This goal requires a client to use a set of pre-boot services, based on industry standard network protocols. Since the beginning of computer networks, there has been a persistent need for client systems which can boot appropriate software images, with appropriate configuration parameters, both retrieved at boot time from one or more network servers. In modern data centers, PXE is the most frequent choice for operating system booting, installation and deployment. The concept behind the PXE originated in the early days of protocols like BOOTP/DHCP/TFTP, and as of 2015 it forms part of the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) standard. On the client side it requires only a PXE-capable network interface controller (NIC), and uses a small set of industry-standard network protocols such as DHCP and TFTP. In computing, the Preboot eXecution Environment, PXE (most often pronounced as / ˈ p ɪ k s iː/ pixie, often called PXE Boot/ pixie boot.) specification describes a standardized client–server environment that boots a software assembly, retrieved from a network, on PXE-enabled clients.

Tiny tftp server