Kace SDA Takes forever to Image Optiplex 7000
Hello,
I use the Kace SDA to deploy system images in my environment. We recently started getting some Optiplex 7000s, and they take probably 10 times longer to install drivers from the feed. What was taking about 20 minutes to image is literally taking 2 hours. Is anyone else running into this issue? Are there work arounds? The drivers are current, and the machines themselves are absolute power houses. I'm really lost as to why it's taking forever to image these. It takes that long for ONE machine. Imaging multiple is even worse.
Advice or knowledge?
Answers (5)
Top Answer
Hello,
I have been working with Quest on this issue for almost a week and I think we have found a fix! You will need to create a new Boot Environment with the latest Dell A26 drivers (not available through KACE Driver Feed at the moment, unfortunately). I also updated my SDA environment to 9.0.144, but I don't know if that's completely necessary. First, download and install the the latest ADK and PE addons (these are direct download links):
https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2120254
https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=2120253
Download the A26 driver pack from Dell, and extract when finished:
https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-us/000108642/winpe-10-driver-pack
Download and install the version of Media Manager for your SDA if you haven't already - this can be found in your SDA environment in Library > Overview > Download Media Manager (under Source Media). Launch when finished.
In SDA Media Manager, under General Settings, fill in the SDA Settings with your network information and make sure Connection Status says "Connection Successful" when you click "Test SDA Connection." Under Other Settings, point "WAIK or WADK Path" to wherever you installed the ADK and PE addon at (default is C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\).
Click Create KBE in the top left-hand corner of SDA Media Manager. Leave everything default except the Name of the KBE, under Advanced Options check UEFI ISO , under the Driver Options tab uncheck "Inject drivers from SDA," check "Inject drivers from a local directory" and point it to wherever you extracted the Dell A26 driver pack to - I am only installing 64-bit images so my path is "C:\users\[USER]\Downloads\WinPE10.0-Drivers-A26-X0D0G\winpe\x64\" It may work for both architectures if you just select the "winpe" folder, but I haven't tested that. When finished with setup, click Upload KBE.
If you would prefer to inject drivers from your SDA instead of injecting them from a local path, you will need to replace the "kbe_windows_x64" and "kbe_windows_x86" folders under \\K2K\peinst\drivers\ with the A26 versions you downloaded previously. If you go this route, you'll want to leave the default option checked under the Driver Options tab in SDA Media Manager.
Use that new Boot Environment the next time you image a 7000 and it should be exceptionally faster. I also imaged an Optiplex 7070 and Latitude 5520 with that boot environment, and both completed successfully.
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This. This was the answer ha ha. I figured it out on my own, but finally managed to login here to review.
I updated the SDA, manually added in the A26 driver pack and rebuilt the boot environment. Major success. Imaging on the new NVME drives takes like 10 minutes. - Cheecho 2 years ago
we are also having the same issues with the Optiplex 7000. Any update on this?
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Sorry about the late response. The answer from tbatchelder is 100% the correct solution. Our appliance is only able to get to version 8.1.183 for the SDA. We're still using bare metal (long story. Super gross, I know), so that version or newer should work.
I had to build a new boot environment and manually added the updated A26 driver pack to the SDA. Rebuild the feed, and you should be set. - Cheecho 2 years ago
No changes to SDA (8.1.183)|KBE. I used a usb-c adapter and imaging works fine on 7000s.
Make sure you don't Have debug enabled within the Image Detail page setting.
Using the Samba Browser built-in in 8.2 or newer, check the folder named \\SDA-ip\petemp
There must be a log there, it will have the computer's MAC address (the one it PXE'ed from), Check that log for any warnings or errors.
Make sure those are WIM Images and not K-Images.
If other models are working fine using the same golden image, this might be a drivers issue, build a new KBE with the latest DELL WinPE10 drivers.
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Where can I check that setting? I had never had the issues before, so I'm assuming it's off.
Any idea on what I might be looking for error wise? There is a lot in the petemp directory. Only one log for today, and it doesn't seem it has any errors. The image itself is sitting on the copy drivers section. Running driver 179 of 180. It's a video driver. and has been sitting on that for 20 minutes. It still even took about an hour and forty-five minutes to get to that point.
To add, I haven't had a single Optiplex 7000 finish an image. Also, I actually have to move the hard disk from m.2 slot 1 to 2 for it to even begin an image. That definitely sounds like a driver issue, except I updated our WinPE drivers AND built a new KBE last week. Still have the issues.
edit: A quick update, driver 180 or 180 now, but I started this image 2 hours ago on the dot. - Cheecho 2 years ago-
Debug is within the Image settings themselves, Open the section where you choose the tasks that are part of the Image, right above the purple ones, there are a bunch of checkboxes.
You might want to use
-Deploy Directly from Server
and untick
-Image debug or Image debug log (Something like that).
In regards moving the storage from one slot to another, that one is odd, is this a recently released model?
Make sure the BIOS is up to date.
And check those RAID Settings, If you only have one Physical Drive, maybe turn that off.
You could also go to \\SDA-ip\drivers_postinstall
and locate the folder where the drivers for this OS+Model are stored.
Backup the folder and nuke\remove the folder containing the Video Drivers.
Then go to Settings > Appliance Maintenance > Scroll Down and click Recache drivers (might take a few minutes to finish, upper right corner of your SDA UI to check the status, if it's idle, it's done).
Then attempt to reproduce the issue.
If it's decent enough for you after that, then something is up with that driver...
You could get it in EXE format from support.dell.com, and deploy it as an Application type of Post Install Task. (You will need to research or contact DELL about the silent\unattended install switches used for those drivers). - Channeler 2 years ago-
I'm hesitant to do the Deploy from server, and these particular systems are going into labs with around 60 seats. I noticed some burden while imaging half of that number.
These were both untickeed.
Testing the storage slot thing again.
I'll be honest, I'm not willing to flash through ~350 computer BIOS ha ha. These are fresh off the line optiplex 7000s though, so I would assume they're good to go.
RAID off is part of our process already. OH MY GOODNESS. Clearing out the video folder might have possibly been the issue? I had to reboot the entire appliance just to get the access to delete that directory. Something might have been spazzed.
I'm going to test out another image and will update. - Cheecho 2 years ago -
Yeah, this is still painfully slow even after all the maintenance. - Cheecho 2 years ago
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I would Contact KACE Support, and then post the solution here - Channeler 2 years ago
Just a head up that A29 won't work and the link above redirects you to it. You will need to use A26 instead:
https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=x0d0g
