Broadcom Boot Agent Driver Software: Broadcom NetXtreme BCM57XX User Guide

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 system to boot with the images provided by remote systems 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/system environment. A network consists of one or more boot systems that provide boot images to multiple systems 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.

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 systems to connect to network resources in an MS-DOS environment.

Remote Installation Service (RIS). The Broadcom PXE clients are able to remotely boot to a Windows Server 2008 system running RIS to initialize and install Windows Server 2008 and prior operating systems.

Windows Deployment Service (WDS). For Windows Server 2003 SP2, RIS was replaced by WDS, which offers a Broadcom PXE client to install Windows operating systems, including Windows Server 2008.

Setting Up MBA in a Client Environment

Use the following procedure for add-in NICs. For LOMs, refer to your computer's system guide.

Enabling the MBA driver.

Configuring the MBA driver.

Setting up the BIOS for the boot order.

Enabling the MBA Driver

Insert the driver source media in the CD-ROM drive and boot up in DOS mode.

Type:

drive:\dos\utility

where

drive is the drive letter of the CD-ROM drive.

NOTE: The B57udiag.exe file is on the installation CD.

Type:

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

where

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

Specifying the MBA Protocol

Place the driver source media in the CD-ROM drive and boot up in DOS mode.

Type:

drive:\dos\utility

where

drive is the drive letter of the CD-ROM drive.

Type:

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

where

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

Forcing the MBA to a Specific Speed

Place the driver source media in the CD-ROM drive and boot up in DOS mode.

Type:

drive:\dos\utility

where

drive is the drive letter of the CD-ROM drive.

Type:

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

where

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

Configuring the MBA Driver

This section pertains to configuring the MBA driver on add-in NIC models of the Broadcom network adapter. For configuring the MBA driver on LOM models of the Broadcom network adapter, check your system documentation.

Insert the installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and boot up in DOS mode.

Using CCM

Restart your system.

Press CTRL+s within 4 seconds after you are prompted to do so. A list of adapters displays.

Select the adapter to configure and press Enter. The Main Menu displays.

Select MBA Configuration to display the MBA Configuration menu.

Use the UP ARROW and DOWN ARROW keys to move to the Boot Protocol menu item. Then use the RIGHT ARROW or LEFT ARROW key to select the boot protocol of choice if other boot protocols besides Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) are available. If available, other boot protocols include Remote Program Load (RPL) and Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP).

NOTE: If you have multiple adapters in your system and you are unsure which adapter you are configuring, press CTRL+F6, which causes the port LEDs on the adapter to start blinking.

Use the UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW, LEFT ARROW, and RIGHT ARROW keys to move to and change the values for other menu items, as desired.

Press F4 to save your settings.

Press ESC when you are finished.

Using uEFI

Restart your system.

Enter the System Setup or Device Setting configuration menu.

Select the device on which you want to change MBA settings.

Select MBA Configuration Menu.

Use the drop-down menu to select the boot protocol of choice, if boot protocols other than Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) are available. If available, other boot protocols include iSCSI and Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP).

NOTE: For iSCSI boot-capable LOMs, the boot protocol is set via the BIOS. See your system documentation formore information.

Use the UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW, LEFT ARROW, and RIGHT ARROW keys to move to and change the values for other menu items, as desired.

Select Back to go to Main menu

Select Finish to save and exit.

Setting Up the BIOS

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 system BIOS implementation. Refer to the user manual for the system for instructions.

Setting Up MBA in a Server Environment

Linux Red Hat PXE Server

The Red Hat Enterprise Linux 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:

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.NetXtreme 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.

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.

DOS UNDI/Intel APITEST

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://downloadcenter.intel.com/default.aspx.