NetBoot
Encyclopedia
NetBoot is a technology from Apple which enables Macs
with capable firmware
(i.e. New World ROM
) to boot
from a network, rather than a local hard disk or optical disc drive. NetBoot is a derived work from the Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP), and is similar in concept to the Preboot Execution Environment
. The technology was first announced as a part of the original version
of Mac OS X Server
at Macworld Expo
on 5 January 1999. NetBoot has continued to be a core systems management
technology for Apple, and has been adapted to support modern Mac Intel machines. Typical use includes re-installing the operating system
on MacBook Air
and Mac mini Server, which do not feature an internal optical disk drive.
with a copy of Mac OS X
, Mac OS X Server
, Mac OS 9
, or Mac OS 8
is created using System Image Utility
and is stored on a server, typically Mac OS X Server. Clients receive this image across a network using many popular protocols including but not limited to: HTTPS, AFP
, TFTP
, NFS, and multicast
Apple Software Restore
(ASR). Server-side NetBoot image can boot entire machines, although NetBoot is more commonly used for operating system and software deployment
, somewhat similar to Norton Ghost
.
To NetBoot a client machine, hold the "N" key as the Mac boots, or select the NetBoot server using the Startup Disk preference pane
(Mac OS X) or control panel
(Mac OS 8 and 9). Alternatively, New World Macs can be started with the Command (⌘), Option (⌥), O and F keys pressed to enter the Open Firmware
prompt. Once in the Open Firmware one can tell the client to attempt then NetBoot procedure by entering "
Client machines first request network configuration information through DHCP
, then a list of boot images and servers with BSDP
and then proceed to download images with protocols mentioned above.
Both Intel and PowerPC
-based servers can serve images for Intel as well as PowerPC-based clients.
. NetInstall performs a function for Mac OS X
similar to Windows Deployment Services
for Microsoft
clients, which depend on the Preboot Execution Environment.
. Next, two volumes are mounted via AppleTalk
over TCP
on which the client disk images reside. All in all, the Classic Mac OS uses three images; a System image which contains the operating system itself, but may also contain applications. Next a private image (or scratch disk) is mounted in an overlay over the read-only System image. Finally, an applications image is mounted. This image, however, may be empty.
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
with capable firmware
Firmware
In electronic systems and computing, firmware is a term often used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs and/or data structures that internally control various electronic devices...
(i.e. New World ROM
New World ROM
New World ROM computers are Macintosh models that do not use a Macintosh Toolbox ROM on the logic board. Due to Mac OS X not requiring the availability of the Toolbox, this allowed ROM sizes to shrink dramatically , and facilitated the use of Flash memory for system firmware instead of the now more...
) to boot
Booting
In computing, booting is a process that begins when a user turns on a computer system and prepares the computer to perform its normal operations. On modern computers, this typically involves loading and starting an operating system. The boot sequence is the initial set of operations that the...
from a network, rather than a local hard disk or optical disc drive. NetBoot is a derived work from the Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP), and is similar in concept to the Preboot Execution Environment
Preboot Execution Environment
The Preboot eXecution Environment is an environment to boot computers using a network interface independently of data storage devices or installed operating systems.PXE was introduced as part of the Wired for Management framework by Intel and is described in the specification The Preboot...
. The technology was first announced as a part of the original version
Mac OS X Server 1.0
Mac OS X Server 1.0, released on March 16, 1999, is the first operating system released into the retail market by Apple Computer based on their acquisition of NeXT. It followed the Rhapsody series of developer releases of what was to be known as Mac OS X...
of Mac OS X Server
Mac OS X Server
Mac OS X Server is a Unix server operating system from Apple Inc. The server edition of Mac OS X is architecturally identical to its desktop counterpart, except that it includes work group management and administration software tools...
at Macworld Expo
Macworld Conference & Expo
Produced by Boston-based IDG World Expo, Macworld | iWorld is a trade-show with conference tracks dedicated to the Apple Macintosh platform. It is held annually in the United States, usually during the second week of January...
on 5 January 1999. NetBoot has continued to be a core systems management
Systems management
Systems management refers to enterprise-wide administration of distributed systems including computer systems. Systems management is strongly influenced by network management initiatives in telecommunications....
technology for Apple, and has been adapted to support modern Mac Intel machines. Typical use includes re-installing the operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
on MacBook Air
MacBook Air
The MacBook Air family is a line of Apple ultraportable Macintosh notebook computers.The first-generation MacBook Air was a 13.3"-only model, previously promoted as the World's Thinnest Notebook, introduced at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 15, 2008. It featured a custom Intel Merom CPU...
and Mac mini Server, which do not feature an internal optical disk drive.
Process
A disk imageDisk image
A disk image is a single file or storage device containing the complete contents and structure representing a data storage medium or device, such as a hard drive, tape drive, floppy disk, CD/DVD/BD, or USB flash drive, although an image of an optical disc may be referred to as an optical disc image...
with a copy of Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, Mac OS X Server
Mac OS X Server
Mac OS X Server is a Unix server operating system from Apple Inc. The server edition of Mac OS X is architecturally identical to its desktop counterpart, except that it includes work group management and administration software tools...
, Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9
Mac OS 9 is the final major release of Apple's Mac OS before the launch of Mac OS X. Introduced on October 23, 1999, Apple positioned it as "The Best Internet Operating System Ever," highlighting Sherlock 2's Internet search capabilities, integration with Apple's free online services known as...
, or Mac OS 8
Mac OS 8
Mac OS 8 is an operating system that was released by Apple Computer on July 26, 1997. It represented the largest overhaul of the Mac OS since the release of System 7, some six years previously. It puts more emphasis on color than previous operating systems...
is created using System Image Utility
System Image Utility
System Image Utility is an application for making NetBoot and other image sets to be used with Mac OS X Server. It is available as part of the server admin tools package on a disc with the server software and as a download from Apple's website. There are several third party applications that...
and is stored on a server, typically Mac OS X Server. Clients receive this image across a network using many popular protocols including but not limited to: HTTPS, AFP
Apple Filing Protocol
The Apple Filing Protocol is a network protocol that offers file services for Mac OS X and original Mac OS. In Mac OS X, AFP is one of several file services supported including Server Message Block , Network File System , File Transfer Protocol , and WebDAV...
, TFTP
Trivial File Transfer Protocol
Trivial File Transfer Protocol is a file transfer protocol known for its simplicity. It is generally used forautomated transfer of configuration or boot files between machines in a local environment....
, NFS, and multicast
Multicast
In computer networking, multicast is the delivery of a message or information to a group of destination computers simultaneously in a single transmission from the source creating copies automatically in other network elements, such as routers, only when the topology of the network requires...
Apple Software Restore
Apple Software Restore
asr or Apple Software Restore is a command line utility in Mac OS X used to apply a DMG disk image to a selected volume or mount point on a file system. It is often used for cloning large numbers of Macintosh computers...
(ASR). Server-side NetBoot image can boot entire machines, although NetBoot is more commonly used for operating system and software deployment
Software deployment
Software deployment is all of the activities that make a software system available for use.The general deployment process consists of several interrelated activities with possible transitions between them. These activities can occur at the producer site or at the consumer site or both...
, somewhat similar to Norton Ghost
Ghost (software)
Ghost is a disk cloning program product sold by Symantec. Originally developed by Murray Haszard in 1995 for Binary Research, the technology was acquired in 1998 by Symantec. The name Ghost is an acronym for General Hardware-Oriented System Transfer.- History :Binary Research developed Ghost in...
.
To NetBoot a client machine, hold the "N" key as the Mac boots, or select the NetBoot server using the Startup Disk preference pane
Preference Pane
A Preference Pane is a special dynamically loaded plugin in Mac OS X. Introduced in Mac OS X v10.0, the purpose of a Preference Pane is to allow the user to set preferences for a specific application or the system by means of a graphical user interface. Preference Panes are the OS X replacement to...
(Mac OS X) or control panel
Control panel (Mac OS)
Under Mac OS 9 and earlier, a control panel is a small application which enabled the user to modify software and hardware settings such as the sound volume and desktop pattern. Control panels differ from extensions in that they allow the user to specify options, whereas extensions provide the user...
(Mac OS 8 and 9). Alternatively, New World Macs can be started with the Command (⌘), Option (⌥), O and F keys pressed to enter the Open Firmware
Open Firmware
Open Firmware, or OpenBoot in Sun Microsystems parlance, is a standard defining the interfaces of a computer firmware system, formerly endorsed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers . It originated at Sun, and has been used by Sun, Apple, IBM, and most other non-x86 PCI chipset...
prompt. Once in the Open Firmware one can tell the client to attempt then NetBoot procedure by entering "
boot enet:0" and pressing the return key.Client machines first request network configuration information through DHCP
Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol
The Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol is a network configuration protocol for hosts on Internet Protocol networks. Computers that are connected to IP networks must be configured before they can communicate with other hosts. The most essential information needed is an IP address, and a default...
, then a list of boot images and servers with BSDP
Boot Service Discovery Protocol
Boot Service Discovery Protocol is an Apple-developed, standards-conforming extension of DHCP. It allows Macintosh computers to boot from bootable images on a network instead of local storage media such as CD, DVD, or hard disk...
and then proceed to download images with protocols mentioned above.
Both Intel and PowerPC
Power Macintosh
Power Macintosh, later Power Mac, was a line of Apple Macintosh workstation-class personal computers based on various models of PowerPC microprocessors that were developed, marketed, and supported by Apple Inc. from March 1994 until August 2006. The first models were the Power Macintosh 6100,...
-based servers can serve images for Intel as well as PowerPC-based clients.
NetInstall
NetInstall is a similar feature of Mac OS X Server which utilizes NetBoot and ASR to deliver installation images to network clients (typically on first boot). Like NetBoot, NetInstall images can be created using the System Image UtilitySystem Image Utility
System Image Utility is an application for making NetBoot and other image sets to be used with Mac OS X Server. It is available as part of the server admin tools package on a disc with the server software and as a download from Apple's website. There are several third party applications that...
. NetInstall performs a function for Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
similar to Windows Deployment Services
Windows Deployment Services
Windows Deployment Services is a technology from Microsoft for network-based installation of Windows operating systems. It is the successor to Remote Installation Services...
for Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
clients, which depend on the Preboot Execution Environment.
Legacy
Mac OS 8.5 and Mac OS 9 use only BOOTP/DHCP to get IP information, followed by a TFTP transfer of the Mac OS ROM fileROM image
A ROM image, or ROM file, is a computer file which contains a copy of the data from a read-only memory chip, often from a video game cartridge, a computer's firmware, or from an arcade game's main board...
. Next, two volumes are mounted via AppleTalk
AppleTalk
AppleTalk is a proprietary suite of protocols developed by Apple Inc. for networking computers. It was included in the original Macintosh released in 1984, but is now unsupported as of the release of Mac OS X v10.6 in 2009 in favor of TCP/IP networking...
over TCP
Internet protocol suite
The Internet protocol suite is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks. It is commonly known as TCP/IP from its most important protocols: Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol , which were the first networking protocols defined in this...
on which the client disk images reside. All in all, the Classic Mac OS uses three images; a System image which contains the operating system itself, but may also contain applications. Next a private image (or scratch disk) is mounted in an overlay over the read-only System image. Finally, an applications image is mounted. This image, however, may be empty.