Boot-NIC
Network Boot technology enables Windows NT and 2000 class client systems to boot from a server without the need for local storage media (hard drive or flask memory).
Answer:
Boot-NIC is a software only remote boot scheme for Windows and specifically Windows 2000, XP and XP Embedded. It is a low-level sector-by-sector emulation of a hard disk that is attached across a network. On the client-side it requires a PXE enabled BIOS or equivalent BootRom and is compatible with any hardware platform capable of running W2K or XP. Server-side software is hosted by an NT or W2K machine and provides disk emulation, administration and PXE, TFTP, BootP, DHCP servers. It is a complete software solution for remotely booting and managing diskless PC clients or network-attached devices based on Windows XP Embedded.（Boot-NIC 是目前唯一的一种为WINDOWS特别是Windows 2000, XP and嵌入式 XP设计的远程启动方案。）
Question:
Does the client need any special software or firmware to support Boot-NIC?
（问：客户端需要特殊的软件和硬件来支持BOOT-NIC吗？）
Answer:
No, there is absolutely no additional software required on the client device. Everything is loaded across the network. A PXE based BIOS or BootRom is required and is not part of the Boot-NIC deliverables. PXE is a common element of most BIOS implementations today and is available in NIC Boot-ROMs for those platforms that dont have it built-in.
（答：不需要。PXE BOOTROM即可）
Question:
How does FastBoot solve the multiple client boot bottleneck?
（FastBoot 怎样解决多用户快速启动的瓶劲？）
Answer:
In situations where theyre a large number of clients booting simultaneously, network and server bandwidth becomes and issue. FastBoot is a special mode in which Boot-NICs Adaptive Streaming Boot server is able to synchronize and boot many clients simultaneously. The goal is to minimize the overhead of duplicate data required by each client by multi-casting this information to all of them at once. Clients begin the boot process by entering a synchronization state in which there is a window of opportunity for the client to join the FastBoot process. Once all the expected clients are registered the multi-cast of the entire set of sectors required to boot takes place. The sectors are streamed down to each client before they are required in parallel with the boot process. Eliminating any and all latencies associated with disk access. Result is many clients boot faster than from local disk. This mode requires Write Protected Shared Image Mode?
Question:
What is PXE and why does Boot-NIC require it?
Answer:
Boot-NIC uses the industry standard Pre-boot eXecution Environment PXE?that is part of the Microsoft & Intel Wired For Management WFM?specification. PXE is a common element of most BIOS implementations today and is available in NIC Boot-ROMs for those platforms that dont have it built-in. PXE provides an environment and services that allow a PC to initialize the NIC, get an IP assignment and download a PXE binary executable early during the boot process. Boot-NIC uses this process to load and execute a small Bootstrap? That small executable installs the required Boot-NIC components
Objective:
To reduce classroom systems downtime and to simplify OS management.
Solution:
Utilizing Boot-NIC they were able to centrally manage their PC’s OS images and meet their objectives.
An e-Classroom OEM turns to Boot-NIC to reduce downtime and significantly ease systems management.
An e-classroom OEM was looking for a way to reduce downtime ebtween classes and to minimize time spent updating and reconfiguring all of the PC’s in its classrooms.As the change in courses they offered often required changes to the operating system’s configuration the process of switching over classes was cumbersome and error-prone.
Employing Boot-NIC they found that they were able to remove the hard drive from all of their client systems and run all of their classes off of a single server. This server contained multiple boot images from which to choose for each new class.
In addition to the time saved in bringing systems up for classes they also realized the benefots one having a single image to update for dozens of PC’s by having that single image on the server and not residing on all the PC’s. This has drstically reduced their systems management and support costs.
