Foreman PXE to deploy windows server

Support
1

Hi all,

It seems that foreman should be able to deploy windows OS (at least windows
OS family do exist in the various screens). Does it function this way ?
I would like foreman to distribute WinPE to a bare metal server but I
couldn't find how to proceed.

Does anybody has experienced it ?

Regards

2

We've just started doing this. Use syslinux >= 5.0. Use a pxe template
similar to this - I'll leave the rest up to you. :wink:

default Windows
label Windows
kernel pxechn.c32
append <NAME_OF_WDS>::\boot\x64\wdsnbp.com -W

Note the NAME_OF_WDS - it must be a dns resolvable name - NOT an IP address.

Hope this helps!

··· -- Kal

On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 6:20:47 AM UTC-7, yannig rousseau wrote:

Hi all,

It seems that foreman should be able to deploy windows OS (at least
windows OS family do exist in the various screens). Does it function this
way ?
I would like foreman to distribute WinPE to a bare metal server but I
couldn’t find how to proceed.

Does anybody has experienced it ?

Regards

3

> We've just started doing this. Use syslinux >= 5.0. Use a pxe template
> similar to this - I'll leave the rest up to you. :wink:
>
> default Windows
> label Windows
> kernel pxechn.c32
> append <NAME_OF_WDS>::\boot\x64\wdsnbp.com -W
>
> Note the NAME_OF_WDS - it must be a dns resolvable name - NOT an IP
> address.
>
> Hope this helps!
> –
> Kal
>
>
> Kal, thanks for this! any chance you could spend some more time on the
wiki to help others?

Cheers!
Ohad

··· On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 12:46 AM, Kal Aeolian wrote:

On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 6:20:47 AM UTC-7, yannig rousseau wrote:

Hi all,

It seems that foreman should be able to deploy windows OS (at least
windows OS family do exist in the various screens). Does it function this
way ?
I would like foreman to distribute WinPE to a bare metal server but I
couldn’t find how to proceed.

Does anybody has experienced it ?

Regards

–
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4

Yes, this would be really helpful !

··· 2013/10/24 Ohad Levy

On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 12:46 AM, Kal Aeolian kalielaeolian@gmail.comwrote:

We’ve just started doing this. Use syslinux >= 5.0. Use a pxe template
similar to this - I’ll leave the rest up to you. :wink:

default Windows
label Windows
kernel pxechn.c32
append <NAME_OF_WDS>::\boot\x64\wdsnbp.com -W

Note the NAME_OF_WDS - it must be a dns resolvable name - NOT an IP
address.

Hope this helps!

Kal

Kal, thanks for this! any chance you could spend some more time on the
wiki to help others?

Cheers!
Ohad

On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 6:20:47 AM UTC-7, yannig rousseau wrote:

Hi all,

It seems that foreman should be able to deploy windows OS (at least
windows OS family do exist in the various screens). Does it function this
way ?
I would like foreman to distribute WinPE to a bare metal server but I
couldn’t find how to proceed.

Does anybody has experienced it ?

Regards

–
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Foreman users" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
email to foreman-users+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
To post to this group, send email to foreman-users@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/foreman-users.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

–
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5

Sure, I've updated the 'Tips&Tricks' page with what we've done and know so
far - if we come across any more learnings on this end I'll add them here
as well.

Tips &amp Tricks - Foreman<http://projects.theforeman.org/projects/foreman/wiki/Tips_&_Tricks>

··· -- Kal

On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 10:47:33 PM UTC-7, ohad wrote:

On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 12:46 AM, Kal Aeolian <kaliel...@gmail.com<javascript:> > > wrote:

We’ve just started doing this. Use syslinux >= 5.0. Use a pxe template
similar to this - I’ll leave the rest up to you. :wink:

default Windows
label Windows
kernel pxechn.c32
append <NAME_OF_WDS>::\boot\x64\wdsnbp.com -W

Note the NAME_OF_WDS - it must be a dns resolvable name - NOT an IP
address.

Hope this helps!

Kal

Kal, thanks for this! any chance you could spend some more time on the
wiki to help others?

Cheers!
Ohad

On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 6:20:47 AM UTC-7, yannig rousseau wrote:

Hi all,

It seems that foreman should be able to deploy windows OS (at least
windows OS family do exist in the various screens). Does it function this
way ?
I would like foreman to distribute WinPE to a bare metal server but I
couldn’t find how to proceed.

Does anybody has experienced it ?

Regards

–
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Foreman users" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
email to foreman-user...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>.
To post to this group, send email to forema...@googlegroups.com<javascript:>
.
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For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

6

Hi all,

I apologize for the time lapse since your last answer.
My issue here is that we would like to keep our old provisioning system for
windows which is not based on WDS. This system (LANDesk Management Suite)
is based on a PXE which start a boot.wim. This tool can no more propose a
pxelinux for provisioning linux system, so I am switching for a PXE infra
to be managed by foreman AND able to start a Wim image at boot.
I tried iPXE and wimboot, but I don't want to deploy iPXE firmware on all
NIC

With further tests, I managed to boot as wanted with the follwing
configuration :
default windows
LABEL windows
kernel startrom.0
append -

The dhcp did distrbute the option 66 (PXE IP adress) & 67 (pxelinux.0)

I just needed to add some files on my PXE server :

  • startrom.0
  • boot/bootmgr.exe
  • boot/BCD
  • boot/boot.sdi
  • boot.wim
  • Fonts/gl4w_boot.ttf
    It also try to download a hiberfil.sys, but I cound start even without it

I had a few issues as all files were not in the correct folder and /or with
correct acl. I launched a tcpdump on the PXE server to know wich files were
not found by the startrom.0

Regards
Yannig

··· On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 1:38 AM, Kal Aeolian wrote:

Sure, I’ve updated the ‘Tips&Tricks’ page with what we’ve done and know so
far - if we come across any more learnings on this end I’ll add them here
as well.

Tips &amp Tricks - Foremanhttp://projects.theforeman.org/projects/foreman/wiki/Tips_&_Tricks

Kal

On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 10:47:33 PM UTC-7, ohad wrote:

On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 12:46 AM, Kal Aeolian kaliel...@gmail.comwrote:

We’ve just started doing this. Use syslinux >= 5.0. Use a pxe template
similar to this - I’ll leave the rest up to you. :wink:

default Windows
label Windows
kernel pxechn.c32
append <NAME_OF_WDS>::\boot\x64\wdsnbp.com -W

Note the NAME_OF_WDS - it must be a dns resolvable name - NOT an IP
address.

Hope this helps!

Kal

Kal, thanks for this! any chance you could spend some more time on the
wiki to help others?

Cheers!
Ohad

On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 6:20:47 AM UTC-7, yannig rousseau wrote:

Hi all,

It seems that foreman should be able to deploy windows OS (at least
windows OS family do exist in the various screens). Does it function this
way ?
I would like foreman to distribute WinPE to a bare metal server but I
couldn’t find how to proceed.

Does anybody has experienced it ?

Regards

–
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
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7

Erratum - there was error on the file to copy in folder /var/lib/tftpboot:

  • startrom.0
  • bootmgr.exe

and in /var/lib/tftpboot/boot

  • boot/BCD
  • boot/boot.sdi
  • boot/boot.wim

The file Fonts/gl4w_boot.ttf is not necessary.

··· On Wednesday, November 6, 2013 6:14:03 PM UTC+1, yannig rousseau wrote: > > Hi all, > > I apologize for the time lapse since your last answer. > My issue here is that we would like to keep our old provisioning system > for windows which is not based on WDS. This system (LANDesk Management > Suite) is based on a PXE which start a boot.wim. This tool can no more > propose a pxelinux for provisioning linux system, so I am switching for a > PXE infra to be managed by foreman AND able to start a Wim image at boot. > I tried iPXE and wimboot, but I don't want to deploy iPXE firmware on all > NIC > > With further tests, I managed to boot as wanted with the follwing > configuration : > *default windows* > *LABEL windows* > *kernel startrom.0* > *append -* > > The dhcp did distrbute the option 66 (PXE IP adress) & 67 (pxelinux.0) > > I just needed to add some files on my PXE server : > - startrom.0 > - boot/bootmgr.exe > - boot/BCD > - boot/boot.sdi > - boot.wim > - Fonts/gl4w_boot.ttf > It also try to download a hiberfil.sys, but I cound start even without it > > I had a few issues as all files were not in the correct folder and /or > with correct acl. I launched a tcpdump on the PXE server to know wich files > were not found by the startrom.0 > > Regards > Yannig > > > On Fri, Oct 25, 2013 at 1:38 AM, Kal Aeolian <kaliel...@gmail.com > > wrote: > >> Sure, I've updated the 'Tips&Tricks' page with what we've done and know >> so far - if we come across any more learnings on this end I'll add them >> here as well. >> >> http://projects.theforeman.org/projects/foreman/wiki/Tips_&amp_Tricks >> -- >> Kal >> >> On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 10:47:33 PM UTC-7, ohad wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 12:46 AM, Kal Aeolian wrote: >>> >>>> We've just started doing this. Use syslinux >= 5.0. Use a pxe template >>>> similar to this - I'll leave the rest up to you. ;) >>>> >>>> default Windows >>>> label Windows >>>> kernel pxechn.c32 >>>> append ::\boot\x64\wdsnbp.com -W >>>> >>>> Note the NAME_OF_WDS - it must be a dns resolvable name - NOT an IP >>>> address. >>>> >>>> Hope this helps! >>>> -- >>>> Kal >>>> >>>> >>>> Kal, thanks for this! any chance you could spend some more time on the >>> wiki to help others? >>> >>> Cheers! >>> Ohad >>> >>> >>>> On Wednesday, October 23, 2013 6:20:47 AM UTC-7, yannig rousseau wrote: >>>>> >>>>> Hi all, >>>>> >>>>> It seems that foreman should be able to deploy windows OS (at least >>>>> windows OS family do exist in the various screens). Does it function this >>>>> way ? >>>>> I would like foreman to distribute WinPE to a bare metal server but I >>>>> couldn't find how to proceed. >>>>> >>>>> Does anybody has experienced it ? >>>>> >>>>> Regards >>>>> >>>>> -- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "Foreman users" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to foreman-user...@googlegroups.com. >>>> To post to this group, send email to forema...@googlegroups.com. >>>> >>>> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/foreman-users. >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >>>> >>> >>> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to a topic in the >> Google Groups "Foreman users" group. >> To unsubscribe from this topic, visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/topic/foreman-users/__zXK3ItfSM/unsubscribe. >> To unsubscribe from this group and all its topics, send an email to >> foreman-user...@googlegroups.com . >> To post to this group, send email to forema...@googlegroups.com >> . >> Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/foreman-users. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> > >