iPXE: iSCSI for Microsoft Windows

Prepare environment to install and boot from iSCSI target

1. Syslinux 3.86 is the last known working version that may work with gpxe/ipxe.  Prepare a TFTP boot folder as following:
   

   # tree
   .
   ├── pxelinux.cfg
   │   └── default
   ├── syslinux -> syslinux.386
   ├── syslinux.386
   │   ├── advdump.c32
   │   ├── c32echo.c32
   │   ├── cat.c32
   │   ├── chain.c32
   │   ├── cmd.c32
   │   ├── comecho.com
   │   ├── complex.c32
   │   ├── config.c32
   │   ├── copybs.com
   │   ├── cpuid.c32
   │   ├── cpuidtest.c32
   │   ├── disk.c32
   │   ├── display.c32
   │   ├── dmitest.c32
   │   ├── elf.c32
   │   ├── entrydump.c32
   │   ├── ethersel.c32
   │   ├── fancyhello.c32
   │   ├── fd.c32
   │   ├── filetest.c32
   │   ├── gfxboot.c32
   │   ├── gfxboot.com
   │   ├── gpxecmd.c32
   │   ├── gpxelinux.0
   │   ├── hdt.c32
   │   ├── hello2.c32
   │   ├── hello.c32
   │   ├── ifcpu64.c32
   │   ├── ifcpu.c32
   │   ├── int18.com
   │   ├── kbdmap.c32
   │   ├── keytest.c32
   │   ├── linux.c32
   │   ├── localboot.c32
   │   ├── mboot.c32
   │   ├── mdiskchk.com
   │   ├── memdump.com
   │   ├── meminfo.c32
   │   ├── menu.c32
   │   ├── pcitest.c32
   │   ├── pmload.c32
   │   ├── poweroff.com
   │   ├── pxechain.com
   │   ├── pxelinux.0
   │   ├── reboot.c32
   │   ├── resolv.c32
   │   ├── rosh.c32
   │   ├── sanboot.c32
   │   ├── sdi.c32
   │   ├── serialinfo.c32
   │   ├── simple.c32
   │   ├── sysdump.c32
   │   ├── syslinux.com
   │   ├── test2.c32
   │   ├── test.c32
   │   ├── vesainfo.c32
   │   ├── vesamenu.c32
   │   └── vpdtest.c32
   ├── undionly.0 -> undionly.kpxe
   ├── undionly.kpxe
   └── windows.pe
       ├── BCD
       ├── bootmgr.exe
       ├── boot.sdi
       ├── fonts
       │   ├── chs_boot.ttf
       │   ├── cht_boot.ttf
       │   ├── jpn_boot.ttf
       │   ├── kor_boot.ttf
       │   └── wgl4_boot.ttf
       ├── pxeboot.0 -> pxeboot.n12
       ├── pxeboot.n12
       ├── vista_x64.wim
       ├── vista_x86.wim
       ├── win7_x64.wim
       └── win7_x86.wim

2. Update /etc/dhcp/dhcpd.conf to use gpxelinux.0
   

   filename "gpxelinux.0";

3. Restart dhcpd service
   

   # service dhcpd restart
   Shutting down dhcpd:                                       [  OK  ]
   Starting dhcpd:                                            [  OK  ]

4. Update pxelinux.cfg/default:
   

   LABEL boot_san
           menu label Boot ^Storage Area Network
           menu indent 5
           com32 syslinux/gpxecmd.c32
           append chain tftp://boot.example.com/sanboot.gpxe
   
   label undionly
           menu label Boot iPXE UNDI
           menu indent 5
           kernel undionly.0

5. Create a sanboot.gpxe script file:
   

   # cat sanboot.gpxe
   #!gpxe
   
   login
   chain tftp://boot.example.com/syslinux/menu.c32 http://${username}:${password}@boot.example.com/~${username}/menu.cfg

6. A sample menu.cfg file:
   

   UI syslinux/vesamenu.c32
   
   LABEL Windows 7 x64
           com32 cmd.c32
           append sanboot iscsi:nas.example.com::::iqn.example.com:win7-x64
   
   LABEL Windows 8 x64
           com32 cmd.c32
           append sanboot iscsi:nas.example.com::::iqn.example.com:win8-x64

Install Windows 7 on iSCSI target

1. Boot machine into iPXE kernel (Boot iPXE UNDI or undionly.0)
2. Press Ctrl-B to start iPXE command line
   
3. Obtain an IP address from dhcp
   

   iPXE> dhcp net0

4. Preserve SAN device
   

   iPXE> set keep-san 1

5. Supply chap information if necessary:
   

   iPXE> login

6. Initialize iSCSI target:
   

   iPXE> sanboot iscsi:nas.example.com::::iqn.2011-03.example.com:my-iscsi
   Registered SAN device 0x80
   Booting from SAN device 0x80
   Boot from SAN device 0x80 failed: Operation canceled (http://ipxe.org/0x8080a0)
   Preserving SAN device 0x80
   

7. Chain boot to Windows PE:

   iPXE> chain tftp://boot.example.com/windows.pe/pxeboot.0
8. Or chain boot to Windows PE ISO:

iPXE> kernel syslinux/memdisk iso
iPXE> initrd http://<ip-address>/winpe7_x64.iso
iPXE> boot

9. Once boot into Windows PE, you may use the iSCSI target just like your local storage.  You may install a Windows OS into the iSCSI target directly.

Boot from iSCSI target using iPXE

1. Boot machine into iPXE kernel
2. Press Ctrl-B to start iPXE command line

3. Obtain an IP address from DHCP

   iPXE> dhcp net0

4. Supply chap information if necessary:

   iPXE> login

5. Boot from iSCSI target:

   iPXE> sanboot iscsi:nas.example.com::::iqn.2011-03.example.com:my-iscsi

Boot from iSCSI using PXE using HTTP

1. Boot from PXE
2. Use the pxe menu configuration to boot iSCSI target introduced in section “Prepare environment to install and boot from iSCSI target”

Reference

1. User-specific boot menus. URL: http://etherboot.org/wiki/appnotes/authmenus
2. Installing Windows Server 2008 to an iSCSI target. URL: http://etherboot.org/wiki/sanboot/win2k8_iscsi_install