User Guide
4
Technology Brief
Mac OS X Server: NetBoot
Hosting a NetBoot Disk Image
Once you’ve created a NetBoot disk image, use the Server Admin utility in Mac OS X
Server to configure and turn on the NetBoot service. This makes the selected NetBoot
disk image available as a startup disk to Mac systems on your network. A built-in filter-
ing feature gives you the option to control access to a NetBoot disk based on client
computer hardware addresses. Mac OS X Server can host up to 25 different disk images,
enabling you to support multiple workgroups, each with its own configuration.
To provide responsive and reliable service, you can set up redundant NetBoot servers
in your network infrastructure. If a server becomes unavailable, your NetBoot clients
will automatically locate and associate themselves with another available server. A
load-balancing feature enhances performance by starting up clients from the server
with the fewest connected NetBoot clients.
Starting up client systems from the network
Ordinarily, when a desktop computer starts up, it looks to its own hard drive for the
required startup resources. With NetBoot enabled, a client computer looks to the server
for a NetBoot startup disk. You can set computers to start up from a specific NetBoot
image by changing the Startup Disk preference in Mac OS X or the Startup Disk control
panel in Mac OS 9. You need to set the desktop preference only once; any subsequent
changes you make to the disk image take effect the next time the computer starts up.
Apple Remote Desktop 2
By adding the remote control capabilities of
Apple Remote Desktop 2 (sold separately),
you can specify the NetBoot startup disk for
multiple Mac systems on your network—and
restart them remotely. With just a few clicks
and without leaving your desk, you can
set up or update computers for an entire
classroom, lab, or office at once. There is
no need to walk around and configure
each system individually.
NFS or HTTP serving?
With Mac OS X Server v10.4, you can
define how NetBoot disk images are
served. NFS continues to be the default
and the preferred method. HTTP is an
alternative that allows you to serve disk
images without having to reconfigure
your firewall to allow NFS traffic.