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Ignite-UX Administration Guide: for HP-UX 11i > Chapter 5 Complex Network: Challenges and Solutions

Complex Network Challenges

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In a complex network configuration, it is often preferable to manage one master Ignite server and use that server to support installation for all subnets. A central server simplifies administration and helps ensure all systems are managed with consistent installation and recovery. The challenge is to have a central Ignite server support network boot for all your required subnets, handle installation, and coexist with any other network boot servers.

The following diagram illustrates a complex network with multiple subnets (10.1.1 and 10.2.1) connected to the Ignite server (hpignite), remote systems (hpuxsysa and hpuxsysb) that use a boot helper system (iuxboot), a system (hpuxsysz) on a separate subnet without a boot helper, and another boot server (sysrdp) on the same subnet as the Ignite server. Systems on the same subnet (10.1.1 or 10.2.1) as the Ignite server are HP-UX systems (hpuxsys1, hpuxsys2, and hpuxsysx), a Linux system (linuxsys2) and a Windows system (winsys1). This diagram will be used as an example network configuration throughout the complex network chapters.

Multiple Subnets

The challenge with an Ignite server connected to multiple subnets is ensuring the server is correctly configured to handle client network interfaces for boot and installation on the different subnets. If subnets are isolated or performance is a concern, you will need to ensure that installation traffic is correctly routed to the Ignite server.

The following diagram shows the example systems used when outlining solutions for a complex network with multiple subnets.

Remote Systems

Network boot is based on broadcast protocols. These broadcasts are normally constrained to one subnet. When client systems are on a subnet that is not directly connected to an Ignite server broadcast network, packets used for boot will not be able to reach the Ignite server. If there are remote systems on other subnets (hpuxsysa and hpuxsysb), you must determine how network boot will be supported on each subnet for these systems. You will also need to ensure that installation traffic is correctly routed.

The following diagram shows the systems that will be referenced when solutions for remote systems are discussed.

Multiple Boot Servers

If there are multiple servers that support boot and installation on a subnet (sysrdp and hpignite), these systems are very likely to interfere with each other. This is common when systems running different operating systems coexist on the same subnet and network installation is used to manage these systems.

Network boot and installation servers are typically designed with the assumption that they are the only such server on the subnet. Product documentation generally does not include details on how to have multiple servers coexist.

Note that PXE has been designed to assume multiple boot servers provide redundant, identical functionality. The first server to respond to a boot request will be used for system boot. In general, it is not possible to predict which server will respond first.

Often, an administrator wants separate boot and installation servers to provide, for example, different operating systems. In this case, using the correct server is important. As a result, some means of selecting the correct boot and installation server is vital. There is not a simple solution using basic DHCP PXE functionality.

Great care is required to properly set up a network configuration where there are multiple boot servers on a subnet. Each boot server must be configured to correctly coexist with other boot servers and support the desired overall administration solution.

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