The other day I received a “server” (HP Z620) as part of work. I set out to integrate it into a new subnet to be used like a mini-cloud LAN. Since my “lab” is a floor down from my office my first goal was to make this “server” remote everything, right down to the BIOS. This way I could reboot and even reload the bare metal OS remotely. The Z620 has Intel AMT and I’ve progressed that to the point where I can remotely power on/off the machine – more on that in another article. The next step was to setup PXE booting.
In my past I’ve setup PXE environments, but as I started to reason through what I needed I realized that I had over simplified. Did I want to PXE install, or PXE boot a kernel with the root filesystem on local disk? Both actually, and maybe some other PXE acrobatics. Step one: PXE boot into an installation and then automate the installation with a preseed file.
PXE Boot to Install - Ubuntu
The Ubuntu Installation Guide covers most of what is described below. The one exception is that I prefer Dnsmasq_ for its simplicity, and every PXE boot example I found seems to want to explain the process with the amalgamation of the ISC DHCP server, and one of the many, execellent tftpd servers. Dnsmasq was made for this, why is a more complex tool chain being consistently pushed? – I don’t know.
Additionally, I, like many people, like prototyping in a virtual environment. I use VirtualBox, and VirtualBox supports PXE booting. In fact, there are a couple of ways to do a PXE boot in VirtualBox. This example will not use any of VirtualBox’s built-in PXE boot features. Instead, two (virtual) hosts will be configured, one as the PXE boot server, and a second as the booted client. This pattern mimics physical hardware, and, in fact, should be reproducable on physical equipment by simply ignoring the VirtualBox commentary.
Prerequesites
- (optional) VirtualBox, host OS doesn’t matter. This article is written with VirtualBox instructions, ignoring the VirtualBox parts and using physical hardware should just work.
- A linux server. Package install commands based on Ubuntu, any distribution should work; infact any OS with Dnsmasq should work the same.
- A client host – the disk on this machine will be erased. The example will use a newly created VirtualBox host.
- A “dhcp free” LAN. In this example, a VirtualBox “Internal Network” will serve as the LAN.
PXE, DHCP, and a “clean” LAN
For those familiar with DHCP’s broadcast use of the LAN, this section may be safely skipped.
The first step in a “PXE Boot” is for the client host to perform a DHCP request, or more precisely a DHCP discovery. This amounts to the client sending a broadcast IP message on the connected LAN. Because the client knows nothing of itself at this point, it can only broadcast a message requesting it’s configuration, the “C” in DHCP. Many LAN’s support DHCP, including the default VirtualBox “NAT” LAN. In order to PXE boot a specific response to the DHCP request must be given; the culmunation of this article in fact. If the PXE booting client is “placed” on a LAN that already has a DHCP service present then it is possible that the existing service will respond, and respond with a generic response, not the PXE specific response this article details crafting.
For this reason, the “dhcp free” LAN is stated above as a prerequisite. If you know you have a DHCP free physical LAN then you’re good; many home “routers” provide DHCP as part of their functionality – you’ve been warned.
VirtualBox’s default network is the “NAT” network and it has a DHCP service embedded in the VirtualBox ‘controller’. This LAN network can not be used. Details for configuring multiple VirtualBox networks will be given below for this very reason.
Configuring the VirtualBox Hosts and Network(s)
Configuring Dnsmasq on the PXE Server
Booting the PXE Client
Preseeding to Automate the Install
TBD - coming in the 2nd part of this article.
To be continued? …
Ideas for follow on articles around this topic:
- PXE Boot a “cloud” image, (think Amazon AMI/LXC ubuntu-cloud like), on bare metal – there are some gotcha’s in this.
- PXE Boot every time. A “production” environment where the bootloader is PXE, the kernel comes across the network, and the filesystem already exists on one of {local disk, SAN, NAS}.
- PXE Acrobatics: An advanced, intellegent system for PXE booting where sometimes an existing system is booted, and sometimes the host is reprovisioned, i.e. re-installed.