Blog

When deploying Windows Server 2012R2 using an Configmgr OSD Task Sequence, additional disks will be offline when the Task Sequence completes

 

When using a Configuration Manager OSD Task Sequence to deploy Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2012 R2 to a server (VM) that contains disks that are not local (such as SAN Disk), when the Task Sequence completes, the additional disks may not come online and may show as offline. Specifically in the Disk Management, the additional disks will show offline with the message:

Disk is offline due to a policy set by an administrator

If you look at my VM, you will see I have 2 separate disks that I will need in a later phase to install the backup software to the D:\ partition, residing on the other vmdk.

clip_image002

To resolve the issue, for the WinPE phase, the steps from KB971436 need to be added to the Task Sequence. For deployments from Operating System Images, a registry key value will need to be updated with the correct SAN policy value as shown below:

Just after the step where you apply the image, create a “RunCommand line called :”load system hive” and execute :” reg load HKUtemp "%OSPART%\WindowsSystem32ConfigSystem"”

clip_image004

Just after the step where you apply the “RunCommand line called :”load system hive”, create a “RunCommand line called :”Change Default SAN policy” and execute :”reg add HKUtempControlSet001HKLMSystemCurrentControlSetServicespartmgrParameters /v SanPolicy /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f”

clip_image006

Just after the step where you apply the “RunCommand line called :”Change Default SAN policy”, create a “RunCommand line called :”Unload system hive” and execute :”reg unload HKUTEMP”

clip_image008

Next phase is to make sure that no drives will remain offline and all drives will still have the right driveletters assigned . Run a command line with : diskpart /s diskpart.txt

clip_image010

The contents of the diskpart.txt can be determined by yourself . Here is an example

clip_image012

Hope it Helps ,

Kenny Buntinx

MVP enterprise Client Management

Enough talk, let’s build
Something together.