RDP boot to PXE and Setbootorder.exe doesn't work for G7 in WinPE mode

[FalkoSchmidt]

Hi all,

I'm heavily struggling with my DL380 G7 and BL460c G7 integration. All servers using WinPE2.1., Scripting Toolkit 8.70, RDP Version 6.9 (built 430) SP3.

For my automated installation process I want to avoid manual intervention in the installation (we are installing and reinstalled ~40 servers per week).

When I try to adjust the boot order (during WinPE) with: setbootorder.exe pxe floppy cdrom hd I receive the statement::

Default Boot Order: floppy cdrom usb hd pxe

Requested Boot Order: floppy cdrom usb hd pxe

,No changes are accepted. When I do the same in Windows it works without any issues.

In case I use reboot.exe PXE (during WinPE) the server reboots, but not into PXE.

Is there any driver missing? Will RDP 6.9. SP4 mandatory for G7?

I hope you can help.

Thanks in advance

Falko

[shocko]

HI, I may be missing the point here but why would you want to change the boot order whilst in windows PE? Surely you'd let the image be deployed fully and then set the boot order from windows using an altiris script job? Perhaps you have a specifc purpose for setting it in PE?

[FalkoSchmidt]

Hi Shocko,

thanks for your reply. Our OS Installation Job contains multiple reboots and is build like that:

Win PE

1. conrep

2. Reboot

3. Array creation

4. Reboot

5. conrep.

6. Install NTFS Image

7. Automated reboot

8.Copy a whole bunch of files to the HDD <=== Here the server doesn't boot to PXE automatically anymore

9. Start Windows Unstatted OS Installation

etc

In step 1 I would like to set boot order to PXE prior to HDD and after step 9 I would like to set HDD prior to PXE to avoid accidental boot to PXE

[shocko]

Ok,

So the problem is the following

1. During step 5, you lay down some defaults for the BIOS config which most likely includes your boot order? Can you post the conrep command line you are using and any .xml file you pass to it?
2. In step 6 you lay down a valid NTFS image which will have a bootsector

On the next boot, the server is seeing a valid boot sector on the local disk and hence boots to that. The thing is , from my (limited albeit!) understanding is you don't need to play with the boot order when using RDP. The alritis agent in Windows/WinPE will set a Once time boot for each step in the job depending on what environment the next phase of the job needs to run in i.e.. Once you've laid down the NTFS image, the next part of the job is a script that copies files and should be set to run in WinPE in the RDP console. The agent should recognize this and set a 1 time boot to PXE.

You say "

8.Copy a whole bunch of files to the HDD <=== Here the server doesn't boot to PXE automatically anymore

9. Start Windows Unstatted OS Installation

"

So are the files coping over to the HDD? If so, there is no need for a reboot before starting the insatllation as you are already in PE! What OS are you installing?

[JBerg]

Did you ever get this fixed?  I am having the same issue with a 385 G7.  Both the reboot.exe and the setbootorder.exe do not work from within PE.