The emBoot PXE Server Directory Service (PXESDS) significantly simplifies the management of PXE clients in networks with multiple PXE servers.

Prior to the availability of PXESDS, networks with multiple PXE servers had no means to predict which PXE server would respond to a client's boot request.

When multiple PXE servers were running on the same network, PXE clients would either boot from the PXE server running on the same system as the DHCP server (highest priority), or from whichever other PXE server was the first to respond.

With PXESDS, network administrators can specify which PXE server a client will boot from, and thus only need to configure and maintain that client's boot -related files on the designated PXE server.

The PXESDS service is normally installed on one server in the network. Installing PXESDS on multiple servers will offer fault tolerance, at the expense of having to maintain multiple copies of the client database.

PXESDS uses a standard-compliant implementation of the PXE client/server protocol to direct PXE clients to their designated PXE server.

On the client system, the PXE agent must be capable of supporting the PXESDS feature and should have PXESDS functionality enabled.

Features:

- Conforms to existing PXE standard (PXESDS-supportive clients function exactly as standard PXE
clients if no PXESDS server is installed)
- Standard PXE clients??в„ў functionality is not affected by a PXESDS server on the network
- Client PXESDS functionality can be enabled or disabled
- Client functionality can be deployed as either platform firmware, a boot option ROM, or on other
bootable media (floppy, hard drive, CD, CompactFlash, etc.)
Benefits:
- Provides reliable, deterministic PXE client to PXE server mapping
- Eases introduction and use of additional PXE servers into network, allowin g network administrators to derive the additional benefits that different vendors provide in this area.

* Requires PXE firmware that supports PXESDS