56.7 Using the Desktop Management Preboot Services PXE-on-Disk Utility

This section contains information to help you understand the ZENworks Desktop Management Preboot Services PXE-on-Disk utility, prepare a Windows workstation for it, and use it.

56.7.1 What Is PXE-on-Disk Setup?

PXE-on-Disk Setup helps you create a 1.44 MB floppy diskette that contains all of the files needed to allow a non-PXE-compatible network adapter on a Windows workstation to communicate with a Desktop Management Preboot Services server. When you boot a workstation with a PXE-on-Disk diskette in the floppy drive, it is as if that workstation had a PXE-enabled network adapter.

The PXE-on-Disk Setup program runs on the following operating systems:

  • Windows 95/98/ME

  • Windows 2000/XP

56.7.2 Creating a PXE-on-Disk Diskette

This section contains the following information:

Creating the Diskette in a Windows Server Environment

When you installed the Desktop Management Preboot Services component on a Windows server, the PXE-on-Disk creation program was also installed and registered. Use the following procedure to create a PXE-on-Disk diskette from your Windows server.

  1. From the Windows desktop, click Start > Programs > ZENworks Preboot Services > PXE-on-Disk to display the PXE-on-Disk Setup window.

    or

    In ConsoleOne, click Tools > ZENworks Utilities > Imaging > Create or modify boot diskette > Create PXE disk.

    The PXE-on-Disk Setup window.

  2. Insert an empty, formatted, high-density diskette in the disk drive.

  3. Click OK to display the Driver and Information lists for PXE-compatible network adapters.

    The PXE-on-Disk setup window with the Disk Driver and Information lists open.

    Note that the network adapter (or adapters) installed on your server is detected and the specifications are listed in the Information list box of the Setup window. Some driver types might be duplicated. For example, Accton En1207d is the same as SMC 1211TX.

  4. From the Driver List, select the name of the network adapter driver (or its nearest equivalent) that is installed on the client workstation you want to connect to the Preboot Services server.

  5. Insert an empty, formatted, high-density diskette in the disk drive, then click Install to start creating a PXE-on-Disk diskette.

    When the installation is complete, the diskette contains appropriate PXE-on-Disk information for the intended client workstation.

  6. Click Close to complete the creation of the PXE-on-Disk diskette.

Creating the Diskette in a NetWare Server Environment

  1. From the sys:\public\zenworks\pxe directory, run psetupn.exe to display the PXE-on-Disk Setup window.

    The PXE-on-Disk Setup window.

  2. Insert an empty, formatted, high-density diskette in the disk drive.

  3. Click OK to display the Driver and Information lists for PXE-compatible network adapters.

    The PXE-on-Disk Setup window. The Driver and Information lists are open.

    The network adapter of machine you are using is detected and its specifications listed in the Information list box of the Setup window.

  4. From the Driver List, select the name of the network adapter driver (or its nearest equivalent) that is installed on the client workstation you want to connect to the Preboot Services server.

    Some driver types might be duplicated. For example, Accton En1207d is the same as SMC 1211TX.

  5. Click Install to start creating a PXE-on-Disk diskette.

    When the installation is complete, the diskette contains appropriate PXE-on-Disk information for the intended client workstation.

  6. Click Close to complete the creation of the PXE-on-Disk diskette.

56.7.3 Booting with a PXE-on-Disk Diskette

Before you boot a client workstation with a PXE-on-Disk diskette, you should make sure that Desktop Management Preboot Services is installed on a network server. This is the server that communicates with the client workstation and give it workstation imaging tasks to perform. For more information about installing ZENworks Desktop Management Preboot Services on a server, see Step 12 under Desktop Management Server Installation Procedure in the Novell ZENworks 7 Desktop Management Installation Guide.

When you know that Desktop Management Preboot Services is installed on the server, you can reboot the client workstation with a PXE-on-Disk diskette. During the reboot cycle, the client workstation does the following:

  • Establishes a connection with the Desktop Management Preboot Services server.

  • Executes any imaging work to be performed.

  • Continues its boot cycle.

56.7.4 If PXE-on-Disk Fails to Operate Correctly

If PXE-on-Disk is not working, an incorrect network adapter is installed, or PXE-on-Disk is not installed on the diskette you are using to boot the workstation. To correct this, install a PXE-enabled network adapter or reinstall PXE files on a diskette using the PXE-on-Disk setup utility. See Creating a PXE-on-Disk Diskette.