Deploying Windows 7 image to a workgroup

[robgodfrey]

Hi,

I’ve been installing Windows 7 on physical and virtual machines in a lab. A Updates not in the source image and a few applications get installed as part of the TS. So far so good.

For a specific requirement I need to be able to deploy a slightly different build as a workgroup member rather than a member of the domain. I can’t get this to work.

If I try to install applications as part of the TS then the build fails at the first Application even though all apps install just fine on my normal ‘domain member’ TS. I’ve tried installing without applications and the deployment runs to completion but leaves me with a client which doesn’t work correctly.

The LocationServices log shows the MP fqdn I’ve added to the ‘Setup Windows and Configuration Manager’ step of the TS (it also says ‘unable to retrieve AD site membership’ – I assume this is to be expected). DNS is working and the fqdn of the named MP is resolvable.

Packet sniffing the MP shows a lot of traffic from the workgroup client so I know its making contact but really don’t know what to look for.

Are there any particular actions I should take to correctly deploy a workgroup client?

Any help or suggestions appreciated.

Thanks

Rob

[Peter van der Woude]

Two things to think about, your boundaries and assigning the clients to a MP (like you in ConfigMgr 2007 with a SLP).

[robgodfrey]

Hi,

Thanks for the response but my boundaries are IP subnets and work just fine for domain members so I assume that confirms they’re correct?

I’m new to SCCM and haven’t worked with SCCM 2007 but I understand the addition of the MP in the ‘Setup Windows and Configuration Manager’ step of the TS (and it being correctly reported in LocationSercies.log and the logging of incoming traffic to the MP from the client) confirm that the MP is correctly set?

Regards

Rob

[Peter van der Woude]

When the Workgroup client falls within those IP subnets, they should be fine. Did you als check other logs, like the CAS.log to see if it finds download locations?

[robgodfrey]

Hi Peter,

Yes, CAS log shows the correct location I think. I say I think because it has entries like:

Download location found 0 – http://fqdn/SMS_DP_SMSPKG$

The URL is correct but the ‘found 0’ is an odd number of DPs.

I’ve raised this with MS support who’ve had me enable Anonymous Authentication on the SMS_DP_SMSPKG$ virtual directory on the DP and re-install the client manually specifying the site code, MP and SMSLP (which I didn’t think was required in SCCM 2012). These steps didn’t work but somewhere along the line the client connected to SCCM enough to ‘un grey’ the ‘Approve’ option against its computer object. I select ‘Approve’ and all deployed/advertised software showed up in the client.

I’m not at all keen to enable automatic approvals for unknown clients and can’t help but assume it shouldn’t be necessary? I notice I can install the SCCM client and applications as part of a Build & Capture TS without joining a domain.

The support guy at Microsoft is going to set this up and try it over the weekend – it seem nobody there is quite sure if you can perform PXE OSDs to workgroups so they’re going to try it and let me know if they can make it work.

If anyone can think of anything else I can try (other than repeating combinations of my earlier actions) I’d be grateful as I’m not getting a good feeling about the MS support call.

If MS come back with something useful I’ll post back.

Regards

Rob

[Peter van der Woude]

I can't imaging that it's not possible, it was always possible with 2007. I will try it with 2012 this weekend... The only thing I can imagine is that the machine isn't within the boundary/ boundary group which makes it unable to find a DP...

[Peter van der Woude]

I'm really wondering what you get back on your support call, because I tried this myself and couldn't get it to work... Everything in the Task Sequence works as a domain member and in a workgroup I can install everything in the Task Sequence, including "old school" packages, but no Applications....

[Iroqouiz]

Hmm... I have had similar issues with my CM12 RTM server. Some applications just won't install when the client joins workgroup, however some others work just fine. Haven't managed to figure out why.

 

I have to say, the Install Applications step in a CM12 TS seems a bit buggy. All applications created as packages work just fine.

 

What I have tried, with some success (very inconsistent), is to update the content for the deployment type of the application. Then, sometimes, the application will install in the TS.