BMR Issues with another PXE responding WDS

[kswags]

Hi folks,

Ran into a problem just recently.  A quick overview.

Our infrastructure has 3 seperate subnets. 

All switches across the 3 subnets are configured with the ip helper-address for the DHCP server. 

We have a seperate Deployment Server in our environment for pushing out images of work stations.

PROBLEM

Recently, something has changed.  We have seen the NetBackup server trying to respond to PXE requests (thankfully it is isolated on the subnet in which it has its static ip address asigned to.  The other two subnets go directly to the DHCP server due to the helper address configured on them. 

Upon review of the documentation I see, the BMR's IP address is showing up in the proxy address (we dont use a proxy internally) and it is causing the client to not locate the boot device.

The box was NOT check to make the BMR server the DHCP server; and the only option for the ip address of the DHCP listener is the actual ip address of the BMR. 

My question(s)

How can I make the BMR not interfere with our other deployment server? 

Should I not be able to tell the BMR box that it is not supposed to listen for the DHCP requests?

Thanks for your patience, very new to this product.

Cheers!

kevin

[mandar_khanolka]

I think in your case BMR PXE service on boot server is reponding to other PXE boot requests which you are not intended to be serviced by BMR boot server. Is that right?

Actually this problem is with PXE server protocol limitation. Where, any PXE can respond to PXE boot request and that might not be the correct intended PXE server. In that case this PXE server wont redirect or forward the request to any other PXE on that subnet. In this case most probably client pxe request fails.

I am wondering if this same situation happening in your case.

Why dont you shut down bmr boot services (bmrd, pxe, tftp) when bmr restore is not happening. Enable these services when you are doing BMR client NW boot restore?

Thanks.

-Mandar

[kswags]

Thanks Mandar.

We can shut off the PXE agent on the NetBackup server and it works fine.  The question is, we would never be doing BMR across the network; instead we would be using the "from CD" option.  Is it possible to eliminate the possiblity oof BMR across the network option?  Or at least make it a lower priority option and have the "From CD" option a higher priority?

Again, forgive my "newness" to NetBackup; but is there an option such as booting into windows by pressing F12 to choose the boot divice so I can eliminate the selection of a PXE broadcast?

Thanks!

[mandar_khanolka]

>> Is it possible to eliminate the possiblity oof BMR across the network option?  Or at least make it a lower priority option and have the "From CD" option a higher priority?

In that case you need to configure your switch for not to pass DHCP/PXE request packets across other subnet. Or pass the requests to the correct DHCP/PXE server ip-address.

>> Again, forgive my "newness" to NetBackup; but is there an option such as booting into windows by pressing F12 to choose the boot divice so I can eliminate the selection of a PXE broadcast?

Yes, you can do that. F12 will give you options and prefer your boot mechanism.

Thanks.

-Mandar