Kendall

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Several things--

1.  What is a *PXE boot*?--I know I can *Google* and research this on my own, but this is less than a common, universal term for the average user (me   !)--so what's special about it?

2.  Ghost 2003 Boot Wizard does not create any *boot images*--it will only create boot files on floppy disks.

3.  Last I've heard--Ghost 2003's Windows interface is not designed to work under Windows 2003 Server.  What the incompatibilities are, I don't know.  You can create images and restore images of a Server 2003 system if it's shut down and you are booted to the DOS Ghost 2003 interface from a boot disk.

4.  Ghost 2003 can create a bootable optical disc--

a.  from its Windows interface, if it runs compatibly under the Windows OS--but, the boot image is *hidden* in the Ghost code--it's not available to see or manipulate separately from the image creation process.  And, you can not customize the boot code--it's predefined and is what it is!  

Now, if you're boot disc savvy--you could probably convert the bootable disc to an ISO, use one of the special ISO manipulation softwares like WinImage or MagicISO--or others, to extract boot information, change it, and re-insert that code into the ISO--and then re-burning the customized ISO back to optical media.

b.  from its DOS interface, if you have your boot information on a boot floppy, Ghost 2003 will read that boot information from the floppy, and place it on optical media in its hidden boot sector for future booting of the optical disc.

5.  I think the enterprise versions of Ghost, starting perhaps with Ghost v8.2 or v8.3 (the next step up in version #'s is Ghost v11.x for the enterprise versions), now have the built-in ability to create bootable optical discs from its Boot Wizard, as well as floppies--but I don't know how customizable that process is--I don't have those versions of Ghost.  

Also, I think the above versions may be compatible with installation on Server 2003.

Hope this information helps!

Kendall

Sounds like you would want to create a *Drive Mapping Boot Disk* option from the Ghost 2003 Boot Wizard.

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PXE booting... a wonderful option which I use every day. Turn on the client PC, press F12, choose NETWORK BOOT or PXE Boot, select the image, and viola! A system that is booted & imaged without a physical CD or disk in a few minutes.

Unfortunately, AFAIK, Ghost 2003 does not work with Server 2003. What I can say for sure is that WDS in Server 2003 SP2, you will never see the option for RIS listed.

Basically, I created my Win2K3 / GSS 2.0 PXE server (private, segmented LAN, accessible by ME only so security is not an issue) by doing the following:

1.)      Server 2003 SP1
a.      Partition drive for RIS storage (ris requires at least 2 partitions or 2 drives)
b.      Do not use SP2 yet as it replaced RIS with WDS
c.      Change PC name
2.)      Install AntiVirus
3.)      Create a Ghost User acct
a.      Create a short user account such as “G” with a short pw of “G” and give it administrator rights
4.)      Static IP
a.      Assign a static IP
5.)      DCPromo
a.      Run dcpromo and install defaults
b.      Reboot
6.)      RIS
a.      Add remove programs, windows components, RIS
b.      Reboot
c.      Run risetup.exe
i.      Choose partition to install from step #1 (2nd partition or drive)
d.      Inside of ADUC, right click this DC and look at RIS tab if needed
e.      Also, gpedit and add RIS tools if needed (usually not)
7.)      DHCP
a.      Install and configure DHCP on same subnet
b.      May need to authorize DHCP server in ADUC
8.)      Ghost
a.      Install GSS 2.01
b.      Run Ghost Boot Wizard
c.      Verify Microsoft RIS shows up
i.      Create virtual boot floppy
9.)      Misc
a.      OSAUTO.osc
i.      Edit this file under share “RemoteInstall\OSChooser\English”
ii.      Make sure it shows “CHECKGUID OSCHOICE DUPAUTO”
1.      This file controls what shows up under PXE menu


These are basic steps that i took to configure my server which works perfectly.