PXE Configuration Utility Help Symantec™ PXE configuration Utility User Guide
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All support services will be delivered in accordance with your support agreement and the then-current Enterprise Technical Support policy. Knowledge Base Articles and Symantec Connect Before you contact Technical Support, you can find free content in our online Knowledge Base, which includes troubleshooting articles, how-to articles, alerts, and product manuals. In the search box of the following URL, type the name of your product: https://support.symantec.com Access our blogs and online forums to engage with other customers, partners, and Symantec employees on a wide range of topics at the following URL: https://www.symantec.com/connect Technical Support and Enterprise Customer Support Symantec Support maintains support centers globally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Technical Support’s primary role is to respond to specific queries about product features and functionality. Enterprise Customer Support assists with non-technical questions, such as license activation, software version upgrades, product access, and renewals. For Symantec Support terms, conditions, policies, and other support information, see: https://entced.symantec.com/default/ent/supportref To contact Symantec Support, see: https://support.symantec.com/en_US/contact-support.html Contents
Symantec Support ...... 4
Chapter 1 PXE Configuration Utility Help ...... 7 About PXE Configuration Utility ...... 7
Chapter 2 Boot Menu Tab ...... 10 Boot Menu Tab ...... 10 New Shared Menu Option ...... 13 Edit Shared Menu Option ...... 16 Import Boot Menu Options ...... 16 Regenerate Boot Images ...... 17
Chapter 3 Install Pre-boot Operating System Files ...... 18 Install Pre-boot Operating System Files ...... 18 Linux ...... 19 WinPE ...... 19 Set Default Pre-boot Operating System ...... 19
Chapter 4 New Configuration Wizard ...... 20 New Configuration Wizard ...... 21 Configuration Name ...... 21 Multi-Network Adapter Configurations ...... 22 Network Adapter ...... 23 Have Disk ...... 23 Internet ...... 23 TCP/IP Protocol Settings ...... 24 Symantec Ghost Solution Server Communication ...... 24 Network Connection ...... 26 Network Drive Mappings and Mount Points ...... 27 Optional Components ...... 28 Configuration Summary ...... 29 Edit Configurations ...... 29 Additional Files ...... 30 Create PXE Boot Image Files (PXE) ...... 31 Contents 6
PXE Boot Image Creation Complete ...... 31 PXE Server Tab ...... 31 GSS tab ...... 33 MAC Filter Tab ...... 36 Define MAC Addresses ...... 38 Multicast Tab ...... 38 Data Logs Tab ...... 41 Status Tab ...... 42 Remote PXE Installation ...... 42
Index ...... 44 Chapter 1
PXE Configuration Utility Help
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About PXE Configuration Utility
About PXE Configuration Utility Symantec® PXE Configuration Utility integrates with Symantec® Ghost Solution Suite and lets you manage all PXE Servers across the network. PXE Configuration gives you more capability in working with Ghost Solution Suite Server, which provides administrators greater flexibility when you perform any of the following tasks:
■ Creating boot menu options.
■ Installing BIS Certificates.
■ Creating boot disks and network PXE images.
■ Assigning preboot environments to tasks within deployment jobs.
■ Setting properties to customize specific PXE Server.
■ Setting the boot menu option order for client computers. PXE Server has also been added to Role Based Security to ensure that only the authorized users can make changes to boot menu options. While installing Ghost Solution Suite, if you select Ghost Solution Suite Simple Install and Install PXE Server, both are installed on the same server. If you select Custom Install and Install PXE Server, you can choose to install Ghost Solution Suite and PXE Server on separate servers. By default, PXE Manager always installs on the Ghost Solution Suite Server. See the Ghost Solution Suite User Guide. PXE Configuration Utility Help 8 About PXE Configuration Utility
Ghost Solution Suite help Accessing the PXE Configuration utility To open the PXE Configuration, choose any of the following options:
■ Option 1
■ From the Ghost Solution Suite Console, click the PXE Configuration icon on the toolbar. You can also select Tools > PXE Configuration.
■ Option 2
■ Select Start > All Programs > Altiris > PXE Services > PXE Configuration Utility. PXE Manager PXE Manager is a service that synchronizes Ghost Solution Suite Server and all PXE Servers that are installed and configured across the network. It keeps track of all PXE Server boot menu options and checks if they are Shared or Local. PXE Manager also gathers data from all PXE Servers and stores the information in the PXE Manager.ini file. Whether you are in Use Shared properties or select a server to Customize PXE Server: Shared Configuration, the changes you make to the properties settings are saved to the PXE Manager.ini file when you click Save. Then, when you close the PXE Configuration Utility, PXE Manager creates and distributes the appropriate PXE.ini file for each PXE Server on the network. See the section called “PXE Manager ” on page 8. Shared or Local boot menu options When you start the PXE Configuration Utility, you can select which properties you want to set. The Use Shared properties option lets you create Shared boot menu options that can be used by all PXE Servers on the network. When you select a specific PXE Server from the File menu, you can select the Customize PXE Server: Shared Configuration option that lets you change any of the shared properties for that specific server. By default, PXE Configuration Utility always starts in the Use Shared properties mode. See “Boot Menu Tab” on page 10. The boot menu options you create appear as a menu list on client computers when you perform a PXE Boot operation. You can also change the order of the boot menu options and select the default menu option. Previous users of PXE Server will notice that Initial Deployment and ManagedPC are no longer boot menu options. You can still perform an Initial Deployment, but now you can select Linux, or Microsoft Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE) as the preboot automation environment. By default, the preboot operating system that is selected during installation is set for Initial Deployment. See “GSS tab ” on page 33. PXE Configuration Utility Help 9 About PXE Configuration Utility
Boot Disk Creator and PXE Configuration Boot Disk Creator is now integrated with the PXE Configuration Utility so that you can keep track of the boot menu options you create, edit, and delete. When you select a boot menu option to edit or delete using the Boot Disk Creator method, the Summary page displays the Menu Option
■ New Configuration Wizard from Boot Disk Creator
■ Importing Direct from floppy
■ User supplied, which is for more advanced users. A boot image is stored on the PXE Server for each boot menu option that you create. A boot image consists of a file or set of files. When client computers perform a PXE Boot, a menu list appears for you to select a boot menu option. The PXE Server downloads the boot image for the boot menu option you select. See “New Shared Menu Option” on page 13. Automation Tasks Only Shared boot menu options can be assigned to a task in a deployment job. The tasks that can run in automation are: lRun script
■ Run script.
■ Create Disk Image.
■ Distribute Disk Image.
■ Scripted OS Install.
■ Backup Registry.
■ Restore Registry. When a client computer performs a PXE boot, the Ghost Solution Suite Agent verifies if there is work to complete. If so, the client computer boots to automation and performs the deployment jobs that are assigned. Otherwise, by default the Local Boot menu option is selected. See “Boot Menu Tab” on page 10. Chapter 2
Boot Menu Tab
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ Boot Menu Tab
■ New Shared Menu Option
■ Edit Shared Menu Option
■ Import Boot Menu Options
■ Regenerate Boot Images
Boot Menu Tab This tab lets you create, edit, and delete the boot menu options, change the boot menu order, define the prompt for users, append the server name to the prompt, and set the user's time-out response. The PXE boot menu options can be local or shared, depending on whether you select Use Shared properties or Customize PXE Server: Shared Configuration. When you manage all PXE Servers (Shared) across the network, Boot Menu Options for PXE Server: Shared Configuration appears at the top of the page, above the list of configurations. When you select a specific server (Local) from the File menu, Boot Menu Option for PXE Server: Name of Server appears. This helps you identify the mode you are working in. By default, PXE Configuration Utility opens to the last saved action, which could be either Shared Configuration or Custom PXE Server mode. The boot menu options listed are for all PXE Servers, so the Scope is always Shared. The operating system field indicates the type of pre-boot operating system files used to create the boot menu option. If you select a PXE Server from the File menu, a window displays the boot menu option for the selected PXE Server. The Scope field displays Shared, and any new boot menu option you create displays Local. The operating system field is the same as in the Shared mode. If an existing Ghost Solution Suite job uses a boot menu item, Yes appears in the In use by GSS field. Boot Menu Tab 11 Boot Menu Tab
The following colors are used to denote the automation operating system that is used by each configuration:
■ Green: Linux configuration
■ Red: WinPE configuration
Note: When an item is in use by the Ghost Solution Suite Server, you cannot delete the item from the PXE Configuration Utility. To delete an item, you must disable the boot menu item from the Ghost Solution Suite job, and restart the PXE Configuration Utility. You can delete the boot menu item when Yes does not appear in the In use by DS field.
To identify the boot menu items used in the jobs 1 Click a task in the job. Example: Click Create Disk Image. The Create Disk Image dialog opens. 2 From the drop-down list, select the automation pre-boot environment such as WinPE, or Linux. If a PXE boot menu item is used by the job, it appears in the drop-down list. You can perform these steps to check if the other boot menu items are used by the other jobs. View Section When you are in the Shared Configuration mode, only the configurations you create for all PXE Servers appear in the view section. When you are in Customize PXE Server
Table 2-1 Field Description
Name This is the name of the PXE item that appears on client computers after a PXE boot operation is performed.
Scope ■ Shared indicates that the configuration is available on multiple PXE Servers in an environment where they are all serviced by a single Ghost Solution Suite Server. ■ Local indicates that the configuration was created for a specific PXE Server. Boot Menu Tab 12 Boot Menu Tab
Table 2-1 (continued)
Field Description
OS The operating system that the configuration uses to boot on client computers.
Up and Down Click these buttons to change the order of the boot options. The top boot option is the default option that runs automatically if no other option is selected from the PXE Server menu.
New Click this option to open a dialog to add a new boot menu option. See “New Shared Menu Option” on page 13.
Edit Click this option to modify the properties of the boot menu options. See “Edit Shared Menu Option ” on page 16.
Delete Click this option to delete the selected boot menu option from the list. You cannot delete boot menu options if they are assigned to a task within a deployment job. In the Ghost Solution Suite Console, open the appropriate deployment job, and delete the task or change the Automation - PXE or Bootworks environment (WinPE/Linux) field before you delete the boot menu option.
Boot Menu Properties
Table 2-2 Boot Menu Properties
Field Description
Use Shared properties You can select this option to change the properties for a Shared Configuration. You cannot change this selection on the other pages if you are setting the properties for the Shared Configuration.
Customize PXE Server: Shared Configuration: This option is available when you select a specific server from the File menu. You can also customize the properties for the PXE Server you selected.
Prompt This is the user prompt for the PXE boot menu list when it appears on client computers. You can only change the text message, but not the
Table 2-2 Boot Menu Properties (continued)
Field Description
Append server name Select this option to have the PXE Server name listed following the prompt on client computers when the boot menu list appears. This helps users know which PXE Server is servicing their client computer.
Timeout This is the length of time the prompt appears before the boot process starts. If you do not press the
Save Click this option to save all the changes you made to the PXE Manager.ini file. When you close the PXE Configuration Utility, PXE Manager creates and sends PXE.ini files to each PXE Server on the network. You can view the status of these updates on the Status tab.
New Shared Menu Option The PXE Configuration Utility lets you create up to 23 boot menu options that can be selected from client computers. When a PXE-enabled client computer sends a request to a PXE Server, the PXE Server downloads a boot menu list for you to select a boot option. This dialog also integrates with Boot Disk Creator as it lets you create new automation configurations from within the PXE Configuration Utility. However, all the configurations you create from this dialog are meant for the PXE Servers and the client computers that use PXE as their primary boot option.
Table 2-3 Menu Item Properties
Field Description
Name This is the name of the PXE configuration that appears as a boot item when the PXE menu downloads to client computers after a PXE boot operation is performed.
Allow as default PXE boot option Select this option to move the configuration you are creating to the top of the boot menu, so that it becomes the default boot option on client computers. If you do not select this option, the Up button is active, so you can move the configuration up the menu list. However, the Up button becomes inactive if you try to move the configuration to the default boot position. Boot Menu Tab 14 New Shared Menu Option
Table 2-4 iPXe
Field Description
Prepare PXE packages to support iPXE Select this option if you want to use the iPXE feature. For more information, refer to the following article: DOC10918
Table 2-5 Pre-boot Image Properties
Field Description
Operating System and Processor Options Select the operating system and processor type for the configuration you are creating and select the method you want to use to create the configuration. If an operating system has an asterisk next to it, the pre-boot operating system files must be installed before Boot Disk Creator starts the New Configuration Wizard. See “Install Pre-boot Operating System Files ” on page 18.
Add pre-boot Click this button if you want to add pre-boot operating system files.
Table 2-6 Image Creation Method
Field Description
Boot Disk Creator This option lets you start the New Configuration Wizard from Boot Disk Creator. Any configurations you create or edit using this method are only for PXE boot menu items. See “New Configuration Wizard ” on page 21.
Direct from floppy Select this option if you want the PXE Server to read a configuration file from a floppy disk. See “Import Boot Menu Options ” on page 16. See Import Boot Menu Options. Boot Menu Tab 15 New Shared Menu Option
Table 2-6 Image Creation Method (continued)
Field Description
User supplied This option is for advanced users. Select this option if you want to add custom PXE environments to create PXE boot images. If you select this option, you must select Other in the Operating System section. The Final Location on PXE Server field shows the path where the new configuration is stored. The folder MenuOption
Create Boot Image You must enter a descriptive name for the PXE configuration in the Name field before this option is enabled. The New Configuration Wizard from Boot Disk Creator starts unless you have not installed the pre-boot operating system files for the type of configuration you want to create. If you need to install the pre-boot operating system files, the Install Pre-boot Operating System Files dialog appears before the New Configuration Wizard starts. See “New Configuration Wizard ” on page 21. See “Install Pre-boot Operating System Files ” on page 18.
Import Boot Image This option lets you import boot menu options that were created using third-party imaging software or previous versions of Symantec PXE Server. See “Import Boot Menu Options ” on page 16.
Manual Boot Image Import Boot Menu Options. See “Import Boot Menu Options ” on page 16.
Final Location on PXE Server This field helps you to identify the PXE item you are configuring. PXE configurations are stored in the default directory, which is C:\Program Files\Altiris\eXpress\Ghost Solution Suite Server\PXE\Images\MenuOption
Edit Shared Menu Option In the Shared Configuration mode, only the Shared configuration appears in the view section on the Boot Menu tab. The Edit option is enabled when you select any of the Shared boot menu options. However, if you are in Customize PXE Server:
Import Boot Menu Options This option lets you import boot menu options that were created using third-party imaging software or previous versions of PXE Server. Option 1: 1 From the New Shared Menu Option dialog, select Direct from floppy and click Import Boot Image. The PXE Config Floppy Import Wizard appears.
Note: You must enter a name in the Name field to enable the Import Boot Image button.
2 Insert a floppy disk. The path and name of the new MenuOption
Regenerate Boot Images This lets you regenerate all the PXE configurations that are using the selected operating system. If you make updates to the core automation operating system, such as installing a new version of Linux, this lets you apply those updates without re-creating the affected configurations. Chapter 3
Install Pre-boot Operating System Files
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ Install Pre-boot Operating System Files
■ Linux
■ WinPE
■ Set Default Pre-boot Operating System
Install Pre-boot Operating System Files In Boot Disk Creator, you must install the pre-boot operating system files for at least one pre-boot environment before you create new configurations. Boot Disk Creator uses these files when creating configurations and boot images. You can install all supported pre-boot operating system files at the same time, or you can install only those pre-boot environments that you want to use. Example: You can install the WinPE pre-boot operating system files to start creating configurations to support your infrastructure, which currently does not need Linux boot images. After working with Ghost Solution Suite Server and Boot Disk Creator, you decide you want to create Linux configurations and Linux boot images. You can open the Install Pre-boot Operating System Files dialog at any time to install the Linux system files or the other pre-boot operating system files. When you install the pre-boot operating system files for Linux, or WinPE, a checkmark next to the operating system name indicates that the files are successfully installed. See Linux, and WinPE. The operating system version number appears and the status changes to Installed. Install Pre-boot Operating System Files 19 Linux
If you acquire a newer version of Linux, or WinPE, browse and specify the location of the pre-boot files and click Next to install the new files. However, all existing operating system files are deleted before the newer files are installed. Example: If you have installed WinPE, and Symantec supports a newer version that is available, browse and specify the location of the pre-boot files and click Next to install the new files. All existing WinPE files are deleted from the hard disk before the new files are installed. If you experience any problems with the new version of WinPE, you must install the older version to restore Boot Disk Creator functionality for WinPE. To install pre-boot operating system files
◆ Select the pre-boot operating system that you want to install and click Next.
Linux Ghost Solution Suite provides Linux RedHat Fedora in a file named BDCgpl.frm that is present in the GPL folder. When you install a new version, use the Regenerate Boot Images option on the Boot Menu tab to apply the new version to your existing configurations.
WinPE Symantec supports WinPE as a pre-boot environment for Boot Disk Creator. When you install WinPE, you must use one of the following:
■ Microsoft WAIK DVD
■ Import installed WAIK When you install a new version, use the Regenerate Boot Images option on the Boot Menu tab to apply the new version to your existing configurations.
Set Default Pre-boot Operating System While creating an automation partition, from the Tools menu on the Boot Disk Creator interface, you must select the pre-boot operating system that you want to set as the default, such as WinPE. Chapter 4
New Configuration Wizard
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ New Configuration Wizard
■ Configuration Name
■ Multi-Network Adapter Configurations
■ Network Adapter
■ Have Disk
■ Internet
■ TCP/IP Protocol Settings
■ Symantec Ghost Solution Server Communication
■ Network Connection
■ Network Drive Mappings and Mount Points
■ Optional Components
■ Configuration Summary
■ Edit Configurations
■ Additional Files
■ Create PXE Boot Image Files (PXE)
■ PXE Boot Image Creation Complete
■ PXE Server Tab
■ GSS tab New Configuration Wizard 21 New Configuration Wizard
■ MAC Filter Tab
■ Define MAC Addresses
■ Multicast Tab
■ Data Logs Tab
■ Status Tab
■ Remote PXE Installation
New Configuration Wizard You can create as many configurations as needed to support different types of computer environments. Before you begin, you must install the pre-boot operating system files that Boot Disk Creator uses to create new configurations. See Install Pre-boot Operating System Files. To start the New Configuration Wizard, click this icon on the toolbar of the Boot Disk Creator tool and click Ctrl+N or click File > New Configuration.
Configuration Name This is the first page of the New Configuration Wizard, which is the same for Linux, or WinPE. You must enter a name for the configuration to enable the Pre-boot Operating System for this Configuration field. The description field is optional but helps you to know what the configuration contains, such as the file server type, NIC drivers, and any additional files you want to add.
Table 4-1 Field Description
Name The configuration name you enter appears in the Configurations pane after the wizard is completed.
Description Enter a description for the configuration. (Example: Enter the type of computer, operating system, network adapter, and any other characteristics that can help you identify this particular configuration.) After the Create Configuration and Create Boot Disk wizards complete, if you select the configuration from the left pane, the description you entered for this field appears at the top of the right pane. New Configuration Wizard 22 Multi-Network Adapter Configurations
Table 4-1 (continued)
Field Description
Pre-boot Operating System for this Configuration Boot Disk Creator supports Linux, and WinPE operating systems to create pre-boot environments. Select the pre-boot operating system and click the install pre-boot operating system files. See Install Pre-boot Operating System Files.
Multi-Network Adapter Configurations You can select Multi-NIC drivers to be included in the configuration by pressing Shift-Click or Ctrl-Click. After a client computer boots using a multi-network adapter configuration, Boot Disk Creator applies the driver that matches the first network adapter card that it detects. Example: If you are using the multi-network adapter configuration for several different client computers, this option can save you time and effort in booting different computers. However, if a client computer has 2 NIC cards and you use the multi-network adapter configuration to boot the computer, the first NIC card is detected and can potentially be the wrong network adapter required to connect to the Ghost Solution Suite Server. Advanced Features The network adapters you select must support Linux, or WinPE so that client computers can connect to a network or Ghost Solution Suite Server, depending on whether you create automation partitions, or network or automation boot disks. The Have Disk button lets you install network adapter drivers from a disk, CD, or network folder. See Have Disk. The Internet button lets you connect to an Symantec supported Web site to download and install network adapter drivers. See Internet. The Advanced button lets you further define network adapters and their drivers. See Advanced. Multiple Network Adapters Load Order This option is for WinPE configurations only. This lets you specify the order in which the physical network adapters are detected when the client computer boots. Example: If most client computers have a Broadcom Ethernet adapter, but some computers have a 3Com10/100 LAN PC Card Fast Ethernet card, you can use Up and Down to move the Broadcom Ethernet adapter to the top of the list. See Network Adapter. New Configuration Wizard 23 Network Adapter
Network Adapter The drivers listed in the Network Adapters window vary depending on the type of configuration you create. You can install pre-boot operating system files for Linux, or Windows Preinstallation Environment (WinPE). See Install Pre-boot Operating System Files. Example: After installing the pre-boot operating system files for WinPE, the Windows NIC drivers that are available to create a WinPE configuration appear, and are automatically added to the new configuration. If you select Auto-detect network adapter, WinPE determines which network adapter driver to use. Select a driver from the network adapters driver list. You must create a new configuration for each type of network adapter that is installed on client computers, unless you want to create a Multi-NIC configuration. See Multi-Network Adapter Configurations. If you want to add or change adapter settings, click Advanced. See Advanced. If the network adapter you want does not appear in the list, click Have Disk, Internet, or Advanced to add additional drivers. See Have Disk, Internet, and Advanced. Field Definitions
Table 4-2 Field Description
Auto-detect network adapter Select this option to let WinPE auto-detect the type of adapter that is in the client computers when the boot image runs.
Have Disk You can add network adapter drivers by using any disk media or navigating to a folder. You can download the Network adapters from the manufacturer's Web site and save it to a folder or a disk to install later. New network adapters come with a floppy disk or CD to install the appropriate drivers.
Internet Symantec supports many manufacturer network adapters and supports a Website for you to download the latest NIC drivers. Download the driver you want and unzip the files to a folder on the hard drive. Click Add Driver to add the driver to the Network Adapters list. New Configuration Wizard 24 TCP/IP Protocol Settings
TCP/IP Protocol Settings This page lets you set up TCP/IP protocol settings for boot configurations. TCP/IP is the default protocol when client computers boot to automation on a Windows network. If you are using the IPX protocol, Ghost Solution Server uses its own IP stack to work on IPX networks.
Table 4-3 Field Definitions
Field Description
Obtain an IP address from a DHCP server Select this option if you want client computers to obtain an IP address from a DHCP server.
Use a static IP address Select this option if you want to assign a specific IP address to a client computer that is using this configuration. Enter an IP address, Subnet mask, and Default gateway. You can also enter a Primary WINS server address and a Secondary WINS server address if you want to resolve IP addresses and naming conventions. You must create a configuration for each client computer, so that the IP address is not the same for all computers.
Symantec Ghost Solution Server Communication This option lets you set communication properties for the Ghost Solution Server. The Ghost Solution Server IP address, and Port fields are critical because they define how client computers establish communications with the Ghost Solution Server. This option lets you set communication properties for the Ghost Solution Server. The Ghost Solution Server IP address, and Port fields are critical because they define how client computers establish communications with the Ghost Solution Server. Example: The TCP port on the Ghost Solution Server is set to 402 and the Port field in the Boot Disk configuration is set to 502. These settings prevent client computers from communicating with the Ghost Solution Server because the port numbers do not match. To establish communications between client computers and the Ghost Solution Server, change the Port field in the Boot Disk configuration to 402.
Note: The settings on this page are used only if you create an automation boot image where the Automation Agent needs to know how to find the Ghost Solution Server. If you intend to create a network boot disk, you can ignore this page by clicking Next, as none of the properties are used to create a network boot image. New Configuration Wizard 25 Symantec Ghost Solution Server Communication
To set the TCP port on the Ghost Solution Server 1 From the Ghost Solution Server, click Start > Control Panel > Symantec Ghost Solution Suite Server > Options > Transport tab You can also click Start > All Programs > Altiris > Ghost Solution Suite > Configuration > Options > Transport tab. This opens the Symantec Ghost Solution Server transport settings page. 2 Enter the TCP port number. 3 Click OK. The following options are available on the Symantec Ghost Solution Server Communication page
Table 4-4 Field Description
Use TCP/IP multicasting to find the Symantec Ghost Select this option to use TCP/IP multicasting to find Solution Server the Ghost Solution Server. When client computers boot to automation using this configuration, a multicast packet is broadcast across the network to find where the Ghost Solution Server location is located.
Multicast IP address Enter a multicast IP address for client computers to send a broadcast packet across the network to find the Ghost Solution Server.
Port This option defines the port that the client computers will use to communicate with the Ghost Solution Server Engine, which manages the Ghost Solution Database, sends job commands to the Ghost Solution Suite Agent, and more.
Server name When you select Use TCP/IP multicasting to find the Symantec Ghost Solution Server, a multicast packet is broadcast to the server you specify. If you leave this field blank, the client computer connects to the first server that responds to the multicast packet.
Use TCP/IP to connect to the Symantec Ghost Select this option to connect to a specific Ghost Solution Server Solution Server. You must select this option if your network adapter or network does not support multicasting. See your network adapter documentation, call the manufacturer, or consult with your IT department for information. New Configuration Wizard 26 Network Connection
Table 4-4 (continued)
Field Description
Server IP address Enter the IP address of the Ghost Solution Server to access information stored in the Ghost Solution Share. If you are using the Intel Universal NIC driver (UNDI), the IP address is required.
Port This option defines the port that the client computers will use to communicate with the Ghost Solution Server Engine, which manages the Ghost Solution Database, sends job commands to the Ghost Solution Agent, and more.
Table 4-5 Advanced Agent Location
Field Description
Remote Select this option to run the most recent automation agent located on the remote server share.
Local Select this option to run the automation agent that currently exists in the local pre-boot environment.
Lock Keyboard Select this option for additional security. This prevents someone on the remote computer from ending the automation session and possibly accessing your network.
Network Connection This option lets you define the way the client computers connect to the Ghost Solution Share or a file server that stores image files.
Table 4-6 Windows
Field Description
Workgroup Enter the workgroup for the Ghost Solution Share or file server. New Configuration Wizard 27 Network Drive Mappings and Mount Points
Table 4-7 NetWare
Field Description
Server name Enter the server name for the Ghost Solution Share or file server. Click Advanced to enter a NetWare context for the server and select a Frame type if it is different from the default value of 802.2.
User name Enter the authorized user name that was set up while creating the Ghost Solution Share directory. If you did not assign a User name and Password when the Ghost Solution Share or file server was created, leave these fields blank.
Password Enter the password for the user name.
Confirm password Enter the password for the user name to confirm that you entered the correct password in the Password field.
Network Drive Mappings and Mount Points This option lets you set up drive mappings (WinPE) or mount points (for Linux) so that when client computers boot to automation or a network prompt, they connect to the appropriate server. You can create multiple drive mappings or mount points. Field Definitions
Table 4-8 Field Description
Manually create drive mappings Select this option if you want to include the drive mappings in the autoexec.bat file when client computers boot to automation.
Drive By default, the mapped drive that appears is F: \\
Table 4-8 (continued)
Field Description
Path Enter the path for the Ghost Solution Share. The path you enter maps to the drive letter you selected in the Drive field. You can also click Browse to navigate to the Ghost Solution Share if you are unsure of the directory path or if the image files are stored on a file server. For example:
■ Windows users: \\server\share ■ NetWare users: server\volume: directory ■ Linux users: //server/mount point
Create an entry in the LMHOSTS file for the Ghost Select this option if your network does not support Solution Server file store (other entries must be NetBIOS name resolution for IP addresses. Enter added manually) a Server name and IP address so that client computers can find the Ghost Solution Share where the image files are stored.
Use NetWare login scripts to create drive mappings Select this option if you use NetWare and you want login scripts to create the drive mappings.
Optional Components This page lets you add additional components to the boot image, such as WSH (Windows Scripting Host), WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation), and so on. You can select the optional components that you want to include in the WinPE boot image. This wizard page is available only when you select WinPE. By default, the optional components to be included with this configuration are selected.
Table 4-9 Field Description
Enable WinPE Firewall By default, this check box is not selected. Selecting this option enables the WinPE Firewall, which interferes with multicast imaging. New Configuration Wizard 29 Configuration Summary
Configuration Summary This page lets you review all the options you selected throughout the New Configuration Wizard. If you want to modify a setting, click Back to re-select the option. When you click Finish, the Create Boot Disk Wizard appears for the next process to begin. If you are using Boot Disk Creator from within the PXE Configuration Utility, the Edit Configuration page appears. See Edit Configurations.
Edit Configurations This is the main Boot Disk Creator page that appears when you start the utility. If you are using Boot Disk Creator from within the PXE Configuration Utility, this page appears at the end of the New Configuration Wizard. This feature lets you modify configurations that are already created. As you select files and folders from the left pane, the configuration information appears in the right pane. The display color changes to help you know the type of configuration you selected to view, edit, or delete. The colors displayed are:
■ Black: You have not selected or created any configurations.
■ Green: The configuration you selected or created is based on the Linux pre-boot environment.
■ Red: The configuration you selected or created is based on the WinPE pre-boot environment. To change the configuration settings, right-click a configuration folder and select Edit Configuration and click Edit until you find the page for the options you want to change. You can also make text edits to files (selected from the left pane) in the right pane. You can edit all other configuration files as needed. If the PXE Configuration Utility is launched and exited without any changes, no updates are made to the PXE Server. However, after you edit a configuration, Boot Disk Creator rewrites certain files within the configuration so that drive mappings and mount points are always updated. The following files are rewritten after editing configurations:
■ Linux - mounts.local
■ WinPE - mapdrv.bat The edited configuration settings are saved to the PXE Manager database. The PXE Server is updated in the background. Click the PXE Status Screen tab to view the updated status of the PXE Server. See “New Configuration Wizard ” on page 21. See “Install Pre-boot Operating System Files ” on page 18. New Configuration Wizard 30 Additional Files
Additional Files Boot Disk Creator lets you add additional files to folders that either apply to a specific configuration or to all configurations that are of the same type of pre-boot operating system. However, any files that you add to the global
■ Linux additional files
■ WinPE additional files Boot Disk Creator copies the files from the
■ Copy the files from a network folder and paste them into the configuration folder.
■ Right-click a configuration and select Add File. A browser dialog appears to navigate to the file you want to add.
■ Right-click a configuration and select File > Text file. A new empty text file is added to the left pane. Enter a name for the file and write text as needed in the left pane. New Configuration Wizard 31 Create PXE Boot Image Files (PXE)
Create PXE Boot Image Files (PXE) This option is used for Boot Disk Creator configurations created from within the PXE Configuration Utility. Because the PXE Servers download the boot image files to client computers, after you select all the properties for a New Configuration, Boot Disk Creator must know the type of image file to create. Field Definitions
Table 4-10 Field Description
Automation PXE image The automation agent for the type of pre-boot operating system configuration that you created is added to the settings you selected throughout the New Configuration Wizard.
Network PXE image The configuration you created does not contain an automation agent. When client computers boot with this image file, they are mapped to a network server and are at a user's prompt. (This option is not available in Shared Configuration mode.)
PXE Boot Image Creation Complete This page lets you know when the PXE boot image file is completed. When you click Finish, the New Shared Menu Option page appears, displaying the location of the PXE boot image files on the PXE Server.
PXE Server Tab This lets you set response times for the PXE Servers and specifies how the DHCP Server will be discovered. By default, PXE Servers inherit the shared properties from the Shared Configurations mode. Client computers use the information defined on this page to locate the PXE Server that provides their services. New Configuration Wizard 32 PXE Server Tab
PXE Server properties
Table 4-11 Field Description
PXE Server IP address By default, the IP address for both Shared Configuration and Customize PXE Server modes are displayed. If, for some reason, you need to change the IP address on a PXE Server, enter the same IP address in this field. Enter the IP address for the specific PXE Server you selected from the File menu. When client computers perform a PXE boot, the IP address helps them communicate with the PXE Server.
Use Shared properties This is selected when you set the properties for a Shared Configuration. You cannot change this selection on the other pages if you set the properties for the Shared Configuration.
Customize PXE Server: Shared Configuration This option is available when you select a specific server from the File menu. You can also customize the properties for the PXE Server you selected.
Response Time This lets you set the PXE Server response time when the client computers request a PXE boot. For Example: If you have three PXE Servers, you can set the first PXE Server to Short delayed response (1/2 second), the second to Immediate response, and the third to a Delayed response of your choice. This helps control which PXE Servers will respond to the client computers when they perform a PXE boot. In this example, the second PXE Server would respond to client computers before the first server
PXE Server image update This lets you control options for how updated PXE boot images are distributed to the PXE servers. Limit bandwidth throttles the amount of network bandwidth consumed by the transfer, but might result in your images taking longer to update. New Configuration Wizard 33 GSS tab
Table 4-11 (continued)
Field Description
DHCP Server discovery Following are the options that you can select:
■ Auto detect Microsoft DHCP Server and configure for PXE Select this option for a PXE Server to auto-detect the ports used for DHCP when Ghost Solution Server and the PXE Server are installed to the same server. ■ Third party DHCP Server installed on PXE server (Do NOT use DHCP port): Select this option if you are not using a version of Microsoft DHCP Server. Note: If Microsoft DHCP Server is installed on the PXE server, but is not active and functioning, the PXE Server sets option 60. This can cause conflict with client computers. Select the No DHCP Server installed on PXE Server (Use DHCP port) instead.
■ No DHCP Server installed on PXE Server (Use DHCP port): Select this option if DHCP is installed to a different server than the one where PXE Server is installed. The PXE Server uses only one port for DHCP.
GSS tab This tab lets you set properties so that all PXE Servers can communicate with the Ghost Solution Server. PXE Servers and the Ghost Solution Server work together to perform tasks, such as creating and distributing an image, scripted OS installs, and more. The PXE Server must access the Ghost Solution Server and the Ghost Solution Database to retrieve the information required to carry out these tasks on client computers. The Ghost Solution Server IP address, Engine Port, and Data Manager Port are critical fields because they define how the PXE Server establishes communication with the Ghost Solution Server. For Example: The TCP port on the Ghost Solution Server is set to 402 and the Engine port on the PXE Server is set to 502. This would result in the PXE Server not communicating with the Ghost Solution Server because the port numbers do not match. To establish communication between the two servers, change the Engine port field on the PXE Server to 402. New Configuration Wizard 34 GSS tab
To set the TCP port on the Ghost Solution Server 1 From the Ghost Solution Server, click Start > Control Panel > Symantec Ghost Solution Server > Options > Transport tab. You can also click Start > All Programs > Altiris > Ghost Solution Suite > Configuration > Options > Transport tab. 2 Enter the TCP port number. New Configuration Wizard 35 GSS tab
3 Click OK.
Field Description
Ghost Solution Server IP address This is the IP address of the Ghost Solution Server that controls the PXE Servers. This value is automatically entered when Ghost Solution Suite is installed. However, because the Ghost Solution Server IP address can change, you have an option to edit this field.
Engine port This option defines which port the PXE Servers use to communicate with the Ghost Solution Server Engine, which manages the Ghost Solution Database, sends job commands to the Ghost Solution Agent, and more.
Data Manager port This is the port that PXE Manager uses to communicate with the Ghost Solution Server.
Default boot option This is the default boot menu item that Ghost Solution Server uses to execute jobs.
Disable Initial Deployment By default, this option is enabled. Clear the check box if you do not want to use Initial Deployment.
Initial Deploy boot option The boot menu item that was set as the default pre-boot operating system at install time is selected. If no boot menu items were created, the first boot menu item (shared) is selected. Go to the Boot Menu tab and create a Shared Configuration if there are no items in the list. See Boot Menu Tab. When the boot menu appears on client computers, the default boot option you select for Initial Deployment moves to the top of the boot menu, even if the boot option is not at the top of the list on the Boot Menu Options for PXE Server: Shared Configuration page.
Execute immediately Select this option for Initial Deployment to run on new client computers without any user interaction after a PXE boot. From the Ghost Solution Suite Console, in the Initial Deployment Advanced Properties page, there is a default time-out value of 5 minutes. If you select this option, PXE responds immediately, but Initial Deployment still waits for 5 minutes before running. New Configuration Wizard 36 MAC Filter Tab
Field Description
Wait indefinitely Select this option so that a user must press
Use default timeout Select this option to use the time-out value set in the Initial Deployment Advanced Properties page from the Ghost Solution Suite Console.
Timeout Select this option to enter a time-out value. The boot menu appears on new client computers for the length of time you set before booting to Initial Deployment.
MAC Filter Tab This feature lets you control the service load of the PXE Servers by creating a list of MAC addresses you want to be serviced by either a specific PXE Server or by all PXE Servers associated to a Ghost Solution Server. You can also select to not service the list of client computers. Example: If you had three PXE Servers that Ghost Solution Server integrated with and you were setting properties for a Shared Configuration, you could create a list of MAC addresses, select Service listed addresses so that all three PXE Servers would respond to the listed client computers. You could also create a list of MAC addresses for a specific PXE Server configuration and select Do NOT service addresses so that the PXE Server you selected would not download a boot menu to any of the client computers listed. This lets you select the PXE Servers that provide services for specific client computers across the network. MAC addresses filter properties mode
Table 4-12 Field Description
Use Shared properties Select this option when you set the properties for a Shared Configuration. You cannot change this selection on the other pages if you are setting properties for the Shared Configuration.
Customize PXE Server: Shared Configuration This option is available when you select a specific server from the File menu. You can also customize the properties for the PXE Server you selected. New Configuration Wizard 37 MAC Filter Tab
Table 4-12 (continued)
Field Description
Use MAC Address Filtering Select this option to use MAC filtering. If you do not select this check box, the entries in the MAC Address Patterns section are ignored.
Service listed addresses Select this option if you want the PXE Server to service the list of MAC addresses in the MAC Address Patterns section.
Do NOT service addresses Select this option if you do not want the PXE Server to service the list of MAC addresses in the MAC Address Patterns section.
MAC Address Patterns MAC addresses are listed in this section. You can add, edit, or delete the addresses. You can also import or export MAC address text files.
Table 4-13 Field Description
New When you click this button, the Define MAC Addresses dialog appears, where you can enter MAC addresses. See Define MAC Addresses.
Edit When you click this button, the Define MAC Addresses dialog appears, where you can modify addresses previously added to the MAC address list. See Define MAC Addresses.
Delete Select a MAC address from the list and click this button.
Import This option lets you import comma-separated text file MAC address list. You can create the import text file manually, or you can import a file that has previously been exported from any PXE Server on your network. When the Windows navigation dialog appears, go to the folder or disk drive where the text file is located and click OK. New Configuration Wizard 38 Define MAC Addresses
Table 4-13 (continued)
Field Description
Export This option lets you export the MAC address list to a comma-separated text file. You can use the export feature to save a large MAC address list and import the file to another PXE Server or to the same PXE Server in case you need to uninstall and install PXE Server. You can export all or a part of the list by selecting the MAC addresses. When the Windows navigation dialog appears, go to the folder or disk drive where you want to save the text file and click OK.
Define MAC Addresses You can add or edit MAC addresses to the MAC address patterns section of the MAC Filter tab. This determines whether PXE Servers will include or exclude the client computers that are listed. See MAC Filter Tab.
Table 4-14 Field Description
Single address Select this option and enter a single MAC address. This address appears in the MAC Address Pattern section.
Address range Select this option to enter a range of MAC addresses. Enter a MAC address to start the range in the From box and a MAC address to end the range in the To box.
Multicast Tab This option lets you set properties for the way PXE Servers download the boot image to client computers. PXE Servers communicate with client computers using the Multicast Trivial File Transport Protocol (MTFTP) and support larger transport packets, which reduces the time taken to download files. The PXE Manager multicast properties section lets you set a Beginning Multicast Address, the Number of Multicast Addresses Available, and the Maximum Addresses Available to Single PXE Server. New Configuration Wizard 39 Multicast Tab
A multicast address is automatically assigned to the files a PXE Server uses to download the boot menu options to client computers. A PXE boot menu option consists of two files. The MenuOption
[MTFTPD\FILES]
BStrap\x86pc\BStrap.0="224.1.1.0"
MenuOption128\x86pc\MenuOption128.0="224.1.1.1"
MenuOption128\x86pc\MenuOption128.0.cr-1005309736="224.1.1.2"
MenuOption128\x86pc\MenuOption128.1="224.1.1.3"
MenuOption129\x86pc\MenuOption129.0="224.1.1.4"
MenuOption129\x86pc\MenuOption129.0.cr-1005309736="224.1.1.5"
MenuOption129\x86pc\MenuOption129.1="224.1.1.6"
Notice that the multicast address increments by 1 for each file that is created when a new PXE configuration is added and the boot image is created. These are the files that a PXE Server downloads when you select a boot menu option from the menu list on a client computer. PXE Manager PXE Manager creates a PXE Manager.ini file, which gathers data from all the PXE Servers on the network. The PXE Manager.ini file creates and sends a PXE.ini file that is specific to each PXE Server. Both PXE Manager.ini and PXE.ini files are used by the PXE Manager service to synchronize the boot images across all PXE Servers and Ghost Solution Servers on the network.
Note: PXE Manager creates a PXE Manager.ini file, which gathers data from all the PXE Servers on the network. The PXE Manager.ini file creates and sends a PXE.ini file that is specific to each PXE Server. Both PXE Manager.ini and PXE.ini files are used by the PXE Manager service to synchronize the boot images across all PXE Servers and Ghost Solution Servers on the network. New Configuration Wizard 40 Multicast Tab
TFTP/MTFTP properties
Table 4-15 Field Description
Use Shared properties Select this option when you want to set the properties for a Shared Configuration. Once you set the properties, you cannot change this selection on the other pages.
Customize PXE Server: Shared Configuration This option is available when you select a specific server from the File menu. You can also customize the properties for the PXE Server you selected.
Enable MTFTP Clear this option if you do not want to use MTFTP to download the boot menu from the PXE Server to client computers. If a PXE Server is going to service client computers on the same subnet, you can select this option to communicate. If you disable MTFTP, TFTP is used to communicate. PXE-enabled client computers listen for broadcast messages sent by the PXE Server through MTFTP. If a PXE Server is going to service client computers across subnets and this option is enabled, the PXE Server tries to communicate with clients using MTFTP. If the router is not configured to pass a multicast packet, an error message appears on client computers, stating that MTFTP is unavailable. The PXE Server tries to connect to client computers using TFTP.
Enable larger packets for TFTP/MTFTP Select this option to increase the packet size transport.
Packet Size Enter the transport packet size if your infrastructure does not have the capability of handling the default packet size of 768.
Do not allow IP fragmentation Clear this option to use IP fragmentation. This is helpful if you have a narrow bandwidth on the network and want to enable larger packets for TFTP/MTFTP when downloading files from the PXE Server to client computers. IP fragmentation lets larger packets break up into smaller packets during transport. However, you must use a third-party application to reassemble the smaller packets into the original packet size. New Configuration Wizard 41 Data Logs Tab
PXE Manager multicast properties
Table 4-16 Field Description
Beginning Multicast Address Enter a multicast address between the range of 224.1.1.0 -- 225.255.255.255.
Number of Multicast Addresses Available Enter the number of addresses available for the PXE Server. Limit: 128,000.
Maximum Addresses Available to Single PXE Enter the maximum addresses available to a single Server PXE Server.
Data Logs Tab This option lets you enable data logs to help you troubleshoot incidents on the PXE Servers. You can enable log files to help isolate issues with the network traffic, communication protocol, the PXE Server, and more. You can specify a filename for each of the logs, and you can enter a directory path where you want to store the log files. Each log file lets you select a log level, such as errors, warnings, information, debug, or all. This is a valuable tool that should be used only for troubleshooting as it could impact the network in a production environment due to the amount of data that is written to the logs. Data Log properties
Table 4-17 Field Description
Use Shared properties Select this option when you set the properties for a Shared Configuration. Once you set the properties, you cannot change this selection on the other pages.
Customize PXE Server: Shared Configuration This option is available when you select a specific server from the File menu. You can also customize the properties for the PXE Server you selected.
Log File Location This is the folder where all log files are stored. If no directory path is entered, log files are stored in the default Ghost Solution Suite Share folder of C:\Program Files\Altiris\express\Ghost Solution Suite Server\PXE. New Configuration Wizard 42 Status Tab
Table 4-17 (continued)
Field Description
Log Files The following log files are specific to PXE Servers and, if enabled, log the information to the filename you specify and store it in the PXE folder on each PXE Server across the network.
■ PXE Server Log ■ PXE MTFTP Log ■ Packet Parser Log ■ DS Traffic Log ■ Config Service Log ■ PXE Manager Log ■ Config Utility Log
The PXE Manager Log writes data to the filename you specify and stores it in the PXE folder on the Ghost Solution Server.
Level Select the type of data you want to write in the log files. Each level in the list includes more details to the log files of the previous level.
Filename Enter a name for the log file you enabled if you do not want to use the default name.
Status Tab You can view the status of the PXE servers in your environment and track whether the updates have been applied to the PXE server.
Remote PXE Installation You can install a PXE Server to any remote location on your network using this feature. However, all remote installations must be "pushed" from the Ghost Solution Server. Example: Your business home office is in Washington and you have two smaller offices in Los Angeles and Australia. You can use the Remote PXE Installation Wizard to install a PXE Server to both locations from the Ghost Solution Server in Washington.
Note: DHCP services are required on the network to make the PXE Server function correctly. New Configuration Wizard 43 Remote PXE Installation
To install a remote PXE Server 1 Browse to the location where axInstall.exe is installed. The default location is C:\DSSetup. 2 Run axInstall.exe. 3 Select Component Install, and click Install. 4 On the Software License Agreement page, click Yes to accept the licensing agreement. 5 Enter or browse to the Ghost Solution Suite Share folder and click Next. 6 Select Install an additional PXE Server and click Next. 7 Select Yes, I want to install PXE Server on a remote computer. 8 Enter the Remote computer name or browse the network to select a remote PXE Server. 9 Enter the PXE Server IP address. 10 Enter the PXE Server install path and click Next. 11 On the Gathering Information page, enter a User name and Password with administrative rights on the remote computer. Click Next. 12 On the Installation Information page, click Install.