RIS problem 1

[outonalimb]

I am trying to get RIS working for the first time. However, after following the instructions from various web sites and Mark Minasi's Windows 2003 book, I cannot get it working at all. Here's what I've done so far...

1. Installed Windows 2003 R2 on one server with Active Directory, DNS and DHCP.
2. Installed a second Windows 2003 R2 server as a member server. RIS is installed on this server and then authorised in Active Directory using the DHCP management tool on the first W2k3 server.
3. Created a Windows XP RIS image using the RIS setup tool and ensured the tick box to allow clients to listen for RIS.
4. Rebooted a HP Compaq D330 PC with PXE and pressed F12 for network boot. After 20 seconds, the network boot complains it cannot find a boot image and bombs out.

I have done nothing else. Do I need to do anything else in Active Directory (i.e create users, computers, etc)? Could it be the PXE software on the PC?

Regards,

 

[PScottC]

Is your DHCP server configured to give out IP's to clients? The RIS process is based on 2 DHCP Discover broadcasts from the client system. The first to obtain an IP address, the second to obtain a boot image.

Also... The simplest configuration requires that your DHCP server, RIS server, and client are on the same network segment. Are all the systems in the same IP subnet?

PSC

Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers

 

[outonalimb]

The DHCP server, RIS server and clients are all the same network segment. DHCP is also configured to give out IP addresses.

Would anything else stop the process working?

 

[PScottC]

Is the "Remote Installation" service running on the RIS server? Does the "REMINST" share exist on the RIS server? What partition did you place the "RemoteInstall" folder on? Have you tried a different PXE client system? Have you tried creating a Remote Boot Floppy disk using the "rbfg.exe" utility and booting from it?

The error you describe in your original post suggests that RIS isn't running.

Hmmm... Have you turned off the firewall on your servers?

PSC

Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers

 

[markdmac]

I have a friend who battled this and asked him what he recalls about it. He's traveling on business at the moment so could not fully verify, but here is what he remembers:

Yes, I did get the PXE boot to work with RIS and it was a major headache. I had to setup two DHCP scope options (66 and one other, I think...150?) in order for it to work. You basically have to set DHCP to point to a specific server in one option, and then a specific startup file in RIS...I think it was "startrom.com" or something like that.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[PScottC]

I've run several dozen RIS servers since 2001, and the main problems I've had are:

1) RISetup not run properly.
2) RIS server not authorized as DHCP server (risetup resolves this issue)
3) Network boot process on some NIC's is actually a proprietary, not PXE, and you have to set the NIC as the first boot device instead of using the "F12" option.
4) NIC drivers for system are not provided in Windows version and must be manually installed. (well documented in MS KB)
5) RAID controller drivers are not provided in Windows version. This one is significantly more difficult to surmount, but can be done.
6) Can't upload an image with a diffent SP level from the flat install. (also documented in MS KB)

Notice DHCP scope options isn't on the list. The options you listed might be needed if you are not using a MS DHCP server.

PSC

Governments and corporations need people like you and me. We are samurai. The keyboard cowboys. And all those other people out there who have no idea what's going on are the cattle. Mooo! --Mr. The Plague, from the movie "Hackers

 

[markdmac]

They are an all MS shop. I had actually tried to help him, had to resolve the NIC problem part originally but the DHCP config was what finished the job in the end for them after doing all you mention above.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[markdmac]

OK, to get RIS working, you have to add two options to your DHCP "Scope Options":

066 Boot Server Host Name - just the name of the server on the network, such as "RIS01"

067 Bootfile Name - for RIS, the value should be "OSChooser\i386\startrom.com"



I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[outonalimb]

markdmac,

You deserve a star! This worked a treat. Shame that your suggestion isn't mentioned in any of my books or in any of the standard documentation. I'm in no doubt that it would help quite a few people.

Thanks again.