Intel(R) Boot Agent Release Notes March 15, 2000 ====================================================================== Introduction ------------ The Intel(R) Boot Agent is a software product that allows booting of a personal computer using a boot image that resides on a remote server. The product is compliant with the Wired for Management Baseline 2.0 (WfM 2.0) specification and incorporates the PXE client functionality described in the Pre-boot eXecution Environment Version 2.0 (PXE 2.0 and 2.1) specification. For more detailed information, refer to the Intel(R) Boot Agent User's Guide included on the product CD ROM. Installing the Boot Agent Software ---------------------------------- All Intel WfM-compatible adapters, such as the Intel(R) PRO/100+ Management Adapter, have a factory-installed, integrated flash ROM device that has been pre-programmed with a Boot Agent software image. Therefore, no software installation is required. Installation of the Boot Agent on other adapters requires a flash ROM device (non-volatile storage device) to be present within the client computer system. This flash ROM can take these forms: • A factory-installed, integrated flash ROM device on the computer motherboard with remote boot enabled LOM (LAN on motherboard) hardware support. • A field-upgraded, add-on flash ROM device installed into your network adapter. See the list of flash ROM devices that are compatible with Intel(R) PRO/100+ or PRO/100B adapters under "Flash ROM Devices Supported". In cases involving hardware upgrades, once a flash ROM is available within the client computer, a valid Boot Agent software image must then be installed onto the flash ROM. The way in which the Boot Agent software image is installed onto the flash ROM depends upon your hardware configuration. • If your computer includes the network adapter on its motherboard, the Boot Agent software might need to be installed as part of a motherboard BIOS code upgrade. Contact your computer or motherboard manufacturer to upgrade your motherboard BIOS code. Alternatively, it is possible that the motherboard has a ROM socket with a 64 KB flash ROM device. In this case, contact the motherboard manufacturer to get the code that must be loaded into the flash ROM. • If your computer uses a flash ROM-equipped adapter, use one of the following procedures depending upon whether you are installing or updating the Boot Agent software in a DOS environment or updating the Boot Agent in a Windows* environment. Installing/Updating the Boot Agent in a DOS Environment ------------------------------------------------------- Perform the following steps to install the Boot Agent software in a DOS environment: 1. The following operation requires use of a DOS bootable floppy disk containing an executable image of the fboot.exe utility as well as the current flash ROM image file, which will have an .FLS extension. If you do not have fboot.exe on your DOS bootable floppy disk, copy it to your system disk from the CD ROM that came with your product, or acquire the most up-to-date version from Intel's website at: http://support.intel.com 2. Using your DOS bootable floppy disk, boot your computer to a DOS prompt. Caution: The next several steps require that your computer be booted only to DOS and not from a Windows "DOS box". These steps cannot be performed from a DOS Command Prompt window or using a DOS task within Windows. Note: If the flash ROM device installed in the adapter ROM socket is already programmed (not blank), you may need to take steps to enable your computer to boot from the floppy drive. If necessary, disable the network boot function from either the BIOS setup program or the Boot Agent's configuration setup menu. Then reboot to the DOS bootable floppy disk containing the fboot utility that you just prepared. 3. Type: fboot The utility displays a list of all compatible network adapters found in your system. 4. In response to the first question from the utility, enter the following: a. If only one adapter is installed on your system, enter "1" to continue. b. If more than one adapter is installed in your system, you will need to enter the NIC number (from the displayed list) that corresponds to the Ethernet MAC Address of the desired adapter. The next information prompt should say: Select Option (U)pdate or (R)estore: 5. Type U (update) if you want the fboot utility to update the flash ROM device with the current version of Boot Agent software. Type R (restore) if you want the fboot utility to write a previously-stored flash image file onto the flash ROM device. Note1: As part of the Update operation, fboot creates a backup file on the floppy disk. Make sure that the write-enable tab on the floppy disk is properly set. Note2: Prior to the Restore operation, make sure that a flash image file is available in the same directory as the fboot utility. This file will have an automatically-generated filename with an .FLS extension. If you select the U (update) response, this prompt appears: Create Restore Image (Y)es or (N)o: 6. Type Y (yes) to create a flash image file from the current (not yet updated) image of the flash ROM device. Type N (no) to cause fboot to proceed without saving a copy of the current contents of the flash ROM device. If you choose not to save a copy of the current contents of the flash ROM device (type N), fboot asks you the following question: Continue Update Without Restore Image (Y)es or (N)o: 7. Type Y (yes) to continue, which will update the flash image. Type N (no) to cancel the update, which will leave the flash ROM contents unchanged. Note: The fboot utility automatically names the flash image file (backup file) as XXXXXXXX.FLS, where XXXXXXXX are the last eight digits of the adapter's Ethernet address. If there is already a flash image file in the fboot directory, delete it first if you want to save a new version of the flash ROM device image. The fboot utility will not overwrite this file. Once you have answered the questions posed by the fboot utility, it creates the flash image file (if appropriate), then writes the current version of the Boot Agent image to the flash ROM device used by your network adapter. (The Boot Agent image is embedded in the fboot utility itself.) This process takes approximately one minute and then fboot exits to the DOS prompt. Updating the Boot Agent in a Windows* Environment ------------------------------------------------- For instructions on updating the Boot Agent in a Windows environment, refer to the Intel(R) Boot Agent User's Guide. Flash ROM Devices Supported --------------------------- If you need to obtain a flash ROM device for your Intel(R) PRO/100+ or PRO/100B adapter, the following flash components are supported: Vendor Part No. ------ -------- AMD 28F020 ATMEL AT49BV512 ATMEL AT29LV512 ATMEL AT49LV010 CATALYST 28F256 CATALYST 28F512 CATALYST 28F010 CATALYST 28F020 INTEL 28F010 INTEL 28F020 SGS 28F512 SST 29LE512 SST 39SF512 SST 39VF512 Configuration Setup ------------------- Once you have installed the Boot Agent software, you may wish to change the default settings for some of the Boot Agent's configuration options. Generally, changing Boot Agent configuration options will be required only after the first time you add a new network adapter to a client computer within your network. You can access the Boot Agent's configuration setup program while the computer cycles through the boot process. The Intel(R) Boot Agent User's Guide provides detailed descriptions about the following topics related to configuration setup: • Configuring the Boot Agent in a Pre-Boot Environment • Configuring the Boot Agent in a Windows Environment Troubleshooting --------------- Once installed, the Boot Agent product has very few potential areas where problems can arise. In general, those problems (and possible causes) are as follows: • An error message "Media test failure, check cable" appears. The network cable between your computer and the network is disconnected, or there is a problem with the cable. • Cannot change boot order. See the detailed description in the Intel(R) Boot Agent User's Guide for corrective actions. • For any other problems, see the detailed descriptions in the Troubleshooting Procedures section of the Intel(R) Boot Agent User's Guide for corrective actions. * Third-party brands and names are the property of their respective owners.