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PXE: Stands for Preboot eXecution Environment. This a widely supported boot
method that allows a system to get its boot image over the network instead of
from a local hard drive, CDROM, or floppy. This boot image can be used to
install a new OS, among other things.
Anaconda: this is Red Hat's installation program for Red Hat Linux and, later,
Fedora Linux, and used by numerous other Linux distributions as well.
Kickstart: a kickstart file is a set of installation instructions that can
optionally be provided to Anaconda to allow for a fully-automated or
partially-automated installation.
DHCP: Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol. A client can send a DHCP request
on the network for an IP address and a DHCP server, if available, will respond
with the proper network configuration for the client. This is an alternative
to static IP address assignment (although a DHCP server can also be configured
to always give specific IPs to specific hosts). Hosts are tracked and
identified using their MAC addresses.
MAC: Media Access Control. Each Ethernet adapter in the world has a unique
MAC address, including VMware virtual machines. This MAC address is visible
to other machines on the local network and is used by the DHCP server to
identify each system. It is also used by the PXE booter to provide a
system-specific boot file, if necessary. Note that in VMware, changing the
path or name of a machine may change its MAC address, and it is possible for a
MAC address conflict to occur between different VMware instances on the same
bridged network.
Profile: A profile is a specific set of Kickstart settings that you may use to
install one or more hosts through the KickstartWeb system.
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