Sccm

Does anyone use SCCM at work (or have experience with it)? We have it at work but it never works and I can't seem to find any good references via google. I have seem many blogs, technet articles, and such but there is no real how-to for many things. I constantly have problems with PXE boots.

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Comments

Hyper-Me

Whats the problem with the PXE boot?

techster79

I know with WDS you might have to prepopulate the GUID to get the PC to boot. Also SCCM may require an agent be installed before pushing OS's, not really sure since I've only read about it and not used it.

jibbajabba

PXE problems are normally down to DHCP issues. Assuming you got an DHCP server (which is necessary for PXE to properly work), you have to make sure it supports option 60 ... on Microsoft DHCP - right click on server - DHCP tab and select 'Configure DHCP Option #60 Tag to PXEClient'

Hyper-Me

Gomjaba wrote: »

PXE problems are normally down to DHCP issues. Assuming you got an DHCP server (which is necessary for PXE to properly work), you have to make sure it supports option 60 ... on Microsoft DHCP - right click on server - DHCP tab and select 'Configure DHCP Option #60 Tag to PXEClient'

What gomjaba said and also make sure if WDS is also running on the network that you delay its pxe response to be later than that of the SCCM server.

NightShade03

I don't seem to think that it is the dhcp because although logically it would be the problem the clients are receiving an ip address...this is the order of things happening

1) The computer from the off state is pxe booted
2) The default gateway is contacted which is referred to a centralized pxe server
3) the pxe pulls an ip from a seperate dhcp server
4) with its ip, netmask, gateway set the T.F.T.P of the boot file occurs
5) pxe client exits

The logs all show a few different types of problems:

1) The device was not found in the database
2) There is no advertisement for device
3) An optional advertisement is available (shows the correct advertisement but then dies)

There is a single collection with a single advertisement point to it.

Also we have a pxe filter installed as well not sure if that makes a difference. We also don't have WDS configured as part of the install of SCCM requires that you NOT to configure WDS because it does that for you.

dynamik

Don't you have to specify additional DHCP options? It could still be getting an IP and not have all the information it needs.

NightShade03

Yes you need to specify option 066 (T.F.T.P.) & option 067 (boot file name)

These are both set on all scopes

blargoe

Try to completely rule out the networking side of things: put the client on the same subnet as the server and test.

aordal

It sounds like you have it setup right, you need to pre-approve the client. Basically you want to "import" that machine into a Collection using its MAC. Then make sure that the computers are approved. Once that's done try it again. Also make sure that collection has a PXE boot advertisement.

NightShade03

aordal wrote: »

Basically you want to "import" that machine into a Collection using its MAC.

Did that..Computer association -> import single computer -> add name and MAC address & collection

aordal wrote: »

Then make sure that the computers are approved. Once that's done try it again. Also make sure that collection has a PXE boot advertisement.

Did that too....All clients are approved and there is purposely only one collection and one advertisement so that I know they are set in there properly.

Thanks all for the tips though...

aordal

Hmm... are you connecting to cisco devices? If so do you know if your switch is running RSTP? You might have some time out issues if you are running STP v1.

NightShade03

Interesting point, I'm not sure on that but I will have to look into that. We are using Cisco switches.

aordal

Check it out. If you are running stp v1 just throw port fast on the sccm interface and the interface your client is connecting to (just for a test =d) and see if it works. If it does then you may want to do what I did which was just create a new VLAN specifically for imaging clients and disable STP on it (or enable portfast on all ports and bpduguard/filter or rstp or whatever you feel like)

NightShade03

So I figured out the problem....

To many hands in the pot

The cisco switches were all setup right and the portfast + bpduguard was on no trouble there. Turns out as I'm troubleshooting and trying to fix the PXE service, my engineer is making changes on the same server without telling me!! GRRRRRR!!!! Needless to say I walked away from aggrivation and the whole PXE portion of SCCM is totally fried... it is so beyond repiar at this point and just needs to be riped out and redone....glad to know that I spent 3 days on it for nothing

aordal

its pretty easy to start over, just delete your advertisements, then if you have any images delete those(not boot images) and driver packages, then you're good to go