WDS + MDT How to avoid pxe boot loop

mdtpxe-bootwds

I am trying to automate the reimage process for our SuperMicro servers.
Generally, i want to achive the situation from https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/windows/it-pro/windows-server-2012-R2-and-2012/hh831764(v=ws.11)

Ron configures Windows Deployment Services so when a computer is
restarted, it will boot from the network automatically and deploy the
appropriate image (without requiring the users to press F12). He also
configures the deployment so that when the computer restarts, the
computer will not network boot unless F12 is pressed. This way, the
computer then boots to the hard disk drive and finishes the
installation process. This prevents a boot loop, in which the computer
would continue booting into Setup.

So my default server settings is "Require the user to press F12 key to PXE boot" for both known and unknown clients.

I prestaged computer account in AD with default boot program pxeboot.n12 and executed command wdsutil /set-server /resetbootprogram:yes

Server booted from PXE without F12 and started MDT deployment correctly. But after restart he again booted from PXE although he had to reset boot program to the default server settings.

Does anyone know how to get this working?

Best Answer

It's a known MDT issue with LTIApply.wsf file. It needs to be manually changed to correct the network boot loop.

Related Solutions

PXE with WDS & Windows Server 2012 – no filename option in DHCP lease

PXE uses DHCP. You can run PXE on a network with separate PXE and DHCP servers, but PXE does need to listen on DHCP. It just can't hand out IP addresses.

It kind of goes like this:

PXE Client:  DHCPREQUEST, p.s. I'm a PXE Client.
DHCP Server:  DHCPACK, Here's your IP! p.s., PXE over there ->
PXE Server:  DHCPACK, Hello, I'll be your PXE server today...

So you're going to need to make changes to the DHCP server (to specify to PXE clients where to get PXE services) and possibly the routers as well (to specify the PXE server as a DHCP helper).

I don't have access to the environment where I had this working because I've switched jobs since then, but here are some suggested DHCP scope options:

Predefined Option 43 - 010400000000FF
Custom-made Option 60 - String - PXEClient
Predefined Option 66 - IP or Hostname of the WDS Server
Predefined Option 67 - boot\x86\wdsnbp.com

I got these here: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/e84c8a4c-a6da-4c4a-8ca6-2a1007b205ae/wds-server-and-dhcp-server-on-two-different-servers

Good luck!

MDT 2012 and PXE BOOT

Your WDS server does not need to be your DHCP server also. The TechNet article ‘Managing Network Boot Programs’ shows the DHCP options you need to set (as TheFiddlerWins said in his comment), 066 and 067 will direct network booting to look at your WDS server.

You will still do all of your imaging work in MDT, but MDT uses the WDS server to network boot to the Lite Touch boot images that MDT creates. Those boot images will look to your deployment share for images and drivers. So once you have WDS setup and working, you will only need to access WDS to replace the Lite Touch boot images if you make changes such as adding storage or network drivers to those boot images, or changes to the bootstrap.ini.

Hope this helps,

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