16 replies to this topic

[mimo78]

I have a windows 2008 r2 server, running dhcp and "standalone WDS"

I followed this guide for the task.
Using WDS without Active Directory – Configuring a standalone WDS
http://www.deployvis...=36&EntryID=129

it boots into my window pe just fine, but I would like more options.
before my current setup i ran an opentftp server with my dhcp server, that was before windows 7.
my opentftp ran pxelinux and later grub4dos for compability issues.

so I would like to add pxelinux or grub4dos to my existing setup and came across this...

Adding a boot menu to Windows Server 2008 R2 WDS
http://www.deployvis...SE/Default.aspx

when I came to step 7.wdsutil came up with an error:(where you point to pxelinux.com)
0xc104013b
windows deployment services management tools are not configured

so is there any other way to add pxelinux for my standalone wds server?

I dont run domain, Active directory or dns server required for a fullblown wds server, which is why i run only the transport server role or stand lone wds.

I tryed messing with registry and bcd store so far no luck, but i am not very skilled in bcdstore editing....

help or push in the right direction would be appreciated.

best regards MiMo

[Tripredacus]

I ran into the same problems with WDSUTIL on my test server. The ability to add exceptions won't work for you either.
I think I was able to use WDSUTIL to set the default boot option to PXELinux but not able to set up machine GUID exceptions. However my server does run in AD and is a secondary WDS that is added to the domain, so it is possible the WDSUTIL command won't work for you. Did you try specifying the Default Boot Image on the Boot tab in the WDS Properties?

This is one of those unfortunate times where I have done something but don't seem to have written down how I did it.


EDIT: My records indicate I followed instructions at the following website which NO LONGER WORKS, unfortunately...
http://www.syslinux....ex.php/WDSLINUX

Edited by Tripredacus, 08 November 2011 - 04:00 PM.

[mimo78]

Having transport server only configured.
My only tool for config is wdsutil. So my server says...
The image is refered to in som wds...ini under system32

[Tripredacus]

Ah ok. In your DHCP settings, for Server options, try adding Option 67 and type in the path to your PXELinux boot rom, ie:

bootx86pxelinux.com

Normally, you don't end up using options 66 or 67 on the WDS Server, but you would on the DHCP server if the WDS Server is a different physical system. As such, you may need to add Option 66 and put in the IP address of the server itself.

[mimo78]

I added both option 66 and 67. in scope and server options.

when I start a client on network, it starts wdsnbp.com, then pxeboot.n12, and then begins to download my boot.wim image.
no pxelinux menu yet

[mimo78]

HAHAHA all too easy......

just renamed pxelinux.com to pxeboot.n12

so now I have a nice pxelinux menu. actually I got 2!!! one for x86 and one for x64

so simple it just blows your mind, why this was not the first thing to try out.....


Thanx Trip for your good will to help me out....


best regards Mimo

[Tripredacus]

NP I seem to recall having done some renaming, but I didn't think it was required. Good to see it worked out.

[mimo78]

didn't quite work anyway...

I get my menus, but for some reason I now get a blue screen, when boot.wim is transfered and windows pe is starting, saying:
unmountable_boot_volume
stop 0x000000ED

damn....

[NetFanTom]

Hello!

Maybe the integration of Grub4Dos in to the BCD Menu is a solution:
AddGrub2BCD.cmd

@echo off

rem === set var ===

set timeout=5

set defaultdisc="Win7PE, Ramdisk & Options"

set grubdisc="Grub for DOS"

rem === try write ===

cd /d "%~dp0"

type nul > wtry.txt

If not exist wtry.txt (echo AddGrub2BCD.cmd:: Write error!!!) & (pause) & (goto :EOF)

del wtry.txt

If not exist bcd (echo AddGrub2BCD.cmd:: file not found!!!) & (pause) & (goto :EOF)

attrib -r -h -s bcd.* /s

if "%timeout%"=="" goto M1

bcdedit /store BCD /timeout %timeout% > nul

:M1

bcdedit /store BCD /set {default} description %defaultdisc% > nul

Set guid=

for /f "tokens=2 delims={" %%i In ('bcdedit /store BCD /create /d %grubdisc% /application bootsector') Do (set guid=%%i)

for /f "tokens=1 delims=}" %%i In ("%guid%") Do (set guid={%%i})

bcdedit /store BCD /set %guid% device boot > nul

bcdedit /store BCD /set %guid% path bootbootpxegrldr.mbr > nul

bcdedit /store BCD /displayorder %guid% /addlast > nul

for %%i in (timeout defaultdisc grubdisc guid) Do Set %%i=

Place file grldr into the Root Folder
Place file grldr.mbr into the Folder with pxeboot.n12

OR try only this project that makes all for you:
http://reboot.pro/15553/

Regards,
NetFanTom

[Tripredacus]

What does your default.txt look like?

[mimo78]

my default.txt is from the sample in the last link: Adding a boot menu to Windows Server 2008 R2 WDS

nothing fancy, like i used to have with my previous grub4dos menu. (had a firmware page, diagnostic tools page and more)

trying to do too much at ones is generaly not a good idea.
I usualy get things working before i expand projects to minimize possible errors....

[Tripredacus]

Since you didn't do the rename after reading the tutorial, did you do this part?

In the D:RemoteInstallBootx64 and D:RemoteInstallBootx86 folders, make a copy of pxeboot.n12 and rename it to pxeboot.0

The default.txt is set to boot to WDS by loading up pxeboot.0 (which is n12) but if you just overwrote the old n12 with the pxelinux one, you could get an error if pxeboot.0 is not present.

[mimo78]

I did the renaming, as i followed the guide to step 7.
I do get my boot.wim transfered...it just dosn't load correctly for some reason.(my current guess is the original wdsnbp.com which is replaced by pxelinux does some magic that now is gone, because the wdsnbp.com is newer loaded)

I will try renaming wdsnbp.com instead of pxeboot.n12 so my chainloading is so:
wdsnbp.com(pxelinux) -> wdsnbp.0 (the original wdsnbp program renamed) -> pxeboot.n12


if that doesn't work I'll try setting up a new server for testing in my lab.
1st I will try setting op a ms dhcp and open tftp, this way I am in control of the 67 option, without any renaming stuff....
when i have this working, I have a referrance to a working setup, and a better understanding of whats going on and can try doing the same setup with a transport server replacing open tftp.

I'll let you know my results when i am done...

@netfantom.
your pe looks cool, maybe i'll try it out and maybe i'll tryout your bcd trick also. so far I havn't had good results as i am not even presented with the bcd menu, even if i add more than one option...

[Tripredacus]

In my setup I didn't do anything to wdsnbp.com...

[mimo78]

Think I finally nailed it.

the culprit was in dhcp option 60......
I made a new server in my testlab using the ms dhcp and opentftp (to have more control and logging)
following the first guide I posted a link to.
I couldn't get pxelinux or grub4dos working at.all.
I noticed that the client tryed to use port 4011 (wasn't something I configured)
so my tftp listens on port 69 and clients try to reach it at port 4011??
so played around and found out that it was the option 60 in the dhcp configuration that did it.
now I made a config with pxelinux that could load my win pe, and a grub4dos config that I also got to load my win pe.

I just removed this optin 60 from my main/real dhcp and now option 67 (bootfile name) works as supposed.
still using transport server and not opentftp.

so now I got just one pxemenu(grub4dos or pxelinux) which calls wdsnbp.0 (had to rename it from .com or pxelinux got stock)
the wdsnbp.0 should be able to load x64 or x86 depending on arch (I use x86 for both, since i use a scripted imagex to do both x86 and x64 unattended deployments)

Previously I used option 60 and a compiled python script from here:
http://oss.netfarm.it/guides/pxe.php

the script was serving nic drivers to the client(at port 4011), and then resumed to do the magic with port 69.

so the transportserver seams to be able to answer clients request on port 4011???

I think I have everything working now, even some problematic compal notebooks seams to work now, which when i deployed xp bac in the days,was the reason I used grub4dos instead of pxelinux.

now I just need to find out what this option 60, which microsoft doesn't even really support(must be manually added), is all about.
can I really do without it? I'll find that out as I deploy more and different machines with my lovely new setup....

anyway my problem is solved for now, just wanted to let you and other members who see this thread know....

best regards MiMo

[Tripredacus]

Well Option 60 is definately supported by Microsoft. It is in all the WDS documentation at least. There are other values you can set the VCI to, but I am wondering if the "PXEClient" value is left over from something to support legacy devices? Apparently, you can use option 60 for other things than PXEClient, such as to add some support to Cisco wireless devices, from what I can tell researching it.

Checking the help file, it also looks like if you specify Option 60, the DHCP server will always report it as an available PXE Server, even if its down. While this may not really have anything to do with your setup, it is something if you have multiple PXE Servers on your network like I do. However, the only time I've seen this "list" of servers is by enabling the truly unsupported F11 boot option for Server 2008 which will go and get this list of PXE Servers. Its not the fastest thing in the world, but it is how I can choose to boot to either my development WDS or to the test server that uses PXELinux as its main boot file. Since all the production WDS servers I manage are (software) duplicates of the development server, I didn't feel comfortable with making PXELinux its default boot method.

[mimo78]

well maybe I jumped to fast to a conclusion

But it's funny if option 60 is used and documented by wds, why it's not native availabe. (you stil have to do some netsh ninja tricks to make it available to set)

anyhow I learned something new from the past days, if time allowes it I will dig some more.

best regards MiMo