I am working on setting up a global boot server that serves up files across the WAN. I am running into a 5 minute timer that is rebooting my hosts before they can complete the kernel and initrd file download. The servers in questions are HP DL60s, and they use UEFI. I am using syslinux.efi version 6.03. They get the kernel file from the TFTP server in about 2 ? minutes, then get 2 ? more minutes into the download of the initrd file when the host reboots and starts over. I see there is a 300 second timeout in pxelinux, but not sure if that applies to syslinux.efi as well. Is there anything I can do from DHCP or the config file that will change that timeout so my downloads can complete? Or is there a way to have syslinux.efi use something other than TFTP to get the kernel/initrd files (FTP, HTTP, etc)? TFTP is inherently slow across the WAN since every packet has to be acknowledge before the next one can be sent. Thanks, Matt -- Matt Bateman Sr. Network Architect XO Communications 503-972-6835
>>>I am working on setting up a global boot server that serves up files across the WAN. I am running into a 5 minute timer that is rebooting my hosts before they can complete the kernel and initrd file download. The servers in questions are HP DL60s, and they use UEFI. I am using syslinux.efi version 6.03. They get the kernel file from the TFTP server in about 2 ? minutes, then get 2 ? more minutes into the download of the initrd file when the host reboots and starts over. I see there is a 300 second timeout in pxelinux, but not sure if that applies to syslinux.efi as well. Is there anything I can do from DHCP or the config file that will change that timeout so my downloads can complete? Or is there a way to have syslinux.efi use something other than TFTP to get the kernel/initrd files (FTP, HTTP, etc)? TFTP is inherently slow across the WAN since every packet has to be acknowledge before the next one can be sent. Thanks, Matt -- Matt Bateman Sr. Network Architect XO Communications 503-972-6835 <<< TFTP traffic over a WAN is never a good idea. You could set lpxelinux.0/syslinux.efi to download the kernel/initrd set by HTTP (from my experience this option is not as reliable as using TFTP with current 6.03 binaries) but your PXE clients will still need to transfer lpxelinux.0 or syslinux.efi by TFTP. On WAN scenarios is always better to locally PXE boot bootmanager/kernel/initrd and next download the rest of components by i.e. HTTP from wherever. Microsoft on their SCCM uses a "similar" strategy with their local DPs (Distribution Points) Best, Patrick
2016-01-15 22:23 UTC+01:00, Bateman, Matt via Syslinux <syslinux at zytor.com>:> I am working on setting up a global boot server that serves up files across > the WAN. I am running into a 5 minute timer that is rebooting my hosts > before they can complete the kernel and initrd file download. > > The servers in questions are HP DL60s, and they use UEFI. I am using > syslinux.efi version 6.03. They get the kernel file from the TFTP server in > about 2 ? minutes, then get 2 ? more minutes into the download of the initrd > file when the host reboots and starts over. > > I see there is a 300 second timeout in pxelinux, but not sure if that > applies to syslinux.efi as well. > > Is there anything I can do from DHCP or the config file that will change > that timeout so my downloads can complete? Or is there a way to have > syslinux.efi use something other than TFTP to get the kernel/initrd files > (FTP, HTTP, etc)? TFTP is inherently slow across the WAN since every packet > has to be acknowledge before the next one can be sent. > > Thanks, > Matt >Note that there have been several bugs fixed since 6.03 regarding network support on UEFI. I'm actually surprised you can get to download anything. Note also there's currently no DNS support for UEFI yet. AFAIK, you can currently only download files from the boot server. Best regards, Celelibi
On Sat, Jan 16, 2016 at 8:49 AM, Celelibi via Syslinux <syslinux at zytor.com> wrote:> 2016-01-15 22:23 UTC+01:00, Bateman, Matt via Syslinux <syslinux at zytor.com>: >> I am working on setting up a global boot server that serves up files across >> the WAN. I am running into a 5 minute timer that is rebooting my hosts >> before they can complete the kernel and initrd file download. >> >> The servers in questions are HP DL60s, and they use UEFI. I am using >> syslinux.efi version 6.03. They get the kernel file from the TFTP server in >> about 2 ? minutes, then get 2 ? more minutes into the download of the initrd >> file when the host reboots and starts over. >> >> I see there is a 300 second timeout in pxelinux, but not sure if that >> applies to syslinux.efi as well. >> >> Is there anything I can do from DHCP or the config file that will change >> that timeout so my downloads can complete? Or is there a way to have >> syslinux.efi use something other than TFTP to get the kernel/initrd files >> (FTP, HTTP, etc)? TFTP is inherently slow across the WAN since every packet >> has to be acknowledge before the next one can be sent. >> >> Thanks, >> Matt >> > > Note that there have been several bugs fixed since 6.03 regarding > network support on UEFI. I'm actually surprised you can get to > download anything. > > Note also there's currently no DNS support for UEFI yet. AFAIK, you > can currently only download files from the boot server.Direct addressing of IPv4 should just work, even if targeting other servers. -- -Gene
> Is there anything I can do from DHCP or the config file that will > change that timeout so my downloads can complete? Or is there a way > to have syslinux.efi use something other than TFTP to get the > kernel/initrd files (FTP, HTTP, etc)? TFTP is inherently slow across > the WAN since every packet has to be acknowledge before the next one > can be sent. >Have you tried using "http" features / syntax? Basic syntax (example): LABEL linux-http LINUX http://boot-server/boot/mykernel APPEND initrd=http://boot-server/boot/myinitrd Additional filename's syntax might be applicable (see the official PXELINUX wiki). Regards, Ady.
On Fri, Jan 15, 2016 at 09:23:44PM +0000, Bateman, Matt via Syslinux wrote:> I am working on setting up a global boot server that serves up files > across the WAN. I am running into a 5 minute timer that is rebooting > my hosts before they can complete the kernel and initrd file download. > > The servers in questions are HP DL60s, and they use UEFI. I am using > syslinux.efi version 6.03. They get the kernel file from the TFTP server > in about 2 ? minutes, then get 2 ? more minutes into the download of > the initrd file when the host reboots and starts over. > > I see there is a 300 second timeout in pxelinux, but not sure if that > applies to syslinux.efi as well. > > Is there anything I can do from DHCP or the config file that will change > that timeout so my downloads can complete? Or is there a way to have > syslinux.efi use something other than TFTP to get the kernel/initrd > files (FTP, HTTP, etc)? TFTP is inherently slow across the WAN since > every packet has to be acknowledge before the next one can be sent. >DHCP 211 is "pxelinux.reboottime". See http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/PXELINUX#DHCP_options for further information. And karma bonus points for reporting your milage. Groeten Geert Stappers -- Leven en laten leven ------------- volgend deel ------------ Een niet-tekst bijlage is gescrubt... Naam: signature.asc Type: application/pgp-signature Grootte: 836 bytes Omschrijving: Digital signature URL : <http://www.zytor.com/pipermail/syslinux/attachments/20160116/95bb5430/attachment.sig>
I ended up switching to iPXE and got it working. Thank you to all who responded. Matt Sent from my iPhone> On Jan 16, 2016, at 9:51 AM, Geert Stappers via Syslinux <syslinux at zytor.com> wrote: > >> On Fri, Jan 15, 2016 at 09:23:44PM +0000, Bateman, Matt via Syslinux wrote: >> I am working on setting up a global boot server that serves up files >> across the WAN. I am running into a 5 minute timer that is rebooting >> my hosts before they can complete the kernel and initrd file download. >> >> The servers in questions are HP DL60s, and they use UEFI. I am using >> syslinux.efi version 6.03. They get the kernel file from the TFTP server >> in about 2 ? minutes, then get 2 ? more minutes into the download of >> the initrd file when the host reboots and starts over. >> >> I see there is a 300 second timeout in pxelinux, but not sure if that >> applies to syslinux.efi as well. >> >> Is there anything I can do from DHCP or the config file that will change >> that timeout so my downloads can complete? Or is there a way to have >> syslinux.efi use something other than TFTP to get the kernel/initrd >> files (FTP, HTTP, etc)? TFTP is inherently slow across the WAN since >> every packet has to be acknowledge before the next one can be sent. > > DHCP 211 is "pxelinux.reboottime". > > See http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/PXELINUX#DHCP_options for > further information. > > And karma bonus points for reporting your milage. > > > Groeten > Geert Stappers > -- > Leven en laten leven > _______________________________________________ > Syslinux mailing list > Submissions to Syslinux at zytor.com > Unsubscribe or set options at: > http://www.zytor.com/mailman/listinfo/syslinux