RDP 3.70 - Using boot disk to deploy server

[ben horan]

We have just installed 3.70 but our build room is not PXE enabled. We have created a WinPE boot disk using RDP 3.70 to point to our RDP server. When we start the new server it loads WinPE off the boot disk fine and eventually we see the server appear in RDP with a yellow triangle. However we can not run jobs on the server. It sits at a command prompt after loading WinPE. How do we get it to the stage where it is waiting for jobs from the Deployment server??

[Gordon Leonard]

The Windows target server server should show the AClient GUI (LinuxPE will sit at a command prompt). The yellow triangle is a good sign, which means you should be able to drag and drop a job onto the waiting system. The process is kind of doomed as you will be promted to remove your media after it completes each task of a job if you tell it to boot locally and if you tell it to PXE boot you will wait forever until the PXE process gives up (I seem to think it's 11 tries before it will boot locally).

To use RDP to build ProLiant servers one must accept they will use PXE. Right now your cutting butter with a spoon - thus your not using the right tool for what you want to do.

[ben horan]

We realised that the process was actually working. The 'Waiting for Deployment Server...' was hidden behind another window. We have now encountered the issue with after a task it asks that the media be removed. Is there any way around this? Our build room is not PXE enabled and likely never will be - how can we use RDP to build in this instance?

[Gordon Leonard]

1. Remove the media when told to do so - then replace it during the reboot.

2. Tell it to PXE boot - it will give up on the PXE boot after 11 tries - it will do this on every re-boot until the OS is ready to start it's setup (you need to remove the CD when you get to this point).

3. Use PXE.

4. Use a different tool - how about SmartStart.

5. May be able to move PXE to another NIC then disable it. (Need to go into the BIOS of the server).