Specifications

Required Files
In the PXE configuration file, you must include paths to the following files:
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mboot.c32 is the boot loader.
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boot.cfg is the boot loader configuration file.
See “About the boot.cfg File,” on page 125
File Name for the PXE Configuration File
For the file name of the PXE configuration file, select one of the following options:
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01-mac_address_of_target_ESXi_host. For example, 01-23-45-67-89-0a-bc
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The target ESXi host IP address in hexadecimal notation.
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default
The initial boot file, pxelinux.0 or gpxelinux.0, tries to load a PXE configuration file. It tries with the MAC
address of the target ESXi host, prefixed with its ARP type code, which is 01 for Ethernet. If that attempt
fails, it tries with the hexadecimal notation of target ESXi system IP address. Ultimately, it tries to load a file
named default.
File Location for the PXE Configuration File
Save the file in var/lib/tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/ on the TFTP server.
For example, you might save the file on the TFTP server at /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg/01-00-21-5a-ce-40-f6.
The MAC address of the network adapter on the target ESXi host is 00-21-5a-ce-40-f6.
PXE Boot the ESXi Installer by Using PXELINUX and a PXE Configuration File
You can use a TFTP server to PXE boot the ESXi installer, using PXELINUX and a PXE configuration file.
See also “About Installation and Upgrade Scripts,” on page 117 and “About the boot.cfg File,” on page 125
Prerequisites
Verify that your environment has the following components:
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The ESXi installer ISO image downloaded from the VMware Web site.
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TFTP server that supports PXE booting with gPXE. See “About the TFTP Server, PXELINUX, and
gPXE,” on page 92.
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DHCP server configured for PXE booting. See “Sample DHCP Configuration,” on page 93.
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PXELINUX
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Server with a hardware configuration that is supported with ESXi 5.0. See the Hardware Compatibility
Guide at http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php.
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Network security policies to allow TFTP traffic (UDP port 69)
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(Optional) Installation script, the kickstart file. See “About Installation and Upgrade Scripts,” on
page 117.
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Network adapter with PXE support on the target ESXi host
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IPv4 networking. IPv6 is not supported for PXE booting.
Use a native VLAN in most cases. If you want to specify the VLAN ID to be used with PXE booting, check
that your NIC supports VLAN ID specification.
Procedure
1 Create the /tftpboot/pxelinux.cfg directory on your TFTP server.
Chapter 6 Upgrading and Migrating Your Hosts
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