Bart van den Oetelaar
2009-Feb-25 19:46 UTC
[syslinux] [gpxelinux] How to use sanboot.c32 to attach a iscsi lun and then boot from CD
Hi, I've been trying a couple of day now, but I can't seem to figure it out. On www.etherboot.org, I found the example of configuring gPXE so that it mounts an iSCSI lun and then boot from CDROM so you are able to install on the LUN. But if I use gpxelinux.0 (latest release 3.73), with sanboot.c32 like this: label sanboot2008srv menu label ^[iscsi] Windows server 2008 kernel sanboot.c32 append iscsi:server.name::::iqn.2009-02.name.server:LUNNAME Then I seen that the LUN get's attached: Registered as BIOS drive 0x80 Booting from BIOS drive 0x89 Boot failed Preserving connection to SAN disk Could not boot from iscsi:server.name::::iqn.2009-02.name.server:LUNNAME: Operation cancelled (0x0b8080a0) SAN boot failed. boot: And then i am getting sent back to my pxelinux config menu... If i then try to boot of the local disk, gPXE closes, says no more network locations to boot from, then the PXE exits, and then the machine crashes and reboots. (I wanted to test this so I use VMware workstation and VMware Server 2.0, but neither work...) Is this scenario valid what I'm trying to do? Is it possible to boot from CD after gPXE? I'd like to get this working, it really seems like a great combination! Kind regards, -Bart
Michael Brown
2009-Feb-25 21:23 UTC
[syslinux] [gpxelinux] How to use sanboot.c32 to attach a iscsi lun and then boot from CD
On Wednesday 25 February 2009 19:46:26 Bart van den Oetelaar wrote:> I've been trying a couple of day now, but I can't seem to figure it out. > On www.etherboot.org, I found the example of configuring gPXE so that > it mounts an iSCSI lun and then boot from CDROM so you are able to > install on the LUN. But if I use gpxelinux.0 (latest release 3.73), > with sanboot.c32 like this: > > <snip> > > Is this scenario valid what I'm trying to do? Is it possible to boot > from CD after gPXE?Booting from CD after gPXE is definitely possible. Booting from CD after gpxelinux.0 and sanboot.c32, I have no idea about. Michael
Michael Reichenbach
2009-Feb-25 22:54 UTC
[syslinux] [gpxelinux] How to use sanboot.c32 to attach a iscsi lun and then boot from CD
Bart van den Oetelaar schrieb:> Is this scenario valid what I'm trying to do? Is it possible to boot > from CD after gPXE?syslinux or pxelinux has not the ability to chainboot cd after BIOS (or gpxe) has booted harddisk or lan. No idea about iSCSI and how mounting has harddisk will work. It provides a BIOS service? Does it provide a faked controller (I doubt it)? However... Sometime ago I looked into gpxe, it's a open source firmeware to replace proprietary/buggy boot rom's. You can use it to boot from pxe (LAN). You can use gpxe to boot grub4dos, see http://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/pxe.htm>From grub4dos you have the ability to boot CD-ROM, seehttp://diddy.boot-land.net/grub4dos/files/boot.htm#cd As long you are in real mode everything should be fine, but it's up to the operating system to arrange with the network. For example gpxe + grub4dos + floppy/iso image with freedos and netbootdisk.com over lan booting works great. As long you are in real mode everything is fine, but in other modes you are on your own. regards, -mr
Bart van den Oetelaar
2009-Feb-26 08:20 UTC
[syslinux] [gpxelinux] How to use sanboot.c32 to attach a iscsi lun and then boot from CD
> I've been trying a couple of day now, but I can't seem to figure it out. > On www.etherboot.org, I found the example of configuring gPXE so that > it mounts an iSCSI lun and then boot from CDROM so you are able to > install on the LUN. But if I use gpxelinux.0 (latest release 3.73), > with sanboot.c32 like this: > > <snip> > > Is this scenario valid what I'm trying to do? Is it possible to boot > from CD after gPXE?Booting from CD after gPXE is definitely possible. Booting from CD after gpxelinux.0 and sanboot.c32, I have no idea about. Michael Booting from CD after gPXE is definitely possible. Booting from CD after gpxelinux.0 and sanboot.c32, I have no idea about. Michael> I'm now going to try and copy a vmware-disk to a san disk. Maybe that > works, but installing a OS on a SAN disk that way takes far more time, > so if it would be possible to get the 'direct to san' installation > (talking about server 2008 as the OS) to work would be great.Direct to SAN installation *does* work with gPXE. The procedure is documented at http://etherboot.org/wiki/sanboot/win2k8_iscsi_install and I have personally tested it (and created the documentation). Michael> I've just finished copying the vmwaredisk to the SAN-disk using dd (as > documented on the etherboot wiki), it seems to boot, however, it's > taking a very long time.. (Loading screen of 2008 server keeps on going) > Wait, oh crap, a BSOD, maybe I'm still missing some driver or so... I'l > investigate that now..If your VM is set up to use a completely flat disk file (i.e. preallocated space, not split at 2GB boundaries), then the .vmdk file is already a valid disk image that can just be exposed via iSCSI. Might make things faster for your testing. Michael These are the missing messages for the maillist.
Michael Brown
2009-Feb-26 18:28 UTC
[syslinux] [gpxelinux] How to use sanboot.c32 to attach a iscsi lun and then boot from CD
On Thursday 26 February 2009 17:32:33 Kevin Landreth wrote:> So once the patch is in gPXE, it would look something like this? > > label sanbootex01 > MENU LABEL [^iscsi] Boot from SAN > kernel gpxe.lkrn > > append root-path=iscsi:192.168.0.1: > :::iqn.2006-09.com.example.myhost:storageMore likely to be label sanbootex01 menu label [^iscsi] Boot from SAN kernel gpxe.lkrn append sanboot iscsi:192.168.0.1::::iqn.2006-09.com.example.myhost:storage It will also need to be possible to somehow specify "keeppxe" so that pxelinux leaves the PXE stack intact, but without causing "keeppxe" to show up in the command line for gpxe.lkrn. Michael