is MDT's ability to pick back up after unexpected shutdown reliable?

[James]

Hello,

when using MDT update 1 for deployments is it safe to trust everything is
well when the LTI process picks up and continues after an unexpected
shutdown? like from a power loss or something like that? or network
connectivity loss... then reboot?

basically I'm having an intermittent issue that is driver related (machine
shuts down abruptly), but it boots back up and sits at the login screen only
because its asking for input as to why the system shutdown, but if you enter
something and let it log back in it apprears the LTI process picks right up
from where it left off and continues to completion.

This issue is that I have a storage driver (HP server systems) that has
issues under high I/O on windows server 2003, but the issue is fixed with
SP2. So sometimes my deployments fail during SP2 installation (machine
reboots abruptly) which is the fist application that gets installed in the
TS after the custom wim image is applied. I'm working under a requirement of
having no service packs in the image itself.

The log file shows the sp2 install starting with the 'about to run ...'
entry, then if problem occurs and you put in the shutdown reason so it can
log back in the next log entry is:
"Found existing task sequence state information in D:\_SMSTaskSequence, will
continue"

it then runs the command that installs sp2 again and everthing seems to
proceed as normal.

Obviously I'm going to fix the driver issue but I'm wondering if its safe to
let users continue to use the system in the meantime? I realize no one else
can tell if my server is ok, I'm just looking for input as to whether or not
MDT's ability to pick up and continue after this type of failure is
reliable? anyone experience anything similar?

any input is apreciated

[Dave Guenthner [MSFT]]

MDT cannot ensure that installation of Windows is successful if machine is
restarted abruptly. The task sequencer is restarting just because a
registry dictated it.
Lets make sure your not hitting a known issue which has caused quite a lot
of call volume in the past.

940015 - You receive a Stop error message after you install update 932755
or 941276 on an HP ProLiant server that is running Storport in Windows
Server 2003

There may be a good reason not to be using SP2 integrated media but nothing
comes to mind. We are extending the deployment time which cannot be cost
effective.

Dave Guenthner [MSFT]
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.

[James]

yes, I do believe my issue is related to this known issue, the problem is I
can't include sp2 in my source files... I have to be able to deploy an image
and give user option whether or not they want to service pack or not. All
new servers are of course service packed but sometimes the reason for a
deployment in my case is to prepare a server as a target for a restore from
backups of some kind where a particular patch level must be met, which is
not always inclusive of latest service pack. Thats why my images themselves
have no service pack.

I have an old version of the driver (hpcisss2.sys) which must work since the
current deployment system's images (2k3 ADS) have it, and they work without
issue. The problem is even though I have deleted the new version and added
this older version to the workbench I can't even get a build to run... blue
screen (stop error 7B) every time.

I'm not sure what to try next....

I thought I had a solution

Post by Dave Guenthner [MSFT]
MDT cannot ensure that installation of Windows is successful if machine is
restarted abruptly. The task sequencer is restarting just because a
registry dictated it.
Lets make sure your not hitting a known issue which has caused quite a lot
of call volume in the past.
940015 - You receive a Stop error message after you install update 932755
or 941276 on an HP ProLiant server that is running Storport in Windows
Server 2003
There may be a good reason not to be using SP2 integrated media but nothing
comes to mind. We are extending the deployment time which cannot be cost
effective.
Dave Guenthner [MSFT]
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.