Most
Windows and Linux system administrators are already familiar with the
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, or DHCP. It is the de-facto standard
for run-time configuration of various network aspects in many operating
systems. For example, it is possible to change the IP-address of any
systems on the fly, without rebooting the system. When distributing an
image of an operating system on an other machine (cloning), the image must
be configured to use DHCP. The above operations are called Post-Boot
services and they are the core of the DHCP in general.
But the DHCP is
capable of much more. Even before the operating system gets started DHCP
can advise how the boot procedure should continue. In our case the target
PC computer has a the PXE-boot BIOS extension which broadcasts an
identification request on the network when the system boots.
DHCP can be programmed to answer explicitly to the identification
request so that it tells the PXE-boot program to continue its boot
procedure with a specific Rembo Server on the network. Or the Rembo Server
can be programmed to act as a DHCPProxy which means that it takes
over the responsibility of the boot procedure from the DHCP server. The
above operations are called DHCP Pre-Boot operations.
Most
Windows and Linux system administrators are already familiar with the
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol, or DHCP. It is the de-facto standard
for run-time configuration of various network aspects in many operating
systems. For example, it is possible to change the IP-address of any
systems on the fly, without rebooting the system. When distributing an
image of an operating system on an other machine (cloning), the image must
be configured to use DHCP. The above operations are called Post-Boot
services and they are the core of the DHCP in general.