Can StarWind/StartPort be used for diskless machines?

abejan · Tue Jul 13, 2004 5:24 pm

Hi!
Would it be possible? In any case, it would be great. For noiseless HTPCs, SFF machines without HD, anti theft measures, and so on...

I guess it would need some PXE product in addition. And the possibility to load/configure the driver during OS install (F6 in windows).

I know about VenturCom BXP, but that product is far too expensive for SMBs and personal usage.

Any opinions on this?

Tue Jul 13, 2004 9:59 pm

Hi,

for now -- partially. StarWind can of course be used together with hardware iSCSI initiators to provide boot from iSCSI volumes (it's out of our business what data you do keep on our virtualization software). But StarPort for now cannot be used to boot remotely w/o hard disk. Actual Windows part is not a problem however make Windows boot from iSCSI requires either real-mode iSCSI stack implementation or any other remote boot protocol. We're looking for some sort of the solution b/s you're far from the first who was asking about such a feature.

Thanks!

abejan · Fri Jul 16, 2004 2:16 pm

Hi,
thanks for the information. Good to hear you have thoughts about this usage. A good, robust, easy to use diskless solution would certainly revolutionize the way PC's are used and where they are used. Especially in conjunction with the new nano-itx boards due out soon.

Keep up the good work!

Fri Jul 16, 2004 2:57 pm

Thank you for compliments

We're definitely doing our best...

Diskless boot and operations are quite important for now and would be very hot after GbE would come to mainstream and 10 GbE would come to servers. However I think we need to cooperate with some network cards verndors to provide real mode iSCSI support for this. Do not want to mess with additional protocols...

dutch55 · Thu Nov 04, 2004 8:06 pm

Anton:

Our company has developed iSCSI initiators for Microsoft & Linux OS' that support diskless boot that works with standard NICs. Send me private message if you want to discuss.

Thu Nov 04, 2004 8:17 pm

Would you please drop me a message to support@starwind.com. I think we have things to discuss in private

Thank you!

cc · Sat Dec 04, 2004 11:19 am

How close is it to getting bootable iSCSI ?

Val (staff) · Sun Dec 05, 2004 12:18 am

Hi,

Using a hardware iSCSI initiator is the way blessed by Microsoft for diskless machines and remote booting.

We have no plans (at least for the nearest future) to implement it in StarPort.

smurf · Wed Apr 20, 2005 5:08 am

emBoot has a product tested successfully with the StarWind target that performs diskless (PXE) boot of a Windows OS from an iSCSI target.

Steve Marfisi
emBoot Inc.

Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:00 am

Steve,

would you please drop me a message to support@starwind.com so we could discuss some business details?

Thank you!