Diskless Windows XP boot over network

[lesterhung]

Hi

I am very new to this and have done a little bit of research.

Client Computers will have NO harddrives, and will boot from the network.

Basically the client computers will have NO harddrives, but they will need to be able to boot into windows xp with the softwares that I want.

One computer will act as the server which holds the windows image files.

How do I get a windows image file? and what software do i need on the server to respond to network boot requests from the client machines?

I have used tftpd32.310beta in the past to boot client PCs into Linux. But this time I need clients to be able to boot into Windows XP.

Any help is appreciated. I really don't know where to start looking

[Pyrosoft]

Assuming you don't mind the 24 hour limit then you could just use PE to boot up and load RDP automatically which would connect to a terminal server?

If you're not going to have a hard drive then you'll either be limited to remote desktops of some description, or having lots of RAM in the boxes.

[Jazkal]

Windows XP can't be loaded as you describe. However, you can configure BartsPE to look and behave like XP. You would need something like the XPE plugin for BartsPE.

[aspenjim]

<edit> my post didn't fully apply so i removed it

Edited December 2, 2007 by aspenjim

[Mr Le V]

You must use a 3rd party solution to be able to actually remote boot Windows XP on diskless nodes. I am not talking PE boot, but the real Windows XP stuff.

I know Neoware Image Manager (now HP Neoware Image Manager):

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF...86-3646231.html

There might be other solutions as well

Hope this helped

[likuidkewl]

I know this is venturing off topic but since XP cannot be used that way(2003+ Without CAL's), you may want to look into Linux's LTSP program(s).

Edited December 8, 2007 by likuidkewl

[IcemanND]

there are numerous client server applications to do this. Search for 'xp diskless terminal' and you will find numerous results. Or terminal server.

[mats]

take a look at XP embeded. It should be able to do this.

[jaclaz]

Or use diskless angel:

http://www.disklessangel.com/

I guess it is the cheapest of the available COMMERCIAL solutions, and has virtually no limits as there are packages for 1, 2, 3 and 4 gigabyte sizes.

Alternatively, and provided you are ALLOWED to use SERVER 2003 SP1+ files, and willing to be limited to 512 Megabytes, you can use euhenio's method:

http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?sho...19056&st=29

Of course using tftp32....

jaclaz

[framacomputer]

Hi Guys, i've just a little problem....

My configuration: SERVER HP PROLIANT ML350 G5, 3 HDD SAS 160GB RAID 5, 4GB RAM Windows 2003 sbs r2 CLIENT: 7 HP Neoware e90

i installed in the server HP Neoware Image Manager, TFT Service and DHCP (everythings fine).

From a desktop standard pc running windows xp pro sp2 i starded the client image builder, and everithings gone well, the thinclient e90 can boot from network by pxe and windows xp is going to start, during loading it restart itself!

when it restart propose the classical start windows normally etc..... and then restart again!

i think it's a driver problem ide drivers or something like that, but i don't know the solution for this trouble! do you know a way for fix this?

Thanks!

Edited January 10, 2009 by framacomputer

[Tripredacus]

Assuming you don't mind the 24 hour limit then you could just use PE to boot up and load RDP automatically which would connect to a terminal server?

If you're not going to have a hard drive then you'll either be limited to remote desktops of some description, or having lots of RAM in the boxes.

I hear all about this 24 hour limit everywhere but fail to see it in action. I've successfully had a machine booted into the WinPE for well over 3 days and still be fully functional! Is this a limitation to the PE that is built by the WAIK? I don't use the WAIK, maybe that's it.

You must use a 3rd party solution to be able to actually remote boot Windows XP on diskless nodes. I am not talking PE boot, but the real Windows XP stuff.

I know Neoware Image Manager (now HP Neoware Image Manager):

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/us/en/sm/WF...86-3646231.html

There might be other solutions as well

Hope this helped

A product I know of is Ardence. It has problems with certain Intel boards however. Something about a pre-disposition to suspend to Hard Drive over RAM, whereas it does not work properly if no HDD is present on those boards. Says that Shared mode does not work this way but Private mode does.

take a look at XP embeded. It should be able to do this.

XP Embedded uses a hardware specific config file. It is possible but each Embedded boot image would have to have a different file based upon the client config.

[jaclaz]

@Tripredacus

You realize that you are replying to posts over one year old, do you?

Which WinpE version are you referring to, WinPE 1.x (XP based) or WinPE 2.0 (Vista based)?

1.x definitely had this limit, for which different workarounds were found:

http://www.911cd.net/forums/index.php?show...=7049&st=90

Cannot say about 2.0.

@framacomputer

It's not the best of ideas to add an unrelated request for help on an unrelated topic.

However, at which point of the booting does the XP restarts itself?

Does it create a BSOD?

Is the PC diskless?

jaclaz

Edited January 15, 2009 by jaclaz

[Tripredacus]

Heh I guess I missed that. I'm using WinPE 2.0.

[Mr Le V]

Hi Guys, i've just a little problem....

My configuration: SERVER HP PROLIANT ML350 G5, 3 HDD SAS 160GB RAID 5, 4GB RAM Windows 2003 sbs r2 CLIENT: 7 HP Neoware e90

i installed in the server HP Neoware Image Manager, TFT Service and DHCP (everythings fine).

From a desktop standard pc running windows xp pro sp2 i starded the client image builder, and everithings gone well, the thinclient e90 can boot from network by pxe and windows xp is going to start, during loading it restart itself!

when it restart propose the classical start windows normally etc..... and then restart again!

i think it's a driver problem ide drivers or something like that, but i don't know the solution for this trouble! do you know a way for fix this?

Thanks!

You need to "inject" (or Insert") the e90 drivers into the image you built from your desktop PC.

Use UBInsert tool for that purpose.

The process is described in the user's manual. Search for "UBInsert", you should find the correct section

[jaclaz]

Since this topic was once again "re-vamped", I guess it may be of general use some newish achievements on related matters:

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=2798

http://www.boot-land.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=7964

jaclaz