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

[anyweb]

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?

 

having Windows Deployment Services appear as unconfigured is FINE, no problem at all. the server which i did the guides on above is showing just like that and is working great, what happens when you PXE boot ? what do you see on the client ? what does the SMSPXE.log file tell you while it's pxe booting ?

[anyweb]

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!

 

so you have an external dhcp server serving ip address's to these three boxe's right ? if so you'll have to configure dhcp helpers on it to point to the WDS options, try reading http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/926172 and http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732351.aspx

[Jeremy]

Interesting, I have the same issue as Nooblar. When I PXE boot my 3 VM it wants to look to the SCCM server IP for DCHP but the DHCP role is not on that box, it's on my AD box.

 

I don't think I need an IP helper, it's all MS controlled and all on the same network segment.

 

Any other ideas?