WDS Install image not working

[mchipser]

I have a custom install.wim which works when applying using imagex. However since this image has multiple images within it (1,2) it fails when I try and add it to the "install image" section of WDS. Image one inside of the wim is for C: and image two is for D:. Currently I am just using a custom boot.wim and mapping a share to the server and using imagex to apply the custom install.wim from the network share..

Is there anyway to get around this or since I have multiple images inside my install.wim is this is the best way?

[Tripredacus]

I'd keep that install image in a share, like you are now. Then create a custom boot image that uses the install image in the share. Add that new boot image to WDS. All WDS is like a giant roadmap.

[mchipser]

I'd keep that install image in a share, like you are now. Then create a custom boot image that uses the install image in the share. Add that new boot image to WDS. All WDS is like a giant roadmap.

Same problem new question..

My company does not want to upgrade to gigabit (maybe next year if budget allows) but until then I need a way to restore the systems in our lab.. Currently we have 3 servers serving up the images and after 2-3 systems are pulling the images the file share on each server blows up and becomes extremely slow..

So my question is, is it possible to detect when a client is pulling an image (if a file is currently being accessed), that way if two people are accessing the file then I can script the other clients to hold off until someone is done..

How can I detect if imagex is being ran on the subnet? Does Imagex just use a file copy and I am unable to sniff this traffic?

Edited September 19, 2011 by mchipser

[Tripredacus]

Imagex will lock the file for writing/moving but not copying.

If you look in the PXE Response tab on your WDS properties, you see an option for "Require Administrator... blah blah" which basically means only allowed clients can get the appropriate PXE response (ie download wdsnbsp) and be able to be imaged. This is more of a manual process however.

I've never used this setting, but try out the Configuring the Auto-Add Policy on TechNet.

[mchipser]

Since the menu I built was in Autoit. I had the first pxe client create a txt document on the file server in the same directory as the wim once the imagex process started and deleted it once it was finished. After the selection of an image file the script checks if there is a text document there. If there is one there is sleep for a random (1min – 5min) time and then checks again, if it is still there the script sleeps again. If it is not there is writes one then deploys the wim then deletes it when it is done, releasing the wim for others on the network to image their machine..