NetBoot

<h2 id="process">Process</h2>
<p>A <a href="/facts/Disk_image/wbVUwIeh">disk image</a> with a copy of <a href="/facts/MacOS/Y93vVpTm">macOS</a>, <a href="/facts/MacOS_Server/KQxtGUEA">macOS Server</a>, <a href="/facts/Mac_OS_9/33QM3VqV">Mac OS 9</a>, or <a href="/facts/Mac_OS_8/Vde5S5hl">Mac OS 8</a> is created using <a href="/facts/System_Image_Utility/7DpAcbkN">System Image Utility</a> and is stored on a server, typically macOS Server. Clients receive this image across a network using many popular protocols including: <a href="/facts/HTTP_Secure/MSWYz4zo">HTTPS</a>, <a href="/facts/Apple_Filing_Protocol/LVdUujjq">AFP</a>, <a href="/facts/Trivial_File_Transfer_Protocol/TslBlcvJ">TFTP</a>, <a href="/facts/Network_File_System_(protocol)/jWRRALVo">NFS</a>, and <a href="/facts/Multicast/D9IspSfl">multicast</a> <a href="/facts/Apple_Software_Restore/y10mN3jy">Apple Software Restore</a> (ASR). Server-side NetBoot image can boot entire machines, although NetBoot is more commonly used for operating system and <a href="/facts/Software_deployment/9yMpwGTu">software deployment</a>, somewhat similar to <a href="/facts/Ghost_(disk_utility)/fRljX8VV">Norton Ghost</a>.
</p><p>Client machines first request network configuration information through <a href="/facts/Dynamic_Host_Configuration_Protocol/lpASHnhz">DHCP</a>, then a list of boot images and servers with <a href="/facts/Boot_Service_Discovery_Protocol/AhYktdYG">BSDP</a> and then proceed to download images with protocols mentioned above.
</p><p>Both Intel and <a href="/facts/Power_Macintosh/SARawrPX">PowerPC</a>-based servers can serve images for Intel and PowerPC-based clients.
</p>
<h2 id="netinstall">NetInstall</h2>
<p>NetInstall is a similar feature of macOS Server which utilizes NetBoot and ASR to deliver installation images to network clients (typically on first boot). Like NetBoot, NetInstall images can be created using the <a href="/facts/System_Image_Utility/7DpAcbkN">System Image Utility</a>. NetInstall performs a function for macOS similar to <a href="/facts/Windows_Deployment_Services/mcqbvVyg">Windows Deployment Services</a> for <a href="/facts/Microsoft/nGIDDXdx">Microsoft</a> clients, which depend on the Preboot Execution Environment.
</p>
<h2 id="legacy">Legacy</h2>
<p>Mac OS 8.5 and Mac OS 9 use only BOOTP/DHCP to get IP information, followed by a TFTP transfer of the <a href="/facts/New_World_ROM/dmIdWeVW">Mac OS ROM</a> <a href="/facts/ROM_Image/D7ngQLxV">file</a>. Next, two volumes are mounted via <a href="/facts/AppleTalk/6j3NRgTl">AppleTalk</a> over <a href="/facts/Internet_Protocol_Suite/KNkxtSpw">TCP</a> on which the client disk images reside. All in all, the Classic Mac OS uses three images; a System image which contains the operating system and may contain applications. Next a private image (or scratch disk) is mounted in an overlay over the read-only System image. Finally, an applications image is mounted. This image, however, may be empty.
</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Remote_Install_Mac_OS_X/1JhUHTwz">Remote Install Mac OS X</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="https://static.afp548.com/mactips/bootpd.html">Analysis of the Use of the Boot Server Discovery Protocol in NetBoot</a></li>
<li><a href="https://opensource.apple.com/source/bootp/bootp-170/Documentation/BSDP.doc">Apple detailed Boot Server Discovery Protocol Documentation</a></li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081230113317if_/http://images.apple.com/server/macosx/docs/L355778B_NetBoot_TB.pdf">NetBoot technical brief</a> at the <a href="/facts/Wayback_Machine/nmQ3a6JC">Wayback Machine</a> (archived 2008-12-30)</li>
<li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20091208184829/http://rogue.sdsu.edu/netboot/">NetBoot Network Deployment Guide</a> at the <a href="/facts/Wayback_Machine/nmQ3a6JC">Wayback Machine</a> (archived 2009-12-08)</li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>"Apple Announces Mac OS X Server". Apple, Inc. 1999-01-05. Archived from the original on 25 October 2004. Retrieved 2010-08-12. NetBoot, a new feature which allows a network of Macs to be booted and configured from a single server <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20041025032309/http://www.apple.com/ca/press/1999/01/MacOS_X_Server.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20041025032309/http://www.apple.com/ca/press/1999/01/MacOS_X_Server.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>Ryan Faas (2007-09-11). "Hands on: Configuring Apple's NetBoot service". Computerworld. Retrieved 2010-08-12. Apple's NetBoot technology has been a staple part of Mac OS X Server since the latter's original release. <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/article/2540855/network-software/hands-on--configuring-apple-s-netboot-service--part-1.html" target="_blank">http://www.computerworld.com/article/2540855/network-software/hands-on--configuring-apple-s-netboot-service--part-1.html</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"Boot modes overview of Mac computers". Apple Support. Retrieved 2020-12-29. <a href="https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/security/sec7703b1423/1/web/1" target="_blank">https://support.apple.com/en-nz/guide/security/sec7703b1423/1/web/1</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

NetBoot open-in-new

NetBoot