using SCCM 2012 beta2 in a LAB - Part 6. Deploying Windows 7 Enterprise

[anyweb]

In Part 1. of this series we Installed vNext (or should we say SCCM 2012), in Part 2 we started to configure it. In Part 3, we configed Beta 2 some more by enabling Active Directory discovery methods, adding some site system roles, configuring the computer client agent and client push settings and finally doing a manual client installation to verify it all worked, in Part 4 we looked at installing an application using Application Management and the Software Catalog and the Software Center features of SCCM 2012, and in Part 5, we added the FSP, SLP, SMP, SUP. Now we will get our SCCM 2012 server ready for Deploying Windows 7 Enterprise SP1 so that we can start deploying some Windows 7 clients to enhance our LAB.

 

Whats new in Configuration Manager 2012 for Operating System Deployment ?

 

 

• You can apply Windows Updates by using Component-Based Servicing (CBS) to update the Windows Imaging (.wim) file format images that are stored in the image node of the Software Library.
  
• The Task Sequence Media Wizard includes steps to add prestart command files (formerly pre-execution hooks) to prestaged media, bootable media, and stand-alone media.
  
• You can configure the Task Sequence Media Wizard to suppress the Configuration Manager Boot Media wizard during operating system installation. This configuration enables you to deploy operating systems without end user intervention.
  
• You can define a deployment in a prestart command that overrides existing deployments to the target computer. Use the SMSTSPreferredAdvertID task sequence variable to configure the task sequence to use the specific Offer ID that defines the conditions for the deployment.
  
• You can use the same task sequence media to deploy operating systems to computers anywhere in the hierarchy.
  
• The Capture User State task sequence action and the Restore User State task sequence action supports new features from the User State Migration Tool (USMT) version 4.
  
• You can use the Install Application task sequence action to deploy applications from the Software Library when you deploy an operating system.
  
• You can define user device affinity for a client computer during operating system deployment.
  
• The functionality of the PXE service point and its configuration is moved to the distribution point to increase scalability.
   
  

 

Step 1. Add the WDS role

 

Perform the following on the vNext server as SMSadmin

 

Before we start to Build and Capture Windows 7 we will install the Windows Deployment Services Role as we will make use of PXE boot. Start Server Manager and click on Add Roles, select the Windows Deployment Services role and click next

 

 

add the Deployment Server and Transport Server role services

 

 

The WDS role is installed

 

 

click next then click Install

 

 

 

Step 2. Enable the PXE Service Point

 

In the ConfigMgr console, click on Administration, Site Operations, Servers and Site System Roles, and double click on Distribution Point

 

 

In Distribution Point properties, click on the PXE tab, select Enable PXE service point and when prompted about firewall ports (UDP ports 67, 68, 69 and 4011 ) answer yes.

 

 

and while you are at it select Allow this PXE service point to respond to incoming PXE requests and Enable Unknown Computer support, add the PXE password and note that we can now select Primary User Assignment, click on that drop down menu and select Allow UDA with auto-approval, click on Apply then ok.

 

[anyweb]

Step 3. Add the Windows 7 SP1 operating system image

 

In the ConfigMgr console, select Software Library and expand Operating Systems, click on Operating System Installers and choose add operating system installer from the ribbon (alternatively right click to get the same option)

 

 

browse to the UNC path where you have previously copied the extracted contents of your Windows 7 SP1 Enterprise ISO (I extracted mine and then copied it to \\vnext\sources\os\Windows 7 X64 Ent SP1

prior to this step..

 

 

Enter some general information

 

 

click to the end of the wizard

 

 

 

Step 4. Distribute the Operating System

 

Now that we've added the image, let's distribute it to our DP. Click on the image we just added and in the ribbon click on Distribute Content

 

 

the Distribute Content wizard appears

 

 

click next, select Add, select Distribution Point, select our VNEXT server then ok

 

 

click next, next.. and review the successful completion message

 

[anyweb]

Step 5. Distribute the Boot images to DP's

 

Select boot images in the left navigational pane, select the X86 boot image and on the right, right click on the Distribute Content.

 

 

go through the wizard, click Add, choose Distribution Point, select the vnext server, and so on

 

 

until it's all done for the X86 boot image

 

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note that when you add the boot image to the distribution point that there is no longer a SMSPXEIMAGE$ dp listed.

 

Please don't forget to repeat the above for the X64 boot image.

 

 

Step 6. Configure Boot Image options

 

Right click the X86 boot image and choose properties, click on the Customization tab and enable Command line support

 

 

click on the Data Source tab, select Deploy this boot image from the PXE service point, failing to do this will mean you'll not be able to PXE boot, when prompted, go through the update DP's screens..

 

 

Note: Don't forget to Repeat the Above for the X64 Boot Image

[anyweb]

Step 7. Create the ConfigMgr Client Package from Definition

 

 

In Software Library, right click on Packages and choose Create Package from Definition

 

 

click next at the welcome to the wizard, and then select Configuration Manager Client Upgrade

 

 

select Always obtain files from a source directory

 

 

enter the UNC path to the Configmgr client directory of your site server typically \\server\sms_xxx\client where xxx is the sitecode, if you get access denied simply browse to the client directory in explorer and gain permission.. (most likely to be D:\Program Files\Microsoft Configuration Manager\Client)

 

 

click next through the wizard to the end

 

 

 

Step 8. Distribute the ConfigMgr Client to your DP's

 

Right click your new package, and choose Distribute Content

 

go through the familiar wizard until completion

 

 

Now the hard work is done, in the next Part we'll create the build and capture task sequence and create a Deployment (advertise) to a collection.

[latiron]

Awesome guide. I have been able to successfully do pretty much everything you have laid out, with one exception. PXE booting a client. I have a WDS server in my production environment and it works flawlessly. In my test environment, where I'm setting up this SCCM 2012 server, I can't seem to get PXE to work. Someone told me to uninstall WDS and then only select the transport not the deployment server. But in your documentation it shows to install both. It never goes into whether you need to configure WDS itself inside Server Manager or not, so I am assuming you don't do that, and it stays with a Red X bang inside the Server Manager? My DHCP server is on a different server, and I can boot a PC and it gets a DHCP IP address from that pool. So, I don't know where else to look. I can't do too much with the network settings as it's our main Campus IT department who controls all the routers and switches. I know PXE is working over these equipment, because my production servers/WDS service is working. So, would you have any advice? I have even gone into teh DHCP Scope Options and added a check box to 67, and it got me further. It pulls an IP address, but then a TFTP line comes up and it doesn't do anything. I tried added in the preboot.com line that I found in another post here, but that didn't change anything. I even add the IP address of the SCCM server to 66, and that didn't change anything. If I leave the DHCP Scope settings alone/default, meaning nothing for options 66 & 67, I get the following message when I PXE boot the client: PXE-053: No boot filename received. PXE-M0F: Exiting Broadcom PXE ROM.

 

Thanks for any insight or help you can provide.

 

*A side note: I'd love it if you could do your own Lync 2010 Setup guide and include installing the Lync Client and connecting it to the server. I very much appreciate what you do for the tech community.

 

Matt

[anyweb]

i'm happy to do a remote desktop session to your setup to look at it, perhaps you've missed something,

i can do vnc/remote desktop (mstsc)/teamviewer or others just let me know

[latiron]

Teamviewer is probably the best option due to the campus network and rdc and vnc aren't open through the campus firewall. Feel free to contact me via phone or email when a good time is. I'll make myself available when you are. I am in Texas, USA timezone is Central Standard time. It is currently 10:11 AM here. I guess you can get my email info from my profile here. If not, let me know how to get you my contact info offline. Thanks.

Matt

[anyweb]

contact me at my email anyweb AT hotmail DOT com and i'll start the ball rolling

[MCPWiz]

OK. out of all the times we have installed CM2007 or CM12Beta2, not one single time has WDS been properly connected to, configured by and WDS service started by any CM server ever with no “working-out-of-the-box” feeling. I have had high hopes that cm12 even though it's in beta, would finally solve this problem. It feels like a bloody miracle that WDS+CM is working in the production environment... and only then after many hours support from Microsoft consultants on-site. I’ve been dreading installing WDS on cm12 because of it. Finally took the plunge today.

I have read countless guides, such as yours here above, where everything is click-click-done easy: step 1 install WDS, step 2 don't configure manually, step 3 created the PXE role from CM, step 4 all done...

The current situation, the one I'll be using for my questions, is CM12beta2 on cm12 server, WDS on separate wds server, etc.; every server has its own purpose and therefore its own CM role, all in a Sub Domain in it’s own AD Forest, Unique and separate from all other Domains and CM sites. I’m logged on using a Domain Admin account, the same account I’ve used to install everything on all servers. All server computer accounts are local Admins on all Servers, basically “Full speed ahead” as far as security is concerned.

Everything is green in CM12’s Monitoring... everything else that we have tried so far up untill WDS that is. I've installed WDS service on the wds server. Get no question (as we used to before) to run the configuration wizard. We have always assumed that we should try to follow Microsoft’s suggested practice to NOT manually configure the WDS if it’s to be controlled by CM. From CM, I've added the WDS server to the site servers list, including the PXE role in the Distribution Point Role exactly as you and others have suggested.

So far so good…

I can see on the CM server DISTMGR.log that CM thinks everything is A-OK "WDSServer status is 4" "WDSServer is STARTED". on the WDS server, in the SMSDPProv.log, at the very bottom it shows "Installed PXE", I see that the RemoteInstall folder has been created and populated with files from CM, which hints to WDSServer service is actually up and running... right?

However, that is where my WDS happiness ends ... the SMSDPPROV.log shows several problems "MSIEnumRelatedProducts failed" "Failed to create Software\Microsoft\sms\dp\performance" "WDS is NOT Configured" "FindProduct failed: 0x80070103" "Failed to get task folder 'Microsoft\configuration Manager'. DP Health monitoring task should've already been deleted." "non fatal error. BINSVC not present".

The logs suggest the service WDSServer has been started... But the WDS Console on the wds server still shows a yellow triangle and behaves as if it’s still not configured, and neither Refreshing the window nor restarting the server changes that. So I checked the Services.msc and sure enough there it shows as "Started"!!!! So, that's when we start feeling quite confused... is it now properly configured and started, or not?? How can it be if the WDS console continues to show the Yellow warning triangle?

Also just tried to install WDS service on the CM server itself, and apply the PXE role from cm console, to avoid any Beta bugs, avoid firewalls, etc… NOPE! Exactly the same behavior, i.e. yellow triangle.

We haven't even tried to F12boot a test computer as it feels like, What's the point?

I've banged my head against this Not Configured Yellow Triangle of Death every single time in 4 different AD Domains. Either MS has truly messed up, or we have systematically and repeatedly missed some important step, some small but vital piece of information, that when found will solve the whole Not Configured Yellow Triangle of Death.

Please!! Does ANYONE have any clue as to Where to go from here?

[n00blar]

Hi,

 

I've followed these steps, but I'm having some issues with my lab setup, and I just can't think of a good way for fixing the issue that comes up.

First off, I'm running my lab using VirtualBox. I have 3 VMs using an internal network, all three machines can communicate properly, so the network layer is working as designed.

 

The only difference is that I have a dedicated server doing DHCP tasks. My DC provides domain services (172.16.16.2), my sccm2012 server (172.16.16.3) and a dedicated dhcp server (172.16.16.4).

 

The VM machine that I'm trying to image from sccm2012 shows the following message on boot up:

 

Sending ProxyDHCP request to 172.16.16.3...

No filename

FATAL: Could not read from the boot medium! System halted.

 

Can anyone give me some pointers as to how to change this behavior?

 

Thanks!