Broadcom® Boot Agent Driver Software: Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet Adapter User's Guide

This section describes the Boot Agent driver for the Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet Adapter and contains the following information:

Overview

Client Setup

Server Setup

Overview

The Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet Adapter has PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) and RPL (Remote Program Load) support. 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 on different environments where the motherboard may or may not have built-in base-code.

MBA 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. Broadcom MBA implementation has been tested successfully in the following environments:

Linux Red Hat PXE server. Broadcom PXE clients are able to remote-boot and utilize network resources (NFS mount, etc…) and to do Linux installation. In the case of a remote boot, the Linux universal driver binds seamlessly with the Broadcom UNDI (Universal Network Driver Interface) and provides a network interface in the Linux remote-booted client environment.
Microsoft Windows 2000. Remote Installation Services (RIS). Broadcom PXE clients are able to install Windows 2000 Professional from the network.
Microsoft Windows Server 2003. Remote Installation Services (RIS). Broadcom PXE clients are able to install Windows XP Professional from the network.
Intel APITEST. The Broadcom PXE driver passes all API compliance test suites.
DOS UNDI. Universal NDIS seamlessly binds with Broadcom UNDI to provide NDIS2 interface to the upper-layer protocol stack. This allows computers to connect to network resources in a DOS environment.
3Com® boot server.
Netware Remote Boot Server for RPL.
Rembo Server.

Client Setup

Setting up MBA client for Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet Adapter involves the following steps:

Select /program the appropriate PXE/MBA image.
Enable/disable the MBA driver with the provided Broadcom DOS utility.
Setup the BIOS for the boot order.

Select/Program Appropriate PXE/MBA Image

Broadcom Multiple Boot Agent (MBA) supports PXE and RPL. Multiple Agent drivers are released in the following binaries:

b57pxe.bin:

This is a monolithic image that consists of both base-code (BC) and UNDI code. This image should be used on the NIC application. However, an adapter programmed with this image is still operational in the motherboard's BIOS with built-in BC; the BC on the adapter will not be used. This image only supports PXE.

b57undi.bin:

This is an UNDI image that consists of UNDI code only (split implementation) which is intended for NIC application.

b57base.bin:

This is a BC image that consists of BC code only (split implementation) which is intended for LOM application. This module should be programmed on the motherboard's BIOS.

b57undi.lom:

This is an UNDI image that consists of UNDI code only (split implementation) which is intended for LOM application. This module should be programmed on on the motherboard's BIOS.

b57pxe.lom:

This is a monolithic image that consists of both base-code (BC) and UNDI code. This image is intended for LOM application. This image only supports PXE.

b57umba.lom:

This is an UNDI image that consists of UNDI code only (split implementation) which is intended for LOM application. This UNDI driver supports PXE and RPL. This module should be programmed on on the motherboard's BIOS.

b57mmba.nic:

This is a monolithic image that consists of both base-code (BC) and UNDI code. This image should be used on the NIC application. An adapter programmed with this image is still operational in the motherboard's BIOS with built-in BC; the BC on the adapter will not be used. This image supports both PXE and RPL.

b57mmba.lom:

This is a monolithic image that consists of both base-code (BC) and UNDI code. This image should be used on the LOM application. This image supports both PXE and RPL.

Application

Some example applications are used to clarify the usage of these binary images.

BCM570X LOM with PXE and RPL support: b57base.lom and b57umba.lom should be integrated with system BIOS.
BCM570X LOM with PXE support ONLY: b57base.bin and b57undi.lom should be integrated with system BIOS.
BCM570X NIC with PXE and RPL support: b57mmba.nic should be programmed to NIC's NVRAM (serial EEPROM/FLASH).
BCM570X NIC with PXE ONLY support: b57pxe.bin should be programmed to NIC's NVRAM (serial EEPROM/FLASH).

The PXE/MBA image can be programmed to the adapter's serial EEPROM or the motherboard's BIOS LAN On Motherboard (LOM). Broadcom provides a DOS utility (b57udiag) to program this image to the serial EEPROM. For the adapter, the PXE image is programmed into the EEPROM during the manufacturing process.

If the Broadcom adapter is on the motherboard (LOM), the MBA needs to be installed as a part of a motherboard BIOS code upgrade. Contact Dell for Bios versions with new MBA images programmed.

Enable/Disable

MBA is disabled by default. To enable MBA, boot up into DOS. The Broadcom software CD should be placed into the CD drive.

d:\DOS\utility

b57udiag -mba [ 0-disable | 1-enable ] -c <devnum>

where:

devnum= specific device(s) number (0,1,2,...) to be programmed

To enable boot agent with optionally selected boot agent, perform the following:

To specify the MBA protocol, boot up into DOS.

d:\DOS\utility

b57udiag -mbap [ 0-pxe | 1-rpl | 2-bootp ] -c <devnum>

where:

devnum= specific device(s) number (0,1,2,...) to be programmed

Boot Method

By default, MBA will detect if the BIOS supports BBS (BIOS Boot Specification). If the BIOS supports BBS, then MBA will use BBS as the boot method. If it does not support BBS, then it will use Int18h instead. However, for some legacy machines equipped with an old BIOS, this may not work. In this case, users must force MBA to use Int18h, Int19h, or BBS as the boot method.

To specify the boot method, press the following keys when you see the Broadcom startup banner:

________________________________
Broadcom NetXtreme Ethernet Boot Agent v3.1.29
Copyright (c) 2000-2003 Broadcom Corporation
All rights reserved
____________________________________

For Int18h : Ctrl + F8
For Int19h : Ctrl + F9
For BBS : Ctrl + F10

MBA Speed

MBA can be forced to a specific speed. To do this, place the Broadcom software CD in the CD drive (i.e., drive D) and boot up into DOS.

d:\DOS\utility

b57udiag -mbas [ 0-Auto | 1-10HD | 2-10FD | 3-100H | 4-100F ]

where:

devnum= specific device(s) number (0,1,2,...) to be programmed

Setup BIOS

To boot from the network with MBA, make MBA the first bootable device under BIOS. This procedure depends on server BIOS implementation. Please refer to the server's user manual.

Server Setup

Windows 2000

The current version of Windows 2000 does not include a network driver for the Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. To do remote installation 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. Please refer to Microsoft Article ID Q246184 - "How to Add Third-Party OEM Network Adapters to RIS Installations." An example of this RIS installation to modify your inf file, refer to the troubleshooting section under Software Problems and Solutions.

Also verify that you have the lastest Windows 2000 service pack installed on your system.

NOTE – For Windows 2000, if service pack 3 is installed, no modification to the inf file is necessary.

Windows Server 2003

The current version of Windows Server 2003 includes network drivers for some Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet Adapters (up to 5703). To do remote installation 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. Please refer to Microsoft Article ID Q246184 - "How to Add Third-Party OEM Network Adapters to RIS Installations." An example of this RIS installation to modify your inf file, refer to the troubleshooting section under Software Problems and Solutions.

DOS UNDI/APITEST

To boot in DOS and connect to a network for the DOS environment, download the Intel® PXE PDK from the Intel Web site. This PXE PDK comes with a TFTP/ProxyDHCP/Boot server. The PXE PDK can be downloaded from Intel at http://developer.intel.com/ial/WfM/tools/pxe/index.htm.

Red Hat Linux

Red Hat Linux 7.3 (or higher) distribution has PXE server support. It allows users to do a complete Linux installation over the network. Distribution also comes with boot images - boot kernel (vmlinuz) and initial ram disk (initrd). These two images can be found on the CD disk#1:

/images/pxeboot/vmlinuz

/images/pxeboot/initrd.img

Refer to Red Hat documentation for how to install PXE server on Linux.

In this version, it prompts you to insert a driver disk for drivers that are not part of the standard distribution. You can create a driver disk for the Broadcom NetXtreme™ Gigabit Ethernet Adapter from the image distributed with the Broadcom Software CD.

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 will bind with the UNDI code of the PXE to form a Linux network driver.

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Please read all restrictions and disclaimers.

b57pxe.bin:	This is a monolithic image that consists of both base-code (BC) and UNDI code. This image should be used on the NIC application. However, an adapter programmed with this image is still operational in the motherboard's BIOS with built-in BC; the BC on the adapter will not be used. This image only supports PXE.
b57undi.bin:	This is an UNDI image that consists of UNDI code only (split implementation) which is intended for NIC application.
b57base.bin:	This is a BC image that consists of BC code only (split implementation) which is intended for LOM application. This module should be programmed on the motherboard's BIOS.
b57undi.lom:	This is an UNDI image that consists of UNDI code only (split implementation) which is intended for LOM application. This module should be programmed on on the motherboard's BIOS.
b57pxe.lom:	This is a monolithic image that consists of both base-code (BC) and UNDI code. This image is intended for LOM application. This image only supports PXE.
b57umba.lom:	This is an UNDI image that consists of UNDI code only (split implementation) which is intended for LOM application. This UNDI driver supports PXE and RPL. This module should be programmed on on the motherboard's BIOS.
b57mmba.nic:	This is a monolithic image that consists of both base-code (BC) and UNDI code. This image should be used on the NIC application. An adapter programmed with this image is still operational in the motherboard's BIOS with built-in BC; the BC on the adapter will not be used. This image supports both PXE and RPL.
b57mmba.lom:	This is a monolithic image that consists of both base-code (BC) and UNDI code. This image should be used on the LOM application. This image supports both PXE and RPL.