It seems you are asking about using NXDump (nxd) for creating diskless (RAM-only) systems, specifically performing a "deep" or raw post-processing dump.
Based on the keywords, here is a technical deep dive into how to use nxd for diskless operations and memory dumping.
NXD in NetBSD automates:
/etc/rc.conf.d/diskless/conf for overlaysIn FreeBSD, you replicate this manually:
# On NFS server (e.g., 192.168.1.10)
export ROOTDIR=/export/diskless/freebsd-14.2
mkdir -p $ROOTDIR
cd $ROOTDIR
# Install base system into $ROOTDIR (e.g., using makefs or tar from a release)
tar -xvf FreeBSD-14.2-RELEASE-base.txz -C $ROOTDIR
Then enable NFS export:
echo "$ROOTDIR -ro -alldirs -maproot=root" >> /etc/exports
service nfsd restart
To understand why NXD Diskless Free is gaining traction, look at the numbers (averaged from community benchmarks):
| Feature | Local SATA SSD | PXE Boot (NFS) | NXD Diskless Free (NVMe-oF) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Boot Time (OS) | 22 seconds | 4 minutes | 18 seconds | | 4K Random Read IOPS | 50,000 | 3,000 (Limited by Network) | 120,000 | | Management Overhead | High (Update 100 disks) | Medium | Low (Update 1 image) | | Power Consumption | High | Medium | Low (No client drives) | nxd diskless free
The Verdict: NXD Diskless Free is faster than local SATA SSDs and incomparably faster than legacy PXE, while drastically simplifying administration.
When an NXD-ready client boots (using a compatible NIC or a custom UEFI ROM), it sends a broadcast discovery request. The NXD Free server responds with: It seems you are asking about using NXDump
In the modern computing landscape, the traditional hard drive is often considered an indispensable component of a computer’s architecture. However, in environments ranging from bustling internet cafés to corporate call centers and educational labs, the hard drive represents a point of failure, a security risk, and a management burden. This is where NXD (Network Diskless) technology comes into play. By leveraging free and open-source diskless solutions, organizations can transform their hardware management, drastically reducing costs while increasing operational efficiency.