Overview
Setting Up the Multi-Boot Agent (MBA) in a Client Environment
Setting
Up the Multi-Boot Agent in a Server Environment
Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet adapters support Preboot Execution Environment (PXE), Remote Program Load (RPL), and Bootstrap Protocol (BootP). Multi-Boot Agent (MBA) is a software module that allows your networked computer to boot with the images provided by remote servers across the network. The Broadcom MBA driver complies with the PXE 2.1 specification and is released with both monolithic and split binary images. This provides flexibility to users in different environments where the motherboard may or may not have built-in base code.
The MBA module operates in a client/server environment. A network consists of one or more boot servers that provide boot images to multiple computers through the network. The Broadcom implementation of the MBA module has been tested successfully in the following environments:
Linux® Red Hat® PXE Server. Broadcom PXE clients are able to remotely boot and use network resources (NFS mount, and so forth) and to perform Linux installations. In the case of a remote boot, the Linux universal driver binds seamlessly with the Broadcom Universal Network Driver Interface (UNDI) and provides a network interface in the Linux remotely-booted client environment.
Microsoft® Windows® 2000 and Windows Server 2003. Using Windows Remote Installation Services (RIS), Broadcom PXE clients are able to perform remote installations from the network.
Intel® APITEST. The Broadcom PXE driver passes all API compliance test suites.
MS-DOS UNDI. The MS-DOS Universal Network Driver Interface (UNDI) seamlessly binds with the Broadcom UNDI to provide a network device driver interface specification (NDIS2) interface to the upper layer protocol stack. This allows computers to connect to network resources in an MS-DOS environment.
Rembo Technology Auto-Deploy Server
Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 Remoteboot Server
Setting up MBA in a client environment involves the following steps:
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NOTE: The B57udiag.exe file is on the installation CD. |
where
devnum is the specific adapter number (0,1,2,…) for which to enable the MBA driver.
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NOTE: You can use the MBA Configuration Menu to configure the MBA driver one adapter at a time as described below, or you can use the Broadcom NetXtreme User Diagnostics MS-DOS based application to simultaneously configure the MBA driver for multiple adapters. |
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NOTE: The message prompting you to press CTRL+S is displayed once for each Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet adapter you have in your computer. The messages are displayed in the same order as the assigned adapter device number. |
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NOTE: If you have multiple adapters in your computer and you are unsure which adapter you are configuring, press CTRL+F6, which causes the port LEDs on the adapter to start blinking. |
To boot from the network with the MBA, make the MBA enabled adapter the first bootable device under the BIOS. This procedure depends on the computer BIOS implementation. Refer to the user manual for the computer for instructions.
The Red Hat Linux 8.0 (or later) distribution has PXE Server support. It allows users to remotely perform a complete Linux installation over the network. The distribution comes with the boot images boot kernel (vmlinuz) and initial ram disk (initrd), which are located on the Red Hat disk#1:
/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz
/images/pxeboot/initrd.img
Refer to the Red Hat documentation for instructions on how to install PXE Server on Linux.
The Initrd.img file distributed with Red Hat 8.0, however, does not have a Linux network driver for the Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet adapter.
This version requires drivers that are not part of the standard distribution. You can create a driver disk for the Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet adapter using files obtained from the support website. Refer to the Linux Readme.txt file for more information.
A remote boot does not require a standard Linux network driver for the Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet adapter. After the PXE client downloads the Linux kernel and initial ram disk, the Linux universal driver that came with the Linux distribution binds with the UNDI code of the PXE to form a Linux network driver.
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NOTE: Refer to the Distrib.txt file on the installation CD for a list of the specific Linux distributions on which the driver has been tested. |
The current version of Windows Server 2003/Windows XP does not include the latest released network driver for the Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet adapter. You can create a driver disk for the adapter using files obtained from the support website. To perform remote installations with PXE, include a network driver for the NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet adapter as a part of the client installation image on the server. Refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article, "How to Add Third-Party OEM Network Adapters to RIS Installations." See also Troubleshooting for details.
The current version of Windows 2000 does not include a network driver for the Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet adapter. You can create a driver disk for the adapter using files obtained from the support website. To perform remote installations with PXE, include a network driver for the Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet adapter as a part of the client's installation image on the server. Refer to Microsoft Knowledge Base Article, "How to Add Third-Party OEM Network Adapters to RIS Installations." See also Troubleshooting for details.
To boot in DOS mode and connect to a network for the DOS environment, download the Intel PXE PDK from the Intel website. This PXE PDK comes with a TFTP/ProxyDHCP/Boot server. The PXE PDK can be downloaded from Intel at http://www.intel.com/support/network/adapter/pro100/bootagent/30619.htm.
For instructions on setting up Rembo Technology Auto-Deploy Server, refer to the Rembo Auto-Deploy Organizer at http://www.rembo.com.
For instructions on setting up Windows NT 4.0 Remoteboot Server, refer to Remoteboot (Chapter 15) from the Microsoft TechNet website (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/TechNet/prodtechnol/winntas/support/sur_rpl.asp).