Save time (and avoid pain) – Create a MDT test environment

UPDATE: There is a newer PowerShell version of this post here:
Save time (and avoid pain) – Create a MDT simulation environment – Deployment Research

By adding a few files to a folder you can simulate the gather process of MDT, and figure out why settings fails in seconds rather than hours… Create a MDT test environment – here is how.

Step-by-step instructions

1. On a machine in the domain, install the ConfigMgr 2007 Toolkit
2. Start SMS Trace (Trace32.exe), and click Yes to associate .log files with it.
3. Create a folder named C:\MDT, and then copy the following files from your deployment share to C:\MDT.
   
   Customsettings.ini
   ZTIDataAccess.vbs
   ZTIGather.wsf
   ZTIGather.xml
   ZTIUtility.vbs   
4. Create a batch file named Gather.cmd with the following information

   cls
   if exist C:\MININTNul rd C:\MININT /s /q
   cscript.exe ZTIGather.wsf /debug:true   

5. Run the Gather.cmd batch file, and review the C:\MININT\SMSOSD\OSDLOG\SZTIGather.log file in Trace32.

In the below sample I have the following customsettings.ini file

[Settings] 
Priority=Model, Default 

[Default] 
OSInstall=YES

[HP EliteBook 8540w] 
Subsection=%Model%-%Architecture%

[HP EliteBook 8540w-X86] 
MandatoryApplications001={980fc0ac-68eb-4227-bc57-49ac352e18d5}

[HP EliteBook 8540w-X64] 
MandatoryApplications001={980fc0ac-68eb-4227-bc57-49ac352e18d5}

The ZTIGather.log will look like this

From the above log file we can see that if I would have deployed a HP Elitebook 8540w, it would actually install an application with the guid of {980fc0ac-68eb-4227-bc57-49ac352e18d5}. If I check the Deployment Workbench, I can see which application that has that guid.

Note: Do not worry about the following warnings in the ZTIGather.log, they are ok and expected:

FindFile: The file x86Microsoft.BDD.Utility.dll could not be found in any standard locations.
FAILURE (Err): 429: CreateObject(Microsoft.BDD.Utility) – ActiveX component can't create object.

/ Johan