PXE Servers

Owned by Martin Gudme Søndergaard
May 23, 2022
3 min read

Introduction

The following is a description of a PXE server and of the window used to create a new PXE server. The CapaInstaller PXE server is a generic PXE solution that uses DHCP and Microsoft TFTPD. The PXE server basically works like this:
* A client requests a network boot. The DHCP server responds with the required PXE information

  • The client requests a file download.
  • The TFTP server handles the request and offers the file to the client.
  • The client loads the boot file and displays a menu or simply starts the customized Windows PE.


Element

Description

PXE Service

OSD can use two different types of TFTP services to operate the PXE boot process.
 
CapaInstaller PXE Boot Service also called ciBoot
 
This service requires DHCP servers to supply option 60 to PXE clients, if ciBoot and DHCP services are hosted on the same machine. See link below for details.
 
Microsoft Trival File Transfer Service
 
This service is available in Windows server versions prior to 2008, and requires the DHCP to supply option 66 and 67 to PXE clients.
 
The service is supported for backward compatibility only, and we recommend using CapaInstaller PXE Boot Service instead

 

Element

Description

Name

Specify a name for the physical server.

Server

Name of the physical server hosting the PXE service

Share name

Name of the shared sued to access the PXE server configuration

Comment

Enter a custom description that will be added to the change log.


 

Element

Description

TFTPD Service

The service to be used to handle PXE requests.

Update the configuration from the SQL Server every

ciBoot will look for changes in the configuration based on this interval

First used port number

Start of the port range to be used by ciBoot when replying to PXE boot requests

Reply to PXE boot request (DHCP proxy)

Must be set for ciBoot to reply to PXE boot requests when hosted on the same machine as DHCP

Windows Authentication

Use Windows Authentication when access the SQL server

Create computer account in SQL Server

The computer account must be in SQL Server for Windows Authentication to work, checking this box will force OSD to create the account when clicking OK

SQL Authentication
 

Use SQL Authentication when access the SQL server, should only be used in scenarios where Windows Authentication is not possible.
 


 

Element

Description

TFTPD Service

The service to be used to handle PXE requests.

TFTPD source

The path to the binary TFTPD.EXE
 
This file is located on the media for Windows Server or in the %windir%\system32\dllcache folder.
 
Windows Server 2008 and later does not include this file.



Element

Description

Boot configuration

The Boot Configuration tab contains all custom menus and bootimages associated with the  selected PXE server.
 
Bootimages can be any kind of binary file that will enable a machine to perform a PXE boot, Linux, DOS floppy image or WinPE images.
 
It is also possible to create custom menu entries for specific OSD servers, and all items can be protected with a password.



 
 

Element

Description

IP Ranges

Create custom boot items that will target IP ranges

Prestage

Create custom boot items that will target machine with specific MAC addresses or specific models (SMBIOS model value)

Administrative Menu

Create custom boot items that will be displayed as part of the administrative menu

Menu

Create custom boot items that will be displayed as part of the menu

Custom menus

Add additional menues to build more menu levels


 
Right click on a PXE Server brings the following possibilities:

Element

Description

Delete

This will delete the PXE server.
 

Properties

Shows the properties for the PXE server. For a detailed description of the individual fields, see above.
 



Tip!
For further information about creating the PXE server, Create a new PXE server.
For information on configuring DHCP to support OSD, /wiki/spaces/CIDD/pages/18933777231.