Network client

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In the 70-270 book it states to install over a network you need:

A network location with the i386 files on
A client pc with a 1.5 GB fat partition
A network client

Is the network client like a mini operating system that can initiate the communication to the i386 folder?

And where can I obtain (a free) one?

Cheers

 

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A client pc to install onto?

 

Hi,
Not sure which book you are reading from, but my understanding is the network client is needed on the target machine to allow you to boot and connect to the distribution server [i386 file storage server].

I'm sure one of the MCPs will be able to confirm or correct me..

G

 

they propably mean PXE enabled network card

 

A pc with no operating system on it. The pc you want to install XP on.

It's the Microsoft Press Book for Exam 70-270. Yes, the network client is needed on the target machine, but where do I get a network client from?

Possibly, it is one of the more vague parts of the book so I couldn't say for sure.

 

To me in this context a 'network client' would mean something like a PXE enabled NIC, or a protocol such as TCP/IP.

Not what I would normally refer to as a 'network client' though.

 

Ok, a bit more to add to this.

From the Microsoft Press book for exam 70-270

How to install over the Network.

1) Boot the network client: On the target computer, boot from a floppy disk that includes a network client or start another operating system that can be used to connect to the distribution server.

2) Connect to the distribution server:

3) Run winnt.exe or winnt32.exe to start the setup program:

4) Install Windows XP Professional:

Steps 2-4 I have no issue with, but I still do not know where to obtain a network client from?

Any ideas??

Thanks

Edit: This is not to do with RIS, that is explained in another chapter and includes using the PXE enabled network card.

 

I think this is referring to the disc you would need to use if your clients NIC is not on the approved MS list of PXE Rom's.
Most motherboards that are have onboard LAN usually have no problem contacting the RIS server. Change the boot sequence to LAN, HDD and re-boot.

Press F12 and the machine should give you a blue screen asking for the credentials to talk with the RIS server.

Si

 

If this were a few years back a reference to a *floppy* with a network client would imply to me a DOS disk set up with IPX/SPX drivers.

Those were about the only network drivers that would *fit* on a floppy!

Harry.

 

Stoney,

"A network location with the i386 files on" refers to a server holding the i386 files in a shared folder. "A client pc with a 1.5 GB fat partition" refers to the physical computer machine. However, once upon a time, "physical computer machines" didn't have even a dialup modem installed, yet it is stil a "client pc." Therefore, I think what "a network client" refers to is a "physical computer machine" with a Network Interface Card that is connected to a network, be it Token Ring, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, or some other LAN networking segment. I think that Microsoft's generalization by using the term "network" is what is confusing.

So to answer your question of "Is the network client like a mini operating system that can initiate the communication to the i386 folder?" You're on the right track. The "mini operating system" is located on the network boot floppy disk. By booting up the "client pc" with the network boot floppy disk that is connected to the network that reaches the remote server holding the i386 folder is what makes the "client pc" into a "network client."

I hope this helps.

 

Yes, to the above.. what Microsoft are trying to say is that if you want to install loverly Windows onto a client PC over a network, then the client PC must be able to boot into an operating system that has drivers for the network card and can communicate with the server using the appropriate network protocols, these days typically TCP/IP.

I believe Bart made a floppy that could do this or you could install DOS 6.22 on the PC and do the same.

RIS is a different thing altogether but you will need to understand it too.

 

Thanks for your responses guys.

Microsoft's generalisation of the network client is some what confusing. Reading through the chapter it sounds like you don't actually need a server but a pc with a share on it containing the i386 folder and this mysterious network client thingy! From there you just boot from the floppy and away you go. There is obviously more to it than this and I think I shall have to do some further reading.

Thanks again

 

The network client with the i386 folder on it is used for holding the OS you intend to install aswell as the updates you wish to apply when doing a network installation such as RIS etc

The network client would indeed be the network machine with a PXE complient card or network boot floppy created by one of the network administrators should the machine not have a pxe card...

 

Stoney, in essence 'any' PC that is *sharing* resources ie files etc is acting as a *server* - it is the server service that does this when file and print sharing have been enabled.