How to PXE Boot Virtual Machines in Hyper-V?

Hyper-V is a virtualization platform developed by Microsoft that enables users to create and manage virtual machines. With it, multiple operating systems can be installed on one computer with resources like CPU, memory, storage, and network.

Can You PXE Boot in Hyper-V?

PXE booting is an invaluable feature of Hyper-V that enables you to rapidly deploy operating systems and other system images across multiple virtual machines simultaneously. Setting up a DHCP and TFTP server and configuring each virtual machine to boot from the network enables this capability in Hyper-V.

Before PXE booting a virtual machine in Hyper-V, you must first set up a DHCP server and TFTP server. The DHCP server assigns IP addresses to network devices and provides additional configuration parameters like default gateway and DNS servers. Finally, the TFTP server serves the boot image to those virtual machines that are PXE booting via PXE.

Once all necessary servers are set up, it’s time to configure your virtual machine to boot from the network. To do this, open Hyper-V Manager, select the virtual machine you wish to configure, click on ‘Settings’ on the screen’s left-hand side, and select Network Adapter from the list of devices on the left-hand side; then enable this option in the Advanced Features tab.

Finally, you can boot the virtual machine from the network by starting it and selecting “boot from the network.” These prompts allow you to install or perform necessary tasks on the virtual machine.

One of the critical capabilities of Hyper-V is its support for Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) booting virtual machines from a network server using PXE boot. PXE boot enables your virtual machine to start from an accessible remote location rather than from its local disk, making this feature especially valuable when deploying operating systems, firmware upgrades, or other system images simultaneously across multiple virtual machines.

How to PXE Boot Virtual Machines in Hyper-V?

This article will show you how to set up PXE boot for virtual machines in Hyper-V.

Step 1: Establish a DHCP Server

Before configuring PXE boot, you must set up a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server. A DHCP server assigns IP addresses to network devices. In addition, it provides additional configuration parameters like the default gateway and DNS servers.

You can skip this step if your network already has a DHCP server. Otherwise, please follow these steps to install a DHCP server:

1. Launch Server Manager on a Windows Server connected to your network.

2. On the left pane, select the DHCP Server role.

3. On the right-hand side of your screen, click “+ Features.”

4. Click Next, followed by Install.

5. Once installation is complete, click “Complete DHCP Configuration” to begin configuring your server.

6. Follow the instructions to configure your DHCP server, including setting a static IP address, configuring DNS server settings, and creating a scope.

7. Be sure to add options 66 and 67 to your DHCP scope, which specify the PXE boot server’s location and the boot file’s name, respectively. The value for option 66 should be the IP address of your PXE boot server, while option 67 should contain the name of the boot file.

Step 2: Set Up a TFTP Server

In addition to the DHCP server setup, you require Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server configuration. TFTP serves the boot image for virtual machines that are PXE booting.

You can skip this step if your network already has a TFTP server. Otherwise, follow these instructions to set up a TFTP server:

1. Download and install TFTP server software. Several free options exist, such as Tftpd32 or SolarWinds’ TFTP Server.

2. Once your TFTP server is configured, use the same IP address as your DHCP server.

3. Create a folder on your TFTP server for boot files.

4. Copy the boot files into the newly-created folder. These will include both the boot image and the PXE boot loader.

Step 3: Setup Your Virtual Machine for PXE Boot

Once all necessary servers have been set up, it’s time to configure your virtual machine to boot from the network. Here are the steps for configuring PXE boot on a virtual machine:

1. Navigate to Hyper-V Manager and select the virtual machine you wish to configure.

2. Click the Settings button to access the virtual machine settings.

3. On the left-hand side of your screen, select Network Adapter from the list of devices.

4. On the right-hand side of your screen, select Advanced Features.

5. Enable the option to Boot from the network on the Advanced Features tab.

6. Save your changes to the virtual machine settings.

Step 4: Launch Your Virtual Machine

Once your virtual machine has been configured for PXE boot, you can boot it from the network. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Start the virtual machine.

2. Press any key to enter the boot menu once the virtual machine boots up. Depending on which BIOS version is running in your virtual machine (American Megatrends (AMI), for instance, you can press F11 to access this menu.

3. On the boot menu, select “boot from network.”

4. The virtual machine will then communicate with the DHCP server and request an IP address.

5. After the virtual machine has acquired an IP address, it will request its boot file from the TFTP server specified in its DHCP options.

6. Finally, the TFTP server will send the boot file to your virtual machine and begin the PXE boot process.

7. Follow the onscreen instructions to install your operating system or other tasks as required.

How Do I PXE Boot a VMware Virtual Machine?

PXE booting a VMware virtual machine involves configuring its BIOS to boot from the network and setting up a PXE server on that same network which provides the boot image and other necessary files needed for the successful bootup of your virtual machine. After these steps, you can quickly deploy operating systems and other software onto virtual machines through PXE booting.

1. Start the virtual machine and enter its BIOS setup by pressing the key indicated on the screen during startup. This key may differ depending on your virtual machine’s BIOS, but commonly used keys include F2, Del, and Esc.

2. Navigate to the Boot menu in BIOS setup and set network boot as your initial boot device.

3. Save your BIOS settings and exit the setup program.

4. Boot the virtual machine again and press the key to enter the boot menu. Note that this key may differ depending on your virtual machine’s BIOS version.

5. At the boot menu, select ‘boot from network.’

6. The virtual machine will contact the DHCP server and request an IP address.

7. Once the virtual machine has acquired an IP address, it will request its boot file from the TFTP server specified in its DHCP options.

8. Finally, the TFTP server will send the boot file to your virtual machine and begin the PXE boot process.

9. Follow the onscreen instructions to install or upgrade your operating system or perform other necessary tasks.

It is essential to have a PXE server on the network to PXE boot a VMware virtual machine. This server provides the boot image and other necessary files for booting over the internet. Typically, this includes DHCP assigning IP addresses to network devices, TFTP hosting the boot image, and configuration files essential for successful virtual machine booting.

How do I change the boot sequence in a Hyper-V virtual machine?

Changing the boot order on a Hyper-V virtual machine involves accessing its settings through Hyper-V Manager, selecting “BIOS,” and altering as desired. By default, the virtual machine will attempt to boot from the first bootable device listed in its boot order.

1. Launch Hyper-V Manager and select the virtual machine for which you wish to modify the boot sequence.

2. Click the “Settings” button in the right-hand pane to open the virtual machine settings window.

3. On the left-hand side of the settings window, locate “BIOS.”

4. In the “Boot Order” section, you can adjust your boot device order by clicking arrow buttons to move items up or down in the list.

5. To add a boot device, click “Add” and choose from the dropdown list, which includes “DVD Drive,” “Legacy Network Adapter,” “Floppy Drive,” and “Hard Drive.”

6. To delete a boot device from the boot order list, select it and click on the “Remove” button.

7. Once you have made your desired changes to the boot order, click “Apply” to save them.

8. Boot the virtual machine using its new boot order configuration.

It is essential to remember that their BIOS controls the boot sequence in Hyper-V virtual machines. Therefore, you may need to enable specific BIOS features like PXE booting or USB booting to use specific boot devices instead of booting up the virtual machine.

How do I boot from Hyper-V VM to BIOS?

1. Booting from a Hyper-V virtual machine to BIOS involves:

Starting the virtual machine.

Accessing its BIOS setup during startup by pressing an appropriate key.
Making desired modifications.
Saving those changes before exiting out of the BIOS setup.

That completes booting from Hyper-V virtual machine mode.

2. Launch Hyper-V Manager and select the virtual machine to boot into BIOS mode.

3. Click “Connect” in the right-hand pane to open the virtual machine’s console window.

4. Begin the virtual machine by clicking the “Start” button.

5. Press the appropriate key to access the virtual machine’s BIOS setup during startup. The key may vary depending on the BIOS version, but commonly used keys include F2, Del, and Esc.

Note: You may need to press the key multiple times for the virtual machine to recognize it.

6. Once in the virtual machine’s BIOS setup, you can customize its settings.

7. To save the changes and exit BIOS setup, navigate to the “Exit” menu and select “Save Changes and Exit” or a similar option.

The virtual machine will restart and boot from the first bootable device in its boot order.

It is essential to know that when booting from a virtual machine into BIOS, you are accessing the virtual machine’s BIOS settings rather than physical hardware. As such, available settings and options may differ between virtual machines and physical hardware.

Conclusion

Setting up virtual machines for PXE boot in Hyper-V makes it simple to deploy operating systems and other system images simultaneously to multiple virtual machines. All that’s required is setting up a DHCP server and TFTP server and configuring each virtual machine to boot from the network – making new installations or performing maintenance much faster! Follow the steps outlined in this article to configure your virtual machines for PXE boot in Hyper-V.