Re: Running a PXE server without full DHCP

Hello,

It isn't impossible to add some configuration to the main DHCP
server and have it point to my TFTP server, and we may have
to go that way unless we adopt a commerical PXE server product.

I'm just surprised to learn there is no open source equivalent
of DHCP proxy server.

We were seeking a fit that matches the current delegation of roles in our IT
group.  The guy who maintains DHCP service (Unix sysadmin)
is different than the guy who has maintained the current Windows
based PXE Server (Windows and networking sysadmin).  The goal
is to keep them untangled if possible.

It isn't really any stranger than running httpd on one machine and
running ftpd on another.  A person could say one machine should
handle both jobs, but there are good reasons to split it up.

In any case, thanks for the help.  And yes, I think people are
about to learn how cool PXES is.  Except for the brief appearance
of the penguin and "Welcome to PXES", there is little hint
what is happening until they find a nice full screen 24 bit
color Windows Server 2003 login screen.

Our interest in this is to investigate a possible way the students
could connect to a standard Windows environment for writing
online exams.  At a University where everyone has a laptop with
build-in wireless and there are no computer labs, this is
probably the best solution.

--Donald Teed


On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 19:52:02 -0300, Diego Torres Milano
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Thu, 2004-10-28 at 17:51, C. Falconer wrote:
> > Seems weird - you want to have the equivelant of a second DHCP server
> > sending out options but still using a central DHCP server for the real work?
> >
> > If you can possibly get the main DHCP server to have some extra options then
> > you're set, AND it will be easier to maintain.
> >
> > If you can't do anything with the main DHCP server, then it might be easier
> > to firewall your pxe clients and deal with the DHCP more locally, that way
> > its under your control, not central management.
> Perhaps you don't even need to firewall or block the DHCP request
> because if the response doesn't have the required options to boot this
> response is ignored by PXE clients.
> On the other hand, if you only respond to a specific PXE MAC address you
> will not interfere with the central DHCP.
> >
> > Those extra options like "next-server" and "option-135" are totally ignored
> > by other dhcp clients, so it won't interfere with them in the slightest.
> >
> > In short - Keep It Simple.
> >
> > ..... Or demonstrate PXEs to the people who run the DHCP server, show them
> > how cool it is :)))
> 
> 
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: [email protected]
> > [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Donald Teed
> > Sent: Friday, 29 October 2004 1:46 a.m.
> > To: [email protected]
> > Subject: [pxes-devel] Running a PXE server without full DHCP
> >
> >
> > It was suggested I follow up my question here rather than on the forums.
> >
> > I've since learned that the term for the thing I'd like to have is a "DHCP
> > Proxy Server".  Novell Zenworks, Solaris and IBM's AIX offer it, as well as
> > StorageSoft's PXE Server on Windows (no longer maintained and seems limited
> > to floppy).
> >
> > A DHCP Proxy Server can respond to DHCP BOOTP requests without providing the
> > IP address - it relies on the other main DHCP server to do that.
> >
> > In our case, at a University, we run a secure DHCP server which is fed a
> > list of valid MACs that are allowed on our network.  Rather than duplicate
> > the effort of that configuration on a PXE boot server, we'd rather have it
> > function as a DHCP Proxy.  It would respond to BOOTP requests, send the
> > "next-server" information to point to the TFTP server. The main DHCP server
> > would remain responsible for controlling IP assignment (or whether to not
> > assign an IP if it is not an authorized client machine).
> >
> > I'm also aware of Bootpd, but it doesn't offer support for allowing a named
> > DHCP server to provide the IP.
> >
> > I have been searching for a way to make ISC DHCP offer the limited proxy
> > function, or locate an open source DHCP Proxy server, but I don't see one
> > available as yet.
> >
> >
> > 
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> 
> 
>


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