Contents

Redirect content location to the Nomad cache

This action is deprecated and is currently provided for backwards compatibility only, Use Pre-stage Content Using Nomad instead.

This custom task sequence action was used to redirect the task sequence's content location to the Nomad cache on another host. Used in either WinPE or a full Microsoft Windows operating system, it used the Nomad NomadPackageLocator tool to locate the content on a Nomad cache on the local subnet.

The NomadPackageLocator program sends out a Nomad package status request for each of the packages listed in the OSD task sequence it is running within. If any of the content is available on other Nomad clients on the local subnet, it updates the path variables in the task sequence to point at the folder location (usually located in the local or remote Nomad cache folder). If not, the default path (i.e. the path to the distribution point) is left intact.

Both the Redirect Content Location to Nomad Cache and Pre-stage Content Using Nomad rely on the fact that the content has been downloaded to the local branch and point the task sequence to the Nomad cache that contains the content. Use Pre-stage Content Using Nomad in preference to Redirect Content Location to Nomad Cache to make use of all the Nomad features. Use the Redirect Content Location to Nomad Cache if you require exactly the same NomadPackageLocator functionality provided in earlier releases of Nomad.

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

ActionsNotes
When run, this task:
  1. Locates the Nomad cache on the local subnet.
  2. Updates the task sequence to use local subnet 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 dialog is checked in the action properties, display the error dialog if the NomadPackageLocator download fails.
  5. If the All references checkbox is checked in the action properties, all referenced content will be selected.
This task sequence action:
  • Is typically performed prior to the apply operating system action but may be used multiple times throughout the task sequence, particularly during the provisioning phase.

Configurable parameters

ParameterDefault valueDescription
NameRedirects content location to Nomad cache.Name for the custom task sequence action.
DescriptionAction to redirect content location to Nomad cache.Description for the custom task sequence action.
Require NomadEnabled by default.When this checkbox is checked, the task sequence action fails if the NomadPackageLocator download fails. If this is not checked, the task sequence attempts to download the content by other means if the NomadPackageLocator download fails.
Failover to DP(s)Disabled by default.When this option is checked, the content download can failover to downloading from the DPs if the NomadPackageLocator fails to find the content cached on the local subnet.
Show error dialogDisabled by default.When this checkbox is checked, an error dialog is to the Configuration Manager administrator if the NomadPackageLocator download fails.
Force Nomad clientBlank by default.Set the name for a specific Nomad client whose cache you want to use. This prevents NomadPackageLocator from polling for a Nomad client whose cache contains the content.
Nomad share nameBlank by default.Should only be used if the Nomad clients where OSD content has been pre-cached are configured with the Hidden Nomad share option set to 0x10. See SpecialNetShare for more information. When the pre-cache Nomad client is set to use the hidden share, set the value to NomadSHR$.
Multicast scope 

Should only be set if you want the NomadPackageLocator requests to span subnets when trying to locate a package. In this instance, the request is will be multicast and the scope must be set here.

This will only work if the network has been configured to allow multicast across subnets.
All referencesDisabled by default.When this checkbox is checked, all referenced content will be selected (and any added subsequently to the task sequence will be automatically selected too). When it is unchecked, all referenced content will be deselected.
ReferencesPre-filled with all content set for downloading in the Task Sequence.

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 redirect content, or select the All references checkbox which will use a wildcard for the references.