Troubleshooting the Deployment Process

In some situations, you may encounter some problems while deploying the operating system images and applications to the target computers. Addressing every possible problem you might encounter is beyond the scope of this guide, but you can take some general steps in troubleshooting the BDD 2007 deployment process. Figure 7 illustrates the steps in deployment process troubleshooting.

Figure 7. Steps in troubleshooting the deployment process

Figure 7. Steps in troubleshooting the deployment process

On This Page

Troubleshooting General Deployment Problems Troubleshooting General Deployment Problems
Troubleshooting Failed New Computer Scenario Troubleshooting Failed New Computer Scenario
Troubleshooting by Using the Deployment Process Flowcharts Troubleshooting by Using the Deployment Process Flowcharts

Troubleshooting General Deployment Problems

Some general problems can arise during BDD 2007 deployment. These problems include:

  • SQL Server connection errors

  • BitLocker-related problems

  • SMS-related deployment problems

  • Troubleshooting PXE Boot-related issues in Windows DS

SQL Server Connection Errors

During the BDD 2007 deployment process, you can retrieve information from SQL databases. SQL Server connection broken errors can be caused by not enabling Name Pipes connections in SQL Server 2000 or SQL Server 2005. You need to enable Name Pipes in SQL Server to resolve these errors.

To enable Named Pipes connections in SQL Server 2000

  1. On the computer running SQL Server 2000 that hosts the database you are querying, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server, and then click Server Network Utility.

  2. In the SQL Server Network Utility dialog box, on the General tab, ensure Named Pipes is in the Enabled protocols list box.

  3. If Named Pipes is in the Disabled protocols list box, click Named Pipes, click Enable, and then click OK.

  4. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server, and then click SQL Service Manager.

  5. In SQL Server Service Manager dialog box, in Services, select SQL Server, and then click Stop.

  6. In SQL Server Service Manager dialog box, click Start.

  7. Close SQL Server Service Manager.

To enable Named Pipes connections in SQL Server 2005

  1. On the computer running SQL Server 2005 that hosts the database you are querying, click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server 2005, point to Configuration Tools, and then click SQL Server Surface Area Configuration.

  2. In the SQL Server 2005 Surface Area Configuration dialog box, click Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections.

  3. In the Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections - server_name dialog box, in Select a component and then configure its services and connections, expand MSSQLSERVER, expand Database Engine, and then click Remote Connections (where server_name is the name of the computer running SQL Server 2005).

  4. Click Local and remote connections, click Using both TCP/IP and named pipes, and then click Apply.

  5. In the Surface Area Configuration for Services and Connections -server_name dialog box, in Select a component and then configure its services and connections, expand MSSQLSERVER, expand Database Engine, and then click Service (where server_name is the name of the computer running SQL Server 2005).

  6. Click Stop.

    The MSSQLSERVER service stops.

  7. Click Start.

    The MSSQLSERVER service starts.

  8. Click OK.

  9. Close SQL Server 2005 Surface Area Configuration.

For additional information, see “How to configure SQL Server 2005 to allow remote connections” at https://support.microsoft.com/kb/914277.

Deploying BitLocker Drive Encryption (BDE) in LTI in BDD 2007 requires specific configuration to deploy properly. The following are potential problems that may be related to the configuration of the target computer:

  • USB devices, CD drives, DVD drives, or other removable media devices on the target computer that appear as multiple drive letters

  • Shrinking the C: volume on the target computer to provide sufficient unallocated disk space

Problems with Devices that Appear as Multiple Drive Letters

Some devices can appear as multiple logical drive letters, depending on how they are partitioned. In some cases, they can emulate a 1.44 MB floppy disk drive and a memory storage drive. So the same device may be assigned drive letters A: and B: for floppy disk emulation and F: for the memory storage drive. The BDD 2007 scripts use the lowest drive letter (in this example, A:) by default.

You can override the default on the Specify the BitLocker recovery details page in the Windows Deployment Wizard. A warning is displayed in the Windows Deployment Wizard summary page to inform the user which drive letter was selected to store BitLocker recovery information. In addition, the BDD.log and ZTIBDE.log log files record the removable media devices detected and which device was selected to store the BitLocker recovery information.

Problems with Shrinking Disks

To deploy BDE on a target computer, you need at least 2 GB of unallocated disk space to create the system volume. The system volume is the volume that contains the hardware-specific files needed to load Windows computers after the basic input/output system (BIOS) has booted the platform.

The ZTIBDE.wsf script runs the Disk Preparation Tool (bdehdcfg.exe) and configures the system volume partition size to 2000 MB by default. You can customize the ZTIBDE.wsf script to change the default if necessary.

Note Modifying the BDD 2007 scripts is not recommended.

On existing computers, you need to shrink the C: volume so that you can create the system volume. You can use the Diskpart tool to shrink the C: volume. In some instances running the Diskpart tool may not be able to shrink the C: volume sufficiently to provide 2 GB of unallocated disk space. This may be caused by fragmented disk space within the C: volume.

One possible solution to resolve this problem is to defrag the C: volume by performing the following steps:

  1. Run Diskpart shrink querymax to identify the maximum amount of disk space that can be unallocated.

  2. If the value returned in Step 1 is less than 2GB, defrag the C: volume.

  3. Run Diskpart shrink querymax again to verify that more than 2 GB of disk space can be unallocated.

  4. If the value returned in Step 3 is still less than 2GB, do one of the following:

    • Defrag the C: volume multiple times to ensure the C: volume is fully optimized.

    • Back up the data on the C: volume, delete the existing partition, create a new partition, and then restore the data to the new partition.

Table 16 lists some symptoms that indicate that the ZTI deployment process will fail, the possible problems, and suggested methods for resolving the problem.

Table 16. SMS-Related Deployment Symptoms , Possible Problems , and Possible Solutions

Symptom

Possible problem

Resolution

Target computers are not receiving the SMS OSD Feature Pack package advertisements.

Target computers are not included in the appropriate SMS collection.

Verify that the target computers are in the SMS collection used during the distribution of your SMS OSD Feature Pack package.

ZTI scripts do not run properly.

Target computers may not meet the hardware and software requirements.

Review target computer hardware and software requirements in “Verifying Correct Target Computer Software Versions” and “Verifying Adequate Target Computer Resources,” earlier in this guide.

ZTI scripts do not run properly.

Appropriate permissions may not be set on MigData, Logs, or distribution point shares.

Log on as the appropriate account holder, and attempt to access files in the shares.

Updated packages and programs are not appearing on distribution points.

Scheduled distribution of updates to packages and programs may be taking longer than you required.

Manually update the distribution points by using SMS 2003 Administrator.

Refresh Computer scenarios are incorrectly performed as Replace Computer scenarios.

OldComputer.tag file exists on an SMS deployment point. This is because the OldComputer folder is incorrectly added to one of the OSD custom action file lists.

Search for OldComputer.tag file on an SMS deployment point and delete the file on SMS packages that are targeted for Refresh Computer scenarios.

For more information, see "Creating User State Migration SMS Package and Program" in the Zero Touch Installation Guide.

The following are some SMS-related troubleshooting resources:

In brief, the Pre-Boot eXecution Environment (PXE) protocol operates as follows: The client initiates the protocol by broadcasting a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) Discover packet containing an extension that identifies the request as coming from a client that implements the PXE protocol. Assuming that a boot server implementing this extended protocol is available, the boot server sends an offer containing the IP address of the server that will service the client. The client uses Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) to download the executable file from the boot server. Finally, the client initiates execution of the downloaded image.

The initial phase of this protocol piggybacks on a subset of the DHCP messages to enable the client to discover a boot server (that is, a server that delivers executable files for new computer setup). The client may use the opportunity to obtain an IP address (which is the expected behavior) but is not required to do so.

The second phase of this protocol takes place between the client and a boot server, and uses the DHCP message format as a convenient format for communication. This second phase of the protocol is otherwise unrelated to the standard DHCP services. The next few pages outline the step-by-step process during PXE client initialization.

For more information on troubleshooting PXE boot-related issues in Microsoft Windows Deployment Services (Windows DS) running in Legacy or Mixed mode, see Knowledge Base Article 244036, “Description of PXE Interaction Among PXE Client, DHCP, and RIS Server,” at https://support.microsoft.com/kb/244036/EN-US.

Disabling Windows PE Logging on the Windows DS Server

The first procedure recommended is to make sure you have disabled logging to setupapi.log by following the instructions in the “Disabling Windows PE Logging on the Windows DS Server” section in the Zero Touch Installation Guide.

Ensuring the Proper DHCP Configuration

Depending on the router models in use, the specific router configuration of DHCP broadcast forwarding may be supported to either a subnet (or router interface) or a specific host. If your DHCP servers and Windows DS servers are separate computers, ensure that the routers that forward DHCP broadcasts are designed so that both the DHCP and Windows DS servers receive the client broadcasts; otherwise, the client does not receive a reply to its remote boot request.

Is there a router between the client and the remote installation server that is not allowing the DHCP-based requests or responses through? When the Windows DS client and the Windows DS server are on separate subnets, the router between the two systems must be configured to forward DHCP packets to the Windows DS server. This arrangement is necessary because Windows DS clients discover a Windows DS server by using a DHCP broadcast message. Without DHCP forwarding set up on a router, the clients’ DHCP broadcasts do not reach the Windows DS server. This DHCP forwarding process is sometimes referred to as DHCP Proxy or IP Helper Address in router configuration manuals. Refer to your router instructions for more about setting up DHCP forwarding on your specific router.

Improving PXE IP Address Assignment Response Time

If it is taking a long time (15–20 seconds) for your PXE client to get an IP address, here are some things to check:

  • Are the network interface card (NIC) on your client and the switch/router set to the same speed (automatic, duplex, full, and so on)?

  • Do you have the IP address for your Windows DS server in the IP Helper file on the router through which you’re connecting? If the list of IP addresses in the IP Helper file is long, can you move the address for the Windows DS server near the top?

  • Be sure Setupapi.log is disabled as described in the section “Disabling Windows PE Logging on the Windows DS Server,” earlier in this guide.

Troubleshooting Failed New Computer Scenario

The following sections contain issues related to failed New Computer scenario deployment.

Failure to Copy Log Files to Shared Folders

During the deployment of a New Computer or Replace Computer scenario, you may see a warning message similar to the following, even though the specified share does exist:

Note Some parts of the following code snippet have been displayed in multiple lines only for better readability. These should be entered in a single line.

Warning - Unable to copy local logfile 
(C:\MININT\SMSOSD\OSDLOGS\ZeroTouchInstallation.log) 
because \\SERVERNAMEservername\Logs does not exist.

This message can occur because the SMS OSD Feature Pack may not have the appropriate credentials to access the \\servername\Logs folder when the \\servername\Logs folder resides on a server other than the distribution point. For more information on providing the appropriate credential for the different deployment phases, see “Configuring the Appropriate Resource Access,” in the Lite Touch Installation Guide and the Zero Touch Installation Guide.

Review the ZTI log to help in resolving USMT-related issues.

The ZeroTouchInstallation.vbs script automatically scans the USMT progress logs for errors and warnings. The script writes each error and warning to the ZTI log. (The script writes at least the first 100 errors and warnings while ignoring "Failed to locate the file object" warnings, because these are too common.) In addition, the script generates event ID 41010 to MOM with the following summary (where <USMTType> is ESTIMATE, SCANSTATE, or LOADSTATE; <ErrorCount> is the total number of errors found; and <WarningCount> is the total number of warnings found):

ZTI USMT <USMTType> reported <ErrorCount> errors and <WarningCount> warnings

If the error count is greater than 0, this event is an Error type. If the warning count is greater than 0 with no errors, then the event is a Warning type. Otherwise, the event is an Informational type.

Identifying Error Codes Returned by ZeroTouchInstallation.vbs

Table 17 lists the error codes returned by ZeroTouchInstallation.vbs and a description of each error code. These return codes are recorded in the OSD log file (OSDAgent.log), which is stored in one of the following locations:

  • If the %TEMP% environment variable is set for the LocalSystem or default user profile, the OSD log file is stored in the %WINDIR%\TEMP\SMSOSD folder.

  • Otherwise, the OSD log file is stored in the %WINDIR%\SMSOSD folder.

    Table 17. ZeroTouchInstallation.vbs Error Codes and Their Description

    Error code

    This error code indicates that

    5000

    Windows Script Host (WSH) is not installed.

    5001

    The version of WSH is prior to version 5.6.

    5002

    The script was unable to create the WScript.Shell object. This error indicates that WSH is operating improperly and needs to be reinstalled.

    5003

    The script was unable to create the WScript.Network object. This error indicates that WSH is operating improperly and needs to be reinstalled.

    5004

    The script was unable to create the Scripting.FileSystemObject object. This error indicates that WSH is operating improperly and needs to be reinstalled.

    5005

    The script was unable to initialize the WshShell.Environment. This error indicates that WSH is operating improperly and needs to be reinstalled.

    5005

    No named parameters were passed to the script.

Listing 7 is an excerpt from an OSD log file that illustrates how to find the error code in OSDAgent.log. In this excerpt, the error code reported is 5001.

Listing 7. Excerpt from an OSDAgent.log file that contains error code 5001

Note Some parts of the following code snippet have been displayed in multiple lines only for better readability. These should be entered in a single line.

   
 .
 .
 .
<![LOG[The operating system installation failed. 
Please contact your system administrator for assistance.
The action "Zero Touch Installation - Validation" failed 
with exit code 5001]LOG]!><time="15:43:51.576+000" 
date="09-19-2006" component="OSDAgent" context="" type="3" 
thread="856" file="actionengine.cpp:1567">
 .
 .
 .

Troubleshooting by Using the Deployment Process Flowcharts

In addition to the guidance in this document, additional assistance in troubleshooting LTI and ZTI deployments can be found by reviewing the flowcharts for the deployment process. These flowcharts can assist your troubleshooting process by helping you identify the step in the deployment process where failure is occurring.

For more information on troubleshooting the deployment process by using the deployment flowcharts, see “Deployment Process Flowcharts” in Configuration Reference.

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