Bulk OS Installation using PXE Boot and FOG Project

Bulk OS Installation using PXE Boot and FOG Project

Performing bulk OS installations using PXE (Preboot eXecution Environment) network boot is a convenient and efficient method for deploying operating systems across multiple computers simultaneously.
For performing bulk OS, we boot over PXE. The FOG Project is a software project that implements FOG (Free and Open-source Ghost), a software tool that can deploy disk images of Microsoft Windows and Linux using the PXE. FOG doesn't use any boot disks, or CDs; everything is done via TFTP and PXE. 

Installation Procedure

·         Setup FOG Server: Install and configure FOG server on a dedicated machine.

·         Prepare Images: Prepare the disk images that we want to deploy to our target computers. This involves installing the operating system and any required software on a reference machine, then capturing an image of the disk using FOG.

·         Capture Image: Boot the reference machine using PXE boot or USB boot into the FOG environment. Use the FOG web interface to initiate the image capture process. FOG will create an image of the disk and store it on the FOG server.

·         Deploy Image: Boot the target computers that we want to image using PXE boot or USB boot into the FOG environment. Use the FOG web interface to deploy the image to the target computers. FOG will copy the image from the server to the target computers' hard disks.

Connectivity Diagram





Steps to Follow

1. Setup FOG Server

In Ubuntu 16 or higher, install the fog server with below command

sudo -i

cd /root

git clone https://github.com/FOGProject/fogproject.git

cd fogproject

sudo -i

cd /root/fogproject/bin

/installfog.sh

 






After installation, navigate to http://XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX/fog/

Click on Install/Update Now

Log in with the default username of "fog" with password "password".

2. Prepare Images

 Install the operating system in the new machine.

·         Install any required drivers, updates, and applications that we want to include in the image.

·         Use Sysprep to generalize the installation. This ensures that the image can be deployed to multiple computers without conflicts. Run Sysprep and choose the "Generalize" option. This removes unique system identifiers and prepares the system for imaging.

3. Capture Image

·         Boot the new machine using PXE boot into the FOG environment.

Use the FOG web interface to initiate the image capture process.

 Steps to follow

  1. Navigate to Image Management'  'Create New Image':
  2. Give the new image a name and choose the Operating System
  3. Click on Add
  4. Navigate to 'Host Management'  'List All Hosts' and click on the machine we just registered
  5. Choose the 'Host Image' drop-down box, and select the image we created.
  6. Click on 'Update'
  7. Navigate to Host Management and go to 'Basic Tasks' and choose 'Capture':
  8. Start new machine and make sure it boots from the network.
  9. When the capture has completed, FOG will update the database and the machine will reboot.

4. Deploy Image

  1. Boot the new machine using PXE boot into the FOG environment.
  2. Register the Host
  3. Deploy the Image

 


 

 

Steps to follow

1.    In New System, after booting click on Perform Full Host Registration and Inventory
2.    Navigate to Host Groups in FOG Server Web GUI and associate the new system host name
3.    Update the Task
4.    When the deployment has been completed, Reboot the system without network

  

Reference

https://wiki.fogproject.org/wiki/index.php?title=FOGUserGuide#Installing_FOG

https://docs.fogproject.org/en/latest/kb/how-tos/

Video Reference



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