Configuring a Pre-eXecution Environment (PXE) using Red Hat Linux 6.2 on Compaq ProLiant Servers

Configuring a Pre-eXecution Environment (PXE) using Red Hat 6.2 Linux on Compaq ProLiant Servers 3
14K1-0301A-WWEN
Setting up a Red Hat Linux Operating
System Image
Red Hat Linux and many other Linux distributions now support the Pre-eXecution Environment
(PXE). PXE can be used to install the operating system, or create a diskless client. These
directions were written using Red Hat 6.2 Linux, however other distributions will work, with
minor changes in paths and filenames. Due to significant differences in the inetd.conf in Red Hat
7.0 Linux, a separate document describes setting up the PXE server on that operating system
(OS).
This link downloads original, older documentation for Red Hat produced by Intel:
ftp://download.intel.com/ial/wfm/pxesdklinux.pdf
Additional information on the Linux operating system is also available here:
http://www.linuxdocs.org.
Prerequisites for Red Hat Linux
A separate DHCP or BOOTP server must be running on the same network when using Linux as a
PXE server. The operating system is not an issue; any operating system will suffice. The Linux
PXE service cannot communicate to the DHCP service on the same server, hence the need for a
separate machine. The Linux PXE server requires at least 4 GB (gigabyte) of available hard disk
space.
Due to the way the client interacts with the server, setting up a Red Hat Linux PXE server
requires downloading multiple files. The Red Hat source package contains the PXE server and all
the code bits necessary for Linux to boot from a boot disk image on a Linux PXE server.
If you need more information on setting up and using Linux, browse the documentation at the
Red Hat website http://www.redhat.com/index.html
or at http://www.linuxdocs.org.
Prerequisites and Minimum Requirements
A separate DHCP or BOOTP server must be running on the same network segment. See Table 1
for server hardware machine requirements for running Red Hat 6.2 Linux.
Table 1. Server hardware requirements
Red Hat 6.x Linux Server
Pentium or Pentium II 200-MHz or faster processor (Pentium 166 minimum).
64 megabytes (MB) of RAM (96-128 MB preferred).
At least 4-gigabyte (GB) free hard drive space
10 Mb (megabits)/second network adapter (100 Mb megabits/second recommended).
CD
-ROM drive.
A separate DHCP or BOOTP server must be running on the same network segment.
See Table 2 for client machine requirements for Red Hat 6.2 Linux.