HP RDP unable to properly PXE boot

[Aaron.S]

Hello,

The situation is that HP RDP/Altiris Deployment Server will not properly manage client systems.

If I attempt a server deployment job to an existing system in the computer list, nothing happens. The system will not restart, and if it does get to the point of attempting to boot via PXE, it will not reach / detect or otherwise act as it's supposed to.

I have a workaround which isn't acceptible, but might be worth something in trouble shooting the underlying issue.

If the system is not already in the RDP/Altiris computer list, I can tell the client to boot to PXE manually, and upon doing so the client will -always- find the RDP/Altiris Server, and will wait for further instructions. While waiting for instructions, it's possible to then issue a deployment job and the client will execute it.

I greatly appreciate any help I can get with this. I've been trying to get Altiris up to a fully functioning condition for nearly two months.

If there's any better approach to getting this resolved or anyone more knowledgable, I would even be appreciative of a point in the right direction.

Thank you,


-Aaron

[Gordon Leonard]

So how many servers do you have connected and how many licenses do you have (Help-About)?

For a server that is already in the console what happens if you delete it? The Altiris client should check back in (you could also reboot the server or restart the agent to do this).

The servers that where existing in the console - how where they built (RDP, SmartStart, something else). Also are we talking ProLiant servers?

[Aaron.S]

So how many servers do you have connected and how many licenses do you have (Help-About)?

For a server that is already in the console what happens if you delete it? The Altiris client should check back in (you could also reboot the server or restart the agent to do this).

The servers that where existing in the console - how where they built (RDP, SmartStart, something else). Also are we talking ProLiant servers?
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We have approximately 50 servers connected & recognized in Altiris. We have approximatly 140 licenses for our lab.

For servers in the console, if I delete them, they're gone. And giving them at least 20 minutes to show up again offers no better results.

Forcing them to PXE boot, will however have them re-identify with Altiris, and show up as a brand new system (no previous configs or job history is carried over)

All the systems were build using previous versions or setups of RDP.

Yes, among other servers in the lab, the immediate 4 blades in question are 'BL460c G1's and 'BL460c G5's.

This problem is encountered regardless of whether it's a baremetal build through RDP, or if it's done physically on the system.



I actually hope this can all be attributed to the network guys messing with their firewall settings, stoping the communications from the Blades to reach the Deployment server, unfortunatly I dont know how to configure wireshark or a similar sniffer to check it out. The only other thing which I similarly can't figure out how to check on, is if there's already another TFTP server service running on the Deployment Server which is kind of cancling out the other communications.

But yes, any insight is greatly appreciated, and thank you so much Gordon for your initial reply.

-Aaron

[Aaron.S]

Slight correction;

When I delete computers from the console, they do add themselfs back, just under a different name, and they dont show themselfs in the 'new computers' folder. They just exist without any folder / organizational associations.

My appologies for the oversight.

(Everything else is still the same)

-Aaron

[Gordon Leonard]

So for the server where you deleted it from the console and it checked back in - will it preform a PXE boot if you drop a job on it?

The servers you built with RDP should have the PSP installed - so it should not be an HP agent issue. Unless you turned off SNMP that would break the agents. [I'm assuming you did an unattended install for the OS from RDP].

[Aaron.S]

So for the server where you deleted it from the console and it checked back in - will it preform a PXE boot if you drop a job on it?

The servers you built with RDP should have the PSP installed - so it should not be an HP agent issue. Unless you turned off SNMP that would break the agents. [I'm assuming you did an unattended install for the OS from RDP].
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If the servers are not listed in the console and are told to boot to PXE, they are added to the console and wait for further instructions after successfully booting to PXE.

If the servers are listed in the console and then removed, they will (eventually) re-add themselfs. As long as they appear active in the console they will (eventually) acknowledge scripted deployment jobs assigned to them. However, after the initial reboot, they do not boot to PXE, they simply load windows. This 'reboot to windows' cycle happens a few times, then it stops.They will list "Unable to boot to Windows automation" error 116 in the console once they've failt to boot to the PXE.

Yes, all the blades did have an automated install performed. They did include the PSP installation job. I dont know why, but HPSUM regularly hangs indefinitly while trying to detect hardware before applying updates. This can be worked around by running 'bp000527.cmd' or whatever the included version *.cmd is as appropriate.

As far as I understand the configuration, SNMP is not disabled. Though I wasn't the one that first configured the enclosure, nor am I the one that controls the firewalls / switches / routers of this network.

The windows images have SNMP service set to auto, and SNMP trap set to manual.

iLo has SNMP alerts disabled, SNMP alerts forwarding disabled, and SNMP pass-thru enabled. The Insight Manager Integration's Level of Data Returned is set to 'Enabled'.

I hope this information helps track down the culprit.

Thank you so much for the help so far Gordon.

-Aaron

[Aaron.S]

As as a quick second thought, would it be advisable / iladvised to change 'Network Security: LAN manager authentication' from 'NTLM Only' to 'LM & NTLM & NTMLv2 as negotiated'?

I'm not familiar with the setting myself, so a second oppinion would be most appreciated.


-Aaron

[Gordon Leonard]

Don't change any security right now.

It sounds like the agents are not functioning. They must work so they can tell the server to do a one time PXE boot. Which is what's not happening. Go out to hp.com and D/L the "HP System Management Homepage for Windows" (~17 MB). Run the install - I'm hoping they everything just installs - if so run a RDP Job against the server (to see if it PXE boots). If the install fails it tends to tell you why.

[Aaron.S]

Don't change any security right now.

It sounds like the agents are not functioning. They must work so they can tell the server to do a one time PXE boot. Which is what's not happening. Go out to hp.com and D/L the "HP System Management Homepage for Windows" (~17 MB). Run the install - I'm hoping they everything just installs - if so run a RDP Job against the server (to see if it PXE boots). If the install fails it tends to tell you why.
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Thanks Gordon,

HP System Management Homepage on the deployment server shows nothing out of the ordinary for requests, but I did notice that I can't actually download or otherwise access any external network from these blades.

Could it reasonably be that once the systems are no longer relying on their iLo to manage / be managed by the deployment server, that their enclosure drived IP configuration is simply locking them down and disallowing any external contact with the network?

I again dont have the privilidge level to actually access the gateway, so I'm looking for a little nod before I go asking.

Thanks,


-Aaron

[Gordon Leonard]

I think you firewall/network guys prevent servers from connecting to the internet or you need to configure the proxy settings on your browser.

Still want to get the "HP System Management Homepage for Windows" **and** "HP Insight Management Agents for Windows Server 2003/2008" then reinstall them both.

Then do the RDP job test.