Setting up PXE using Windows Server & Tiny PXE Server

Steven Smith

10/13/23, 3:58 AM

I am trying to setup a small PXE/bootable OS > Desktop for testing. I want to boot the OS over network. I am using the built in ISCSI option in Windows Server and Tiny PXE Server. The PXE part seems to be working correctly. I get all the way to booting san and then Windows starts booting. I notice once Windows starts booting, the ISCSI loses connection to the VM or the Desktop (I've tried both ways). I have the keep-san = 1 setting on which helps it stay connected during the pxe process, but does not help once Windows boots. Any suggestion on how to setup a PXE/network booting to a desktop PC or VM would be amazing. I've been Googling everywhere and I can't find anything useful that describes this problem.

Edit: My goal is to network boot an image from my dhcp server. I currently have been trying Microsoft’s built in ISCSI Roles, which use vhdx files. I also am using Tiny PXE Server to give out the DHCPd proxy and assist with the TFTP execution of the PXE.ipxe file. The problem is that when I do a pxe boot Windows or Linux ( I’ve tried both OS), they connect and then seconds later during the boot up process disconnect from the iscsi. I’ve also tried to use kernsafe (which is another iscsi application), but I get the same issue where the iscsi disconnects.

I don’t care what free product I can use, but I just wanted to PXE boot images so I can easily use different OS without hdd. So I guess u could call it diskless or network booting. Any suggestions would be helpful or if u need any more information, let me know.

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bjoster

10/21/23, 2:07 PM

iSCSI target boot is supported in Windows Server (only). What OS are you trying to boot?

Steven Smith

10/22/23, 11:32 PM

I was trying to boot OS or Linux. I got Linux CentOS finally working, but I was having issue with iscsi in windows losing connection during boot. Had to use kernsafe to create a good reliable image and connection.

Score:0

Server

NiKiZe

11/15/23, 6:58 AM

keep-san = 1 has really no effect with modern iPXE. The connection should go away and then reconnect, since iPXE needs to disconnect and windows should takeover, but this requires change of network stack, and thus disconnection.

What you claim to be a problem, is by design with iSCSI and iBFT.

Once the OS has loaded its own network stack it should reconnect to iSCSI, if that fails you can investigate with for example wireshark why.

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Elon Musk

I sit in a Tesla and translated this thread with Ai:

EN: Setting up PXE using Windows Server & Tiny PXE Server

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