Network boot with F12

[KyoAD]

Hi,

Usually with RIS, we can install OS for a client by pressing the F12 key for network boot to the RIS menu. However, is there anyway to automate this? For example, if i have 20 PCs that i want to install. Instead of visiting each machine to press F12, can i do this in a script remotely?

Thanks!

 

[Splixx]

Is this something you can set in the BIOS of the machine? When you set up boot order, you can specify boot from network.

 

[KyoAD]

Yes. I can set the boot sequence to boot from network first in the bios. However, if i set this as default, the system will take a longer time than usual to start up as it will need to query the RIS servers, etc first. My users will not be comfortable with this. Unless there is a way to activate network boot only when needed.

 

[prinand]

via ITA (IT assitant) you can remotely change the bootup preferences, and the engineer who gave the training said it can be scripted and to do that via the command line.

SO, if this is something which may happen more often, you could eplore that. that way you can set PC's via script to do a PXe boot at the next bootup AND you can even script that the systems get a remote wakeup call in the middle of the night and start installing. (IF lan wakeup is enabled in the bios)

but if it doesn't happen too often, 20 times pushing f12 is much less work than to configure the above....