Software Requirements

This is the list of software that we need to boot Windows with AoE.

- vBlade AoE Target System
- WinPCAP
- WinAoE Driver
- TFTP Server
- DHCP Server
- ipxe.iso
- CCBoot Client
- VirtualBox
- Notepad++
- grub4dos
- Windows DVD in ISO format

All softwares in one file here: windows-diskless-packages.msi

Preparing a Real PC Lan Booting

To boot a real PC you should need to Convert a Windows installation to a .vhd, .vmdk or .img file, but in some cases you can use the VirtualBox Windows installtion to boot real machines ! So maybe you dont need to Convert.

The cases are if the NIC Card is recognized by operating system Windows XP/7/8 by default. Verify your onboard NIC and mark if that exists on default Windows drivers list. The CCBoot(r) Client have a PNP tool that list and collect the NIC Drivers from Windows system and put this nic drivers available to diskless boot.

See the CCBootPnP:

Click in the 3 buttons to apply the Drivers… Now procedd to try boot your .vhd or .vmdk file from Diskless Server.

If Windows loading freeze,

you need to Convert a real Installation, try this procedure:

Installing WinAoE Driver on Machine
Installing CCBoot Client
Converting the phisicall disk to a Virtual Disk (clone)

Converting the Real PC with Windows installed ( apply to xp, 7, 8, etc…)

On PC Windows Station:

Task 1 – Download HDClone http://www.miray.de/products/sat.hdclone.html and install.

Task 2 – Download AoE Initiator http://www.starwindsoftware.com/aoe-ataoverethernet-initiator and install.

On Diskless Server:

Task 3 – Create a virtual disk with a required Windows size (that can support the actual partition size of your current Windows Station). You can use the graphical VirtualBox Manage to create .VHD Files, or use the ‘VBoxManage.exe’ tool.

If you running in a Windows Server with VirtualBox installed, you will have theVBoxManage.exe command:

example creating 25 Gb of disk:

On Windows:

On Linux Distro (version 0.0.15+):

Task 4 – on server export as a AoE target with vblade (Windows Server or Linux Distro method).

On PC Windows Station:

Task 5 - Use AoE Initiator from StartWind to connect to the exported aoe disk by Diskless Server, with ”Automount the device” option unmarked.

Vblade tool from Windows Diskless Server exporting a disk:

The disk wil be connected:

Task 6 - Use HDClone — Clone hdd physical to virtual attached disk by AoE Initiator.

Task 7 – Validate the Conversion ( cloned ), initialize/activate the disk on ‘Disk Managment’ on ‘Computer Manager’, after Windows recognize the disk, view the disk by Windows Explorer.

Task 8 - Remove the physical HDD from PC Station and try to Boot From Diskless Server;

Editing with notepad++ the menu file ‘menu.lst’ of TFTP Root

Now its time to configure the Boot Menu of your Diskless Solution.

We already copy the necessary files to TFTP Root folder ( grldr, the new ipxe.iso and menu.lst) . Open with Notepad++ the file ‘menu.lst‘.

Erase all the contents, copy and paste this code block above:

title === MENU BOOTS ===
()
title
()

title Windows 7 Diskless
map --mem (pd)/ipxe.iso (0xff)
map --hook
chainloader (0xff)

Now start, DHCP Server and TFTP Server and test the system with VirtualBox with a machine without disks.

of course Boot from LAN:

Your menu will open:

Press <ENTER> and see the magic !

Select the respective option and go, your Windows Diskless will be booted.

Thats all ! Cya

To prepare a Real PC , go to Step 9

Rebuilding the file ipxe.iso with UltraISO

Now its time to create the POINTER to the AoE Target to automaticaly boot.

* – watch in HD on Youtube.

We are using the ipxe.iso with a little additions to do this.

You will need download the ipxe.iso, UltraISO and Notepad++ Software to complete this task.

Task 1 – On UltraISO open the file ipxe.iso

Drag the file ISOLINUX.CFG to outside UltraISO window and edit this file with notepad++, put the last line with ‘INITRD conf.ipxe‘, save and drag the file again into UltraISO. Overwrite YES.

# These default options can be changed in the geniso script
SAY iPXE ISO boot image
TIMEOUT 30
DEFAULT ipxe.lkrn
LABEL ipxe.lkrn
 KERNEL ipxe.krn
 INITRD conf.ipxe

Task 2 – With Notepad++ create the file ’conf.ipxe‘ with content:

#!ipxe
dhcp net0
set keep-san 1
sanboot aoe:e0.0

Important ! Save the file conf.ipxe with notepad++, and drag the file backing into UltraISO.

Your UltraISO looks like this:

Task 3 – Save another ISO

On UltraISO menu, go to ‘Save as’ and save ipxe.iso into your TFTP Root folder.

Now you have a ipxe.iso with aoe target address (ex. e0.0) to boot.

Its time to create a PXE Menu to boot your new ipxe.iso !

Proceed to the Step 8

Installing and Configuring vBlade Target System

Now its time to install the Target AoE Server, we will use the vBlade ported to Windows to start.

* – Watch in HD on Youtube

With this software we will export a aoe target (like e0.0) with the virtual disk file ( .VHD or .VMDK ) from the prepared Windows 7 that we installed on Virtual Box.

Important: To vblade work properly on your Server you should have WinPCAP installed already.

After download the installer…

Task 1 – Install:

Configuring

Task 1- Open the icon ‘Run vBlade’ on Program Group

Task 2 - on cmd window export your new .VHD or .VMDK Windows Virtual Machine to AoE Target !

Type:

First find the Device Name of your Network Card with bogus caracters (xxx).

c:\vblade.exe -b 65 0 0 xxx "d:\path_to_you_vhd\windows.vhd"

after copy and paste the \Device\{value}

c:\Program Files (x86)\vBlade\vblade.exe -b 65 0 0 "\Device\{value}" "d:\path_to_you_vhd\windows.vhd"

*- where \Device\{value} of your NIC !

Your target is e0.0 ( shelf 0 slot 0 , you can export many .vhd or .vmdk files to many diskless workstations )

ok, now you have your Target UP !

Tip: Control your vBlade’s Session with a nice Interface

Note: Make sure your Windows Firewall are disabled and your Anti-Virus Protection will not block the connections.

Continue to Step 7

Instaling a virtual machine in VirtualBox with WinAoE driver and CCBoot Client

Now we gonna change the focus, to prepare a Virtual Machine with VirtualBox to test our enviroment while we configuring the the Diskless Server.

* – Watch in HD on Youtube

- So, first Install VirtualBox, and create a VirtualMachine to Install one Windows. We gonna choose now the Windows 7 ok ?

Task 1 – Install Windows 7 VirtualMachine.

You should have the .ISO DVD from your Windows to install with Virtual Box.

Specifications for Virtual Machine: Standard, 1 or 512 mb memory, Disk 25 gb, etc.

Note: Create the disk with .VHD or .VMDK format with fixed size !

- Install WinAoE Driver

Task 1 - To driver be loaded we should disable the Integrity checks for sign certification of drivers. ( Note: Windows XP not need to use this two commands, the driver will install clearly, proceed… Task 3 )

In Windows open a cmd ( command prompt ) and type

C:\>bcdedit  -set  TESTSIGNING ON

C:\>bcdedit -set loadoptions DDISABLE_INTEGRITY_CHECKS

Task 2 - reboot Windows ( mandatory )

Task 3 - Download the driver here, because this version is self signed : winaoe.zip

Task 4 - Uncompress file into a folder

Task 5 - Go to Start Button -> Run –> type ‘hdwwiz.cpl’

Task 6 - Install driver fwith type Storage Adapter from aoe.inf

Task 7 – reboot Windows

Task 8 - Open ‘Device Manager and see is the AoE Driver is correctly runnig

Open a cmd ( command prompt ) and type command ‘aoe’ , type command ‘aoe scan’, the result must be ‘No AoE targets found’, your AoE Driver is working !

- Install CCBoot Client

After install Windows, you should download the CCBoot Client ,install it and Run It to complete the installation on Virtual Machine with this settings. ( no mark options ).

Task 1- Click on “Install CCBoot Client” button to finish. Power off the Virtual Machine.

Task 2 - Shutdown the Virtual Machine.

Proceed on How-To to Step 6

Putting the necessary files of grub4dos on TFTP Root folder

After download the grub4dos package from the project website. Open it and extract the files grldr and menu.lst and put on your tftp-root folder.

* – watch video in HD.

Task 1 – Extract two files

Task 2 – Your tftp-root folder should be like this, with this two files (+ ipxe.iso will see later):

Proceed on the How-to to the next Step 5

Instaling and configuring TFTP Server on Server

Choose your TFTP Server from the suggestions.

Im using a TFTP Server from SolarWinds, its completly freeware and works fine. To explain configuration im using this package. But as you know, you can done with other.