Complete guide to WDS...question

[agarabaghi]

I was reading that 4 part guide in the sticky, and was wondering at what point to you include the necessary software for the machines?

 

Do you guys push software through AD, could i make an image, sysprep it with sysprep /generalize /oobe /shutdown , then capture the .wim file using imagex and save it on the WDS deployment server?

[Gatt]

Depends

 

You can use WDS to deploy the OS, install your application locally, then use WDS to capture it back as a WIM files

Or.. you can use MDT - which allows you to push everything (OS, Drivers, and Applications) out via the network through the use of Task Sequences...

 

I prefer MDT as then you dont have massive WIMs clogging up your Hard Drives - they are also much easier to keep up-to-date since Task Sequences are basically just an XML Script with the location and installation parameters...

[themightymrp]

If you are using WDS without MDT running on top of it then yes, you could either deploy software via GPO's or capture a sysprepped image and upload that into WDS. What OS are you adding in? Win XP or 7?

[agarabaghi]

Ive used MDT to create the os / driver / software isntalls. but we have never had wds setup to pxe boot. I like that idea of creating my deployment shares for each type of machine ... once i have wds setup to pxe boot and have created the windows pe unattend.xml file, how do you get the MDT to work over the network?

[Gatt]

MDT integrates with WDS - basically you create a bootable WIM in MDT and copy it to your WDS server..

(I did say "basically"!)

[themightymrp]

Once you have installed MDT, you add a shed load of network drivers into the MDT workbench. Then, once you run the 'update deployment share' it creates a boot.wim file that you can import into WDS. Then when you PXE boot your clients the MDT option is available on the list

[agarabaghi]

ahh, ive seen the boot.wim, so i load that up in WDS boot images folder im guessing...

[Gatt]

Yeah, once configured as per above, you go into WDS and import it as you would any other Boot WIM

When you press F12 you can select it (if more than 1) and it'll load the MDT info...

[themightymrp]

Pretty much. Adding the applications into MDT is fairly easy too

[Gatt]

Before I switched to SCCM I used MDT a lot

I also had it so that specific makes & Models automatically loaded the correct TS (eg for drivers, etc) meaning all I needed to do was hit F12 and log it in..

[agarabaghi]

OK, I have a captured image for a T420s which ive sysprep for deployment. Ive added that as the OS in MDT and select custom wim file. Im am now updating the deployment share, and im assuming it will make the boot.wim file for me to load into WDS... Do I need to load the image.wim in WDS also, or will the boot.wim point it to MDT and MDT will take over from there?

[agarabaghi]

where do i find the boot.wim file?

 

under the deploymentshare folder / boot folder i only see litetouch.wim files...

Edited May 21, 2012 by agarabaghi

[themightymrp]

It will place in the the 'Boot' subfolder of the deployment share. It will probably be called LiteTouch.wim or similar. You can just point WDS to this file

[agarabaghi]

do i need to point the sysprep image to the install images folder in WDS or will the litetouch.wim take care of it?

[agarabaghi]

i found the boot file, it's called litetouch x64.wim ... i think my network guys need to fix the pxe booting.

 

It doesnt seem to be connecting to the WDS service.

[Gatt]

What error you getting when you try to PXE?

May need to double check your WDS Setup is correct

[themightymrp]

You may also need to refer to this thread:

 

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/o-s-deployment/95111-server-2008-wds-not-working-new-vlan.html

 

You may need an extra setting or 2 added to your DHCP server to make PXE boots possible

[agarabaghi]

I press F12 to boot from LAN, and it get this, then it goes back to select boot device screen

 

Interl® Boot Agent GE v1.3.66

Copyright © 1997-2010, Intel Corp

 

Client MAC Addr: F0 DE F1 99 72 C6 GUID: 81F1D9AE AA51 CD11 B3A0 8E5CCB381DF1

Client IP: 172.18.68.24 MASK: 255.255.252.0 DHCP IP: 10.20.1.10

GATEWAY IP: 172.18.68.1

TFTP

PXE-M0F: Exiting Intel Boot Agent

[themightymrp]

Looking at those IP's, you eaither have multiple domains or VLAN's in place (the DHCP server has a different range). My link above has the fix for that

[Gatt]

Is DHCP on the same server as WDS? If so you need to tick the 2 boxes under the DHCP tab on your WDS server's properties

 

EDIT: Or it could be what he said!! Lol

[agarabaghi]

We have this machine in a different vlan for testing. Im no network engineer, but we currently have KACE up and running, but trying to get away from it. It pxe boots just fine, so i thin there is some setting my network buddy has to fix.

[agarabaghi]

Is DHCP on the same server as WDS? If so you need to tick the 2 boxes under the DHCP tab on your WDS server's properties

 

EDIT: Or it could be what he said!! Lol

 

When i check the boxes it says MS DHCP is not running on this server.

[Gatt]

which means DHCP probably isn't (assuming you will have checked! )

[agarabaghi]

network guy is going to check the settings from that link

 

"On your DHCP server, set the following 2 Server Options (not scope options):

 

Option 66 - set the IP address of the WDS server

Option 67 - boot\x86\wdsnbp.com

 

I had the same problem when I changed over in February"

[Gatt]

Ah yeah - I have a similar entry for SCCM