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Generate Computernames in MDT 2010 based on prefix and a sequencenumber

By arwidmark / January 16, 2010

Generate Computernames in MDT 2010 based on prefix and a sequencenumber

This procedure works like this: If they computername is in the database already (known), it will assign that name to the PC. If the computer is not in the database (unknown), it will generate a computername based on the prefix and the next sequencenumber.

Step 1- Setting up the Database (detailed step-by-step guide & Video tutorial for this step is available for download on www.deploymentcd.com )

  1. On the MDT Server (MDT01 in my example), install SQL Server 2008 Express SP1. After installation, enable Named Pipes and restart the service
  2. Using the Deployment Workbench, in the advanced node, create a new Database (named MDT in my example)
  3. Using SQL Management Studio (Server name is MDT01\SQLEXPRESS), create a Security Login for the domain\user account that you use for your Lite Touch installations
  4. For the previously created Security Login, add the following permissions to the MDT Database.
    1. db_datareader
    2. db_datawriter

Step 2 – Add and configure a Stored Procedure + Table for generating computernames based on prefix + sequencenumber

  1. Download the files from here… http://www.deployvista.com/Repository/tabid/71/EntryId/59/DMXModule/396/Download/attachment/language/en-US/Default.aspx
  2. Using SQL Management Studio, open the InsertComputerNames.sql script and execute it (F5)
  3. For the Security Login created in Step 1, grant execute permissions to the IdentifyComputer Stored Procedure (found under Programmability / Stored Procedures)
  4. Open the MachineName.sql script and execute it (F5)
  5. Edit the MachineNameSequence table, in the prefix field, type in PC, in the sequence field type in 0 (Zero)

Step 3 – Configure the Deployment Share rules

  1. Use the info in the sample customsettings.ini file to configure the rules on your deployment share to use the stored procedure

/ Johan

About the author

arwidmark

RoBL - January 25, 2010

Hi all, I was struggling to let it work . Because I am not a DB guru I did not implemented the last line correctly “Edit the MachineNameSequence table, in the prefix field, type in PC, in the sequence field type in 0 (Zero)”. For all the DataBaseDummy’s like I am : Databases > MDT > Tables > dbo.MachineNameSequence > RightMousButton > Edit Top 200 Rows > Prefix field, type in PC, Sequence field type in 0 (Zero)

Lightman81 - February 4, 2010

Really nice!

Is it possible to use different prefixes depending on your computer is virtuell or not. Ex VM1 for Virtual machine and PM1 for physical machine?

arwidmark - March 27, 2010

If you update the store procedure to take another parameter (like isdesktop), yes

LTandy - April 27, 2010

This worked great for me after making a few changes but now MDT 2010 is reporting “Records returned from SQL = -1” and it isn’t pulling any values from the database. When I run the procedure from SQL Sever I get the correct record. What does the -1 mean?

c0zzman - December 15, 2010

Hi Johan
Question….
If I use SCCM should I create a MDT db as well or use SCCMDB?

And what if I use separate names for laptops/desktops/cities? Should I type in all name I have for all my pc’s?

My problem is that OSD dosen’t seems to save the name I type in so my later OU-tasks dosen’t work.
Any solution?

//henrik

arwidmark - December 15, 2010

Hi Henrik,

This stored procedure is for the MDT database, but that database is used with Zero Touch as well (ConfigMgr 2007).

You need to configure your setting package in ConfigMgr with the rules to read the settings and run the stored procedure…

AJHumphreys - January 20, 2011

Johan,

Do you know of anyway to do kind of the opposite? Regardless of the hardware, assign the computer a name from a list? Obviously you would remove the used name.. but I am looking for a way to tell MDT to grab a name from a list for a series of computers… and obviously they are not sequential names.

arwidmark - January 20, 2011

Sure, just import the list into the database, or add them in manually…

/ Johan

AJHumphreys - January 21, 2011

Actually I was thinking more along the lines of a mass deployment scenario… where you have a bunch of unknown computers all the same make and model… and you have a list of names that need assigned to them that are arbitrary…

Could this procedure be altered? Or is there an easier way?

arwidmark - January 21, 2011

Well, this stored procedure does exactly that, hands out a new unique name to any unknown computer regardless of hardware.

/ Johan

AJHumphreys - January 31, 2011

I actually have made some changes to this and it is working how I wanted…. but as always I have another idea.

Is there anyway to return a value from the stored procedure call and use that value to set a variable in the CS.ini?

I notice this sproc doesnt really return anything.

arwidmark - February 1, 2011

The SP does return a whole recordset of values, and they will be used as variables. You can certainly add more to the recordset that is returned if needed.

/ Johan

Rune Bakken - March 15, 2011

Hi,

I’ve added other functionality for location naming and OU assignment.
read more on:
http://runebelune.blogspot.com/2011/03/generate-computer-names-in-mdt-2010sccm.html

Rune

Joel - April 14, 2011

Every time I try and add a database connection, I get an error stating inaccessible server. I have tried this on various databases and mdt servers. I am using sql server 2008.

arwidmark - April 20, 2011

You need to have named pipes enabled (its disabled by default), and you need to have permissions to create a database in SQL.

/ Johan

discontinuity - March 12, 2012

Hello. Amazing info, I finally managed to implement this. But we have more than twenty departments and we’d like to assign appropriate department prefix and sequence number to our computers during os deployment. Is this possible using MDT’s UDI wizard? Thank you.

arwidmark - March 12, 2012

UDI supports multiple configuration files via custom properties in cs.ini, so yes, youcan different naming conventions depending on department or other attributes that you assign. You can also extend this stored procedure to take additional arguments, like what prefix that should be used.

/ Johan

discontinuity - March 12, 2012

Amazing fast response! At least I’ve learned that it’s technically possible to achieve what I want to do. But I’ve no experience in sql so extending the stored procedure on my own is not possible. Do you know any guide about this?

Using multiple config files can be a solution but I don’t know how to implement this. I guess I have to create different tables with different prefixes. Create different stored procedures and use appropriate config files. But how can I create a selection page in UDI so that it uses the relevant config file during osd? Sorry for too many questions. Thank you again.

arwidmark - March 12, 2012

I haev not written any guides on how to extend the stored procdure, it’s not that complicated though… talk with your SQL dba and he/she will be able to help you…

As for using multiple configuration files with UDI: Here is a good article by Chris Nackers on the topic: http://www.chrisnackers.com/2010/07/15/mdt-configmgr-udi-having-multiple-configurations-for-the-udi-wizard-udiwizard-config-xml/

/ Johan

discontinuity - March 12, 2012

Thank you very much for that great article about using multiple config files. Though I still don’t know how to implement what I wanna do, I have the feeling that I’m close to the end 🙂 I guess with different stored procedures and tables I can achieve that.

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