VMM 2019 PXE Physical Deployment keeps deploying wrong version of Server 2019

Richard Smith 1 Reputation point
2021-01-10T15:22:36.407+00:00

Hi Guys,
I have interesting issue with VMM 2019 (latest SP)

Each time i deploy a build using physical computer deployment, it keeps deploying standard edition on only 1 node.
3 deploy with datacentre. 1 is standard. Yet there all following the same script!

Physical Computer Profile is definitely point at a datacentre WIM file and using a datacentre key.
WIM image has been triple checked as datacentre. I even mounted the image again, and checked it.

Yet after the deployment, its standard edition and the build confirms this as well so its not a VMM mis-report.

Never seen this before.

Anyone got any ideas?

System Center Virtual Machine Manager

3 answers

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  1. Richard Smith 1 Reputation point
    2021-01-22T23:02:20.813+00:00

    Hi,
    Well i suspect this is a bug. I've done a clean installation, went straight to UR2. Installed 1 node with standard, and standard was deployed. Excellent.
    Deployed it again, changed to datacentre.
    Deployed it again, changed to standard.

    As i have to deploy a cluster, i deployed datacentre edition to 4 nodes at same time. Same profile, same VHDXs etc.
    2 were standard, 2 were datacentre.
    Work that out!

    Either its something is wrong with my VHDX, which is 2019, all updates, sysprep and shutdown or its a VMM bug. I've never this before, but I've not done any PXE deployments since UR1.

    My only work around is to keep deploying to same nodes until it hits right. 50/50 chance right?

    As this is almost vanilla install of VMM, should be easy to replicate.

    Thanks

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  2. Richard Smith 1 Reputation point
    2021-01-22T23:09:23.833+00:00

    Oh, and im Deploying Core Edition by the way.

    The only places i know that VMM may interfere, is the Product Key or answer file. Answer file is as basic as it comes.

  3. Richard Smith 1 Reputation point
    2021-01-27T00:34:37.16+00:00

    When i try to get the product key via PowerShell returns nothing

    (Get-WmiObject -query ‘select * from SoftwareLicensingService’).OA3xOriginalProductKey

    When i use the command prompt, it simply outputs OA3xOriginalProductKey

    When i query with SLMGR it says partial product key and VOLUME_MAK channel
    Licenced

    I used SCCM to deploy the nodes in the end, not ideal but keeps people happy for now.

    Any thoughts?

    Looks like VMM is not passing on the product key correctly, might be worth attempting to hardcode the product key into the answer file and try it that way. Problem is, my servers are almost production ready so wiping them would not impress people.

    Thanks