10.7.2 NetRestore hangs on 10.7.2 server

Do the source and imaging systems have *exactly* the same OS (i.e. 10.7.2, build 11C74)? If not, this is a known issue.

I can confirm that I have exactly the same problem. Creating the NetRestore image from a "real" hard drive didn't make a difference. (I have booted 11C74 and created a NetRestore image from a second 11C74 installation, using System Image Utility 10.7.2.)

Interestingly, I am getting the same error creating a 10.6.8 NetRestore image, using a 10.6.8 system, a second 10.6.8 installation and Image Utility 10.6.8, transferring it to a 10.7.2 Server. The only difference is that the kernel does not hang, but performs an emergency power down.

However, after copying a 10.6.8 NetRestore image from an old backup onto the 10.7.2 Server, this image works fine! Old NetRestore images with 10.5.8, 10.6.6, 10.6.7, 10.7, and 10.7.1 also work without any problems.

Could this mean that Apple changed something in the Snow Leopard and Lion kernels in one of the recent updates that will break all NetRestore images that include this update?

I have the same problem as well. Upgraded my server to 10.7.2 (11C74) made a Image of my Lion 10.7.2 (11C74) client, Made a NetRestore image in System Image Utilities and when i try to image my iMac it boots from the NetRestore image and sits there with the spinning gear and thats it.

Tried making the image twice just to make sure but NO!

Im not liking Lion Server at all, especially what they've done to Server Admin but don't get me started on that.

Ok I have had some success.

What i had to do was connect the iMac i wanted to make the NetRestore image from directly to the Lion Server in Target disc mode, then select the iMac's volume in system Image Utility and create my NetRestore image,

Work as its supposed too.

I suppose i could connect it to a Lion client with Server tools installed and make the image using System Image Utility and save it to the NetbootSPO folder on the Server.

when you setup your original source computer, did you combo update it to 10.7.2?

when you upgraded your SIU computer to 10.7.2, did you use the combo update to 10.7.2?

after installing 10.7.2 onto your SIU computer, did you download and install Apple Server Admin Tools 10.7.2?

Are the computers your trying to image of the same product family? ie if your image was made with a macbook pro, are you trying to put it onto a macbook pro?

have you checked the SIU log to see if SIU had errors creating the netrestore?

Did you try using the original computer as the source?

On your Mac OS X Server did you Enable the netboot image? ( I only ask because I've seen Server Admin GUI gets messed up. Some times the GUI may no longer show the enable check box. in witch case you can set the netboot as default, but not actually have the netboot image enabled. )

After days of debugging and discussing this with a Cupertino engineer, I finally seem to have found the reason for the problem: The history which types of update packages have been installed on the imaged OS plays a role.

Usually, after Apple has released an OS update, you would net-restore a clean image of the previous version (here: 10.7.1), then apply a delta or combo update to the new version (here: 10.7.2), and use the result to create an updated NetRestore image. This currently does not work with Lion 10.7.2. The resulting image won't boot.

However, if you net-install 10.7 and then apply a combo update to 10.7.2, using the resulting OS installation to create a 10.7.2 NetRestore image will work.

Actually, there is no guarantee that you'll ever get a valid Lion image from applying an update. The underlying issue has to do with an incompatibilty between the recovery partition and the installed OS. If you apply an update to the OS, the OS volume gets updated, but the "Recovery HD" does not. If you then try to make a NetRestore image from that, you get an OS which is part old, and part new.

To insure that the two stay in sync, you need to do a full install (clean or update) using the latest OS installer from the App Store.

I would say people using NetInstall or NetRestore never care about recovery partitions and they shouldn't. This defeats the purpose of using such mechanisms. If Lion actually relied on the existence of a recovery partition, this would be a very serious design flaw in the operating system.

It depends on the users situation and needs.

Without this partition being present on the machine, Profile Manager won't succeed in sending a remote lock and/or remote wipe to a target Mac.

With the partition present, students can boot the system into the recovery partition and re-install the OS.