How to prestage a computer in Server 2008 R2?
- I am trying to pre-stage a computer in the active directory on a 2008 R2 server for use by WDS. WDS has an option of filtering drivers based on GUID/UUID. That means one must enter the GUID when creating the computer so that when a client tries to connect with WDS to install an image, it is presented with the correct list of drivers.
The instructions here...
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc754469.aspx
...say (I renumberd the steps for clarity)- On the server running Active Directory Users and Computers, open the Active Directory Users and Computers MMC snap-in In the console tree, right-click the organizational unit that will contain the new client computer.
- Click New, and then click Computer.
- Type the client computer name
- Click Next, and then click This is a managed computer.
- In the text box, type the client computer's media access control (MAC) address preceded with twenty zeros or the globally unique identifier (GUID) in the format: {XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX}.
Everything breaks down at step 4 because there is no Next button, and I see no place to enter the GUID anywhere.
Interestingly, after creating the computer, you can open the properties window and in the Attribute Editor panel, you will see an objectGUID already generated for the computer which AD has never communicated with before. Obviously, this will not match the real GUID that is presetned by the client comptuer upon connection with WDS, and thus pre-staging a computer does not work correctly.
It appears that the current documentation on Technet is old (from 2007) and does not correctly apply to 2008 R2.
Do you know of a workaround? I realize this will probably not be an issue if I am using MDT but I am creating a training video on WDS for technet for deploying Windows 7 at the moment. I will move to MDT one I have covered WDS fully.
Thank You,
Nicholas Hamawi
Risposte
- PROBLEM SOLVED.
On the WDS server, you must add the "AD DS and AD LDS Tools" option under the Remote Administration Tools section. This will give you rights to remotely administer the active directory users and computers for the domain. If you then initiate the dsa.msc snap-in from the WDS server and add the computer, you WILL correctly see the "Next" button and the option to set the computer as a managed computer.- Contrassegnato come rispostaTim Quan - MSFTMSFT, Moderatoremercoledì 25 novembre 2009 10.09
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- Please note that I am using a separate computer running Server 2008 R2 for my WDS server. My DC is alwo running 2008 R2, and the WDS server IS joined to the domain. There is some heresay that if you install the WDS role on the same server as the DC, then I will be allowed to perform the prestage correctly--but using a DC for a WDS role is a bad idea I presume.
Please note that I am using a separate computer running Server 2008 R2 for my WDS server. My DC is alwo running 2008 R2, and the WDS server IS joined to the domain. There is some heresay that if you install the WDS role on the same server as the DC, then I will be allowed to perform the prestage correctly--but using a DC for a WDS role is a bad idea I presume.
I have confirmed this. By adding the WDS role on the DC, the "Next" button now appears, and I now have the option to select the comptuer as a "managed computer".
Perhaps the answer to my question (other than using the command line wdsutil.exe option) is to use a remote management snap-in from my WDS server to add the computer to the AD DC. ? I will try that and report next.- PROBLEM SOLVED.
On the WDS server, you must add the "AD DS and AD LDS Tools" option under the Remote Administration Tools section. This will give you rights to remotely administer the active directory users and computers for the domain. If you then initiate the dsa.msc snap-in from the WDS server and add the computer, you WILL correctly see the "Next" button and the option to set the computer as a managed computer.- Contrassegnato come rispostaTim Quan - MSFTMSFT, Moderatoremercoledì 25 novembre 2009 10.09
