How the Auto-Add Policy Works

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

In This Topic

• How Computers in a Pending State Are Handled

• Diagram of the Auto-Add Policy

How Computers in a Pending State Are Handled

If a computer requires approval before the installation will start, the computer will be in a pending state. The following steps detail the process a pending computer goes through to get approved:

1. A client Pre-Boot Execution Environment (PXE) boot request is received by the PXE server and passed to Windows Deployment Services.

2. Windows Deployment Services checks the Auto-Add policy to see it should answer clients. If the Auto-Add policy is set to answer clients, the process continues. If the Auto-Add policy is set to not answer clients, the client request is ignored.

3. Windows Deployment Services queries AD DS. If the computer is prestaged, the computer is answered and Auto-Add policy is not used. If the computer is not prestaged, the process continues.

4. If the Auto-Add policy is set to answer only known clients and the client is not prestaged, the client request is ignored. If the server is set to answer all clients — even those that are not known — the process continues.

5. The Auto-Add policy is queried. If pending functionality is enabled, then the client will await approval from the administrator. If pending functionality is not enabled, then the client installation will proceed.

6. The Auto-Add database is queried.

   • If the computer does not exist in the Auto-Add database, this computer has not attempted to boot before. Skip to step 7.

   • If the computer does exist in the Auto-Add database and the status of the computer is approved, the computer is placed into the pending queue awaiting AD DS replication. Actions beginning at step 3 will be repeated per the client’s defined polling interval.

   • If the computer does exist in the Auto-Add database and the status of the computer is rejected, the client request is ignored.

   • If pending functionality is turned on, the computer is added to the Auto-Add database.

7. The computer remains in the pending state until one of the following occurs:

   • If the computer is approved, it is sent the settings for its architecture. Additionally, it is possible for you to override the defaults when you manually approve a computer. Skip to step 8.

   • If the computer is rejected, it will be sent the file Abortpxe.com, causing the computer to boot to the next computer in the boot order.

   • If the computer times out, the computer will boot from the next computer in the boot order.

   • If the user cancels the PXE request, the computer will boot from the next option in the boot order. The computer will re-enter the pending state on the next reboot if the Auto-Add database still contains the computer entry.

8. If the computer is approved, the following will occur:

   • A unique name is created for the computer, and the computer will be added to AD DS, using the Auto-Add policy settings (if a name was not specified when you approved the computer using the WDSUTIL command-line utility or the MMC snap-in).

   • The computer and all of its properties will be added to a domain controller where the computer account object will be created.

   • The computer is sent another network boot program (NBP). If you did not specify this network boot program when the computer was approved, the default settings will be used.

  - The computer record is updated to **approved** in the Auto-Add database. If this process fails, the computer is still answered.  
      

Diagram of the Auto-Add Policy

The following diagram illustrates the Auto-Add policy.