Altiris PXE Server doesn't work properly after migrating to ESX 3.01

[StPi]

Hi there,

we run an Altiris Deployment Solution 6.5 which is installed in a VM.

It worked flawlessly in our ESX 2.52 environment for several months now.

After migrating the VM to our new ESX 3.01 Server the deployment of new workstations fail during the Windows' setup copy process. The setup reports a read error and even after a retry the setup fails in the end.

We already moved the vm to another ESX 3.01 server without any effect.

I switched the NICs of the vSwitch to 1000 FD instead of autodetect - no effect.

Our switches show no errors at all on the ports.

We now restored a backup to our old ESX 2.52 environment and everything works fine again!?

Does anyone have a hint???

Kind regards,

Stefan

[cheeko]

so basically, PXE works under 3.0.1 and it fails when windows setup is already running and copying files? then it's not a PXE issue ...

how did you migrate that machine?

[StPi]

I did a cold migration with Virtual Center 2.

Did this with about 25 machines and they all seem to work well (as far as I can tell after 2 days) - except for the Altiris server

Message was edited by:

StPi

[cheeko]

Can you verify that PXE works and acts like it should?

Does it always stop at the same stage during xp setup?

[StPi]

Yes you are right. PXE itself seems to work properly.

It is the copy process during the windows xp setup that fails.

It is not the same file every time and we already tried with two different windows installations (german and english). Both failed.

We already tried to copy the source files with the windows explorer from the Altiris server to another workstation and that worked perfectly.

So it's not corrupt source files.

[cheeko]

successfully copying the source files from win to win, doesn't indicate that they are ok.

I'd replace them with the original ones, just to make sure that this isn't the problem.

did you update vmware tools inside the VM?

Message was edited by:

cheeko

[StPi]

I upgraded the virtual hardware and and updated the vmware tools.

We not only copied the files but we also could open them (e.g. cab files).

It really seems to be something in the network transfer.

[cheeko]

event logs are clean?

[StPi]

Yes, no entry in any of the event logs.

[cheeko]

... and images can be deployed without problems?

[StPi]

We don't deploy any images.

We only have unattended installations.

[VirtualKenneth]

I think this isn't an ESX problem, we had RDP running on a VM in an ESX 301 environment and it just works.

Maybe you can add pauses into the scripts to try and find the cause? (rights?)

RDP is nice when it's working but a hell when something goes wrong (due to the fact that there hardly aren't any loggings)

[StPi]

?????

We don't have any problems with RDP.

We have about 20 machines running on the ESX 3.01 and all of them seem to work flawlessly, including RDP.

We ONLY have problems with unattended deployment of workstations using an Altiris Server that is installed on a vm in ESX 3.01.

[VirtualKenneth]

Uhm... so you do have problems with RDP since in my opinion RDP = Altiris, right?

[StPi]

Sorry, as far as I know RDP is known as RemoteDesktopProtocol.

Then you know the abbreviation with a different meaning?

[VirtualKenneth]

Aaaah now I understand it

I was reading RDP and referring to Rapid Deployment Pack (it's Altiris with HP specific scripts on it)

[StPi]

Aaah, ok, now I understand.

I think adding pauses doesn't make sense because the job starts correctly.

It is starting the Windows XP setup and starts the copying of the source files from the Altiris server to the local workstation.

It stops somewhere during this copy process with an error message that a source file can't be read (retry/skip/cancel). It's a different file on each try and the source files seem to be ok as copying and opening them from another machine's windows explorer works.

The Altiris jobs are ok. They worked for months in our ESX 2.52 and after restoring the Altiris server to the ESX 2.52 server they run again without any errors.

So it's very surely the ESX 3.01.

May it be a problem with the vSwitch or with the NIC driver?

[cheeko]

What Windows version is Altiris DS running on? Service Pack? What NIC is configured (vmxnet or vlance)?

[StPi]

\- Windows 2003 Server std. engl., SP1

\- vmxnet

[cheeko]

Create a snapshot, switch to vlance and see if/how things change ...