How to Use Dell Jobs in a Non-PXE Environment.
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Automation, Deployment
Submitted by eorme on 15 February, 2007 - 13:27.
In environments where security is a major issue, many network administrators have elected to not use PXE on their servers. This doesn't mean, however, that Deployment Solution for Dell Servers 2.0 SP1 cannot be used to perform configurations. Follow these steps to create an automation disc which will allow you boot into automation and configure BIOS/BMC/DRAC/RAID or deploy an operating system all without PXE.
I'm using Linux in this example, but WinPE is done in a similar way.
Prerequisites: Deployment Solution for Dell Servers 2.0 SP1 on DS 6.8 or newer.
Step 1: Go to Tools->Boot Disk Creator and create a new configuration.
Step 2: Name your configuration, select Linux, and change the OEM extensions from "<none>" to "<default>". This will inject all of the Dell drivers that are needed in order to boot the Linux automation properly. If you experience difficulties with that image, you may try the "Dell" as an alternative.
Step 3: Complete the wizard and write a CD using the ISO it creates.
Step 4: Place this disk in the server's CD drive that you intend to manage, and set "CD" as the default boot option in the BIOS.
You're done. Now whenever the machine boots, it will contact your DS server (and only your DS server) seeing if there are any jobs to perform and boot to production if the work is completed. PXE can be disabled completely.
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A good way to perform the
A good way to perform the configuration.
Thanksss
PM
No PXE for security reasons
Disabling PXE for security reasons is a strange way to secure your network.
If you configure your DHCP server to give the IP address of the PXE server, there is no way to compromise the network.
Regards
Erik
Tell Me More
I don't know if I quite understand what you mean by configuring a DHCP server to give the IP address of the PXE server. Please tell me more, because as far as I know, this isn't possible.
I get it!
I had to read the article several times before it sunk in. Just so I understand I will restate in my own words...
First, we create a boot CD that has all the necessary drivers. Next, we insert that boot cd into the server. Then we change the BIOS on the server to boot to the CD. Now when the server boots, it will contact the DS Server...This last set is what confuses me.
Are we suppsed to put the CD in the end computer?
Thanks,
trb48
Putting the CD in the PC
When you disable the PXE service, then you have to go to every PC to put the CD in.
A lot of work for disabling a non-security issue.
regards
Erik
Putting in a CD
Yes, you are correct. If you are using CD's, then you need to set the boot option to the CD drive. Each time the machine boots, it will contact DS and DS will tell it whether to boot into production or automation.
Making tens (if not hundreds) of copies of the CD is a high price to pay for not using PXE, but it does provide the security of not using PXE.
You may also want to look into automation partitions.