PXE automated installation of ESXi 5.x using Gpxelinux under Windows

Use Gpxelinux for the PXE automated installation of ESXi 5.x under Windows. Many of the tutorials on the web are using Linux as a PXE server, which is really a headache for kids who aren't familiar with Linux, like me. So I collected data and tried to build a PXE server under Windows and use it to batch install ESXi 5.x.

The first self-summary is the process by which the server uses PXE boot. 1. After the ESXi server starts PXE, it first gets the IP address, gateway, DNS server, TFTP server address, specified pxelinux.0, or gpxelinux.0 file location from the DHCP server. 2. Download the pxelinux.0 or gpxelinux.0 file and the PXE configuration file to request the TFTP server address from DHCP. 3, according to the configuration file found the appropriate installation source and loaded into memory to start the installation.

The next step is to actually do several things:

Step 1: Prepare for work. Windows7 computer One, need software Filezilla_server, TFTPD32 (the article finally provides download link). The gpxelinux.0 file in the syslinux-3.86 software package (https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/boot/syslinux/3.xx/).

Step 2: Configure TFTP and DHCP server with Tftpd32 My Computer IP is 10.132.253.246. I created a new folder called "PXE" on the local computer's F-drive and used it as the TFTP root directory, copying the gpxelinux.0 files in the syslinux-3.86 package and the MENU.C32 files in the ESXi image to the root directory. Final configuration 1. The DHCP server configures the address pool and additional options (gateway, DNS, TFTP server (must not leak)), final configuration 2.

Figure 1-TFTP Server Configuration

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Figure 2-DHCP Server Configuration

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Step 3: Use Filezilla_server to build FTP server, specific tutorial online Baidu. Finally, it is also the "PXE" folder that sets the root directory to the F drive. Under this folder, create a new folder named "ESXi" to extract the ESXi installation image files to the folder.

Step 4: Configuration file preparation. Create a new folder named "Pxelinux.cfg" in the root directory and add the "Isolinux" in the ESXi image file. CFG file to the folder and rename the file to "default" as the PXE profile, changing the file contents to 3. Modify the "BOOT" under the ESXi directory. CFG "File contents to 4, replace"/"in the original file with" Ftp://10.132.253.246/esxi ", and set the kernelopt parameter to specify the location of the Automation configuration script.

Figure 3-PXE Configuration file contents

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Figure 4-boot.cfg File

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Step 5: Create a new "ks.cfg" folder in the root directory and save the Automation configuration script "Ks.cfg" file. The script is available for download at the end of the article and can be used by the user as required.

Step 6: Open ESXi, take a break and install.

Required software download Link: Http://pan.baidu.com/s/1ntFq2KT. If you have any questions, please contact me.

This article is from the "Lieven_lin" blog, make sure to keep this source http://lieven.blog.51cto.com/8328610/1622017

PXE automated installation of ESXi 5.x using Gpxelinux under Windows