NetBoot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
NetBoot is a technology from Apple that enables New World ROM Macs to boot from a network.
A disk image with a copy of Mac OS X or Mac OS 8/9 is stored on a server (typically Mac OS X Server). Clients receive this image across a network using many popular protocols including but not limited to: HTTPS, AFP, TFTP, NFS, and Multicast ASR. Server-side NetBoot image can boot entire machines, although NetBoot is more commonly used for Operating System and software deployment, somewhat similar to Norton Ghost.
To NetBoot a client machine, hold the "N" key as the Macintosh boots, or select the netboot server using the Startup Disk preference pane (or control panel in OS 9).
The transition to Intel has not affected NetBoot. Both Intel and PowerPC-based Servers can serve images for Intel and PowerPC based clients.
NetBoot was first announced as a part of Mac OS X Server 1.0 at the Macworld Conference & Expo on January 5, 1999.
