Deployment Solution

We recently setup a new PXE server located on a VLAN 13 (192.168.13.xx). We disabled the PXE services being offered by the old server on this same VLAN/Subnet. We changed the IP helper so that our client VLAN 120's broadcasts are forwarded to the 13 VLAN, I have verified with Wireshark that I can see DHCPDISCOVER packets reaching the new PXE server from clients and can verify that the PXE server is sending out OFFER packets, PXE seems to now be "functioning".

I have 2 issues however. In the SMP Console I have created a simple automation job that tells the machine to boot to automation (Using WinPE) and then to simply execute a batch script that says PAUSE. I have set this job up and instructed the NS/PXE to use this job for initial deployment.

When taking a fresh computer, not known to the NS and PXE booting it, it attaches and then exits with PXE-M0F. When deploying this job to a machine that has the symantec management agent, task agent, and deployment agent you can see the client receive the task and in a few seconds it automatically fails with return code 1.

I have verified that my Task server has the deployment task handlers present.

To summarize: Unknown computers get a pxe offer and except but then exit as if there is no job (when there is an initial deployment job defined, and it's set to respond to unknown machines with this job). Known computers fail to boot to automation and run the job exiting with error code 1.

Is there a change the client is managed already?  check the log files x:\program files\altiris\altiris agent\logs\agent.log do a search for is managed.  if this comes as No, then restart your PXE server services. there are two databases, the main one is CMDB and a PXE(internal one) perhaps PXE thinks the client is managed.

On the Notification Server (which is serving PXE) I have to logs folder under altiris agent. On the client itself I have no altiris agent installed (as in in nothing at C:\Program Files\  called "Altiris". 

Is that option selected?  If not, then it'll ignore the computers.  That is differnet (on a diff screen) from the option for selecting the default option on which menu to use for initial deployment.  It's on the PXE configuration page.

As for the computers that are managed failing - depends on what the job says.  If the job asks the client to boot to automation folders, they'll fail unless those are installed.

BTW, for the initial deployment jobs, you should not have any "boot to" option selected.  That option is selected in the page that tells PXE how to respond to unknown computers.  The job will simply have the dir/pause in it.  That's it.

For the computers in production, you will need the reboot to, of course - just have to be careful to choose the right reboot to task.

Thomas, 

I understand that in 7.1 there is an initial deployment, a way to respond to predefined computers, and a way to reboot from your production OS to automation/pxe. What if the machine is a known computer but unable to get into production. How would you reimage then? Right now in 6.9 you can specificy in the task to run from automation. I don't believe that exists now.