Issue Automatically deploying an image with a specific KBE
I found a pdf called "K2000 Advanced Topics" I am trying to utilize the section called "Automatically deploy an image with a specific KBE". I created a KBE that boots to the menu and users can select which image they want to install...that method works fine. When I use the KBE Manipulator to add a "Custom DOS command" I used y:\scripts\system_image_9.bat “LOCALE=en_us.utf-8”. 9 being the image I want to auto load. The workstations can boot to the KBE with no issues, I see the preinstallations tasks run, I even see the image auto install (which is what i want). However went it gets to the post tasks they all fail with "unable to find specified file". What I noticed was in the tasks.xml the pre tasks are not using a system variable they use y:\ and when it gets to the post tasks the tasks.xml are using %systemdrive%. Inside the KBE if I bring up a command prompt I see that %systemdrive% is using X:\ which is why the post scripts fail they are located on Y:. These same exact post scripts and image work just fine as long as I do not use the KBE Manipulator to try and specify an image with DOS commands. This is version 3.6 of the K2...A quick fix I think would be to just make a copy of the tasks.xml and make the post tasks use Y: instead of %systemdrive%...however as far as I can tell I only have read access to this share. Any help would be greatly appreciated...Thanks.
Answers (2)
How come you are not using a normal kbe and just assign the deployment to the machine by its mac.
If you have pxe booted the box once to the kbox it will show under the systems tab or you can scan the network to get it in the kbox. Once the machines are on the list, check the machines you want this image to go to and from the drop down choose boot actions and assign the image to those macs, the next time you pxe boot they will start imaging automatically
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I have done that and it works and that is an automated image...however not all of our technicians will have access to the K2000 so they will be unable to do this and no one will be sitting around doing this for them. We only have 1 image for all workstations so for me to just make a KBE that always sends this image would make the lives easier of our Desktop Support technicians. - trippy20877 10 years ago
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Let me dig into automating that for you. What you mentioned about the pathing is correct. the image is running under kbe pe os till the end of mid task when the reboot occurs. Post tasks are processed by the actual os located on the target drive. So under PE OS the system drive is a ramdisk x: once it reboots for the post tasks the systemdrive becomes the target drive. can you post your config_9 and tasks_9 xml files also located there - SMal.tmcc 10 years ago
I just created an autoinstall and disected it for you
an autoinstall creates a batch file in the ..\peinst\auto directory named the mac of the target machine for each machine.
the contents of the bats are
for a scripted install:
set BOOTACTION=1
set BOOT_ACTION_ID=14
set OFFLINE_METHOD=UNATTEND
set OFFLINE_DIR=1799803951_1402420150
set OFFLINE_TEMPLATE=0
set OFFLINE_DEPLOY_OPTION=0
set USMT_VERSION_DIR=
call Y:\scripts\scripted_install_4.bat
for a image install:
set BOOTACTION=1
set BOOT_ACTION_ID=12
set OFFLINE_METHOD=UNATTEND
set OFFLINE_DIR=2031672697_1402419837
set OFFLINE_TEMPLATE=0
set OFFLINE_DEPLOY_OPTION=0
set USMT_VERSION_DIR=
call Y:\scripts\system_image_57.bat
I would recommend you create a mock boot action, go harvest that bat file and use those commands in your special kbe. Let me know if this works, I can use this idea this fall on the academic side when we reimage.
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Thanks for the suggestion...I created the KBE yesterday and tested this morning. It did not give the error of unable to find the post scripts but after the image came down it went back to the imaging menu. I manually rebooted the system hoping it would finish the post scripts and if so I could just add a reboot command to the KBE but the system went right into the driver installation via sysprep. It never went back in to actually run the post scripts. The content of my bat was almost identical to yours I use those commands in the KBE manipulator. I wish had write access to the peinst share I am fairly sure I could fix this. - trippy20877 10 years ago
