java)).

 

Restated by example:

We are being asked to incorporate a way to have the imaging process prompt, after installing the core software packages during the Task Sequence, which additional software package(s) to install, for instance, if the Financial department is to have applications A, B, C, and Human Resources is to have applications X, Y, Z, and so on, then we can choose, when prompted, which packages to complete the setup.

 

Simpler stated:

Image process runs, the core software install, then during PXE a menu option appears which allows us to choose which software to additionally add for that image.

 

Can this be accomplished? If so, how?

 

I kind of see it as developing separate Task Sequences for each department and utilizing the "using Mulitple Task Sequences via PXE", but I do not believe that is what the boss wants.

 

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

[Peter van der Woude]

I would start with looking at UDI in MDT, it already brings a lot of these things out-of-the-box and integrates with SCCM.

[PhilG]

Hello.

I've been assigned as the head SCCM guy at work and have referenced this website often, utilizing some of the concepts that you have made available. THANK YOU for taking the time and providing this valuable information!

 

My dilemma - I have been tasked with the following:

Modify our Production Windows 7 imaging Task Sequence to choose from a menu via PXE which software package/s is/are needed for a particular department. (The Production Task Sequence formats the harddisk, installs the OS, applies needed specific device drivers through logic conditions (we have quite the heterogenous setup here with many different HP, Dell, and other workstation/laptop devices), and then install the needed core software packages (MS Office 2010, Java)).

 

Restated by example:

We are being asked to incorporate a way to have the imaging process prompt, after installing the core software packages during the Task Sequence, which additional software package(s) to install, for instance, if the Financial department is to have applications A, B, C, and Human Resources is to have applications X, Y, Z, and so on, then we can choose, when prompted, which packages to complete the setup.

 

Simpler stated:

Image process runs, the core software install, then during PXE a menu option appears which allows us to choose which software to additionally add for that image.

 

Can this be accomplished? If so, how?

 

I kind of see it as developing separate Task Sequences for each department and utilizing the "using Mulitple Task Sequences via PXE", but I do not believe that is what the boss wants.

 

Thank you in advance for your assistance!

 

Hello:

I have not received any feedback regarding this question and am wondering if this can be accomplished and how? Thank you.

[Peter van der Woude]

I gave you feedback... I would start with looking at UDI in MDT, it already brings a lot of these things out-of-the-box and integrates with SCCM.

[Rocket Man]

Hi

 

Just wondering if deploying multiple TS to the unknown Computer collection in SCCM 2012 works this way also.

 

I have just tested this by deploying 2 TS to the unknown collection . I have a test server on a hyper-v box at a remote site and have added the unknown computer collection to its DP group. It does not prompt me which TS I wish to install?

 

I posted a question in relation to this a few days ago but no-one has replied as of yet.

 

Thanks

 

Rocket Man

[Peter van der Woude]

It should function the same with two optional Task Sequences.

[Rocket Man]

Hi peter

 

Does each TS have to be pointing to a different image file. At the moment I am just pointing both TS to the same image file. What i am doing currently is just deploying a custom base image to several remote sites, so each site has the same image file. Whenever a site requires a diferent image I go to site create the new custom image and capture it to the DP at that site.

 

What i do then is not supported but it works:

 

I call the new custom image the same as the original image xxxx.wim and i place this new image in the IDfolder of the DPshare and relocate the old original image to a diferent directory not in the DPshare. I can then swop these back as i need.

 

My main reason for doing this is because in most cases the new image is much larger (8-9GB) than the original distributed image(3.5GB) from SCCM. I have bad links between sites and I have not got my head around prestaging as of yet.

 

This works so far and i have had no problems...you could say i am tricking SCCM to believe it is installing the smaller original image from the site server when infact it is a much larger image..

 

Maybe this is why I do not get both TS options at PXE.

 

Maybe i should try and distribute a standard install.wim to a remote DP and then deploy 2 TS each pointing to different images to see what happens??

 

What is your thoughts?

 

Thanks

 

Rocket Man

[Peter van der Woude]

I actually got know idea if that can have any influence on seeing the multiple task sequences... I do know that what you are doing with the manually changing of the package folders can cause lots of problems (like hash errors)...

[Rocket Man]

I know it is not supported but I am not changing the folders just the file inside...i will have to get my head around prestaging to address this.

 

I have since created a new OS installer image(just a base install.wim) and distributed it out to 2 of my remote sites. I then deploy the 2 ceatedTS each pointing to each wim file to the unknown computer collection and make it available for PXE. (Both wims are distributed to remote site now)

 

I wait 5-10 mins before PXE booting the test VM at one of the remote sites...and still it does not prompt me to which TS I would like to install...it just wants to install the last TS I deployed from the 2.

 

Any ideas why this is so?

 

Thanks

 

Rocket Man

[Rocket Man]

Hi peter

 

This is solved...should have looked more closely at Niall's example above.

 

I set TS to required and not available and now when I change this I now get Option for which TS I wish to Deploy. :D

 

Thanks Guys

 

Rocket Man