vSphere Auto Deploy Host Does Not Get a DHCP Assigned Address

The host you provision with vSphere Auto Deploy fails to get a DHCP Address.

Problem

When you attempt to boot a host provisioned with vSphere Auto Deploy, the host performs a network boot but is not assigned a DHCP address. The vSphere Auto Deploy server cannot provision the host with the image profile.

Cause

You might have a problem with the DHCP service or with the firewall setup.

Solution

1. Check that the DHCP server service is running on the Windows system on which the DHCP server is set up to provision hosts.
   1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools.
   2. Double-click Services to open the Services Management panel.
   3. In the Services field, look for the DHCP server service and restart the service if it is not running.
2. If the DHCP server is running, recheck the DHCP scope and the DHCP reservations that you configured for your target hosts.
   If the DHCP scope and reservations are configured correctly, the problem most likely involves the firewall.
3. As a temporary workaround, turn off the firewall to see whether that resolves the problem.
   1. Open the command prompt by clicking Start > Program > Accessories > Command prompt.
   2. Type the following command to temporarily turn off the firewall. Do not turn off the firewall in a production environment.
      netsh firewall set opmode disable
   3. Attempt to provision the host with vSphere Auto Deploy.
   4. Type the following command to turn the firewall back on.
      netsh firewall set opmode enable
4. Set up rules to allow DHCP network traffic to the target hosts.
   See the firewall documentation for DHCP and for the Windows system on which the DHCP server is running for details.