ConfigMgr migration, PXE Provider shutdown (SMSPXE)

Today I did another ConfigMgr upgrade from SP1 to R2 with 3 remote Distribution points (DPs). Nothing to worry you will say. After the upgrade (which was 100% fine) the Primary server and 1 remote DP was working fine. Deployment could be done, everything okay. Nothing to see in Site and System status. The other 2 remote DP's however didn't want to PXE boot because of error "PXE-E53: No boot filename received". Last line in SMSPXE.log was ================= PXE Provider shutdown. =====================

I did a lot of things after that:
-Restart WDS services
-Update both boot images and checked properties
-Restart multiple Site servers
-Checked logfiles (On primary and Site servers)
-Checked DHCP scope options
-Checked local security
-Checked SMS Component Manager
-Checked firewall status
-Checked no antivirus in place

SMSPXE.log was showing me the following lines:
-RequestMPKeyInformation: Send() failed.
-Failed to get information for MP: http://FQDN. 80004005
-PXE::MP_InitializeTransport failed; 0x80004005
-PXE::MP_LookupDevice failed; 0x80004005
-RequestMPKeyInformation: Send() failed.
-Failed to get information for MP: http://FQDN. 80004005
-PXE::MP_InitializeTransport failed; 0x80004005
-PXE::MP_ReportStatus failed; 0x80004005
-PXE Provider failed to process message.
-Unspecified error (Error: 80004005; Source: Windows)
-98:4B:E1:7E:6D:89, 39C6D000-9BED-11E0-0000-984BE17E6D89: Not serviced.
-Cannot read the registry value of MACIgnoreListFile (00000000)
-MAC Ignore List Filename in registry is empty

Nothing didn't work here! When looking on MS TechNet they say you must reinstall WDS, PXE, DP all over again. Not exactly what I had in mind here. Long story short, after a few hours checking I rebooted the Primary Site server, restarted WDS services on both DPs again, and everything was working in a few minutes. First line in SMSPXE.log was now ================= PXE Provider loaded. =====================

Very happy with the (easy) solution, but very strange ConfigMgr didn't gave me an error. There's no mentioning of rebooting a Primary Site server after the upgrade also. Lessons learned: Reboot the Primary Site server and Site servers after an migration always.

Source:
Upgrade ConfigMgr 2012 SP1 to 2012 R2 Preview
Management Point PXE Boot Error 80004005 After SP1 Upgrade
SCCM 2012 R2 upgrade broken WDS/PXE
PXE-E53: No boot filename received

Troubleshooting Windows Deployment Services

When having ConfigMgr installed, Windows Deployment Services (WDS) will be used also. This is necessary for having PXE boot functionality available. But what to do if WDS is not working anymore, so no OS deployment is possible? Last week I had the oppurtunity to troubleshoot this myself. In this blog I will explain the error message and the solution for this also.

First, for having a look at WDS functionality have a look a this blogpost: http://henkhoogendoorn.blogspot.com/2011/06/windows-deployment-services-on-server.html

In this case the WDS service wasn't starting anymore. In Event Viewer the following error message was seen: 

• Faulting application svchost.exe_WDSServer, version 6.0.6001.18000, time stamp 0x47919291, faulting module wimgapi.dll, version 6.1.7600.16385, time stamp 0x4a5bc365, exception code 0xc0000005, fault offset 0x0000000000032a8e, process id 0xc4c, application start time 0x01cc51b67426d7ba.

When looking at the error message different solutions are available. A few of them mentions the following: 

• I had the same problem after adding a NIC driver to my boot image. The solution for me was to re-update the PXE distribution point. Then the WDS service starts. No need to re-install WDS and PXE service point.
• Had exactly the same issue. Re-updated the distribution points for boot images and then WDS started without any issues.
• I had to install the PXE Service Point and WDS. After that the WDS service started successfully.

 

Unfortunately this wasn't the solution here. There was also the possibility to install the PXE Service Point and WDS again. Then the following steps are needed:

1. Uninstall the PXE Service Point. Monitor the PXESetup.log and make sure it uninstalls correctly.
2. Once the PXE Service Point has successfully uninstalled, uninstall WDS. Once the WDS uninstall is complete, reboot the server.
3. Once the server is rebooted, rename the RemoteInstall folder on the root level of all drives. Make sure to check all drives and to rename all of the RemoteInstall folders. Not all drives may contain a RemoteInstall folder and usually only one of the drives has a RemoteInstall folder. When renaming the folder, it may break an existing share. It is OK to go ahead and break this share.
4. Reinstall WDS. Once WDS is finished reinstalling, reboot the server.
5. Once the server has restarted, in the ConfigMgr 2007 Admin Console, add the PXE Service Point role.
6. Monitor the PXESetup.log and make sure that installation was successfully. If the PXESetup.log prompts for the server to be rebooted, make sure to reboot the server.
7. Once the PXE Service Point has been successfully installed (and if necessary, the server restarted), check to make sure that the WDS service has started. If it has not started, try to manually start it.

In my case I tried the following. That way it wasn't needed to install both PXE Service Point and WDS again:

• Delete manually created and/or imported Boot images from ConfigMgr; This because default Boot images are fine, and no additional Boot images are needed (in most situations). Also it isn't supported to use the default boot.wim file from Windows installation media. More about that can be found here: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb680372.aspx
• Remove the RemoteInstall\SMSImages\SMSPKG (sub)folders which are not needed anymore. That way only folders which are used by the default Boot images are still there. No additional folders for drivers and/or OS sources are needed. More about that can be found here: http://blogs.technet.com/b/oob/archive/2011/01/05/troubleshooting-the-pxe-service-point-and-wds-in-configuration-manager-2007.aspx
• After that it was possible again to start the WDS service. New error messages in Event Viewer will not be displayed.

Just add new Boot images after that when needed.
Remember the following here: To import a custom boot image, the boot image must already be finalized or the SMS Provider will reject it.

Windows Deployment Services on Server 2008 R2

Yesterday I installed Windows Deployment Services (WDS) on a Windows Server 2008 R2 server. A good possibility to see the new features available in this release. Most of times I install WDS needed for ConfigMgr installations. Then there's no need to configure WDS; this will be left unconfigured then. In this blog we have a look at the new features in this release.

First install the WDS role on a Windows Server 2008 R2 server. By default both Deployment Server and Transport Server will be installed. After that configuration must be done. Just import Boot Images, and create Capture Images from that. Then there's the possibility to add images for all kind of Windows editions. In this release there's no support available for RIS (Remote Installation Services) anymore. This was formerly known as "Legacy Images" in Windows Server 2003 editions.

Let's have a look at the console now. There will be default folders for Install Images, Boot Images, Pending Devices, Multicast Transmissions and Drivers in it. Drivers has default folders for All Packages and DriverGroup1 in it. What's the meaning of this folders?:

• Install Images: All Images used for Windows deployment, with the possibility to create folders for overview;
• Boot Images: Specific Images used for deploying and capturing new OS Images;
• Pending Devices: Once this setting is enabled, you can approve and reject computers in the pane;
• Multicast Transmissions: Once created, Windows Deployment Services will transmit the image to multiple clients using a single transmission, instead of one transmission for each client;
• Drivers: New folder for creating driver packages and driver groups;
• All Packages: You can use Windows Deployment Services to add driver packages to the server and configure them to be deployed to client computers along with the install image;
• DriverGroup1: You can use filters to map client computers to the packages in a driver group. The filters define which clients will install the drivers.

As mentioned before there are new features in this release. These are Multicast support and additional Driver packages for deployment. That way there's no need to create multiple OS Images for all kind off type devices. Just create multiple Driver packages and add them to the default image; with the use off a query. Let's have a look at all the new functionality.

Multicast: Transmission Name: This wizard creates a multicast transmission for an image. Once created, Windows Deployment Services will transmit the image to multiple clients using a single transmission, instead of one transmission for eacht client. This can significantly reduce the amount of network bandwidth that is used.

Rightclick on Drivers will show these options.

"Add Driver Package" will let you choose between driver packages from an .inf file or a specific folder with drivers. Once the packages are on your server, you can define which client computers will install them using driver groups and you can add them to boot images.

"Add Driver Group" will create a new driver group which can be used to create a collection of driver packages. This wizard helps you define these clients based on the client's hardware and the install image that is selected during setup.

There are also more possibilities with "Enable/Disable Driver Packages" and "Delete Driver Packages".

Rightclick on DriverGroup1 will show these options.

Choose Properties to create new filters. You can use filters to define which clients install the driver packages in this group, based upon the hardware of the installing client and the install image that the client chooses.

When adding a new filter there is the choice between: Manufacturer, Bios Vendor, Bios Version, Chassis Type, UUID, OS Version, OS Edition and OS Language.

There are also more possibilities with "Modify Filters for this Group" and "Add Driver Packages to this Group".

With WDS on Server 2008 R2 there's better support for multiple devices now! No need to create multiple OS Images anymore; just create multiple driver packages for that. With Multicast support bandwidth can be saved, when multiple devices must be re-installed during working hours. It's good to see that WDS without the need of MDT and/or ConfigMgr is a goodworking solution for deployment.