x86: PXE Network Boot

PXE network boot is a “direct” network boot. No boot media is required on the client system. PXE network boot is available only for devices that implement the Intel Preboot Execution Environment specification. To determine if your system supports PXE network boot, see your hardware manufacturer's documentation.

The Solaris boot diskette is still available for systems that do not support this feature. You can get the boot diskette image from http://soldc.sun.com/support/drivers/dca_diskettes.

Enable PXE network boot on the client system by using the BIOS setup program in the system BIOS, the network adapter BIOS, or both. On some systems you must also adjust the boot device priority list so that network boot is attempted before booting from other devices. See the manufacturer's documentation for each setup program, or watch for setup program entry instructions during boot.

Some PXE-capable network adapters have a feature that enables PXE boot if you type a particular keystroke in response to a brief boot-time prompt. This is ideal when using PXE for an install boot on a system that normally boots from the disk drive because you do not have to modify the PXE settings. If your adapter does not have this feature, disable PXE in the BIOS setup when the system reboots after installation, and the system will boot from the disk drive.

Some early versions of PXE firmware cannot boot the Solaris system. If you have one of these older versions, your system will be able to read the PXE network bootstrap program from a boot server, but the bootstrap will not transmit packets. If this happens, upgrade the PXE firmware on the adapter. Obtain firmware upgrade information from the adapter manufacturer's web site. Refer to the elxl(7D) and iprb(7D) man pages for more information.