Deployment Solution

I have 3 clients for which I want to make monthly disk images using imageX in WinPE. All 3 machines PXE boot and Altiris PXE server picks them up. However only 2 of the clients recieve the job, boot into WinPE, and create the wim. The other client boots into PXE and Altiris acts like it doesn't have a job for that client and boots it back into windows. The only difference I can find between that client and the other 2 is that the malfunctioning client is missing it's Automation Agent and DOS Packet Shim. The other two both show version 6.9.9020 for the Automation Agent and 2.9 for the DOS Packet Shim. How do I install these 2 agents on this malfunctioning client and, assuming everything is correct with the job with which this client is associated, will this get Altiris to pass the job to the client when it PXE boots?

The Automation Agent will only load when a client boots to PXE. There is really no way to push it to a client.

Do you see an error in the console on the image job for that 1 client?

I tossed the question around in my tortured mind for awhile, but as Phyrant mentions, only if a machine actually boots into PXE does that option get populated.

Have you ever successfully imaged that particular client? What Automation OS are you using (Linux, PE, Dos)?

In reply to both Phyrant and jharings:

No there is no error message because Altiris PXE never passes the job to the client.

Yes I have successfully imaged the client when I force PXE to load WinPE.

The way I have it configured is like this:

A client will network boot and the Altiris PXE server will grab it.

If it has no job I'm given about 7 seconds to hit F8 and select the automation environment, otherwise it will default to Next Boot and dump the client into Windows.

If it has a job for that client it will bypass the automation choices and go directly to the environment specified for that job. I use ImageX for the imaging tool and WinPE for the environment.

The 2 functioning clients work exactly like they're supposed to. The job kicks off, they reboot, boot into PXE, boot into WinPE, create their image, reboot, boot into PXE, PXE has no job for them so it dumps them into Windows.

The malfunctioning client does not work like the other 2. When the job kicks off it reboots, boots into PXE, PXE acts like it has no job for the client presents the f8 boot menu, times out, dumps the client into windows, the client reboots and repeats the cycle until it errors out saying it was unable to boot into automation.

I just tried binding a functioning client and the malfunctioning client to the same job. I started it, they both rebooted, booted into PXE, the functioning client immediatly booted into WinPE, the malfunctioning client was presented with the f8 screen, booted into Windows, and would have eventually errored out. I removed it from the job and cleared it's status.

So...any ideas?

I've seen this problem.  Generally, what I've done to fix it is to reboot the server (both DS and the PXE servers).  It sounds as if PXE isn't checking 100% of the time to see if there is a active job.

Also, when you assign the job to the malfunctioning client.  Does it say "sending wake on lan"?  If the status does not say anything, this could be a problem as well.

If none of that works, then the other option that I've found that works in this situation is to delete the client out of DS and let it "pop" back in on the next reboot.  Then reschedule the job to see if that works.

Based on your comment (where did my quote option go..)
You could set the next boot option to the automation, or force it to go to automation.
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The malfunctioning client does not work like the other 2. When the job kicks off it reboots, boots into PXE, PXE acts like it has no job for the client presents the f8 boot menu, times out, dumps the client into windows, the client reboots and repeats the cycle until it errors out saying it was unable to boot into automation.

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You could also try to select F8 and make it image as well. It might be enough to get it to work permanently.

Thanks bhawver! Yanking the client and rebooting the server fixed it right up! Once the job kicked off the client rebooted, was picked up by PXE and immediately dumped into WinPE for an ImageX backup.

Thanks again!!