→ Applies to: VMware ESXi 6.5 and above
PXE Appliance Overview
The PXE (Pre-boot Execution Environment) appliance is a virtual machine (VM) designed to function as a centralized network deployment station.
It hosts dedicated software that allows other physical or virtual machines to boot and install operating systems directly over the network.
Prerequisites
– Storage: 160GB of free space on the datastore
– Network: Two Network Interfaces (NICs), one for external internet access and one dedicated to the deployment network (Port 0 or 1)
PXE VM - Hardware Specifications
| Component | Specification |
| OS | Rocky Linux (64-bit) |
| RAM | 8 or 16Gb RAM |
| vCPU | 4 vCpu |
| Disk | 160GB |
| Network | 2 Network Adapters |
| Firmware | EFI |
Deploy PXE VM
Step 1. Download and extract PXE zip file download
Step 2. Login to VMware ESXi GUI (replace <your_ip_address_or_hostname> with the correct ip/hostname)
https://<your_ip_address_or_hostname>
Step 3. Create the PXE VM (“How to Create a VM from OVA/OVF File in VMware ESXi”)
Ensure both extracted files are selected as in example below
Manage PXE VM
Check PXE VM IP address ("How to Check the IP Address of a PXE VM in VMware ESXi”)
Set PXE VM static IP address ("How to Configure a Static IP on a PXE VM in VMware ESXi”)
Manage PXE VM ISOs ("How to Manage ISOs on a PXE Appliance”)