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

Configuring a Pre-execution Environment (PXE) using Red Hat Linux on Compaq ProLiant Servers 3
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Setting up a Red Hat 6.2 Linux or later
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. Red Hat 6.2 or
later Linux is the distribution package this section describes for setting up a PXE.
This link downloads original, older documentation for Red Hat 5.x produced by Intel:
ftp://download.intel.com/ial/wfm/pxesdklinux.pdf
Additional information on the Linux operating system is also available here at
http://www.linuxdocs.org.
Prerequisites for Red Hat 6.2 Linux or later
A separate DHCP or BOOTP server must be running on the same network if using Red Hat 6.2 or
later Linux. 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 6.x 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 http://www.linuxdocs.org
.
Prerequisites and minimum requirements
PXE can be used to setup any operating system. If using Red Hat 6.2 or later Linux, 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 or later 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 or later Linux.