Users Guide

184 Configuring and Using Virtual Media
Using Virtual Media, administrators can remotely boot their managed
servers, install applications, update drivers, or even install new operating
systems remotely from the virtual CD/DVD and diskette drives.
NOTE: Virtual media requires a minimum available network bandwidth of 128 Kbps.
Virtual media defines two devices for the managed server’s operating system
and BIOS: a floppy disk device and an optical disk device.
The management station provides the physical media or image file across the
network. When Virtual Media is attached or auto-attached, all virtual
CD/floppy drive access requests from the managed server are directed to the
management station across the network. Connecting Virtual Media appears
the same as inserting media into physical devices. When virtual media is not
attached, the virtual devices do not appear on the managed server.
Table 10-1 lists the supported drive connections for virtual floppy and virtual
optical drives.
NOTE: Changing Virtual Media while connected could stop the system
boot sequence.
Windows-Based Management Station
To run the Virtual Media feature on a management station running the
Microsoft
®
Windows
®
operating system, install a supported version of
Internet Explorer or Firefox with Java Runtime Environment (JRE).
See "Supported Web Browsers" for details.
Table 10-1. Supported Drive Connections
Supported Virtual Floppy Drive
Connections
Supported Virtual Optical Drive
Connections
Legacy 1.44 floppy drive with a 1.44
floppy diskette
CD-ROM, DVD, CDRW, combination
drive with CD-ROM media
USB floppy drive with a 1.44 floppy
diskette
CD-ROM/DVD image file in the ISO9660
format
1.44 floppy image USB CD-ROM drive with CD-ROM
media
USB removable disk