customization wizard - sysprep failing to join domain

[buckmaster]

vcsa 6.0.1 esx 6.0.1

templates: w7 64 bit AND windows 2008 R2

Using the same answer file I always have and it has always worked.  I've seen the KB where username and domain name format need to be changed to username@domain.xxx and domain.xxx.  Does not make a difference.  After deploying from template it never joins the domain.  However, it does change the name.  If I manually join the domain after template deployment it works without issue.

I'm not sure what logs to look at?  I've looked at my DC's and see no issues.

Thanks in advance for a reply.

Tom Miller

[Jeffyd91]

Hi there! A few questions for you:

1. Are you pre-staging the objects in active directory or using Domain Admin rights?

2. Are you using the OS specification version of sysprep or straight sysprep?

Cheers!

[buckmaster]

1.  Domain admin

2.  Built in process for template deployment "OS specification"

Basically the same thing I've done for years.  Can't figure out what has changed - and I don't know where to look.

By the way this is the KB article I was referring to:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=101231...

Here is the log files

[buckmaster]

If I change the customization specification to "assign" an IP address verses DHCP the VM joins the domain.

Any ideas?   

[buckmaster]

So as a last ditch effort I blew away my templates that have worked forever and rebuilt them from scratch.  All that was done on the new w7 and w2k8R2 templates was turn on RDP, installs vmware tools and apply the ton of windoz patches.

Same result.  The only way I get a template deployment to join the domain is to specify an IP address in the customization wizard.  Straight up DHCP never joins a domain.  Again,,as a reminder when doing a DHCP deployment it does NOT join the domain.  If I log into the deployed VM I can join the domain with no issues.

Any help would be appreciated as I have wasted a ton of time on this.

Thanks

Tom

[snonchev]

Check your DNS suffix in the Customization to contain the domain FQDN.

I had similar issue with 2012 R2 - managed to resolve it with this KB .

[buckmaster]

Thanks for the response but I mentioned that KB above.  It feels like a timing issue with the customization process running too fast and not waiting on the network "dhcp" address to be assigned.

Tom

[snonchev]

Oeps, yes, I missed the KB link published earlier.

What NIC driver your template has? Is the DHCP server in another subnet (DHCP relays in your environment)? If you haven't tried using E1000 driver, I think it's worth testing with it...

[buckmaster · Accepted solution]

snonchev

That for the help!  I officially have egg on my face

I broke the number 1 rule of troubleshooting - CHECK THE LAST THING THAT CHANGED NO MATTER HOW INSIGNIFICANT.

A couple of weeks ago I had to replace my router, flashed with DD-WRT, and it had dnsmasq turned on which means the router became the DNS server verses my VM running AD and DNS.

Once I turned off DNSMASQ in my router my AD server providing DNS was able to do it's job.  Template deployments and joining domain is working.

Thanks

Tom