Contents

Pre-stage content using Nomad

This custom task sequence action is used to pre-stage content using Nomad either in WinPE or a full Microsoft Windows operating system. It uses the NomadPackageLocator tool to locate any locally available copies of content, as set in the References in the custom task sequence action properties. If no local copies are available ,it will download the content from the DP and store it locally. It then configures the task sequence to use this locally stored content.

We recommend, when using the Pre-stage content Using Nomad, that the content is downloaded to the local branch and the task sequence is pointed to the Nomad cache that contains it. When using Redirect content location to the Nomad cache this is a requirement as it cannot make use of all the Nomad download functionality.

Use Pre Stage content Using Nomad in preference to Redirect content location to the Nomad cache to make use of all the Nomad features. Use the Redirect content location to the Nomad cache if you want to have exactly the same NomadPackageLocator functionality provided in earlier releases of Nomad.

While Pre-stage content Using Nomad is running, a progress bar is displayed on the Installation Progress dialog on the target machine:

When used in WinPE, the Install and configure Nomad in WinPE action must be run first.

ActionsNotes
When run, this task:
  1. Uses NomadPackageLocator to locate locally available copies of the content, as set in References in the custom task sequence action properties. If no local copies are available, it will download the content from the DP and store it locally.
  2. Updates the task sequence to use the locally downloaded content.
  3. If the Require Nomad checkbox is checked in the action properties, fail the task sequence step if the NomadPackageLocator download fails.
  4. If the Show error checkbox is checked in the action properties, display the error dialog if the NomadPackageLocator download fails.
  5. If the Use Multicast checkbox is checked in the action properties, NomadPackageLocator will invoke NomadBranch with multicast enabled.
  6. If the All references checkbox is checked in the action properties, all referenced content will be selected.
The following points should be taken into account when using this task sequence action:
  • Prior to using any of the content downloaded using the Pre-stage content Using Nomad task sequence action, you must run the Save Nomad cache task sequence action.

Configurable parameters

ParameterDefault valueDescription
NamePre-stage content using NomadThe name for the custom task sequence action.
DescriptionAction to pre-stage content in WinPE using NomadSets the description for the custom task sequence action.
Require NomadEnabled by default.When this checkbox is checked, it sets a requirement for another Nomad client on the same subnet to have the content, if this is not the case the task sequence step will fail. When this checkbox is not checked the task sequence will attempt to continue without using Nomad if there is no Nomad client on the same subnet with the content.
Show error dialogDisabled by default.When this checkbox is checked, an error dialog is displayed to the Configuration Manager administrator when the NomadPackageLocator download fails.
Use HTTPEnabled by default.

When this checkbox is checked, NomadPackageLocator uses the HTTP location for the content if it is not available locally.

In Configuration Manager 2012, if this option is not enabled when using this task sequence step, all selected packages must be copied to the SMB share on the DP using the Data Access > Copy the content in this package to a package share on distribution points option in the properties of each package, otherwise the download fails.
Use MulticastDisabled by default.When this checkbox is checked, NomadPackageLocator invokes NomadBranch with multicast enabled.
All referencesDisabled by default.When this checkbox is checked, all referenced content is selected (and any added subsequently to the task sequence will be automatically selected). When it is unchecked, all referenced content is deselected.
ReferencesThis field is pre-filled with all content set for downloading in the task sequence.

This field is pre-filled with all content set for downloading in the task sequence. Checking the checkbox next to each item will set the use of NomadPackageLocator for that content.

There is a limit of 255 characters on a task sequence action's command line. If this would be exceeded because there are many selected references, a popup dialogue will appear saying so when the Apply or OK button is pressed. Either reduce the number of references by creating more, separate, task sequences to pre-stage content, or select the All references checkbox which will use a wildcard for the references.