Symantec Ghost PXE Server with 3Com Boot Services

[acrobson]

I just wondered if anyone has any documentation for setting up a Symantec Ghost 11.0 PXE Server using 3Com Boot Services?

I set a PXE server up using 3Com Boot services some time ago and now need to set up another for redundancy, I have done what I believe I did last time, however, the clients just wont register with the running TFTP server (from 3Com Boot Services installer) or with the PXE Server and Boot Tab Editor.

The original PXE server is up and running as always, so I don't think this is a problem with DHCP.

I am trying to set this up on a Virtual Machine and a laptop, the laptop is working better than the VM for PXE booting, are there known issues with using a VM on Windows XP as a PXE server?

Cheers,

[dezt]

I can take a look on tuesday when I get back to work, I think I have some documentation.

[acrobson]

Cheers!

I cannot see what is different from the last time I set this up and have mirrored the settings from the existing live system to the new one, from DNS settings to permissions to firewall settings etc etc and all are identical.

However, whenever I boot a machine up using PXE on the client and have the known working PXE server disconnected, the new PXE server just doesn't pick up the client machines. yet, as soon as the original PXE is back on line, boot up the client, it works fine and hands out the relevant gui with drivers etc.

I mite capture the installation process as an avi on VMWare and post it on youtube at some point if I dont get any where this week...

[IanT]

I use Ghost with PXE Booting with the 3Com Services, works everytime, i'll see if I can dig out my documentation for ya

[acrobson]

I use Ghost with PXE Booting with the 3Com Services, works everytime, i'll see if I can dig out my documentation for ya

Thanks IanT, My current PXE setup does to, I just need some redundancy. One thing I have discovered however, I have now managed to set up a fully working PXE server on another laptop, with TFTP server and the 3Com Boot Services. However, when replicating the steps on a Virtual Machine, the PXE Server just doesn't register any clients trying to connect.

Are there issues with using PXE withim a VM environment?

[computer_expert]

Are there issues with using PXE withim a VM environment?

There shouldn't be. I've successfully used PXE to deploy various operating systems from both Virtualbox and VMware virtual machines.

Do you have the network card settings correctly set in the virtualization software (such as making sure that the virtual nic is set to bridged not NAT/Host only etc)?

[acrobson]

There shouldn't be. I've successfully used PXE to deploy various operating systems from both Virtualbox and VMware virtual machines.

Do you have the network card settings correctly set in the virtualization software (such as making sure that the virtual nic is set to bridged not NAT/Host only etc)?

I couldn't think of an obvious reason why it wouldn't work and yes, all of the network cards settings are set to bridged. As a precaution, I have tried all of the various NIC options. The existing PXE server picks up the clients fine, however the VM PXE fails to. There al operating on the LAN within DHCP and using exactly the same installer package and bootab's.

[CyberNerd]

Make sure you have IGMP snooping enabled on the network devices, otherwise multicasts will be treated as broadcast packets and not make it out of yor VLAN

[acrobson]

Is this within the WMWare Workstation console settings or the NIC settings on the VM's network card?

[CyberNerd]

Is this within the WMWare Workstation console settings or the NIC settings on the VM's network card?

I'm thinking of traditional network switches - there might be an option on the vmware virtual switch

[CyberNerd]

I'm thinking of traditional network switches - there might be an option on the vmware virtual switch

Digging here: http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/virt...g_concepts.pdf suggests it's not necessary