As you probably know, the various driver vendors do not follow the same standard for labeling their models. This is where the concept of ModelAlias comes in. It is just a script that normalizes vendor model names to their real model names. In this post, you will learn how to use ModelAlias for driver management in ConfigMgr.
- Download the ModelAlias script: https://github.com/DeploymentResearch/DRFiles/blob/master/Scripts/ModelAliasExit.vbs
- Copy ModelAliasExit.vbs to your MDT package folder. If you follow the structure in the Deployment Artist books, it should be somewhere like this:
…sources\OSD\MDT\MDT 8443\Scripts (where MDT 8443 is the name of the MDT version specific package you created when you set up your environment)
- Make the following changes to your CustomSettings.ini
[Settings]
Priority=HardwareInfo, Default
Properties=MakeAlias, ModelAlias
[HardwareInfo]
UserExit=ModelAliasExit.vbs
MakeAlias=#SetMakeAlias()#
ModelAlias=#SetModelAlias()#Again, if you're following our structure, you should find your CustomSettings.ini file in . Sources\OSD\Settings\Windows Deployment Settings.
In your shiny Task Sequence, go to Post Install node and look for "Auto Apply Drivers" step – disable it. ´
- Add a new group and call it Drivers ´
- Under Drivers Group, add the action: "Drivers – Apply Driver Package"
- Add your driver package(s) under properties tab
- In Options, set a Task Sequence variable for ModelAlias equals and put the Model Alias name.
- To get the Model Alias name if you don't know it, you need to run one of the following and read the resulting ZTIGather.log:
- MDT Simulation environment, or start a normal MDT deployment on the endpoint – when the Wizard launches, go to the gather log.
- As a final step, in your packages node, right click MDT Package and your Settings Package and pick Update Distribution Point.
Troubleshooting Tips:
- Watch distmgr.log for status message 2301 + package ID for the "all clear" that the packages in question have been updated.
- In a distributed environment, you can watch PkgXferMgr.log
- Shows package distribution to remote DPs you can see, speed, blocks transferred, and general progress
- Download Configuration Manager Toolkit (in details on download page, expand to verify it is for R2+)
- Use DPJobMgr.exe – once connected you can: See a list of running jobs, cancel jobs, and set priority (move up / down)
Happy deployments / Ami