This article provides an overview of the installing and setting up NetBoot Server on Mac OS X Server.

• Determine network port configuration.
• Gather network information.
• Decide how server's Ethernet ports will be used.
• Determine configuration for each port.
• Choose an AppleTalk machine name.

• You must select at least one HFS Plus volume.
• The NetBoot Server software can load balance hard disk usage across several physical disks. Selecting multiple logical volumes that all reside on the same physical disk does not improve performance. If you have several physical disks, select one volume from each disk to improve performance.

1. Gather Network Information
• Identify all existing IP routers in your network. For each router you need to collect the following information:
  • IP address
  • Routing table
• Identify all existing AppleTalk routers in your network. For each AppleTalk router, collect the following information:
  • Network number range(s)
  • AppleTalk zone names
2. Draw a diagram of the network topology.
3. Determine where the NetBoot Server is to be connected to the network.
4. Decide How Server's Ethernet Ports Will Be Used
• One port is used to connect to the existing network, we'll call it the Internet Port. The Internet Port is optional, but without it, the NetBoot clients will have no conduit to the Internet. Usually Ethernet port 0 (built-in). Usually 10BaseT is sufficient.
• One or more of the remaining ports are used to connect the NetBoot clients. We'll call these the Client Ports. Usually Ethernet port 1 and up. 100BaseT is required.
5. Determine if server will also function as a Macintosh Manager Server.

Figure 1 , Root level of the CD-ROM install CD

The NetBoot Server Setup Assistant prompts the user to gather information needed to complete the setup process:

Figure 2 , NetBoot Server Setup Assistant Introduction

The following prompt asks whether or not Macintosh Management features are desired. Running the Setup Assistant also represents the simplest way to remove Macintosh Manager functionality:

Figure 3 , Macintosh Management Server prompt

On servers with multiple Ethernet ports (such as our Mac Server G3) more listings will appear. One of them must be selected for use with NetBoot.

Figure 4 , Ethernet Port Planning

The following dialog configures the NetBoot Server device to function as a gateway if necessary:

Figure 5 , IP Routing for NetBoot Clients options

The following configures both Bootptab and NetInfo providing the range of IP addresses that from which NetBoot clients can start up:

Figure 6 , IP address range configuration

Files Installed

Mac OS Volume (HFS) Pieces

Mac OS ROM - This image is copied to the RAM of the NetBoot client.
NetBoot HD.img - This image is mounted on a NetBoot client computer when it starts up. It contains the system software used by the client.
Application image - This image is mounted when a NetBoot client computer starts up. It contains the applications that came with your NetBoot Server Software for use by your NetBoot clients.
Administration folder - This contains Macintosh Manager software and Macintosh Manager Help. You use these applications from a client computer connected to the server when you need to administer your Macintosh Manager configuration (Macintosh Manager auto connects to the server).

UFS (Mac OS X Server) Volume Pieces

• Admin framework
• Network preference panel with BootP support
• Startup server (BootP)
• AppleFileServices program (this program can only share items on HFS and Mac OS Extended Partitions, and is located in /usr/sbin directory)
• Macintosh Manager Server (located in the /usr/sbin directory)
• NetBoot Server Setup Assistant (located in the /System/Library/Assistants directory)
• HDNamer (Accesible via the Apple Menu)