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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">I
work in a shop where we image hundreds of machines a day. Currently we are
setup with a modified WDS server that serves up a PXElinux menu first and then
redirects to WDS if no other option is chosen. WDS is only used to serve a
customized WinPE image which then loads an HTA based menu. From there we choose
what image to load on the device.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">When
we are at around 100 machines imaging concurrently, it takes significantly
longer to pull down the WinPE image. Once that is done, Imaging the machine
with a Ghost, WIM, or Altitis image is not nearly as affected. We suspect that
the problem lies with using TFTP to pull down the WinPE image.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">So
when I found gPXE and its ability to use other protocols such as HTTP, I was
very excited. I immediately setup a test server to try it out. I ran into few
problems setting it all up and we began testing with live images.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">What
we discovered is that for about 80% of the various models we tested, everything
worked as expected. But for the other 20%, various issues would arise. One
model may not PXE boot at all, another may start to PXE boot but then give some
cryptic error, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">A
few specific issues that I wrote down are:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">HP
8000 Elite Desktop – using gPXE, boots from WinPE 2.1 but not from WinPE
3.0 (very strange issue)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">HP
ProBook 6440b – using gPXE, when you choose to return control to WDS from
PXElinux, will not boot from WDS<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">We
mainly image HP and Dell machines. Current models only, not trying to image old
machines.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Because
of this, we can’t implement gPXE as a production solution.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">I
know that gPXE is relatively new and is constantly being worked on. I am just wondering
if there is anything I can do to help with resolving the issues we are seeing.
When gPXE does work, it loads the PE image significantly faster than when using
TFTP.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Jeff<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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