Initial Deployment Menu Not Displayed After Upgrading Deployment Solution

Products

• IT Management Suite
• Deployment Solution

Issue/Introduction

After upgrading Deployment Solution to a newer version, the Initial Deployment menu does not appear on any machine booted into automation (PXE or Automation Folder), even when Initial Deployment is configured to respond to both known and unknown clients.

The issue commonly appears to users as:

• “PXE boots but no Initial Deployment menu appears”

• “Automation loads but never shows the Initial Deployment options”

• “Initial Deployment stopped working after upgrading DS/ITMS”

Environment

ITMS 8.x

Deployment Solution 8.x

Cause

The Preboot Automation environments (PXE / Automation Folder) were not rebuilt after the upgrade, leaving them with:

• outdated automation agent (PECTAgent)

• older configuration settings

• mismatched communication profiles

As a result, the system cannot present the Initial Deployment menu.

Resolution

After upgrading ITMS or Deployment Solution, all preboot environments must be rebuilt so they include the updated PECTAgent, WinPE environment, and current NS communication profile. Without this update, PXE and automation environments may not function correctly.

If pre-boot configurations are not rebuilt after an upgrade, the Pre-boot environment may still be built with an older agent or incompatible configuration settings.

Steps to Rebuild Preboot Configurations

1. Open the Symantec Management Console.
   Go to:
   Settings > Deployment > Manage Preboot Configurations

2. Verify NS Communication Profile
   

   • In the selected preboot configuration, locate Settings: NS Communication Profile.

   • Confirm the correct profile is selected.

   • If the "Apply" button is available (not greyed out), click "Apply" to save the configuration.

   

3. Recreate the Preboot Environment
   

   • From the list, select the PXE configuration or Automation Folder you want to rebuild.

   • Choose Recreate Preboot Environment.

   • Allow the process to complete. This rebuilds the WinPE image and updates PECTAgent.

4. Update PXE Servers / Automation Folders

   • Ensure DS replications or package updates have completed on all Site Servers if applicable.