Dell Deployment Package 1.2 "Set RebootStep Variable" problems

Did you have any joy with this, I'm getting the same error?

Nothing yet, I've opened a case with Dell, the only help so far was to run the VBS script they posted to check WMI. I have started pre-staging my test server and trying to deploy that way. It seems to work better, but fails when installing Windows. This is an awesome idea and would make server deployments so much easier and consistent, but after 2 weeks of trying I am about to uninstall it and try something else.

I'm sure you've seen it, but if not here is the link to the script http://www.delltechcenter.com/page/Troubleshooting+DDP+-+RebootStep

Hi Raymond,

Can you post the smsts log contents. Fully it doesn't fit here. Please post at least 100-200 lines above the error you are noticing.

Is the machine added to the SCCM or it is an unknown computer.

Thanks,
Sumanth

also, make sure you have the advert configured to "run from DP". also, are you importing the computer before running the TS?

Hi!
I ran into the same problem. If you read the custom rebootscript-file it says that deploying to unknown computers doesn't work. Import the computer to SCCM and advertise the task to the collection that you've imported the server to. Now, there are two ways to install the OS; 1. using the install.wim file on your OS-media (backdraw here is that your system partion will be D: and not C:\. 2. Capture an installation and use the wim-file created. ( I would recommend taking the time to do this as you can use the image on other models as well as the one the image is captured from)

Thanks everyone for your replies! Of course things have gotten busy and I haven't been able to work on this as much as I would like,

But here's 2 things I have done.

#1 I went ahead and imported my R610 in to SCCM via Computer Association --> Import Computer Information and popped it in a Collection with a new Bare Metal Task Sequence advertised. I now believe I have something else wrong since it will boot off the boot image start up the TS briefly and then try to reboot in to PXE. When this happens the machine reboots and I get a no boot device available message. What's strange is that I have command support enable on the PXE boot image, but it will not respond to F8 to bring up a prompt so I am unable to save the smsts.log. Every time after this I have to boot the box off the Dell server setup CD and set the RAID controller before I can try again.

#2 I have a demo R910 (yeah prolly not the best candidate) that I tried unknown deployment on. The process actually ran on it up to the point where it indicated it was running the RAID config and failed. I do have an smsts.log off this box and here are some of the errors SMS Trace highlighted. I am hoping that this server's error is simply a bad RAID config in the TS.

Failed to save the current environment block. This is usually caused by a problem with the program. Please check the Microsoft Knowledge Base to determine if this is a known issue or contact Microsoft Support Services for further assistance.
The parameter is incorrect. (Error: 80070057; Source: Windows)

Failed to persist execution state. Error 0x(80070057) TSManager 4/6/2010 12:40:22 PM 1892 (0x0764)

Failed to save execution state and environment to local hard disk

Thanks again for your responses!!

Hi,
I would suggest using the already made ini-files for the raid-setup.
The error you are getting is probably caused by the fact that in your advertisement you have not set to run the packages from your distribution point but to download the packages to your HDD and run the setup from there. This will not work as no partitions are ready, you have to set the packages to be run from your DP.

I have successfully installed Windows Server 2008 R2 to both PowerEdge M600 and PowerEdge R710 using the DPP 1.2 Upon request I can provide you with a screenshot of my task sequence.

Tommy, I will double check that, but I've been going by "Best Practices for Advertising a Task Sequence" in the User's guide and have made these TS's (checking the "access content directly etc etc box) more times than I can count. Never hurts to check though.......

Hi Raymond,

For the failure you are noticing in case 2 caould you please search for critical error in the smsts.log file and post it here. the errors you have posted are ConfigMgr errors which will always be there and they can be ignored.

for the #1 have you updated the DP's with the image after you have enabled the command prompt?

Thanks,
Sumanth

"Hi!
I ran into the same problem. If you read the custom rebootscript-file it says that deploying to unknown computers doesn't work. Import the computer to SCCM and advertise the task to the collection that you've imported the server to. Now, there are two ways to install the OS; 1. using the install.wim file on your OS-media (backdraw here is that your system partion will be D: and not C:\. 2. Capture an installation and use the wim-file created. ( I would recommend taking the time to do this as you can use the image on other models as well as the one the image is captured from) "

so Dell designed this deployment pack to not work with unknown computer support? are they going to fix this in future releases? we deploy all are images with Unknown computer support.