[ipxe-devel] IPXE : Chain : Input/output error (http://ipxe.org/1d0c6239)

[Christian Rappo]

Hello Johannes,

Thank you for your message. I will try to use those information.
However, If you now where I can download an ipxe.iso (64-bit build) and if you can share it, this will be greatly appreciated.

The answer to your question is:

  *   In an Audiophile scenario, via IPXE, I'm trying to load and boot in RAM a Windows Server 2019 Standard Core .VHD on a machine without internal SDD/SATA nor USB storage.
  *   The goal is to reduce, as far as possible, the noise produce by the "machine". It should be noted that after the boot, the ethernet connection is being used anyway to receive the "music" flow, so that's why I try IPXE.

Kind regards,
Christian

________________________________
From: Johannes Thoma <johannes at johannesthoma.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2019 11:41 PM
To: Christian Nilsson; Christian Rappo
Cc: ipxe-devel at lists.ipxe.org
Subject: Re: [ipxe-devel] IPXE : Chain : Input/output error (http://ipxe.org/1d0c6239)

Hello Christian,

Am 10.02.19 um 17:35 schrieb Christian Nilsson:
> On Sun, 10 Feb 2019 at 17:32, Christian Rappo <rappoc at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> When "chain http://192.168.1.10/Win2019Core.vhd" , the system display the following message: Input/output error (http://ipxe.org/1d0c6239).
>> Win2019Core.vhd is about 10GB.
>>
>> Please thanks for helping!
>> Kind regards,
>> Christian Rappo
>> Switzerland
>
> I don't think the http stack currently support that large files.

I came across the same problem some weeks ago and solved it
by using a 64-bit build of iPXE: As pointed out by Michael,
those can be built with

   make bin-x86_64-efi/ipxe.efi
   make bin-x86_64-pcbios/ipxe.pxe

I've also made patches for 32 bit to support images over http
larger than 2 GB (in theory up to 2**63 bytes, tested with
a 32 GB image), if you really need 32 bit support now you can
apply those patches for now:

http://lists.ipxe.org/pipermail/ipxe-devel/2019-January/006471.html
http://lists.ipxe.org/pipermail/ipxe-devel/2019-January/006472.html

(@Michael: sorry for the long delay, I promise to try what you suggested
this week and get back to you).

>
> You should find some other way to load your disk, iSCSI for example.

Currently, the only way to support diskless Windows clients I know
of is iSCSI (there might be others). As Christian Nilsson pointed
out, Windows only loads the neccessary kernel, drivers and registry
hives in the early boot process and eventually a Windows driver must
provide the System Volume somehow. Just as with Linux (and other
Unices), if the System Volume / root device is not present the
kernel BSODs / panics.

We are, however working to support boot device as DRBD device (for
diskless clients) for our (Linbit) WinDRBD kernel driver (see
https://github.com/LINBIT/windrbd) and will probably have
something useable in a few months. In our solution you would
boot Windows via iPXE and http from a DRBD device (with a small cgi-bin
wrapper) and once Windows is booted, provide the Windows System Volume
as a regular (Diskless Primary in DRBD speak) WinDRBD block device.
That way you can have setups with redundant servers as well.

What exactly are you trying to build?

Cheers,

- Johannes
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