[bookie32]

Hi cluberti
Yes, you are right...re did the server yesterday and now the server has all roles and I have added a deployment....(tend to sleep a lot at the mo....bad cold and that gives me even more back pain!!)

I did notice a post about adding XP to MDT 2010 (have a lot of customers with XP still) I could follow the guide but couldn't see where to put the "Autologon! reg entry? Is this something you have come across?

Going to try and do some more today.....


bookie32

[CoffeeFiend]

bookie32, on 21 October 2011 - 11:25 AM, said:

I am still weighing up Hyper-V or VMware

We're happily using VMware ESXi / vSphere at work (still on the old 4.1 though) and also Workstation on several PCs. No complaints whatsoever.

I also talked to 4 or 5 of the biggest consulting firms around here in the last ~3 months (presidents, sales folks, various techs) and none of them actually deploy Hyper-V in a production environment nor recommend it. All of them install and support lots of vmware servers (some even offer cloud-based services). In case of a catastrophic failure we could even "rent" an emergency server that already has ESXi installed (not that it takes long to install) and have it here an hour or so, and then restore our VMs on it... The support at every level is fantastic. Everything just works. Plus, it works hand-in-hand with Workstation: not only the VMs are compatible but workstation will also export VMs to ESXi and so on (Microsoft's offering is sorely missing a Workstation-like product). PowerCLI is also nice (you can manage your VMs using PowerShell) and the various scripting APIs are very useful too.

In fact, I've done a test run of installing ESXi 5 on a "home server" recently and I'm quite impressed overall (it's quite lightweight too). I want to see how Openfiler performs as a iSCSI target (for ESXi, over Gbit ethernet) next.

I'd definitely give ESXi a try (it's free too). Just my $0.02.

[bookie32]

Hi CoffeeFiend
I don't know if I can cope with yet another change at the mo.....

I have available my copy of VMware workstation 7.1.4 and do like VMware a lot, but haven't seen a "how to" that would get me started on that...with ESXi?

I am always open to new info and scenarios if you can point me in the right direction?

Also, no offense intended....the level of expertise at the the VMware forum is high, but there is an awful lot that just basically offer two cents and then nothing more...and that realy p***es me off. Happened to me several times!!

But, as pointed out, not anything personal against your two cents worth

bookie32

[CoffeeFiend]

bookie32, on 23 October 2011 - 01:09 AM, said:

I have available my copy of VMware workstation 7.1.4 and do like VMware a lot, but haven't seen a "how to" that would get me started on that...with ESXi?

The point of ESXi was to replace the Hyper-V part of your project and nothing more. It's a better hypervisor and environment IMO. You would install your Win2008R2 under that as a VM (alongside any other VMs you may want or need) instead of Hyper-V being a role inside Win2008R2. You can basically think of ESXi as a VMware Workstation-like product which installs on the bare hardware (not an app running in Windows)

bookie32, on 23 October 2011 - 01:09 AM, said:

I am always open to new info and scenarios if you can point me in the right direction?

Downloading the ESXi ISO and the vSphere client (might as well get the free license key for ESXi at the same time too, in case you want to use it past the initial 60 days). But you don't really sound like you're in for another fun adventure (been living with chronic pain for ~10 years here, so I know what it feels like sometimes)

Either ways, it changes essentially nothing to the other parts of your project (especially the MDT part, for which I'm afraid I can't even offer 2 cents worth!) and as such, solves none of the other problems you may have. Then again, if you want simplicity on a small-ish setup, then SBS was created just for that and it works quite well too.

[bookie32]

Hi CoffeeFiend
Look I am game for anything at the moment if it leads to the right outcome.......
Because of the time spent on this it wont make much difference now......

I have a basic Server 2008 r2 install at the moment and that has all roles installed including AD, DNS, DHCP, WDS, MDT and WAIK....

I just don't want to p*** anyone off here that is trying to help me..... On the other hand at this stage it would be silly to rule out other options.....

And I am learning a whole lot on this journey.......getting a bit long now

So, I can get the license to allow me to continue using it past 60 days...

I can take a look and see.....

BTW i certainly didn't think I was on my own with constant pain.....it is being tired a lot of the time that gets me BUT it doesn't excuse bad behaviour on a forum such as this and I really do apologise for my outburst........

bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi again!
OK! Am awake now......ESXi is the base installation......
I will have a look at this is a little while.....
A fresh install...hadn't really thought that through.....

bookie32

[CoffeeFiend]

bookie32, on 23 October 2011 - 03:19 AM, said:

ESXi is the base installation......

bookie32, on 23 October 2011 - 03:19 AM, said:

A fresh install...

That is exactly what I meant by bare metal

[bookie32]

Hi again!

You got me there....awake now.....

OK! Just installed this on another computer in VMware to have a look and it is .....a bit daunting at first look,but I guess it is always like that with something new....

OK! to really try this I need to back up my existing wims and then do a fresh install on the server......

The guides that are available from VMware are the ones to follow?

Any basic settings etc that you know from experience I should be thinking of?

bookie32
PS what is this and coffee...LOL we say kaffe är gott or "The coffee is good" Kaffet är gott

This post has been edited by bookie32: 23 October 2011 - 03:45 AM

[CoffeeFiend]

bookie32, on 23 October 2011 - 03:42 AM, said:

The guides that are available from VMware are the ones to follow?

I haven't really looked at them so I can't really say. It's pretty straightforward (and quick) though.

bookie32, on 23 October 2011 - 03:42 AM, said:

Any basic settings etc that you know from experience I should be thinking of?

You most likely want to setup a static IP (at the console, press F2, enter root pwd, configure management network, ip configuration, set it however you want and apply the changes -- you may want to configure DNS later so you don't have to remember the IP); while you're there, feel free to enable the shell (accessed using alt+f1) and SSH too (for access using putty or another SSH client)

Then in the vSphere Client (login again with root and the same root pwd -- and the static IP you've set obviously), go to inventory, select your ESXi server, then the configuration tab, "licensed features" on the left, and then "edit" hiding waaaaaaaaaaay over there at the top right and enter your serial number. This program is what you'll be using to manage pretty much everything now.

By the way, you could convert your existing install of Win2008R2 to a VM with the free vCenter Converter (you'd probably want to remove the Hyper-V role then)

[bookie32]

Hi again!

Well, this bombed big time.....?

I tried to install on server machine and it started to load and then nothing....it hung itself on "Loading module usb..."

Any suggestions?

bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi again!
Sorry, bit premature......
It has now moved to loading module ehci-hcd...BUT very slowly........

bookie32

[CoffeeFiend]

It sounds like it doesn't like your hardware Try disabling C1E in the BIOS. If that doesn't work then no idea... BTW it can be pretty picky about NICs too.

[bookie32]

Hi again
Not the first to have this problem.....
I have the GA-990FXA-UD3 with a AMD Phenom 11 x6 1090T processor....going to give it a little while longer then try what you said...

bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi again!

Well, I did what you said and even disabled inbuilt nic....it loads to the install screen and two seconds later nothing....

I only have have two more nics I can try a d-link DFE-530TX or PCIe Gigabit Lan Card if they don't work then I can't start changing hardware at this point...spent too much money already....

bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi again

Well, I will have to put this on hold.....not that impressed with a linux based os that basically only seems to like intel nics?!!
I will order one when I put in a new order.....

I use linux based os's all the time and have never run in to a nic problem like this......

Thanks for the idea. If i can get the time to try this later I will...

bookie32

[CoffeeFiend]

Edit: I just tested installing on a plain vanilla Intel G43 based motherboard (Core 2 Duo) with onboard Realtek NIC. Everything worked out of the box, including the Realtek 8111E NIC. So I guess v5 isn't too picky about hardware after all... Didn't have to disable C1E or anything either.

[bookie32]

Hi again
YES, one has spent time fiddeling with versions of Linux to get things working......
In this case...think I will bend and get a nic that is supported....
You are on the ball.....
bookie32

[bookie32]

Hi again!
Well after all that has been happening I am still trying to get a basic setup that works.....
Both Hyper-V and VMware seem to have their problems....!!
I have my server with all roles AD, DNS, DHCP, WDS, MDT and Waik installed. WDS is configured to allow DHCP on the same server.....
Back to VMware...
Created a task in MDT and then booted the iso in VMWare machine the deployment went well and I didn't get any problems...DHCP gave my vm an IP which I reserved......I updated my vm and then created a task to capture my vm.....
I have read that the capture has to be run from the vm so I entered my deployment share info. \\DN1\Build$ and ran it...after a quite a long time I get to add credentials to open my litetouch.vbs and then I could choose my capture image....no probs....
I then added my credentials as required and then nothing.....!!
"invalid credentials:Network path not found (80070035)"

I have read so many posts on this problem my head is spinning......

Why am I getting deployment but not capture?

Does anyone have the answer before I through this computer out the window....PLEASE!

bookie32

[cluberti]

When you select a task sequence, you have the option to capture it. Also, you can create task sequences simply for sysprep and capture. What you need to do is make sure that customsettings.ini and bootstrap.ini in your deployment share both have the proper UserID and UserPassword information set to allow logon - basically, map Z: to \\server\share$ using those credentials, and then browse to Z:\scripts in a cmd prompt and run cscript LiteTouch.wsf. This will realize you've already mapped Z, run LiteTouch.vbs against bootstrap.ini in the share, and show you your task sequences. Select your sysprep and capture sequence, and that should sysprep your machine, and reboot to PE to capture it via imagex to the location specified when you ran the task sequence.

[bookie32]

Hi cluberti!
OK! Yes, I noticed that you could deploy and capture using the same task sequence....trying to keep some kind of order....LOL

Basically, at the moment, I am using the standard settings in custom settings and haven't added any extra info....I did get it to work, howerver, but not how I expected...will try to explain what I did later

I wouldn't mind disecting your custom settings and bootstrap....going to look at mapping the depoyment share today and try and give a better account of what I did from start to finish, so we can look at the settings a bit more closer....

Thanks for your reply!

bookie32