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Installation: Intel® Boot Agent User Guide

Client Computer Hardware Installation
Installing the Boot Agent Software Image

Client Computer Hardware Installation

Before you install the Boot Agent, make sure the client computer's hardware is installed properly. To do this, make sure that a compatible network adapter is installed and the Boot Agent software image resides within the network adapter's flash ROM. The following topics guide you through the hardware installation process:

Setup for a Known Configuration

If you have an Intel WfM-compatible adapter installed in your computer, the flash ROM device is already available in your adapter, and no further installation steps are necessary. However, you may still wish to configure the Boot Agent software. To do so, see Configuration.

NOTE: Use IBAUtil to enable the flash ROM.

Identifying the Client Computer Configuration

To determine the hardware configuration of your client computer without removing its cover:

  1. Examine the back panel of the computer to determine if there is a network adapter already installed. The following figure shows the back panel of a typical computer, and indicates the areas you should examine:

  2. If there is a network connector in the back panel cluster only, it is possible that the computer motherboard incorporates compatible LAN on motherboard (LOM) hardware. If your motherboard is equipped with LOM hardware, follow the motherboard manufacturer's instructions to check if your computer's BIOS already handles Boot Agent capability. Otherwise, ask your manufacturer for a new BIOS upgrade for your system.

  3. If there is no network connector at the back of your computer, you must install a network adapter. Refer to the installation procedures for the adapter for any setup requirements.

  4. If there is a network connector in one of the add-in board slots, there might be a compatible network adapter already installed in the computer. Perform the following sub-steps to identify all compatible network adapters already installed in your computer:

    1. Boot your computer to DOS (a DOS Command Prompt window will not work).

    2. From the drive or directory containing the Boot Agent software, type IBAUTIL and then press <Enter>.

    IBAUtil lists the compatible network adapters installed in the system.

Flash ROM and Intel WfM-compatible Adapters

All Intel Wired for Management-compatible (WfM-compatible) adapters are equipped with an integrated flash ROM device. The Boot Agent software image is pre-programmed into the flash ROM device at the factory; therefore, no software installation is required.

Some cases require that you update the flash ROM with a new Boot Agent software image. For example, you must update the flash ROM when upgrading to a newer version of the Boot Agent software. For information about installing or updating flash ROM with a new Boot Agent software image, select the desired environment below:

In the event that you wish to install flash ROM in an adapter that has an empty socket, see Boot-related Resources for instructions to access a list of flash ROM devices that are compatible with the Intel Boot Agent.

Installing the Boot Agent Software Image

Intel WfM-compatible adapters, such as the Intel PRO/100 S Server 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.
NOTE: Use IBAUtil to enable the flash ROM.

In the event that you wish to install flash ROM in an adapter that has an empty socket (Intel PRO/100 adapters only), see Boot-related Resources for instructions to access a list of flash ROM devices that are compatible with the Intel Boot Agent.

In cases involving hardware upgrades, once a flash ROM device is available within the client computer, a valid Boot Agent software image must be installed onto the flash ROM device. The way in which the Boot Agent software image is installed within the flash ROM depends upon your hardware configuration.

Installing/Updating in DOS Environments

In this procedure, you will use an executable flash tool called IBAUtil that has the necessary Boot Agent images stored within the executable. You will select the NIC you want to flash, and indicate whether or not you want the Boot Agent to create a backup image of the old flash before flashing a new Boot Agent image. IBAUtil then erases the flash before writing the new Boot Agent image onto the flash.

To use IBAUtil to install or update the Boot Agent software in a DOS environment:

  1. Obtain a DOS-bootable floppy disk containing an executable image of IBAUtil. If you do not have IBAUtil.EXE on your DOS bootable floppy disk, copy it to your system disk from the CD-ROM that came with your product under the \APPS\BOOTAGNT directory, or acquire the most up-to-date version from Customer Support.
  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. 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 IBAUtil upgrade that you just prepared.
  3. Type IBAUTIL -upgrade and press <Enter>.
    A message similar to the one below appears showing a list of all compatible network adapters found in your system, assuming both the adapter and the flash ROM device are properly installed.
    NOTE: Actual adapter-related data may vary depending upon adapters installed.

               Adapter Choices

    === ================ ======= ==========
    NIC Network Address Series Boot Agent
    === ================ ======= ==========
    1 00D0B7D36018 1229 Disabled
    2 000347003E35 100C Enabled

    Select NIC to update or ESC to quit:

  4. Type the number that corresponds to the Ethernet address of the desired adapter to continue. The next question appears:

    Select Option (U)pdate or (R)estore:
  5. Type U (Update) if you want the IBAUtil utility to update the flash ROM device with the current version of Boot Agent software. Type R (Restore) if you want IBAUtil to write a previously stored flash image file onto the flash ROM device.

    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 backup of the current contents of the flash ROM device (not yet updated) onto a file. If such a file already exists, you will be asked if you want to overwrite the file. If you type Y (yes), the flash image file is overwritten with the current contents of the flash ROM. The new Boot Agent image is then written into the flash ROM device used by the adapter. The process takes approximately one minute.
    NOTE: IBAUtil automatically names the flash image file (backup file) as XXXXXXXX.FLS, where XXXXXXXX are the last eight digits of the adapter's Ethernet address. So, if you selected 1 (the first NIC listed) in step 4 above, the backup file's name would be B7D36018.FLS.

    --or--

    Type N (no) to cause IBAUtil to proceed without first saving a copy of the current contents of the flash ROM device onto a file. IBAUtil asks you to confirm your choice as follows:

    Continue Update without Restore Image? (Y)es or (N)o:

    If you type N (no), IBAUtil cancels the update and returns you to the DOS prompt. If you type Y (yes), a new Boot Agent image is written into the flash ROM device used by the adapter.

Installing/Updating in Windows Environments Using Intel PROSet

NOTE: The Windows version of Intel PROSet can flash the Boot ROM. However, if you need to disable the Boot ROM, use IBAUtil from a DOS environment.
NOTE: The Boot Agent update operation involves writing the Boot Agent image into the flash ROM, which may temporarily disable the operation of the Windows network device driver.

You can use Intel PROSet to install or update the Boot Agent software in Windows environments as follows:

  1. When downloading a flash ROM image file from Customer Support, be sure to save it to a temporary directory or a location where you can easily locate it for this procedure.
  2. Install the Intel PROSet software onto the system.
  3. Open Intel PROSet by double-clicking the icon on the lower-right corner of the desktop.
  4. From Intel PROSet, select the appropriate WFM-compliant adapter and click the Boot Agent tab. The Boot Agent tab appears like the one shown in the screen image below. If the tab does not appear, update your network driver.
     
    NOTE: If the Intel Boot Agent is disabled on your adapter, the Boot Agent tab will not appear when you select the adapter in Intel PROSet. Use IBAUtil to enable the Intel Boot Agent. See Running IBAUtil for more information.
    NOTE: Intel PROSet also allows you to change configuration settings for PXE and RPL environments. Therefore, if you select an adapter that operates in PXE or RPL environments from the devices listed under Network Components on the left side of the Intel PROSet screen below, you may view or change configuration settings that appear on the right side of the screen. To do so, refer to Configuring the Boot Agent in a Windows Environment. Not all configuration settings are available for some flash ROMs.


  5. Press Ctrl+S to enable a special capability allowing you to change the various configuration settings.
  6. Select the adapter that contains the flash ROM you want to update from those listed under Network Components on the left side of the screen.
  7. Click the Update Boot Agent button. If the Windows network device driver is active (loaded and enabled), or if the Windows network device driver is inactive (disabled or not loaded), a dialog box appears.
  8. In either case, click Yes to continue with the update process.
  9. If you want to create a backup of the current flash ROM image before updating the flash, click Yes. The Save Existing Flash Image As dialog appears. Proceed to step 10.

    If not saving a backup of the current flash ROM image to a file, click No. A dialog box appears. Click Yes to continue and then proceed to step 11.
  10. Click Save if you want to accept the default path and filename (the filename defaults to the adapter's unique MAC address). Otherwise, modify these parameters and then click Save.
  11. At the Open File dialog box, click Open if the desired flash ROM image file you stored in step 1 appears as the screen's default path and filename. Otherwise, modify the path and filename and then click Open.

    The flash ROM update process takes between five and ten seconds; for a serial flash, this process takes up to 90 seconds. A progress control gauge appears while the update operation is in progress. The Boot Agent software image is now copied to the flash ROM.

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