Error executing action `install` on resource 'windows_feature[AD-Domain-Services]' - on Windows server 2016 chef run with windows_feature resource

Question

error: Error executing action `install` on resource 'windows_feature[AD-Domain-Services]' ^ this happens on all windows features when installing them via windows_feature resource on windows server 2016.

Chef version:

Chef Development Kit Version: 3.2.30
chef-client version: 14.4.56
delivery version: master (6862f27aba89109a9630f0b6c6798efec56b4efe)
berks version: 7.0.6
kitchen version: 1.23.2
inspec version: 2.2.70

And my kitchen.yml:

driver:
  name: vagrant
  boot_timeout: 600
provisioner:
  name: chef_solo
#  name: chef_zero
#  require_chef_omnibus: 14.6.47
  retry_on_exit_code:
    - 35
  max_retries: 3
  multiple_converge: 3
  wait_for_retry: 600
platforms:
  - name: windows2012r2
    driver:
      box: mwrock/Windows2016
      box_url: mwrock/Windows2016
suites:
  - name: default
    run_list:
      - recipe[windows_ad::default]
#      - recipe[windows_ad::configure_domain]
    retry_on_exit_code:
    - 35
    max_retries: 3
    multiple_converge: 3
    wait_for_retry: 600

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 27 '18 at 14:31

This is some working code we use to install a selection of Windows Features:

features = ['Web-WebServer',                    # Web Server
            'Web-Windows-Auth',                 # Windows Authentication
            'Web-Mgmt-Tools',                   # Management Tools
            'Web-WMI',                          # IIS 6 WMI Compatibility
            'Web-Mgmt-Compat',                  # IIS 6 Management Compatibility
            'NET-Framework-Features',           # .NET Framework 3.5 Features
            'NET-Framework-45-Features',        # .NET Framework 4.5 Features
            'NET-WCF-Services45']               # WCF Services

windows_feature 'Install App Server Features' do
  feature_name features
  action :install
  install_method :windows_feature_powershell
  source node['windows_feature_source']
end

You will note that we also specify the source for the Windows Features (read from an attribute we have set) as we strip the source off our servers and instead point to a remote fileshare - this may be the issue you are having. You can also remove the source property if you know the source files are on the server.

score 0 · Accepted Answer · answered Nov 28 '18 at 16:59

I was able to get this working by switching out the windows server 2016 vagrant image that I was using for the 100th time...

The working code looks like:

  [
    'AD-Domain-Services',
    'DNS',
    'FileAndStorage-Services',
    'File-Services',
     ....
     ....
  ].each do |feature|
    windows_feature feature do
      action :install
      install_method :windows_feature_powershell
      all true
    end
  end
else
  [
    'NetFx3',
    'Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ServerAdminTools-Update',
    'DirectoryServices-DomainController'
  ].each do |feature|
    windows_feature feature do
      action :install
      install_method :windows_feature_powershell
    end
  end
end

and the new image that also works is jacqinthebox/windowsserver2016

Error executing action `install` on resource 'windows_feature[AD-Domain-Services]' - on Windows server 2016 chef run with windows_feature resource

2 Answers2