Client network based boot issue

Different operating systems use different network protocols for network boot. BMR leverages this protocol/s for starting network-based client recovery. For example, Windows, Linux and Solaris-x86 uses PXE based network boot which comprises DHCP, TFTP protocols.

In case of,

Windows: BMR has PXE and TFTP services running on the BMR boot server. DHCP can be any server in the same subnet.

Linux: DHCP, TFTP services needs to be running on the boot server providing client network boot. (Note: Once services are deployed and running on boot server; BMR automatically register/de-register them to enable client network boot.) Sometimes it happens that in the same subnet where client recovery is being done has multiple network boot protocol servers running. One of them is correct PXE/DHCP/bootp servers which can assign IP_address to BMR client upon network boot. In such environment when client boots over network for BMR recovery, its network boot request gets broadcasted and it can be reached to unintended network boot server (PXE/DHCP/BOOTP) first. In such case it can return failure and BMR recovery may fail.

So ensure that no other network boot services except the valid one providing BMR client network boot is running in the same subnet. Note that this is limitation with PXE, DHCP, BOOTP boot protocols themselves where first DHCP reply failure stops network boot process.