Before actually installing the images on client computers, you must verify that the network adapters of the client computers meet the PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) specification. If a client computer does not have a network adapter that meets the PXE specification, you can remotely install Windows 2000 Professional if the RIS Startup disk supports the network adapter. The RIS Startup disk simulates the PXE startup process for computers with network adapters that do not support PXE. If the computer has a supported network adapter, you can start the computer from the RIS Startup disk and then initiate a RIS session by pressing F12 when prompted.
You can use the same RIS Startup disk on any client computer that has one of the supported network adapters installed. You do not need to create a separate Startup disk for each type of network adapter. To create a RIS Startup disk, perform the following steps:
On any computer running Windows 2000, click Start, and then click Run.
In the Open box, type \\RIS_server\reminst\admin\i386\rbfg.exe (where RIS_server represents the name of the RIS server), and then click OK.
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The Windows 2000 Remote Boot Disk Generator dialog box appears. Insert a blank disk into drive A, and then click Create Disk.
The Remote Boot Disk Generator Program
Note:
An RIS Startup disk may work with a network adapter that is not on the list of supported network adapters, because PXE compatibility is based on the chipset of the network adapter. Use Microsoft Systems
Management Server to determine which computers contain PXE-based network adapters. You can also test the RIS Startup disk on a computer with an unsupported network adapter to determine whether the
network adapter supports remote installation. The next lesson demonstrates how to install an image on a RIS client computer.