[gPXE] Error at booting VM from iSCSI: Connection reset (0x0f0d6039)

[Gustav Brock]

Hi all

I created a gPXE iso to boot a Win2003 64-bit virtual machine in a VMware 2.0.2 host running on Win2008 64-bit.
The target is created with StarWind running on a physical Win2003 32-bit machine. No password, chap, or iSec. Windows Firewalls are off.

On the Win2008 host the target can be connected with the MS initiator.
If the virtual Win2003 machine is booted from a normal vmd harddisk, the target can be connected with the MS initiator.

However, if the virtual Win2003 machine in booted with the gPXE iso, the target cannot be connected. The command and error is:

sanboot iscsi:192.168.1.151::::iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:test
Could not initialise iSCSI device: Connection reset (0x0f0d6039)
Could not boot from iscsi:192.168.1.151::::iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:test: Connection reset (0x0f0d6039)

How to overcome this? My feeling is that somehow the target cannot "see" or "call back" the virtual NIC in the VM but why?

The virtual NIC is e1000 which is configured via the VMware network setup to bridge to one physical Intel PRO/1000 GT adapter with address 192.168.1.211. Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) is off.
At first I tried with the default boot script using DHCP. But as I'm in an Active Directory, I have and will have to use my MS DHCP servers. I noticed the setting for Root Path that has to be done but that didn't help. Finally, and as this is supposed to be a server, I changed the script to fixed IP and removed the DHCP lookup:

#!gpxe
echo "Greetings! Hit Ctrl-C to bail out."
sleep 5
ifopen net0
set net0/ip 192.168.1.223
set net0/netmask 255.255.255.0
set net0/gateway 192.168.1.1
set net0/dns 192.168.1.8
set keep-san 1
sanboot iscsi:192.168.1.151::::iqn.2008-08.com.starwindsoftware:test
boot

but that didn't change anything. Same error.
If I stop the script with Ctrl+B, I can from my workstation ping both 151 and 223 and the host NIC at 211.

Any clues or what to debug, please? Googling doesn't reveal anything.
I should add that my previous experience with gPXE is zero so every hint is appreciated.

/gustav