Problems setting up a vm using Microsoft SCCM

[roland_geiser]

Hello

I am trying to deploy a vm with Microsoft SCCM. This works fine - but only if I create the vm on the local disks of the esx server. After a successful creation, I can then migrate the diskfile to a SAN LUN.

If I try to do the same directly into a vm with the diskfiles not on the local disks, but on the SAN, then the setup fails in most cases. It is not always the same point in the setup - it can be anywhere in the staging process via sccm. Seems to be a timeout or something, and obviously seems to be a problem with the SAN storage...

...so... I am neither the LAN expert, nor the SCCM expert.... - just hoping, someone else knows this issue and probably there are some parameters to change to avoid a timeout or something.

Storage System is HP EVA 4400. ESX is vSphere 4.0.0, 208167.

best regards

Roland

[marcelo_soares]

Inside Windows, you must change the value HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\Disk\TimeOutValue to 60 seconds or more.

Also, what windows version are you using?

Marcelo Soares

VMWare Certified Professional 310/410

Virtualization Tech Master

Globant Argentina

Consider awarding points for "helpful" and/or "correct" answers.

[roland_geiser]

Hello

Thx for your answer. I checked this key - it is already on 60 seconds. I assume this is the default value. This key is active only if the VM is already completely staged, isn't it? But our staging process fails earlier during the setup process. This can be while copying the wim-file.... or any step during the setup process.

I will inspect this case now with the sccm guy - he can probably see something in the log.

The errors appearing on every os: W2K8 SP2 x64, W2k3 x64.... it doesn't matter which os I try to stage.

I'm not shure about the issue "it works on local storage" - I will investigate that now. It can be that the last few times it just worked by fortune...

So I will continue testing, talk with the sccm guy... etc - just to detect some pattern in this case and have more detailed information.

best regards,

Roland

[marcelo_soares]

Ok, is really the best thing to do. Just be sure to follow the docs:

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r40_u1/vsp_40_u1_mscs.pdf

And check very well the caveats reported on it. Maybe you are running into some of them - also maybe a SAN access problem.

Marcelo Soares

VMWare Certified Professional 310/410

Virtualization Tech Master

Globant Argentina

Consider awarding points for "helpful" and/or "correct" answers.

[roland_geiser]

Hello

Whe have found the solution. It is the registry key setting that you mentionned!

I told you that I checked that value on another machine, and that the setting was already set to 60. The problem is: I checked that setting on a vm, running VMWare tools. VMWare tools automatically increase (or set) this value to 60! But a physical machine or a vm not running VMWare tools has a lower setting (10 or 20, I believe).

So the SCCM guy yesterday customized his setup procedure and implemented the value of 60. Then we deployed 3 VMs simultanously. And - yes!! It worked!! All three VMs are staged correctly.

However, it seems very important that that value is set from the very beginning. It is not adequate to leave it at the lower value during the setup and to set to 60 on one of the last steps in the staging process (install VMWare Tools). It must be set from the very beginning!

Thank you very much!

Best regards

Roland

[marcelo_soares]

Good to know you resolved your problem. Please consider awarding some points :smileywink:

Marcelo Soares

VMWare Certified Professional 310/410

Virtualization Tech Master

Globant Argentina

Consider awarding points for "helpful" and/or "correct" answers.