How-To Boot Windows Diskless with AoE instead iSCSI

1.] Preparing Windows to Boot Diskless with VirtualBox/Vmare Workstation/ESX

• Install Windows 7/8/2003/2008 on a Virtual Machine ( create a disk type .vhd with fixed size )
• open a cmd as administrator and type two commands:

C:>bcdedit  -set  TESTSIGNING ON
C:>bcdedit -set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS

• reboot the /virtual machine
• Download and Install WinAoE Driver as Storage Controller
• Download and Install CCBoot Client without options
• Shutdown Virtual Machine

2.] On Server

• Install a DHCP Server with option bootfilename grldr
• Install a TFTP Server and set tftp-root folder
• Download grub4dos and extract 'grldr' and 'menu.lst' files to the tftp-root folder
• Edit menu.lst file only with this content:

title === MENU BOOTS ===
()
title
()
title Windows 7 Diskless
map --mem (pd)/ipxe.iso (0xff)
map --hook
chainloader (0xff)

• Create a text file 'conf.ipxe' with this content:

#!ipxe
dhcp net0
set keep-san 1
sanboot aoe:e0.0

• Download ipxe.iso and with UltraISO, open the ipxe.iso with UltraISO and edit ISOLINUX.CFG with this content:

SAY iPXE ISO boot image
TIMEOUT 30
DEFAULT ipxe.lkrn
LABEL ipxe.lkrn
KERNEL ipxe.krn
INITRD conf.ipxe

• Update the ISOLINUX.CFG on UltraISO with new content
• Drag the file 'conf.ipxe' to inside UltraISO and save the file.
• Put ipxe.iso on the tftp-root folder
• Start DHCP Server
• Start TFTP Server
• Download and install WinPCAP and vBlade Target System ( AoE ) and export the target of .vhd.
• Open vblade from Icon on Program Group
• First find the Device Name of your Network Card with bogus caracters (xxx).

vblade -b 65 0 0 xxx “d:path_to_you_vhdwindows.vhd”

• after copy and paste the Device{value}

vblade -b 65 0 0 “Device{value}” “d:path_to_you_vhdwindows.vhd”  enter 

• Ready ! Boot one machine by LAN Boot, or create a VirtualBox/Vmware Virtual Machine without Disks !
• You can boot a lot of Machines creating a specific ipxe.iso for each one, dont forget to edit 'conf.ipxe' with diferent targets ( e0.0, e0.1, e0.01), create respective ipxe-e0.0.iso for each workstation, add the menu.lst entry too for each ipxe-e0.x.iso, export each .vhd with vblade changing slots ( 0 1 , 0 2 etc..)

via http://windowsdisklessaoe.wordpress.com

Posted in: How-To Diskless AoE