Deployment Solution

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  • 1.  NBS working but not showing up on SMP 7.5 SP1 HF4

    Posted Nov 27, 2014 10:09 AM

    We recently upgraded to Altiris ITMS / SMP / Deployment Solution / 7.5 SP1 HF4 (coming from HF3) and have issues with Network Boot Services (NBS)
    In services.msc, the Symantec Network Boot Service (PXE and BSDP) and (TFTP) services are both present and started.

    Although PXE boot is working (we can actually deploy images or SOI's by booting from PXE in a task!!), the SMP itself denies to have NBS installed.
    No problem even to re-create the preboot environment, however it's not possible to check the status as no NBS show up.
    Usually we check with a tool called diskpulse.exe anyway to see what's going on in the Altiris folder, plus we watch for bootwiz.exe being active in the task manager.

    The issue also manifests itself in SMP -> settings -> notification server -> site server settings, 
    then in the left-pane Site Management -> site servers -> <name_of_our_smp> -> services.
    Here we see for example "task service" is installed and "green", but "Network Boot Service" is not present.

    When (in the same screen) attempting to "Install/remove services", the Network Boot Service checkbox is greyed-out.

    Under Site Management -> Settings - Network Boot Service -> Advanced, there are a few filters, like Computers requireing NBS site server upgrade on Windows x86/x64, Computers with NBS Site Service Installed, Computers with Deleted Network Boot Service entries, NBS Potential Site Servers, and so on.
    All filter memberships have been updated and still all filters empty, except for the "NBS Potential Site Servers", which shows a lot of "potentials", except for our intended SMP/site server.

    Also ran a full hw/sw inventory of our smp again, reboot a few times and even waited it out for a couple of days. No change..

    A similar thing once happed for the Task Service and there reinstalling the msi + running the Windows Task Sheduler -> NS.Restore Task Servers did the trick. Unfortunately a similar task for NBS doesn't seem to exist.

    Articles already looked at:

    http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH211634 and
    http://www.symantec.com/connect/videos/installing-network-boot-service-site-server-video

    Any help would be greatly appreciated ;-)



  • 2.  RE: NBS working but not showing up on SMP 7.5 SP1 HF4
    Best Answer

    Broadcom Partner
    Posted Nov 27, 2014 11:04 AM

    Hi raven-zod

    I´ve only seen this once and the Problem was that this Site Server was mistakenly added to the Filter "All Computers where the Cloud-enabled Management feature is enabled".

    After removing the Site Server from this Filter the NBS checkbox was enabled.

    Hope that helps.

    Network23



  • 3.  RE: NBS working but not showing up on SMP 7.5 SP1 HF4

    Posted Dec 09, 2014 04:10 AM

    Thanks Network23!

    I had already seen the "warning" about CEM when installing the site-services and then when I checked the CEM setup I noticed a colleague had applied the CEM config to "all computers", including the SMP server. That's where I "excluded" the server now.

    Indeed, this caused this server to be part of the "All Computers where the Cloud-enabled Management feature is enabled".

    It's an easy mistake to make. 
    When installing NBS you are warned, but not the other way around. When NBS is already there and then you configure CEM, there is no warning and the issue only manifests after a hotfix upgrade or re-install of NBS.
     



  • 4.  RE: NBS working but not showing up on SMP 7.5 SP1 HF4

    Broadcom Partner
    Posted Dec 09, 2014 09:03 AM

    Hi raven-zod

    If my answer solves your problem please mark it as solution!

    Thanks

    Network23