Deployment Solution

I am using altiris DS 7.5 (build 7.1.2316.0).I learned that there is a new service named Network Boot Service which serves as pxe server and tftp server in ds 7.5.

In the Management console I go to Settings > Notification Server > Site Server Settings and try to add the Network Boot Service  to my server it says:

"Important: One or more of the selected servers has IIS7 installed. Additional configuration steps are required for IIS7. Please refer to the SMP documentation for more details."

I have confirmed that all the required IIS components include IIS 6.0 compatibility are installed. And, I've reboot server for serverl times.

If I continue past this message nothing happens. Package service still display with a yellow light and a stus of Not Installed. If I click Install/Remove Services there is a tick beside Network Boot Service.

 Could anyone kindly help to figure out this issue? it spent me a lot of time to investigate .thanks.

Sorry, the build of the DS7.5 is 7.5.1212.

The status of the Network Boot Service is "Install Pending".

Open SMA, click on setting and then update. It will refresh  NBS Site server policy on your machine.

You can varify for the same on Agent UI.

It'll take few minuets after this policy rolled out on your machine.

You would be able to see folder at location C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\SBS after installation completes.

But for Image creation you have to be bit patient because it takes some time. Only way to check if images are getting created is to check for bootwiz process is running in task manager.

Thanks for shailesh's nice reply. What's more, does the symantec management agent need to connect to the internet when it do update?

I guess you are installing NBS on your NS machine. In that case no need of internet since update will request to you NS machine for policies provided you are not using package server.

Please find the attachment which shows SMA UI. You'll see NBS Site server agent install policy got rolled out.

Thanks shailesh, Now I can see the frame as the SMA-NBS.jpg shows, but few minutes later, I found that the Network Boot Services run failed, and the return code is 1638 which we can see in here:

hi shailesh, after reinstall Network Boot Services, I've got the message that the Network Boot Services have installed successfully.

Then I try to create pxe image, I select "automation" in the "select the preboot envirnment to build" menu.

after click "save changes", I can see bootwiz.exe running in the task manager. About 20 minutes later, I found that the bootwiz has gone.  But I also can't find the corresponding image files in C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\SBS.

The only corresponding file I can searched out is the jojo_x86.exe at this folder:C:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\bin\win32\x86\deployment\automation\PEInstall_x86 which the "jojo" is the PXE name I set.

If I select "PXE" in the "select the preboot envirnment to build" menu. I would not see bootwiz in task manager.

Is there anything I need to configure, Thanks shailesh very much!

Thanks shailesh, Now I can see the frame as the SMA-NBS.jpg shows, but few minutes later, I found that the Network Boot Services run failed, and the return code is 1638 which we can see in here:

This means, MSI has already been downloaded on your machine, but MSI execution is failing.

After searching for error code found following information

ERROR_PRODUCT_VERSION    1638   Another version of this product is already 
                                installed. Installation of this version 
                                cannot continue. To configure or remove 
                                the existing version of this product, use 
                                Add/Remove Programs on the Control Panel.

Make sure you haven't installed NBS on this machine previously. If you have removed one then make sure you have done clean uninstallation.

Check if reg key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Plugin Objects\Agents\DeploymentNBSAgent does exists on your machine and if exists then uninstall the same and try one again.

Select "PXE" rather than "automation".

Check on apply changes immediately checkbox and click on save changes.

After some time you will see image getting created at location C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\SBS\Images\

Thanks shailesh, I've create some more PXE images in the "Create Preboot Image Configuration" console as you said, But after 1 more hours, I still can't see image at location C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\SBS\Images\.

Do I need to start some kind of service?

I confirm that the Network Boot Service has installed in my server.

Really thank you very much for you help! 

What's more, I can't see bootwiz in task manager when I select "PXE" rather than "Automation".

Is that an abnormal situation?

Thanks !

Thanks, But after I click update, I only can see in Agent UI as follow without the bootwiz:

Is that reasonable? Thank you very much!

The Pxe Images I have create in "Create Preboot Image Configuration" are as followed:

I have not install package service, is it have some impacts on pxe image creating?

hi shailesh:

   Now, I've installed the paceage service.

   After I create pxe iamge in the "Create Preboot Image Configuration" menu, only I can see is the XXX.cfg at location: C:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\bin\Deployment\BDC\bootwiz.

   But I can't see bootwiz running in the task manager although after some hours later.

   In altiris log viewer, I found one warring line:

InitialiseCore():Multicast is not enabled. Engine will not be initialized.

Does this have some relationship with the problem?

Really thanks very much!

No, it doesn't have any relation.

You should check image at location C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\SBS\Images\

Let me check if there is another way of finding if PXE image got created on your machine. You could try searching with name of image in your C drive.

Thanks shailesh, In C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\SBS\Images\, I only can see the file folder: BStrp. 

If I select "Automation" in the "select the preboot envirnment to build" menu when creat pxe image, I can find  XXX_x86.exe at this folder:C:\Program Files\Altiris\Notification Server\NSCap\bin\win32\x86\deployment\automation\PEInstall_x86 which the "xxx" is the PXE name I set.   The XXX_x86.exe's size is about 160M.

When I click the xxx_x86.exe manually, I can see "Install Preboot image " at the poped dialog , and after few seconds later, it showed that "Installation successfully" at the dialog, and then the dialog disapper, but I still can't find any thing at  C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\SBS\Images\.

That gave me a hint that you don't have any issues with bootwiz ( since automation package is getting created )

Let's try creating new PXE image.

Please follow steps as follows.

1. Shut down your NS and Package Server

2. Only restart NS, No need to restart your package server

3. Open NS Console

4. Go to preboot configuration page , click on add and  Add preboot configuration window will pop up

5. Enter name and description, click on ok ( no need to change any defaults on this page. )

6. Click on apply policy immediately and save changes.

When you say save changes, NBS will download packages needed for preboot and then start Bootwiz.exe

It seems that you are having issues while downloading packages. Automation image need not have to download packages. It will consumes packages on your NS.

Thanks shailesh,

There are something which I'm not very clear.

1、What's mean package server? I got one server which installed the NBS service ,Task Service , and Package Service. Is that mean, the Notification server and Package server is the same server?

2、After I installed NBS service, can I  see some corresponding services in task manager -> services?

3、Does NS need to connect to internet when NBS download packages needed for preboot? For my NS, it is in vlan network environment. Will it impact to the preboot image creation?

Thank you!

We use package server to store all the packages.

It mean you are using same machine as NS, NBS and Package Server.

I believe, internet should not be the issue.

Let me try creating same setup as you have.

Please share the logs at location "C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\Logs\DSTasks.log. We would be able to troubleshoot the reason for failure to create pxe image from this log file.

Hi Appa, I even can't see this log file in  the floder: "C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Agents\Deployment\Logs" which only have one file named AgentIventoryPlugin.txt.

Thank you!

Than you for your persistent supports, shailesh. I've been confused for almost two weeks.

Look forward to your reply.

Hi Ken,

Please send me screenshot of Symantec Management Agent's Settings tab. Does this tab show you "Deployment NBS Plug-in" in Agents/Plug-ins list.

Also share the Policy xml files present at location "C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Client Policies. Try deleting these xml files and click Update on the Symantec Management Agent Settings page and see if the DSLogs file gets generated now.

Hi Appa:

    I can see "Deployment NBS Plug-in" in Agents/Plug-ins list as followed:

There are two xml files at loacation "C:\Program Files\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Client Policies as followed:

The content in the JOHN-ALTIRIS71.john-altiris71.administrator.xml is :

    The content in the JOHN-ALTIRIS71.xml is :

Contains binary files for NBS Site Service install (x64)

Install NBS Site Service  on client computer.

msiexec.exe /i "Symantec_DeploymentSolutionSBS_7_5_x64" skipaim=1 /qn REBOOT=ReallySuppress

Deployment Package Server Components

Installs the Deployment Package Server components

Install_DS_PS_Component.bat