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
- 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..)
More detailed Configuration with Video Tutorials in:
https://windowsdisklessaoe.wordpress.com
Edited by rebit, 30 June 2012 - 02:18 AM.