Deployment Share not on same server as MDT and SQL Server Express - can't connect to database.

Question

Due to a change in positions, I haven't used MDT in 8 years. I'm now setting the database up again and struggling. I suspect it is because this new instance (setup by someone else) has MDT and SQL Server Express on a server together -- but the deployment share is on a network drive. So it takes about 5 minutes for database querying to start after I boot to a USB key ... but I don't know if it's actually querying. When it starts processing the Rules it takes another 10 minutes. I can deploy an OS but nothing stored in the database (Roles, Computer Name, etc). After and OS finished being deployed I get the yellow screen with errors.

Error - Unable to map a network drive to \MDT19\DeploymentShare. "Unable to establish database connection using [CROLES] properties. The network name cannot be found."

Well, the deployment share is not at \MDT19\DeploymentShare. MDT and SQL Server Express are on the MDT19 server but the Deployment Share is at \FU-01\DeploymentShare. Is there something I can do to correct this?

Note -- I have not added any UNC reference to the CustomSettings / Rules.

Answer 1

Hi,

Thanks for posting in Microsoft MECM Q&A forum.

1,Could we find any useful information in the bdd.log and smsts.log?

2,Please check the bootstrap.ini and customsettings.ini to see if there is anything unusual.

A similar thread for your reference: MDT Troubleshooting - "Unable to map a network drive to" or "Network Path Not Found"

Best regards,
Simon

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Answer 2

I am not finding useful information in either log, but I can post the contents of those logs if it would be useful to this group. I do not see anything unusual in either .ini file. I have attempted to modify them as the user did at the link you posted but to no avail. I have tried listing the full UNC path for the SQLShare but the error just changes. Still researching but hope someone else has encountered this and can respond. Thank you.

Answer 3

Hi,

Sorry for my delayed reply.

If possible, please break out of MDT and get into a command prompt to check the followings:

Do you have an IP Address? (Run ipconfig /all)

Can you ping the deployment server: Ping Server1

Can you connect to the deployment share: Net use * \Server\DeploymentShare$ /u:domain\user *

Thanks for your time. Have a nice day!

Best regards,
Simon

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