[WDS] Clients boot to WDS no matter what option 66 and 67 are set to

[bart21]

hi

we currently use FOG here. We're contemplating whether we should upgrade the hardware FOG runs on, or use WDS (Windows Deployment Services). So I've setup a test WDS server.

WDS somehow managed to just take over, and be PXE-booted regardless of what options 66 and 67 in DHCP say.

Anyone know why this is? It's rather annoying, and makes it a pain to test it as our ltsp clients wont boot when wds services are running.

nick.

[bart21]

**Bump**

[irsprint84]

so option 66 is wdsipnumber

and option 67 is boot\x86\wdsnbp.com

[irsprint84]

Also have you got everything in the remoteinstall folder? any eventlog errors?

[Chad]

It's been a while since I looked at WDS, but I had a very similar problem recently when setting up a Citrix Farm which may give you a pointer.

Check that the WDS server isn't providing PXE services - it just needs TFTP to provide the boot files. FOG needs to do all the PXE stuff and just point the clients to the relevant server. In my case the Citrix server was over-riding FOG and PXE booting the clients on the same VLAN, it may be something similar for you?

[bart21]

thanks chad, will have a look at that.

Basically I have my 66 and 67 set to our ltsp servers. The clients that need to pxe to fog have a dhcp reservation with the relevant 66 and 67 options for fog.

When i start wds services all the dhcp options are overridden and all pc's try to pxe to wds server. I want only a couple to do this which will be set by reservation, the rest need to remain as they are.

any ideas?

nick

[Chad]

Your logic is sound, and the reservation method should work for the few clients that you want to boot to WDS as it does for the few booting to FOG.

I'd look in the running services on the WDS server for a "PXE services" one and try disabling it temporarily and see if that helps. Like most MS stuff, it likely assumes that you want their servers to perform all roles by default.

Chad

[bart21]

@Chad

If i do that will my clients that have reservations pointing to the wds server still pxe boot to the wds server (as required)?

[Chad]

It was more an idea to try to see if WDS's PXE wasn't playing nice and servicing the whole LAN regardless of DHCP options. On the Citrix one I had issues with, turning off the Citrix PXE service resolved it. Clients set with DHCP 66 and 67 pointing to Citrix still network boot from it as expected, and those pointing to FOG boot to FOG. Sorry I can't be more specific, I only tried WDS for a brief period and wiped that server long ago.