Deployment Solution
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Setting Up the Altiris PXE Server
PXE Request Routing
PXE clients use broadcast packets to find DHCP and PXE services on a network, and
multicast packets (MTFTP) to transfer files. These packet types can present challenges
when planning a PXE deployment because most default router configurations do not
forward broadcast and multicast traffic.
Because of this, either your routers need to be configured to forward these broadcast
and multicast packets to the correct server (or servers), or you need to install an Altiris
PXE Server on each subnet.
Routers generally forward broadcast traffic to specific computers. The source subnet
experiences the broadcast, but any forwarded broadcast traffic targets specific
computers.
Enabling a router to support DHCP is common. If both PXE and DHCP services are
located on the same computer, and DHCP packet forwarding is enabled, you shouldn’t
have any problem transferring broadcast packets.
If these services are located on different computers, additional configuration might be
required.
If you are going to forward packets, ensure your router configuration lets DHCP traffic to
access the proper ports and IP addresses for both DHCP and Altiris PXE servers.
Once the broadcast issues are resolved, the routing of multicast traffic must be
considered. Multicasting leverages significant efficiencies in transferring files but also
introduces challenges similar to broadcast packet forwarding. Like the broadcasting
solution, routers can be configured to support multicast traffic between PXE Clients and
Altiris PXE Servers.
Please consult the documentation provided by your router vendor for additional
information on packet forwarding.
Installing Altiris PXE Servers
After you have determined the PXE needs of your network, you must to determine
where to install these Altiris PXE Servers.
An Altiris PXE Server can be installed on your Deployment Server, on your DHCP server,
on another server in your network (such as a file server), or as a standalone server. You
can also use a combination of these (example: an Altiris PXE Server on your Deployment
Server and your DHCP server).
The actual installation process is straightforward. You can install an Altiris PXE Server at
the same time as you install Deployment Solution, or you can install one later by
running the installation program and selecting the add additional components option.
After these servers are installed an running, they are configured using the PXE
Configuration Utility. See the following section.
Configuring PXE Settings
All PXE configuration is done using the PXE Configuration Utility. The PXE config utility is
used to create and modify two things:
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Global and local configuration settings. These settings include timeout values,
replication and logging options, and so on.