RIS setup questions

Hello:

I'd like to evaluate RIS (Windows Server 2003) and have some questions.

1) Besides taking up network bandwidth, would there be any major problem if
I set up a test RIS server on the production network?
2) I've been doing some reading up on RIS
(http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...2003/all/deplo
yguide/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/WindowsServ/2003/all/d
eployguide/en-us/acicc_ris_lswa.asp) and just need clarification on how the
PXE client and RIS sever establish communications. Does the DHCP server
notify the RIS server of the client, or does the DHCP server direct the
client to the RIS server? For simplicity, assume that there is only one
subnet and one RIS server.
3) Would installing RIS cause any potential problems with DHCP client leases
on the existing DHCP server?

Thank you for your replies.

Sincerely,
Martin

The DHCP server provides PXE extension tags to the PXE client and the client
then negoiates the remainder of the process with the responding RIS server -
See:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/pro.../remoteos.mspx

You can enable RIS in a production environment on the existing subnet;
however, I recommend that you create a new subnet to experiment with RIS.
You can do this by placing a second NIC in any Windows machine and enabling
routing and connecting to a cheap switch for RIS clients - then install a
DHCP/RIS server on the new subnet. If you do not have an available server
for the new subnet, install a second NIC in your existing DHCP server and
create a new scope for RIS clients. Many production environments have an
old clunker with 2 NICs and a switch which functions as a kind of portable
DHCP/RIS server.

Doug Sherman
MCSE Win2k/NT4.0, MCSA, MCP+I, MVP

"MartinHTN" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello:
>
> I'd like to evaluate RIS (Windows Server 2003) and have some questions.
>
> 1) Besides taking up network bandwidth, would there be any major problem
if
> I set up a test RIS server on the production network?
> 2) I've been doing some reading up on RIS
>
(http://www.microsoft.com/resources/d...2003/all/deplo
>
yguide/en-us/Default.asp?url=/resources/documentation/WindowsServ/2003/all/d
> eployguide/en-us/acicc_ris_lswa.asp) and just need clarification on how
the
> PXE client and RIS sever establish communications. Does the DHCP server
> notify the RIS server of the client, or does the DHCP server direct the
> client to the RIS server? For simplicity, assume that there is only one
> subnet and one RIS server.
> 3) Would installing RIS cause any potential problems with DHCP client
leases
> on the existing DHCP server?
>
> Thank you for your replies.
>
> Sincerely,
> Martin
>
>

I'd just add this. Consider experimenting with virtual machines. VMWare has
support for PXE boot on virtual NIC. I did it and it works great.

Dusko Savatovic