Boot from Lan??

[Tjalfe]

Hi.

Is there an easy way to set up a server so that other machines can boot from it via the network card?..
I want to make it so that I can boot and access the servers ghost dir to restore images, without having to boot from a floppy, which is what I am doing now.. any ideas?

[VJ]

The networkcards in the computer that will boot from lan have to be equipped with a bootrom. IIRC, this chip is dependant on the protocol to be used (neteui, tcp/ip, ...).

The OS should provide support for hosting remoteboot clients. I know for sure that NT 4.0 Server supports this; most likely W2K server also. You need the remoteboot service (which is not installed by default). A search on remoteboot might lead to more guidelines...

(I tried booting XT's from a Novell netware server years ago...)


Jörg

[Tjalfe]

Thanks, I will take a look for remote boot then.

The network cards are either 3C905C-TX or some intel one ( cannot remember the numbers now) and they prompt to press "N" to boot from network when booting, and if you do, it will try and access a server, which I don't have.

[Ribbit]

I think VJ's information is a little out of date. These days I'm pretty sure you don't need any kind of boot ROM for the cards, you need to set up a server which runs something similar to DHCP and TFTP or NFS combined. I forget what the protocol is called (PLX?), but I know my 3c905C mentions it if you try to boot from it. Find out what it's actually called and look it up, and hopefully you'll find something helpful.

[agallag]

The acronym you're looking for is PXE (Preboot Execution Environment, pronounced "pixie" by most people).

[Ribbit]

Yes, that's the one! Thanks ag!

[Tjalfe]

thanks

[agallag]

There are several third party (expensive) tools for setting up a PXE server. Windows Server 2003 supports it natively if you have an Active Directory infrastructure installed. There are also several free tools that run under linux.

It's basically an extension of DHCP. When your machine requests its IP configuration, the DHCP server hands out the PXE information, including a boot image, which let's you connect to a network share and pull down a full OS image or perform an unattended installation.

[Ribbit]

If that's the case, with a bit of research you can probably set up the ISC DHCP server to handle it. http://www.isc.org/products/DHCP/

[VJ]

Ribbit: Perhaps my remoteboot-information was a bit out of date, but according to http://www.pxe.ca , the network cards still needs some ROM-chip in order to allow it to boot from network (be it with PXE):

Because PXE works with the NIC, it requires a PXE-enabled NIC. Most currently available NICs do support PXE, including those from 3Com, Intel, Digital, RealTek, and SMC. PXE is available either as a boot ROM chip that you add to the NIC, or as part of the system BIOS if the network interface is on the motherboard. PXE is specific to a type of NIC; a boot ROM for one type (for example, a 3C905C) will not work on another type of NIC.

e.g. in the 3com range there are managed and unmanaged cars:
This cards supports booting from it:

http://www.3com.com/prod/nl_BE_EMEA/detail.jsp?tab=prodspec&sku=3C905CX-TX-M

whereas this one:

http://www.3com.com/prod/nl_BE_EMEA/detail.jsp?tab=features&sku=3C905CX-TX-NM

doesn't. Both are 3c905...


Jörg

[Ribbit]

I stand corrected then. And thanks for the link.

[VJ]

No problem.
Anyway, if Tjalfe says the cards ask to boot from network, they must support the PXE...


Jörg