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Setup, its a test lab and we have some odd requirements

  • Windows 2012 Server running AD/DNS/DHCP
  • 500 client machines used w/4 physical network interfaces each
  • 2 interfaces are test resources, unimportant for this scenario
  • 1 interface is used to connect to our license server network (testing tools, windows licensing server, etc.), consider it a black box we have no control over. We get a DHCP address with a default gateway, no choices in this.
  • 1 interface is used as our backend/management network.

The problem was our backend connection. Without using a default gateway we have to use "add route" for each route. The backend is divided up into a star network pattern, which each rack being a node with its own scope in DHCP (complex reasons, we are stuck with this). We have the switches configured and all the routing set up to connect any subnet without any issues but we need to manage 500 machines at once.

All the solutions I have seen are scripting the machine to add the routes on boot, per machine. This can't be done easily with so many machines with my knowledge level, so I need help. I am not an admin or infrastructure guy, I write software to manage test results. I have, however, been tasked with fixing this and as my google keywords don't seem to be the right ones...

Is there a way to configure all machines in this domain to maintain up-to-date static routes? I would prefer a way to set this up as a GPO or something. Is there something I need to do to make the route happen? I am not familiar with Group Policy Editor enough to know where to look and need a nudge. My thought is that a script can be run when any machine boots up and logs into the domain, but I don't know how.

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Yes you can do it via GPO. Locate a GPO location that works for you (such as per site) that hits all the computers you want to hit and link a GPO there. Put a batch file in Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Scripts (Startup/Shutdown). Configure that batch file to run the route add commands that you want the computers that are within the scope of that GPO to execute.

Also your lab sounds weird. A test lab of 500 hosts each with 4 physical NICs? Wow.

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    Thanks! That was exactly what I needed. We do network performance testing on next generation... yeah it is kind of weird, especially when you go home and glare at your home PC and it transfers files "slow" at wire rate 1G after you get used to work.
    – Greg Mason
    Mar 13, 2013 at 0:27

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