PXE boot menu's are there... then they're not...!

[Migration User]

Hi All,

I've been struggling with this problem for a few days.  The issue is that my PXE is working fine up until I reboot the server (or restart SBS).  Then, I lose all my boot menu options until I do a rebuild of the PXE images.  I've gone through a whole bunch of debugging articles to fix this as below:

1 - First, I've cleaned out the SBSStore and SBSDelta.exd files, restarted SBS, but same problem

2 - Second, I've checked the contents of the SGSStore\xxxx-image.xml file.  It looks good (I think):

 

Status=UpdateImage

Image=BStrap

Arch=x86

OptID=99

Image=BStrap

Arch=x64

OptID=99

 

3 - Third, I've checked the contents of the Inv_PXE_Image_List database.  Now this is showing zero results, but then again when it is working fine, it still shows zero results so not sure what I should be seeing here.

4 - Forth, I've tried removing the policies (http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH152363&actp=search&viewlocale=en_US&searchid=1308048055761) and updating the agent again, but same problem (I didn't rename the image files tho).

5 - Fifth, I recreate the preboot images.  This fixes the problem, but once I restart the SBS or the server, I lose the menu's again.

6 - Sixth, I've tried a mixture of the above - stopping SBS, performing the SBSStore and SBSDelta cleanout, then running the delta membership (and complete membership) tasks, clearing out the policies (item 4), updating the agent etc, then restarting SBS.  Still same problem.

I've checked that the SBSServer is getting the config to boot my client to PXE by the arrival of this file in the SBSStore (d08ee776-19ea-4fc7-9b13-552027d30953.xml):

 

Status=UpdateComputerStatus

MAC=5C260A4DF4E9

UUID={4C4C4544-0044-4810-8031-B3C04F355131}

SerialNum=

Image=PEInstall

Arch=x86

SBSIPList=12.34.56.78

 

I'm running latest 7.1SP1 (new install).  Single server install (no site servers).  Clients are on a separate network, so PXE helpers are configured - in fact the network side of the PXE seems to be working fine - I get the Altiris PXE menu (press F8 etc), just no items other than "(0) Next Device (BIOS/EFI)" until I recreate preboot.  

What am I doing wrong?

Rich

[Migration User]

 

Ok, I'm getting a better picture of what is going on here.  Still having the issue, and still need a fix, but I now understand why it's happening.

 

When SBS starts up, it gets the image info as below:

 

(xxxx-image.sbs)

 

Status=UpdateImage

Image=BStrap

Arch=x86

OptID=99

Image=BStrap

Arch=x64

OptID=99

 

When I give a client a boot to pxe job, SBS gets the following info:

 

(xxxxxxxxxx.sbs)

 

Status=UpdateComputerStatus

MAC=5C260A4DF4E9

UUID={4C4C4544-0044-4810-8031-B3C04F355131}

SerialNum=

Image=PEInstall

Arch=x86

SBSIPList=12.34.56.78

 

Problem is that Image=PEInstall does not match anything from the xxxxx-image.sbs file.  After I run a re-create, I get an update to the SBS:

 

(xxxxxxxxxx.sbs)

 

Status=NewImage

Image=PEInstall

Desc=PEInstall

Arch=x86

Image=PEInstall

Desc=PEInstall

Arch=x64

 

After which, booting works!

 

So my question is - why isn't the above image list given in the initial xxxxxxx-image.sbs file.  Is there something I can modify to force the image list being sent at startup?

 

Rich

 

PS: Massive thank you to Thomas Baird's article on how PXE and SBS all hangs together (https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/technical-document-about-ds-71-sp1-architecture-and-data-flow).  It explained a *LOT*!!!

[Migration User]

Steps to resolve your issue -

1) Go to Settings->Deployment->Create Preboot Configuration.Add Preboot config as per requirement.

Click on Update Policies on SMP agent.

Note:Update Policies are set for 1hr,to speed up the policies you can change settings or mannually click ok Update Policies on SMP agent.

2) Verify Preboot config(PXE) Image is created at location - \\localhost\Deployment\Task Handler\SBS\Images\

3) Boot menu will show up.

Also you can set Preboot image in PXE Server Configuration page for unknown computer.Click Update Policies on SMP Agent.

Unknown machines will be always boot to set PXE Image.

Thanks,

I.B.

[Migration User]

Yep - all that is done (although I'm using the default PEInstall rather than creating my own).  Images are created.  The issue is that SBS isn't told about the images until I "Recreate Preboot Environment".  If I restart SBS, it forgets the config until I "Recreate".  If I reboot the server, same issue.

[Migration User]

Anyone any ideas?

[Migration User]

When the SBS Services are started, it launches pxestartinfo.exe which in turn talks to a web service to gather data for PXE(SBS) 1. First file is the settings file. 2. Second file is the images list, here the webservice will check what is available in Inv_PXE_Image_Lis and return that list. The bug was when regenarated happened before the configuration was created the table Inv_PXE_Image_Lis did not have the PXE image name. 3. File is a list of clients that are know to DS.

Here is what I would do,

1. Delete all your PXE configurations

2, Do a Delta update

3, Server where u have PXE do update configuration (do this in all site servers too). this is to give PXE a change to remove the images from \\localhost\deployment\task handler\sbs\images

4, Under \\localhost\deployment\task handler\SBS\images make sure the folders with configuration names were removed or delete them manually

5. Verify the Inv_PXE_Image_Lis should not have entries

6. Create a new PXE Configuration 

7. do a delta update

8.finally do an update configuration.  Boot disk creator should start and complete the job in about 15/20 mins (note do not click regenerate till all the pxe servers have the image).

 

hope this helps,

Nelo

[Migration User]

Hello,

cannot help with that issue but since i'm also fighting a bit with DS7.1 :)

Nelo: when you talk about Delta update you mean the NS.Delta Resource Membership Update in the task scheduler of the NS Server?

The Inv_PXE_Image_List is a file that should be in the folder \\localhost\deployment\task handler\sbs\images ?

 

regards

[Migration User]

1. Yes, that one or the one in the console | Settings | Notification Server ...

2. Inv_pxe_image_list is a table in the database.

[Migration User]

learned two things

[Migration User]

Thanks Nelo, we will give that a try.

Rich

[nessaja]

Hi,

i've the same issue und did all of this what Nelo has written.
The old Imagefiles were deleted by the NS, but the entrys in the CMDB wouldn't deleted. I cleaned the two rows self and created the new PXE configuration.
The both new Imagefiles were created but in the Inv_PXE.... DB were no new entries created.
So I can'T boot to PXE because the list has no entries!!
HOW can i fix this?

[nessaja]

It works fine, thanks to Nelo.
The Problem in my environment was the Siteserver.
I must reboot the server because the agent stopped working correctly.
After Reebot, the server syncroniese the packages (20 packages are missing ;) ) and starts to rebuild the preboot-environment.
Now all entries in the db are shown correctly.