During Build and Capture you'll most likely want to have the latest Windows Updates in your Capture Image and as part of the Build and Capture process, your computer will be in a Workgroup.

This presents some challenges in that the client won't know where to go for windows updates etc, but we can help it find those updates with a Server Locator Point by Installing that role on our SCCM server.

Note: A requirement for this guide to work is that you'll have to have advertised a Deployment Management Task with windows updates targetted to a collection that your build and capture computer will be in during OSD deployment.


Server locator points are used in a Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy to complete client site assignment on the intranet and help clients find management points when they cannot find that information through Active Directory Domain Services.

Intranet clients use Active Directory Domain Services as their preferred method to complete site assignment and find management points. However, clients must use a server locator point if the Active Directory schema is not extended for Configuration Manager 2007 or the site is not published to Active Directory Domain Services, or if clients do not belong to the same Active Directory forest as the site server's forest.



Note: You need only one server locator point for the Configuration Manager 2007 hierarchy, even if you have multiple sites. In a multi-site hierarchy, install the server locator point in the central site. If you install a server locator point in the middle of the hierarchy, it will have no knowledge of sites above it in the hierarchy.



To install the Server Locator Point Role

In the Configmgr console, Expand Site Database, Site Management, <Site Name>, Site Settings, Site Systems, highlight your site server.

Check to make sure that the role does not already exist on one the site system that you are going to install it on. If it does then you do not need to install it (and it won't show up in the list of new roles that can be installed).

To Install the role, right click the server that you want the role installed on and select New Roles, click Next, Select the Server Locator Point Role, Click Finish.

Attached Image: monthly_01_2011/post-1-0-69518300-1294823529.jpg


The Build and Capture Task Sequence

Now that the SLP role is installed we'll need to create a Build and Capture task sequence. I will supply you with one I've made for Windows 7 X86.

Attached File  Build and Capture Windows 7x86 with SLP.xml (9.7K)
Number of downloads: 1

You can import this task sequence directly into SCCM and simply change the packages that it references:-

Attached Image: monthly_01_2011/post-1-0-49798600-1294822848.jpg

So let's take a closer look at the task sequence, first of all it wipes the computer, and installs Windows 7, then it applies some windows settings, all standard stuff, next it joins a Workgroup in the Apply Network Settings step. Do not join a domain here, we are creating a master image here so we want it clean.

Attached Image: monthly_01_2011/post-1-0-18732900-1294822872.jpg

The next step is where the magic happens, here we specify some switches for the Setup Windows and ConfigMgr step, Specifying the SLP, FSP and MP during Client Installation.

Attached Image: monthly_01_2011/post-1-0-01530200-1294822952.jpg

You may be wondering why we are also specifying the Management Point and Fallback Status Point. If you have extended the Active Directory schema for Configuration Manager 2007, many client installation properties are published in Active directory and read automatically by the Configuration Manager 2007 client. For a list of the client installation properties published in Active Directory, see About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties Published to Active Directory Domain Services. However as we are in a workgroup, we cannot query the AD site, we want our client to know where the Management Point is and also the Fallback Status Point (to report any client installation failures.)

Our next step simply installs some software, Mozilla Firefox in this example task sequence, in your production environment that could be several steps (Installing Office 2010, Symantec Antivirus, etc), and this is followed by the actual Install Software Updates step.

Attached Image: monthly_01_2011/post-1-0-73817500-1294826846.jpg

Note: If we don't specify the SLP in the Setup windows and ConfigMgr step then this step will simply time out and do nothing except generate an error in our Task Sequence.



How can I see that the SLP is correctly defined ?

Look on your client and find the LocationService.log file (typically c:\windows\system32\ccm\logs), it should reference the following line (obvioulsy your SLP will be different to mine)

Quote

Retrieved SLP [sccm.server2008.lab.local] from Registry





References:-

Server Locator Point

Determine If You Need a Server Locator Point for Configuration Manager Clients - Technet
How to Create a Server Locator Point in Configuration Manager - Technet
How to Specify the Server Locator Point for Configuration Manager Client Computers - Technet

Fallback Status Point

Determine If You Should Install a Fallback Status Point for Configuration Manager Clients - Technet
How to Create a Fallback Status Point in Configuration Manager - Technet
How to Assign the Fallback Status Point to Configuration Manager Client Computers - Technet

Management Point

Configuration Manager Client

About Configuration Manager Client Installation Properties - Technet

Forums

Install and Capture fails if specified any windows updates or software to install, 0x00000004 - Microsoft Technet forums

ConfigMgr "Install Software Updates" task failing when building a reference machine - CoreWorx's blog



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