CONTENTS............................................................................ iii

About This Guide................................................................... vii

What's New in this Release..................................................... viii

Chapter 1: Introduction............................................................ 1

Manageable PCs..................................................................... 1

3Com Managed PC Solutions—Key Capabilities.............................. 1

Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA).................................................. 2

Features............................................................................... 3

Boot Image Editor................................................................... 4

Documentation Overview:..................................................... 4

Chapter 2: Installing MBA.......................................................... 5

PC Requirements..................................................................... 5

Quick Start............................................................................ 5

MBA ROM Installation............................................................... 6

Types of MBA Installation..................................................... 6

ROM Installation.................................................................. 6

Boot Image Editor Installation.................................................... 9

Chapter 3: Configuring MBA..................................................... 11

Programming Your MBA ROM Using MBAFLASH............................. 11

MBA Base Code and UNDI Components...................................... 12

Setting the Boot Order on PCs with BBS BIOS............................. 13

Configuring MBA's Options....................................................... 14

Configuration Tables........................................................... 15

Changing the Options......................................................... 24

Using the MBA-Based Configuration....................................... 24

Using the MBACFG Utility..................................................... 25

Changing Configuration Options Using a Configuration File.......... 26

Changing Configuration Options from the MBACFG Command Line 28

Updating your MBA ROM......................................................... 28

Updating to a Newer MBA Version......................................... 28

Restoring a Previously Backed-up Version............................... 29

Chapter 4: Using MBA Base Code............................................. 33

Boot Failure.......................................................................... 34

Displaying Verbose Status Information (v or Ctrl+Alt).................. 34

Displaying MBA Information (Shift+Shift).................................... 34

Troubleshooting.................................................................... 35

Compatibility Problems with Option ROMs for Hard Disk or SCSI Controllers 35

Using ROMSCAN for Troubleshooting and Diagnostics................ 35

Chapter 5: Using Pre-OS.......................................................... 37

Introduction......................................................................... 37

Pre-OS Framework................................................................. 38

PC Pre-OS Bootup Sequence................................................ 39

Creating Pre-OS Boot Images.................................................. 39

Defining Boot Image Content................................................ 40

Creating TCP/IP or PXE Pre-OS Boot Images........................... 41

Creating NetWare Pre-OS Boot Images.................................. 42

Sample Pre-OS Frameworks..................................................... 42

TCP/IP or PXE Pre-OS Sample.............................................. 42

NetWare Pre-OS Sample..................................................... 44

Technical Information............................................................. 45

Chapter 6: Using MBA in TCP/IP Environments.......................... 47

Introduction......................................................................... 47

TCP/IP-Specific Features.................................................... 47

Network Requirements........................................................ 47

Quick Setup......................................................................... 48

Setting Up the Server............................................................ 50

BOOTP Service.................................................................. 50

DHCP Service.................................................................... 50

TFTP Service.................................................................... 50

Setting Up the PC................................................................. 50

Creating a Boot Diskette..................................................... 51

Creating a Boot Image File Using Boot Image Editor.................. 51

Boot Screen..................................................................... 52

Other Tools.......................................................................... 53

UNDIS3C.DOS: 3Com Universal NDIS Driver............................. 53

FREEMEM: Free RAM Disk Memory......................................... 57

BPPATCH: Supporting Replaceable Parameters......................... 57

Application Notes.................................................................. 58

Using Memory Managers...................................................... 58

Troubleshooting.................................................................... 59

Quick Fixes: What to Check First.......................................... 59

MBA Messages.................................................................. 59

File Transfer Error Messages................................................ 59

Chapter 7: Using MBA in a Wired for Management Environment Using PXE 61

Introduction......................................................................... 61

Quick Setup......................................................................... 63

Boot Screen..................................................................... 63

Creating a PXE Boot Image File Using Boot Image Editor............ 64

Chapter 8: Using MBA in NetWare Environments........................ 65

Introduction......................................................................... 65

Network Requirements........................................................ 65

Quick Setup......................................................................... 66

Boot Screen..................................................................... 68

Creating a Boot Image File Using Boot Image Editor...................... 68

Boot Using MBA................................................................. 71

Supporting Different PCs with One Boot Image............................ 71

Creating Additional Boot Image Files.......................................... 72

Creating and Editing the BOOTCONF.SYS Boot Index File........... 72

Avoiding AUTOEXEC.BAT Conflicts in SYS:LOGIN...................... 74

Using Boot Image Editor to Create Additional Boot Image Files.... 74

Selecting Different Images at Boot Time.................................... 74

Multiple Servers: How the MSD NLM Can Help............................. 75

Installing MSD................................................................... 76

MSD Command Line Options.................................................... 76

NODEFAULT Mode.............................................................. 77

MSD Console Display.......................................................... 77

MSD PC Messages.............................................................. 77

Other Tools.......................................................................... 78

CHKID: Conditional Execution Based on Node Address............... 78

Boot Image Editor: Edit and View Boot Image Files................... 79

ROMTYPE: Conditional Execution Based on MBA Type............... 79

Application Notes.................................................................. 80

Using Novell's Client 32 for DOS/Windows with MBA.................. 80

Formatting Diskettes Using Windows...................................... 80

Transferring From the Boot Image to SYS:LOGIN...................... 80

Troubleshooting.................................................................... 81

Quick Fixes: What to Check First.......................................... 81

MBA Messages.................................................................. 81

Batch File Missing Messages and How to Avoid Them................ 83

Chapter 9: Using MBA in Remote Program Load Environments.... 85

Introduction......................................................................... 85

RPL-Specific Features......................................................... 85

Quick Setup......................................................................... 86

Setting Up the NT Server........................................................ 86

Boot Screen..................................................................... 87

Application Notes.................................................................. 88

Creating and Editing BootBlock and Configurations for NICs........ 88

Troubleshooting.................................................................... 89

Appendix A: Technical Support................................................. 91

Online Technical Services................................................ 91

World Wide Web Site.......................................................... 91

3Com Knowledgebase Web Services...................................... 91

3Com FTP Site.................................................................. 91

3Com Bulletin Board Service................................................. 92

3ComFacts Automated Fax Service....................................... 92

Support from Your Network Supplier...................................... 93

Support from 3Com............................................................ 93

Returning Products for Repair............................................... 97

3Com Corporation LIMITED WARRANTY................................... 101

Glossary.... 105

Index........ 113

Chapter 1: Introduction

Thank you for choosing Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA), the world's best-selling network preboot solution for PC networks. MBA is a package of multi-protocol firmware and software tools that enables the network administrator to remotely administer software, operating systems, and applications over the network, eliminating the need to visit the client's desktop in person. MBA is a universal, easy to configure preboot solution that is compatible with today's client and network operating systems.

With MBA installed, your client PCs can boot from the network regardless of the contents of their local hard drives or, in some cases, without any local drives at all. MBA makes sure your users connect to the network every time.

It's true—You can't compute if you can't boot.

MBA enables new and existing PCs to take advantage of preboot management technology to perform operating system and application installations or upgrades as well as desktop disaster recovery. MBA includes the Wired for Management (WfM) standard PXE protocol, but goes beyond that to include legacy boot protocol support for networks such as NetWare and UNIX. MBA is the most universal, pervasive preboot solution available on the market today.

Manageable PCs

To take advantage of current and emerging Managed PC applications, companies need PCs that can cooperate in the management process. These PCs have management-ready network interface cards (NICs) with functions implemented in firmware, software, and hardware. While some features are applicable only to newer PCs, many can be implemented on existing PCs through a software download, flash ROM update or ROM upgrade.

In selecting management-ready PC NICs, companies can smooth the transition to a centrally-managed environment by choosing products that support the widest range of industry-standard protocols, existing network administration services and tools, and management applications. Wise choices will also help to future-proof investments for what is sure to be a period of emerging technology developments and rapid change.

3Com Managed PC Solutions—Key Capabilities

3Com, the world's leading supplier of desktop and workgroup networking solutions, offers a full range of Managed PC features for Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Token Ring product lines. These products offer consumers a unique advantage: state-of-the-art management intelligence built into industry-leading 3Com NICs, which are known for their performance, reliability, and compatibility.

3Com's Managed PC solutions are compatible with leading management applications, including those from Microsoft, ON Technology Corporation, HP, Tivoli, Platinum Technologies, Network Associates, and Intel. 3Com NICs support new and emerging standards including Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE), Desktop Management Interface (DMI), Wired for Management (WfM), and Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI).

Currently, 3Com's product line supports three key network management capabilities: Remote Wake Up, Managed PC Boot Agent for remote preboot capabilities, and Desktop Management Interface 2.05 for advanced instrumentation discovery and configuration.

Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA)

What It Does

The Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA) enables a PC to boot from a remote server even if the local operating system (OS) is unable to boot or is nonexistent. It enables administrators to perform a wide range of preboot management tasks such as virus scanning, backups, disaster recovery, reconfiguration, and applications and OS installation and updates. MBA can also be used to compare desktop profiles to a centralized software image from a server. MBA can enable a multicast boot, bringing up hundreds of PCs simultaneously. All of these preboot processes are transparent to the user, since the PC behaves as if the boot took place from the local hard drive.

Benefits

MBA improves IS productivity and responsiveness as well as end-user satisfaction by eliminating most of the need for on-site troubleshooting and disaster recovery. Instead, the vast majority of problems can be solved remotely and rapidly. Studies show that nearly half of all help desk calls are related to booting problems, which are normally impossible to solve remotely. Because boot failures typically make it impossible for users to connect with the network, even the most sophisticated enterprise management tools at the administrator's disposal are of no use.

MBA guarantees that every PC on the network—even those with damaged operating systems and new PCs with no OS and unformatted hard disks—will connect to the network. The ability to boot under management control also protects PCs when they are most vulnerable to boot sector viruses. In addition, MBA improves IS productivity by enabling administrators to configure or update any number of PCs very efficiently by making changes to a single image on a network server.

How MBA Works

PCs can be configured to boot from a server using a combination of configuration files, boot image files, and (needed in most cases) software residing on the server's hard disk. MBA retrieves the required information (for example, an operating system, memory managers, network drivers) from these files on the server when the workstation starts. This process has commonly been described in the past as remoteboot.

Traditional remoteboot may not be adequate in establishing a complete work environment due to requirements imposed by today's GUI operating systems and applications. In this case, MBA can become a compelling administrative tool when configured to perform a Pre-OS boot prior to every local boot. Using MBA software and utilities including Pre-OS, a network administrator can make use of diagnostics, configuration, or maintenance tools prior to completing the local boot process.

Standards Supported

MBA supports Wired for Management (WfM). It also supports all major boot protocols, including not only the new Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) protocol originally defined in the Net PC specification, but also existing protocols such as BOOTP, DHCP, RPL, and NCP/IPX. 3Com customers thus have the flexibility to use NT Server or another specialized server that supports PXE, or to “roll their own” management solutions using the booting support built into other platforms such as NetWare, HP UX, Sun Solaris, and OS/2 WARP.

What You Need to Use MBA

To implement the Managed PC Boot Agent you need:

A NIC with preboot agent firmware (MBA). The agent, which acts as an additional layer of BIOS, can also be installed on an existing NIC as a chip in the Boot ROM socket or through a system BIOS flash upgrade.

A central boot configuration server

Figure 1: How MBA Works

Features

MBA includes the following features:

Supports local and network operating systems including DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 9x, Windows NT, UNIX, Novell NetWare, and others

Fully configurable boot options to enable client PCs to use MBA in various environments, with or without local hard drives

Available as a network interface card (NIC) ROM; also available as a BIOS update for motherboards which contain network interface hardware. Can be in BIOS even if the PC has a separate NIC

Supports flash ROM configuration and update changes locally or over the network, depending on the NIC ROM or BIOS version

Supports multiple boot protocols and network environments such as traditional TCP/IP, NetWare, and RPL; also includes support for all of today's most used protocols including DHCP, BOOTP, NCP/IPX (802.2, 802.3, Ethernet II), and the Wired for Management specification Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE)

For additional features specific to TCP/IP, PXE, NetWare (NCP/IPX), or RPL environments, see the appropriate chapter in this guide. For new feature releases see the 3Com web site at http://www.3com.com/managedpc .

Boot Image Editor

Boot Image Editor is a Windows-based utility that enables network administrators to create and manipulate TCP/IP, NetWare, and PXE boot images. The boot image files and menu boot files created with the Boot Image Editor allow network client PCs to boot from servers instead of local drives or to perform Pre-OS tasks before booting from the client PC’s hard disk.

Boot Image Editor combines and enhances the IMAGEGEN, IMGGEN, MAPGEN, and Multiple Image File Editor (MULTI_ED) DOS-based utilities available from Lanworks Technologies Co. Although we encourage you to use Boot Image Editor, the DOS-based image utilities (IMAGEGEN, IMGGEN, MAPGEN, and MULTI_ED) are still available on the MBA Utility CD and on the EtherCD. The instructions for these utilities and for the BWLOADHI and UNRPLFIX utilities have been removed from this User Guide and placed into the file OLDUTILS.TXT on the MBA Utility CD and on the EtherCD.

With Boot Image Editor, you can:

Create boot image files (from standard boot diskettes) that contain standard startup files and reside on a server.

View and modify the contents of boot image files directly, without creating or accessing boot diskettes.

Create a menu boot file and designate a list of boot options from which end-users can choose at boot time.

Create special Pre-OS boot image files that can execute third-party desktop management agents on the client PC before it boots from the local drive.

Configure boot image file options, such as whether they are read-only or writeable or have extended or normal capacity.

Convert boot image files between environments, such as TCP/IP images to NetWare images and vice versa.

Like Novell’s legacy DOSGEN utility, the Boot Image Editor takes a snapshot of a boot diskette. Without Boot Image Editor, creating, examining, and modifying boot image files is a tedious exercise. Although the Boot Image Editor can be installed on any computer, it is usually implemented on a server or a network administration PC. For installation instructions, see “Boot Image Editor Installation ” in Chapter 2 “Installing MBA.”

Documentation Overview:

The main source of information for Boot Image Editor is the Boot Image Editor online help. It covers the following subjects:

Overviews

Option descriptions

Instructions for creating and defining the contents of boot diskettes, boot image files, and menu boot files

Instructions for maintaining and editing boot image files and menu boot files

In some cases (such as when you define the contents of a NetWare boot diskette), you will be referred to this document.

Chapter 2: Installing MBA

This chapter contains a Quick Start section for those who are experienced with MBA installation, an MBA ROM Installation section that provides additional details, and a Boot Image Editor Installation section.

PC Requirements

MBA operates in all Intel-based PCs (386 or higher). Your PC must have a vacant memory region available in the BIOS ROM attachment area, usually located from C800:0h to E000:0h. The size of the required region varies with your NIC. We have gone to great lengths to ensure MBA memory requirements are as small as possible; ROM paging is used when supported by your NIC, and on PCI NICs, MBA shrinks its size after initialization to the smallest possible memory footprint.

When installed on a PCI or soft-configurable ISA NIC, MBA automatically configures itself to the NIC's settings.

Quick Start

These abbreviated instructions are for those who are experienced with general MBA installation.

Procedure

If you are installing an MBA ROM on the NIC start at step 1. If MBA is integrated into the PC system BIOS or if the ROM is pre-installed in the NIC, start at step 4.

1. Install the MBA ROM on the NIC, making sure the ROM is not damaged by static discharge. Be absolutely certain the ROM is installed so that Pin 1 of the ROM socket is aligned with Pin 1 of the ROM.

2. Enable the ROM socket of the NIC at a non-conflicting memory address:

Adapter Type	Configuration
PCI NICs and Plug and Play ISA NICs	Often the PC automatically configures the NIC to enable the ROM to a non-conflicting address. However, sometimes you may need to run a utility to enable the ROM socket on the NIC. Refer to the NIC's user guide for information on how to set up the NIC.
ISA (legacy, non Plug and Play) NICs	Use either NIC configuration software or jumpers/switches to enable the ROM region to the desired memory address and size.

3. If you have a 3C90Xx NIC such as 3C905C-TX, run the MBAFLASH.EXE utility (on the MBA Utility CD in the Update directory or on the EtherCD in the MBA subdirectory of the Installation directory). This utility programs the correct MBA software into the ROM for the specific NIC that you are using. Refer to “Programming your MBA ROM using MBAFLASH ” in Chapter 3 for more details on this utility.

4. Use either the MBA-based configuration facility or the MBACFG utility to configure MBA's operating parameters.

5. To continue with PC and server installation, refer to the “Quick Setup” instructions in the chapter of this guide appropriate to your network environment (TCP/IP, PXE, NetWare, or RPL).

MBA ROM Installation

This section shows you how to install an MBA ROM on your NIC.

Types of MBA Installation

MBA is available on a PC in one of the following ways:

MBA Type	Installation	Additional Steps Required
Integrated into the PC BIOS by the PC manufacturer *	Not needed	Go to Chapter 3 “Configuring MBA”
Contained in a ROM that is pre-installed on the PC's NIC	Not needed	Go to Chapter 3 “Configuring MBA”
Contained in a ROM that must be installed on the PC's NIC.	Install the ROM. The following section describes how to install this ROM.	Go to Chapter 3 “Configuring MBA”

* You can determine whether the MBA is integrated into the BIOS by viewing the phrase “BIOS integrated” displayed beside the version number when MBA is executed, or by viewing the MBA information screen. Refer to “Displaying MBA Information ” in Chapter 4 “Using MBA Base Code.”

ROM Installation

Installing the MBA ROM is a straightforward task, but you must take care to ensure that components are not damaged. Be sure you understand the following instructions before installing MBA.

Caution: Risk of equipment damage
Before removing a NIC, attach an earth ground to the PC chassis. If an earth ground is unavailable, ensure that the power is switched off and plug in the PC's grounded AC power cord.

Wear an anti-static wrist strap when handling ROMs. As an additional measure, do not touch the ROM's connectors. Leave the ROM in its conductive foam packaging when not in use.

1. If you are installing MBA on a NIC that is already in your PC, remove the NIC from the PC. If you are not familiar with inserting and removing cards in your PC, refer to your NIC user guide for instructions.

2. Locate the boot ROM socket on your NIC. You may need to refer to the NIC's user guide to locate the correct ROM socket.

3. Depending on your NIC, you may have either a DIP socket (rectangular socket with two rows of pins), or a PLCC socket (small, square socket with pins on all sides). Follow the applicable procedure for either the DIP Socket Installation or the PLCC Socket Installation, then follow the procedure Installing the NIC into the PC.

DIP Socket Installation

The DIP socket should have a notch that can be indicated by a small half circle, a small triangle, or a small indentation at one end of the socket. The circuit board may also have a white rectangle around the socket which should have a notch indicated at the same end. This notch indicates the Pin 1 end of the socket. See Figure 2.

Figure 2: Inserting the DIP ROM

1. Look at the MBA ROM while it is still in its protective foam. When the label on the top of the ROM is right side up, you should see a small half circle at the left edge of the ROM. This indicates the ROM's Pin 1 notch.

2. Remove the MBA ROM from its protective foam. The pins on the ROM are very delicate, so be careful not to damage them. Align the notch on the top of the MBA ROM with the notch in the ROM socket on the NIC.

Caution: Risk of equipment damage

If you install the MBA ROM backwards, you will destroy it! Make sure the notch in the socket is lined up with the notch in the MBA ROM before doing anything else.

3. Align the pins on the ROM with the pin receptacles in the ROM socket. Press down gently and evenly on the ROM to ensure that it is seated correctly in the socket.

PLCC Socket Installation

The PLCC socket has three square corners and one angled corner. The angled corner of the ROM must be oriented to match the angled corner of the socket. See the top left corner in Figure 3.

Figure 3: Inserting the PLCC ROM

1. Remove the MBA ROM from its anti-static packaging, and align the angled corner of the MBA ROM with the angled corner of the ROM socket on the NIC.

2. Press down gently and evenly on the ROM to ensure that it is seated correctly in the socket.

Installing the NIC into the PC

Now that the ROM has been inserted into the NIC, you can install the NIC into the PC.

1. Insert the NIC into the PC. Refer to the NIC's user guide for installation instructions.

2. Some NICs have a switch, jumper or software setting that needs to be changed to enable the boot ROM socket; this is usually determined by the NIC's bus architecture:

Adapter Type	Configuration
PCI NICs and Plug and Play ISA NICs	Often the PC automatically configures the NIC to enable the ROM to a non-conflicting address. However, sometimes you may need to run a utility to enable the ROM socket on the NIC. Refer to the NIC's user guide for information on how to set up the NIC.
ISA (legacy, non Plug and Play) NICs	Use either NIC configuration software or jumpers/switches to enable the ROM region to the desired memory address and size.

Boot Image Editor Installation

The Boot Image Editor software can be found on the MBA Utility CD or on the MBA subdirectory on the EtherCD.

To install Boot Image Editor:

1. On the PC on which you want to use the Boot Image Editor (such as a server, a network administration PC, or any network client) create a directory (for example, IMGEDIT).

2. Copy the all the files from the IMGEDIT directory on the MBA Utility CD to the new directory.

3. Run the IMGEDIT.EXE application. The program detects that this is the first time it has been executed on the PC and takes you through a quick installation and configuration procedure, where you can select the appropriate network type and make file associations.

4. Refer to the Boot Image Editor online help for detailed installation information. Access the help from the Boot Image Editor windows or double-click the IMGEDIT.HLP file to open it.

5. Create a shortcut to the Boot Image Editor on your desktop or add the application to the Windows Start menu, if desired.

Chapter 3: Configuring MBA

This chapter shows you how to configure MBA's options to suit your operating requirements.

Programming Your MBA ROM Using MBAFLASH

If you are using a 3Com 3C90Xx NIC such as 3C905C-TX and if MBA was not preinstalled on the NIC, the ROM you installed must be programmed with the correct MBA software for your specific 3C90Xx NIC. To do this, run the MBAFLASH utility that is included in the UPDATE directory on the MBA Utility CD, or in the MBA subdirectory of the INSTALLATION directory on the EtherCD. MBAFLASH is the utility you use to program your boot ROM chip with MBA software. The MBA software is contained within MBAFLASH.EXE itself.

Note: If MBA is integrated into the PC BIOS you cannot update it with MBAFLASH.

Note: If you are using Windows, MBAFLASH operates only in MS-DOS real mode, not from a DOS window.

MBAFLASH detects which NIC you are using. If your NIC is one of the supported NICs, MBAFLASH displays three prompts. Use the following steps to respond to these prompts:

Step 1 - Read the License Agreement

MBAFLASH asks if you agree with the License Agreement. If you have not reviewed the License Agreement we recommend that you do so.

1. To view the License Agreement press R to exit the program and return to DOS. Next run the BWVIEW utility found in the root directory on the MBA Utility CD or on the EtherCD in the MBA subdirectory and select the License Agreement menu item.

2. If you have reviewed and agree with the License Agreement, press A to continue the MBAFLASH process.

Step 2 - Back up your ROM software

MBAFLASH displays a prompt asking whether you wish to make a backup of the current software in your ROM before it programs the ROM with the new MBA software.

Answer Yes. MBAFLASH reads the current software from your ROM and saves it to a .ROM file.

After MBAFLASH has programmed your ROM with the new MBA software, you can revert to the previous software using this .ROM file with MBAFLASH. Refer to “Updating your MBA ROM ” later in this chapter.

Step 3 - Program your ROM

MBAFLASH displays a prompt asking whether you wish to continue with the process of programming your ROM with the correct MBA software for your NIC.

1. Answer Yes. MBAFLASH completes the process.

2. When MBAFLASH is complete run the MBACFG utility to verify that MBA options are correct for your requirements. Options are shown in the configuration tables in this chapter.

Command Line Options

Although you can use MBAFLASH interactively, you can also automate some of the process using command line options. This feature is helpful if you wish to use MBAFLASH as part of a batch file. The command line options are:

Usage: mbaflash [.ROM Filename] [/?] [/p] [/b]

options:

.ROM Filename - filename of a .ROM file that you wish to program into your ROM chip. Refer to “Updating your MBA ROM ” later in this chapter. Required only if you want a different version of MBA than the one contained within MBAFLASH.EXE, e.g., to revert to the previous version using the .ROM file created by MBAFLASH in step 2 above.

/? - show this help

/p - display no prompts

/b - do not create a backup of current ROM contents

MBA Base Code and UNDI Components

MBA 4.x is comprised of two components—the MBA base code and the Universal Network Device Interface (UNDI). The MBA base code handles all the core functionality of MBA such as protocol handling, network boot failure handling, etc. It is independent of the type of NIC being used. The UNDI handles the interface with the specific NIC. It provides NIC initialization, low-level transmit and receive functionality, etc. The MBA base code uses the UNDI to interface with the NIC. Other base code modules could also use the UNDI to obtain low-level transmit and receive functionality with the specific NIC.

In MBA 4.x, it is the UNDI that acts as the boot device. When executed, the MBA UNDI uses either of the following:

The MBA base code that accompanies it when both the UNDI and base code are included together in a ROM on a NIC or in the PC's BIOS

Another PXE-compliant base code that the MBA UNDI tries to locate and use (which could reside in the PC's BIOS) if MBA is in a ROM on a NIC and the MBA base code is disabled

UNDI Execution

UNDI code in ROM with MBA base code in ROM on NIC enabled	UNDI code in ROM with MBA base code in ROM on NIC disabled	UNDI code in ROM with MBA base code in BIOS
UNDI uses base code on NIC	UNDI tries to locate and use another PXE-compatible base code (which could reside in BIOS)	UNDI uses MBA base code in BIOS

Setting the Boot Order on PCs with BBS BIOS

If your PC was purchased recently, it may be Plug and Play BBS-BIOS (BIOS Boot Specification) compatible. A PC that supports Plug and Play can automatically detect and set up devices such as CD-ROM drives, hard disks, and NICs. The BBS specification (developed by Compaq, Phoenix, and Intel) specifies how the system BIOS identifies boot devices in a PC, allows the user to select the boot order of these devices, and then sequentially attempts to boot from each device in the specified order.

Note: PC manufacturers may call their BBS support by other names such as Multiboot.

PCs that are Plug and Play BBS-BIOS compatible allow you to specify the boot order in the PC’s BBS-BIOS Setup menus. Because these BIOSs can detect the existence of MBA UNDI, you can specify the position of MBA UNDI in the boot order with respect to the other boot devices. If you want the PC to always boot from the network first, be sure to put MBA UNDI at the top of the boot order list. You can also use the MBACFG utility to make MBA UNDI first in the BBS boot order. MBACFG provides a menu command that makes MBA UNDI the first boot device.

If the PC's BIOS is not BBS-compliant, MBA UNDI attempts to control the boot process (this behavior is configurable with MBA UNDI) and perform a network or local boot, depending on the configured options.

Configuring MBA's Options

MBA has many operating options that you can configure. For a complete list of all possible options refer to the configuration tables in this chapter.

Some versions of MBA may not allow you to configure all the options listed in the tables, or a version of MBA may have some extra options for your specific NIC. Refer to the Configuration Supplement for a description of any exceptions or additions for your version of MBA. Configuration Supplements are text files that can be found on the Utility CD or in the MBA subdirectory in the Installation directory of the EtherCD. You can view them with the BWVIEW utility. If there is no Configuration Supplement for your NIC then there are no exceptions or additions. In this case, use the options exactly as listed in this guide.

With few exceptions, the current settings for the options are stored in the NIC’s soft setup storage area (EEPROM) or they may be stored in the PC's CMOS memory if the MBA base code is integrated into the PC BIOS. One possible reason for the unavailability of some options is that the NIC or PC CMOS does not provide enough storage area to save all the options. In cases where some options are not available, as many options as possible are made configurable and the others are set to their default values. In the case where an option is not available, it is not displayed.

Configuration Tables

Tables on the following pages show the configuration options available for each boot method. To see the available options, select your boot method and go to the appropriate table.

Boot Method	Go To
TCP/IP	Table 1 : TCP/IP Configuration Options
PXE	Table 2 : PXE Configuration Options
NetWare	Table 3 : NetWare Configuration Options
RPL	Table 4 : RPL Configuration Options

In addition, MBA UNDI startup options are shown in Table 5 : Startup Options.

Table 1: TCP/IP Configuration Options

Option Name	Possible Values	Description	Default
Protocol	DHCP, BOOTP	Choose the specific protocol for TCP/IP boot method.	DHCP
Default Boot	Network Local	Choose whether MBA will perform a network boot or a local hard disk boot by default. If Network boot is chosen as the default, the Local Boot Message is displayed at boot time (if a bootable device exists and Local Boot is enabled). If Local boot is chosen as the default, the Network Boot message is displayed at boot time. Not available with BBS-BIOS.	Local
Local Boot	Enabled Disabled	Choose between allowing or disallowing a local boot from a hard disk or diskette. When local booting is disabled, the PC is forced to boot from the network even if a bootable diskette is inserted in drive A:, or if the local hard disk contains an active partition. Not available with BBS-BIOS.	Enabled
Config Menu	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether to prevent access to the Configuration Screen that is built into the MBA ROM. When Disabled, the Configuration Message is not displayed. Also, when Disabled, the only method to modify the MBA options is by using the MBACFG utility.	Enabled
Config Message	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether to display or hide the message the MBA displays indicating to the user which hot keys to press to enter the MBA Configuration Screen, i.e. “Press Ctrl+Alt+B to configure…”. You may want to hide this message so users do not know how to change MBA options, possibly making MBA function incorrectly in your environment. When the message is hidden, the hot keys can still be pressed to enter the Configuration Screen. To display the message, set this option to Enabled. To hide the message, set this option to Disabled.	Enabled

Table 1 continued: TCP/IP Configuration Options

Option Name	Possible Values	Description	Default
Message Timeout	3 6 12 Forever	The amount of time (in seconds) that the prompt message is displayed and waits for user input. This includes messages such as the Configuration Message, the Local and Network Boot Messages, and the Boot Failure Prompt. The Forever setting only applies to the Local and Network Boot Messages. If Forever is selected, the other messages default to 3 seconds. This setting takes affect the next time the PC is booted.	3
Boot Failure Prompt	Wait for Timeout Wait for Key	If a network boot cannot be completed, choose whether MBA displays a message and then waits for the user to press a key before continuing or waits for 3 seconds before continuing. MBA continues by following the behavior specified by the Boot Failure option.	Wait for Timeout
Boot Failure	Next Boot Device Reboot	If a network boot cannot be completed, choose whether MBA will reboot the PC or allow the PC to boot from the next boot device. On a PC with a BBS-compliant BIOS, the next boot device is the next device in the boot order list. On a PC that does not have a BBS-compliant BIOS, the next boot device is normally the hard disk.	Next Boot Device
TFTP Secure Mode	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether MBA uses the secure mode feature of TFTP. In secure mode, only the filename is sent to the TFTP Service.	Disabled
Booting Messages	(User Defined)	Choose the message text and hot key that is used to instruct the user how to boot locally when the Default Boot is set to Network, and how to boot from the network when the Default Boot is set to Local. Not available with BIOS-integrated MBA.	“Press H to boot from Hard Disk” “Press N to boot from Network”
TCP/IP Image Filename	(User Defined)	Default filename of the boot image file if a filename is not provided in either the DHCP or BOOTP response from the server.	MBA.IMG

Table 2: PXE Configuration Options

Option Name	Possible Values	Description	Default
Default Boot	Network Local	Choose whether MBA will perform a network boot or a local hard disk boot by default. If Network boot is chosen as the default, the Local Boot Message is displayed at boot time (if a bootable device exists and Local Boot is enabled). If Local boot is chosen as the default, the Network Boot message is displayed at boot time. Not available with BBS-BIOS.	Local
Local Boot	Enabled Disabled	Choose between allowing or disallowing a local boot from a hard disk or diskette. When local booting is disabled, the PC is forced to boot from the network even if a bootable diskette is inserted in drive A:, or if the local hard disk contains an active partition. Not available with BBS-BIOS.	Enabled
Config Menu	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether to prevent access to the Configuration Screen that is built into the MBA ROM. When Disabled, the Configuration Message is not displayed. Also, when disabled, the only method to modify the MBA options is by using the MBACFG utility.	Enabled
Config Message	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether to display or hide the message the MBA displays indicating to the user which hot keys to press to enter the MBA Configuration Screen, i.e. “Press Ctrl+Alt+B to configure…”. You may want to hide this message so users do not know how to change MBA options, possibly making MBA function incorrectly in your environment. When the message is hidden, the hot keys can still be pressed to enter the Configuration Screen. To display the message, set this option to Enabled. To hide the message, set this option to Disabled.	Enabled
Message Timeout	3 6 12 Forever	The amount of time (in seconds) that the prompt message is displayed and waits for user input. This includes messages such as the Configuration Message, the Local and Network Boot Messages, and the Boot Failure Prompt. The Forever setting only applies to the Local and Network Boot Messages. If Forever is selected, the other messages default to 3 seconds. This setting takes affect the next time the PC is booted.	3
Boot Failure Prompt	Wait for Timeout Wait for Key	If a network boot cannot be completed, choose whether MBA displays a message and then waits for the user to press a key before continuing or waits for 3 seconds before continuing. MBA continues by following the behavior specified by the Boot Failure option.	Wait for Timeout

Table 2 continued: PXE Configuration Options

Option Name	Possible Values	Description	Default
Boot Failure	Next BBS Device Reboot	If a network boot cannot be completed, choose whether MBA will reboot the PC or allow the PC to boot from the next boot device. On a PC with a BBS-compliant BIOS, the next boot device is the next device in the boot order list. On a PC that does not have a BBS-compliant BIOS, the next boot device is normally the hard disk.	Next BBS Device
Booting Messages	(User Defined)	Choose the message text and hot key that is used to instruct the user how to boot locally when the Default Boot is set to Network, and how to boot from the network when the Default Boot is set to Local. Not available with BIOS-integrated MBA.	“Press H to boot from Hard Disk” “Press N to boot from Network”

Table 3: NetWare Configuration Options

Option Name	Possible Values	Description	Default
Protocol	802.2, 802.3, Ethernet II	Choose the specific frame type for NetWare boot methods.	802.3
Default Boot	Network Local	Choose whether MBA will perform a network boot or a local hard disk boot by default. If Network boot is chosen as the default, the Local Boot Message is displayed at boot time (if a bootable device exists and Local Boot is enabled). If Local boot is chosen as the default, the Network Boot message is displayed at boot time. Not available with BBS-BIOS.	Local
Local Boot	Enabled Disabled	Choose between allowing or disallowing a local boot from a hard disk or diskette. When local booting is disabled, the PC is forced to boot from the network even if a bootable diskette is inserted in drive A:, or if the local hard disk contains an active partition. Not available with BBS-BIOS.	Enabled
Config Menu	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether to prevent access to the Configuration Screen that is built into the MBA ROM. When Disabled, the Configuration Message is not displayed. Also, when disabled, the only method to modify the MBA options is by using the MBACFG utility.	Enabled

Table 3 continued: NetWare Configuration Options

Option Name	Possible Values	Description	Default
Config Message	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether to display or hide the message the MBA displays indicating to the user which hot keys to press to enter the MBA Configuration Screen, i.e. “Press Ctrl+Alt+B to configure…”. You may want to hide this message so users do not know how to change MBA options, possibly making MBA function incorrectly in your environment. When the message is hidden, the hot keys can still be pressed to enter the Configuration Screen. To display the message, set this option to Enabled. To hide the message, set this option to Disabled.	Enabled
Message Timeout	3 6 12 Forever	The amount of time (in seconds) that the prompt message is displayed and waits for user input. This includes messages such as the Configuration Message, the Local and Network Boot Messages, and the Boot Failure Prompt. The Forever setting only applies to the Local and Network Boot Messages. If Forever is selected, the other messages default to 3 seconds. This setting takes affect the next time the PC is booted.	3
Boot Failure Prompt	Wait for Timeout Wait for Key	If a network boot cannot be completed, choose whether MBA displays a message and then waits for the user to press a key before continuing or waits for 3 seconds before continuing. MBA continues by following the behavior specified by the Boot Failure option.	Wait for Timeout
Boot Failure	Next BBS Device Reboot	If a network boot cannot be completed, choose whether MBA will reboot the PC or allow the PC to boot from the next boot device. On a PC with a BBS-compliant BIOS, the next boot device is the next device in the boot order list. On a PC that does not have a BBS-compliant BIOS, the next boot device is normally the hard disk.	Next BBS Device
MSD	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether to use the MSD functionality to direct a PC to boot from a particular server. Refer to “Multiple Servers: How the MSD NLM Can Help” for a further description on MSD.	Enabled

Table 3 continued: NetWare Configuration Options

Option Name	Possible Values	Description	Default
Scan BOOTCONF.SYS	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether MBA scans the BOOTCONF.SYS file to determine the boot image filename for the PC. If disabled, MBA uses the default boot image filename.	Enabled
NetWare Image Filename	(User Defined)	Default filename of the boot image file. The filename is used if no entry is found in BOOTCONF.SYS or if the file contents in BOOTCONF.SYS are not found. If this file is not found then NET$DOS.SYS is used. Not available with BIOS-integrated MBA.	NET$DOS.SYS
Booting Messages	(User Defined)	Choose the message text and hot key that is used to instruct the user how to boot locally when the Default Boot is set to Network, and how to boot from the network when the Default Boot is set to Local. Not available with BIOS-integrated MBA.	“Press H to boot from Hard Disk” “Press N to boot from Network”

Table 4: RPL Configuration Options

Option Name	Possible Values	Description	Default
Default Boot	Network Local	Choose whether MBA will perform a network boot or a local hard disk boot by default. If Network boot is chosen as the default, the Local Boot Message is displayed at boot time (if a bootable device exists and Local Boot is enabled). If Local boot is chosen as the default, the Network Boot message is displayed at boot time. Not available with BBS-BIOS.	Local
Local Boot	Enabled Disabled	Choose between allowing or disallowing a local boot from a hard disk or diskette. When local booting is disabled, the PC is forced to boot from the network even if a bootable diskette is inserted in drive A:, or if the local hard disk contains an active partition. Not available with BBS-BIOS.	Enabled
Config Menu	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether to prevent access to the Configuration Screen that is built into the MBA ROM. When Disabled, the Configuration Message is not displayed. Also, when disabled, the only method to modify the MBA options is by using the MBACFG utility.	Enabled

Table 4 continued: RPL Configuration Options

Option Name	Possible Values	Description	Default
Config Message	Enabled Disabled	Choose whether to display or hide the message the MBA displays indicating to the user which hot keys to press to enter the MBA Configuration Screen, i.e. “Press Ctrl+Alt+B to configure…”. You may want to hide this message so users do not know how to change MBA options, possibly making MBA function incorrectly in your environment. When the message is hidden, the hot keys can still be pressed to enter the Configuration Screen. To display the message, set this option to Enabled. To hide the message, set this option to Disabled.	Enabled
Message Timeout	3 6 12 Forever	The amount of time (in seconds) that the prompt message is displayed and waits for user input. This includes messages such as the Configuration Message, the Local and Network Boot Messages, and the Boot Failure Prompt. The Forever setting only applies to the Local and Network Boot Messages. If Forever is selected, the other messages default to 3 seconds. This setting takes affect the next time the PC is booted.	3
Boot Failure Prompt	Wait for Timeout Wait for Key	If a network boot cannot be completed, choose whether MBA displays a message and then waits for the user to press a key before continuing or waits for 3 seconds before continuing. MBA continues by following the behavior specified by the Boot Failure option.	Wait for Timeout
Boot Failure	Next BBS Device Reboot	If a network boot cannot be completed, choose whether MBA will reboot the PC or allow the PC to boot from the next boot device. On a PC with a BBS-compliant BIOS, the next boot device is the next device in the boot order list. On a PC that does not have a BBS-compliant BIOS, the next boot device is normally the hard disk.	Next BBS Device
Booting Messages	(User Defined)	Choose the message text and hot key that is used to instruct the user how to boot locally when the Default Boot is set to Network, and how to boot from the network when the Default Boot is set to Local. Not available with BIOS-integrated MBA.	“Press H to boot from Hard Disk” “Press N to boot from Network”

The following startup options are available only when an MBA UNDI is used. If an UNDI developed by another vendor is used with the MBA base code, these options are not available.

Table 5: Startup Options

Option Name

Possible Values

Description

Default

Boot Control

Auto Detection

Interrupt 19

Interrupt 18

BBS Boot Order

Choose the method that MBA UNDI participates in the PC's booting process. All PCs have two system interrupts involved when the PC starts—Interrupt 18 (ROM BASIC/Boot Failure) and Interrupt 19 (Bootstrap Loader). Before the BBS specification was created, boot firmware such as MBA would take control of one or both of these interrupts so it would be executed during the PC boot process. With the BBS specification, this is no longer required and the PC's BIOS executes the boot device, such as MBA, as specified in the boot order.

Choose Auto Detection to enable MBA UNDI to detect whether the PC has a BBS-compliant BIOS. If so, BIOS executes MBA UNDI as its position in the boot order dictates. If not, MBA UNDI takes over interrupt 18 and 19 and forces its execution when the PC boots.

Choose Interrupt 18 or Interrupt 19 to have MBA take control of these settings. This may be necessary if MBA UNDI incorrectly detects that the PC has a BBS BIOS when in fact it does not. If either of these interrupts is selected on a PC that has a BBS BIOS, the BBS boot order is ignored and the PC is always booted using MBA UNDI. MBA behavior and options are present as though the PC does not have a BBS BIOS.

Choose the BBS Boot Order setting to enable the MBA UNDI to execute as specified in the boot order of a BBS BIOS. This may be necessary if MBA UNDI incorrectly detects that the PC does not have a BBS BIOS when in fact it does. If this setting is selected on a PC that does not have a BBS BIOS, MBA UNDI will never be executed.

You should be familiar with the technical aspects of the PC boot process before modifying these settings.

Auto Detection

ROM MBA Base Code

Enabled

Disabled

If your MBA is integrated in a ROM on a NIC and not integrated into the BIOS, you can disable the MBA base code. When the MBA base code is disabled and the MBA UNDI is executed (either by a BBS BIOS or by taking control of Interrupt 18 and/or 19), the MBA UNDI tries to locate another PXE-compatible base code (which could reside in the PC's BIOS). This allows the MBA UNDI on a specific NIC to use a base code that is different than the base code contained in the ROM.

Enabled

Table 5 continued: Startup Options

Option Name

Possible Values

Description

Default

Network Service Boot

Enabled

Disabled

Network Service Boot (NSB) allows the user to force a network boot when the PC is booting up regardless of the position of MBA in the BBS boot order. When this option is enabled, MBA displays the message “Press F12 to boot from network”. If the user presses F12, MBA will force a network boot. This is useful in the case where a client PC normally boots the operating system from its local hard disk, but on a specific occasion (when the user requires an operation at boot time to be performed remotely from a server) the user can press F12 to force a network boot.

On a BBS-PC, if this option is used, then MBA should not be first in the BBS Boot order. If it is, then Network Service Boot is not needed since the PC normally boots from the network anyway.

On a non-BBS PC, this option isn’t applicable because Network booting and Local booting are controlled by the Default Boot and Local Boot options in MBA. On non-BBS PCs, this option is ignored.

Some BIOSs have their own implementation of NSB. If these BIOSs are compliant with the System Management BIOS (SMBIOS) Reference Specification v2.3, they have an indication whether they have NSB functionality implemented. MBA checks for this indication and, if it indicates that NSB is implemented by the BIOS, MBA will not perform NSB functionality. The BIOS’s NSB implementation takes precedence and MBA ignores this NSB option. In this case, you must enable or disable NSB via the BIOS’s setup screen.

If a BIOS has implemented NSB but does not have the indication (because it is not SMBIOS v2.3 compliant) then you should disable this NSB option in MBA and use the BIOS’s implementation. Otherwise, you may get two messages that prompt the user to press F12, and the MBA and BIOS implementation may conflict if F12 is pressed.

Disabled

Changing the Options

You can configure, view, and change the options in two ways:

using the MBA-based Configuration Screen that is built into the MBA base code. It is not available if the MBA base code is disabled.

using the MBACFG utility

Both methods are described in the following sections.

Using the MBA-Based Configuration

When the MBA is executed, it displays a configuration message as follows:

“ Initializing MBA. Press Ctrl+Alt+B to configure…”

If you press the hot keys while the message is displayed, you enter the MBA-based Configuration Screen.

You can specify the amount of time that the configuration message is displayed, whether the message should not be displayed, and whether access to the MBA-based configuration should be disabled.

Figure 4: MBA-Based Configuration Screen

For security reasons, not all options are available from the MBA-based Configuration Screen. However, all options are available to the administrator using the MBACFG utility (see the next section). The options that are available from the MBA-based configuration screen are:

Boot Method

Protocol

Default Boot

Local Boot

Configuration Message

Message Timeout

Boot Failure Prompt

Boot Failure

Using the MBACFG Utility

Figure 5: MBACFG Main Menu

This utility is located on the Utility CD in the Update directory or in the MBA subdirectory in the Installation directory of the EtherCD. All configurable options are available using MBACFG. When you use MBACFG, you may change MBA options in one of the following ways:

Use MBACFG’s menus interactively

Specify options on MBACFG’s command line

Specify a configuration file that contains all the options

Note: If you are using Windows, MBACFG operates only in MS-DOS real mode, not from a DOS window.

MBACFG syntax

Usage: mbacfg [/x] [/i] [/sX] [@configuration file | parameter list]

options:

/? - show this help

/x - reboot the PC after configuring with the new settings

/I - display ROM information

/sX - if multiple NICs with MBA are in the PC, select MBA number X in the list

When you execute MBACFG on a PC containing more than one NIC with MBA, MBACFG will display a selection menu which lists the MBAs that it finds. You can then select the MBA that you wish to configure. The selection menu will show some technical information on each MBA; such as the PCI Device and Vendor IDs, the PCI Bus and Slot numbers, and whether the MBA resides on a NIC or is integrated into the PC BIOS. You may use this information to identify the specific MBA that you wish to select. You may also use the /s command line option to automatically select a NIC from the selection menu list.

Figure 6: MBACFG Utility Screen

Changing Configuration Options Using a Configuration File

MBACFG can create a .CFG file that lists all configurable options and their possible settings supported by MBA. The .CFG file, named MBA.CFG, is NIC-specific. The following is an example of the format of the configuration file.

To select an option, remove the comment symbol (;) at the start of the line. When the .CFG file is created, the current settings are uncommented, allowing you to use the file to easily reprogram other ROMs to the same configuration.

;Boot Method

;-----------

;Boot Method=TCP/IP

;Boot Method=NetWare

;Boot Method=RPL

;Boot Method=PXE

;NetWare Protocols

;-----------------

;Protocol=802.3

;Protocol=802.2

;Protocol=Ethernet II

;TCP/IP Protocols

;----------------

;Protocol=BOOTP

;Protocol=DHCP

;General settings

;----------------

;Boot Failure=Next Boot Device

;Boot Failure=Reboot

;Config Menu=Enabled

;Config Menu=Disabled

;Config Message=Enabled

;Config Message=Disabled

;Message Timeout=Forever

;Message Timeout=3 seconds

;Message Timeout=6 seconds

;Message Timeout=12 seconds

;Boot Failure Prompt=Wait for Timeout

;Boot Failure Prompt=Wait for Key

;Netware Options

;---------------

;MSD=Enabled
;MSD=Disabled

;Scan BOOTCONF.SYS=Enabled
;Scan BOOTCONF.SYS=Disabled

;TCP/IP options

;--------------

;TFTP Secure Mode=Disabled
;TFTP Secure Mode=Enabled

;Startup options

;---------------

;Boot Control=Auto Detection
;Boot Control=Interrupt 19
;Boot Control=Interrupt 18
;Boot Control=BBS Boot Order

;ROM MBA Base Code=Enabled
;ROM MBA Base Code=Disabled

;Network Service Boot=Disabled
;Network Service Boot=Enabled

;Text options

;------------

;Network prompt=H,Press H to boot from hard disk.
;Network prompt=N,Press N to boot from network

;Boot file name=

To use the configuration file to re-configure MBA, include the filename on the MBACFG command line preceded by “@” as follows:

mbacfg @mba.cfg

Changing Configuration Options from the MBACFG Command Line

MBA options can also be entered on the MBACFG command line, a convenience if you need to change only a few values. The option name is the same as shown in the previous sample configuration file. When typing the option on the command line, change all spaces to an underscore character, or enclose the option in quotes. For example, the default boot device could be entered as either of the following:

"default boot=network"
or
default_boot=network

Updating your MBA ROM

There are two main reasons why you would want to update your MBA ROM:

To update to a newer version, or…

To restore a previous backed-up version

Updating to a Newer MBA Version

As operating systems, hardware platforms, and protocols evolve, you may need to update to a newer version of MBA that supports your environment. Also, when newer versions of MBA are released, you may want to upgrade to take advantage of enhanced functionality or problem resolution.

If your NIC supports updateable (i.e., flashable) ROMs, you can update your ROM using the MBAFLASH utility. MBAFLASH contains the MBA software within itself and will program your ROM chip with this software. Therefore, you must obtain the MBAFLASH for the version of MBA that you want to program into your ROM. You can obtain MBAFLASH for the latest MBA upgrades from the 3Com web site at http://www.3com.com/managedpc or by contacting the 3Com customer service organization.

Note: You can only upgrade MBA when MBA is implemented in a ROM chip on a NIC. If your MBA is integrated into the system BIOS you must contact your PC vendor for updates.

Command Line Options

Usage: mbaflash [.ROM Filename] [/?] [/p] [/b] [/0] [/sX]

options:

.ROM Filename - filename of a .ROM file that you wish to program into your ROM chip instead of using the MBA version that is within MBAFLASH.EXE

/? - show this help

/p - display no prompts

/b - do not create a backup of current ROM contents

/0 - reset all MBA options to default values after updating MBA

/sX - if multiple NICs with MBA are in the PC, select MBA number X in the list

Note: If you are using Windows, MBAFLASH operates only in MS-DOS real mode, not from a DOS window.

If your NIC does not support updateable ROMs, you must remove the NIC from the PC and replace the ROM chip with a newer version.

When you execute MBAFLASH on a PC containing more than one NIC, MBAFLASH will display a selection menu which lists the NICs that it finds. You can then select the NIC that you wish to update with MBA software. The selection menu will show some technical information on each NIC; such as the PCI Device and Vendor IDs, the PCI Bus and Slot numbers, and the name of the NIC. You may use this information to identify the specific NIC that you wish to select. You may also use the /s command line option to automatically select a NIC from the selection menu list.

Restoring a Previously Backed-up Version

MBAFLASH contains within itself MBA software code that it programs into the ROM chip on your NIC. You can override this self-contained MBA software and instruct MBAFLASH to use another version of MBA software instead. To do this you must specify, on the command line, the filename of the .ROM file that contains the MBA software that you want MBAFLASH to use; for example:

mbaflash 8109401.ROM

This method is used to restore a backup version of ROM code that was created by MBAFLASH. When you use MBAFLASH to update your ROM, it asks you whether you wish to make a backup of the current software in your ROM before it programs your ROM with a different version. If you answer Yes to this prompt, MBAFLASH creates a .ROM file that contains the backup version. If you wish to go back to the backup version, you simply run MBAFLASH and specify the backup ROM file that MBAFLASH created.

Understanding .ROM File Names

MBA .ROM filenames used by MBAFLASH are in the following format:

xyyyzzz.ROM

Where

x is the protocol (7=Tri-protocol, 8=MBA)

yyy is the unique MBA type number corresponding to the PC's NIC

zzz is the MBA version number

Chapter 5: Using Pre-OS

Introduction

Pre-OS software, included with MBA, enables a PC to download and execute centrally-administered desktop management agents from a network server prior to actually loading the client operating system from the local hard drive. This is accomplished by the PC remotebooting using any of the MBA protocols except RPL. After loading and executing the remote operating system, agents and other software, the PC can exit the Pre-OS boot and boot from its local hard disk.

Figure 9: How Pre-OS works

Agents from the popular desktop management applications could perform a variety of tasks including:

Initial installation of the operating system and applications to the PC hard drive (including initial formatting and partitioning if required)

Scanning for and eradicating local hard disk viruses

Searching the hard disk for file system inconsistencies. If critical components are missing or damaged, they can be retrieved and replaced; alternatively, the desktop management software allows an administrator to perform a remote rescue by examining the crippled client environment and fixing it from their management console

Updating outdated drivers found on the client hard drive with newer ones located on the file server

Scanning for changes in PC hardware and software components, and logging them centrally

Once all desktop management agents complete execution the PC continues booting as usual from its local hard drive. No user awareness or intervention is required.

Figure 10: What Pre-OS Does

In the past, client PCs using remoteboot ROMs could boot in only one of two ways: from a server-based boot image file or from their hard drives. The Pre-OS approach is a hybrid; the centrally-booted operating system is not the ultimate operating system but rather a temporary environment created for executing management applications. Ultimately, clients exit the Pre-OS environment and continue to boot from their local hard drive. Exiting the Pre-OS environment is similar to executing a very soft Ctrl+Alt+Del where the PC continues to load the OS on the hard disk.

This entire concept, which we call “Pre-OS managed booting”, or simply “Pre-OS”, is based on existing MBA firmware capabilities, extended by any desktop management agents contained in a special boot image file.

Pre-OS Framework

The Pre-OS framework is essentially a DOS client with optional network connectivity. The Pre-OS boot image is executed as a drive A: RAM disk residing in extended memory.

Most Pre-OS environments use a network connection to map network drives. Regular network drivers may be loaded from the Pre-OS image, and this in no way affects the Pre-OS environment or RAM drive operation.

If any network login is needed during the Pre-OS phase, it is typically as a guest user, so that the user is not prompted to provide login name or password information.

Pre-OS desktop management agents themselves may reside either within the image, or may be executed in place from a mapped network drive.

Pre-OS environments are supported by MBA configured for either TCP/IP (BOOTP, DHCP), PXE, or NetWare protocol configurations. RPL configurations are not supported.

PC Pre-OS Bootup Sequence

Boot image files that create a Pre-OS connection cause the PC to:

1. Load a temporary version of DOS

2. Perform the specified maintenance tasks

3. Unload DOS

4. Resume (with the PBOOT utility rather than user intervention) loading the operating system from the hard drive whatever form that operating system takes

Connection, in a way, is like booting from a floppy drive, removing the boot floppy, and then rebooting from a hard drive.

From the user's point of view, the sequence is as follows:

1. The end-user powers on or restarts the client PC.

2. A Pre-OS connection is created by the boot image file on the server. No end-user intervention or awareness is required.

3. The specified desktop maintenance applications are executed and the required actions can be taken.

4. Control is passed from the Pre-OS image to the hard drive.

5. The PC loads the end-user's operating system from the local hard drive.

6. The end-user logs into the network as usual.

Creating Pre-OS Boot Images

Creating Pre-OS boot image files involves two steps very similar to creating remoteboot images:

Copying needed files onto a DOS-formatted system diskette

Taking a snapshot of this disk with the Boot Image Editor

Refer to the Boot Image Editor online help for instructions.

Figure 11: Creating pre-OS boot images

The Windows-based Boot Image Editor contains a feature that you can use to create boot image files with Pre-OS capabilities. To use this feature, select the Pre-OS checkbox in the Options area of the appropriate Create Image File dialog box. The Boot Image Editor utility is included with MBA. To install Boot Image Editor, see “Boot Image Editor Installation” in Chapter 2 “Installing MBA.”

Another tool, PBOOT.EXE, is always used as the last file in the Pre-OS AUTOEXEC.BAT file. PBOOT can be used to terminate (soft Ctrl+Alt+Del) the Pre-OS environment and continue booting the PC using the operating system resident on the drive C: active partition. Also, PBOOT can be used to reboot the PC or, if the PC’s BIOS supports Advanced Power Management (APM), it can shut down the PC - which is useful if the PC was started using remote wake-up.

Defining Boot Image Content

Pre-OS Boot Image is based on a DOS boot disk. Within the Pre-OS environment you may load memory managers, network drivers, virus checkers, backup routines, software updating agents and other executables. You may also map network resources and execute any of this software from the network.

Note: When loading HIMEM.SYS, be sure to specify the /TESTMEM:OFF parameter, otherwise the boot image RAM drive in extended memory may become corrupted.

Pre-OS executables may be loaded and executed from the boot image (mapped to A: drive during boot), or they may be executed in place from a network drive, or a combination of the two. Executables loaded from drive A: have read/write access but have limited disk space available for the boot image. Executables loaded from the network usually have only read access but have no size restrictions for disk space.

To terminate the Pre-OS image and directly boot another OS from the hard drive, the PBOOT command must be the last command in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file executing within the boot image.

The command line for PBOOT.EXE is as follows:

Usage: pboot [?] [/nologo] [/pboot | /reboot | /shutdown]

options:

/? – displays help information

/nologo - to suppress the display of the large Pre-OS banner

/pboot – exit the Pre-OS environment and boot from local media

/reboot – reboot the system

/shutdown – power off the system (only if BIOS supports APM)

Only one of the /pboot, /reboot, and /shutdown options can be used at any time. The /pboot option is the default behavior when none are specified.

For both TCP/IP and NetWare environments, refer to Sample Pre-OS frameworks in this chapter.

Defining NetWare Boot Image Content

For NetWare environments, you should use 16-bit NetWare clients in Pre-OS environments.

Defining TCP/IP or PXE Boot Image Content

For PCs booting from NT Server, we recommend that you use the Microsoft Network Client Version 3.0 for MS-DOS configured for TCP/IP support. Other DOS-based clients could be built using NFS servers and DOS client software that usually consists of TCP/IP-based TSRs and packet drivers. Examples of these clients are:

PC TCP/IP from FTP software
URL: http://www.netmanage.com/products/pctcp5

NFS Maestro from Hummingbird Communications
URL: http://www.hummingbird.com/products/maestro/

Creating TCP/IP or PXE Pre-OS Boot Images

Once you have prepared a Pre-OS diskette, use Boot Image Editor to take a snapshot of the diskette and create a Pre-OS boot image.

To specify a Pre-OS image, use the Boot Image Editor Pre-OS option. See the Introduction section of the Boot Image Editor online help for details.

Place Pre-OS executables or agents not present within the Pre-OS image file into a network directory that is accessible to the guest username during the Pre-OS phase.

On the server, you must have either DHCP or BOOTP boot services enabled, and also TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol).

If you are using DHCP, you must configure DHCP option 67 (Bootfile Name) to provide the image file name to MBA. If you are using DHCP in a PXE environment, you can use a BINL service to provide the boot image file name. Refer to the documentation for your DHCP or BINL server.

Creating NetWare Pre-OS Boot Images

Once you have prepared a Pre-OS bootable diskette, use Boot Image Editor to take a snapshot of the diskette and create a Pre-OS boot image on the server’s hard disk. To specify a Pre-OS image, use the Boot Image Editor Pre-OS option. See the Introduction section of the Boot Image Editor online help for details.

Unless you've named your boot image file NET$DOS.SYS, the default NetWare boot image file name, you need to edit BOOTCONF.SYS to map a specific PC address to a given boot image file. Follow instructions provided in Chapter 8 “Using MBA in NetWare Environments .”

Sample Pre-OS Frameworks

Skeletal frameworks are provided for both TCP/IP and NetWare environments. These samples show how to load network drivers, run Pre-OS applications, and finally, terminate the Pre-OS phase.

In the following examples, the Pre-OS framework is used to detect and correct differences in a critical file on the PC's hard drive.

TCP/IP or PXE Pre-OS Sample

CONFIG.SYS:

device=himem.sys /TESTMEM:OFF

device=emm386.exe noems

dos=high,umb

files=60

device=\net\ifshlp.sys

lastdrive=z

AUTOEXEC.BAT:

cd\net

net initialize

netbind.com

umb.com

tcptsr.exe

tinyrfc.exe

nmtsr.exe

emsbfr.exe

rem assumes username = "preos", password = "password", mapped drive = z:

net logon preos password /savepw:no /yes

rem Pre-OS agents are loaded here…

fc /b c:\windows\system.dat z:\critical\systems.dat > c:\temp\compare.txt

find /i "no difference encountered" c:\temp\compare.txt >nul

if errorlevel 2 echo Error in string search. Cannot report if matches found.

if errorlevel 1 goto CriticalFilesDifferent

if errorlevel 0 goto CriticalFilesNotDifferent

:CriticalFilesDifferent

echo Critical files have changed. Restoring files now…

copy z:\critical\system.dat c:\windows\system.dat /v /y

goto END

:CriticalFilesNotDifferent

echo Critical Files intact…proceeding to local disk boot…

:END

delete c:\temp\compare.txt

pboot

Note: Access to drive z: in this example is based on mapping that drive before image file creation. Drive mappings are stored when using the MS Network Client for MS-DOS v3.0.

SYSTEM.INI:

[network]

sizworkbuf=1498

filesharing=no

printsharing=no

autologon=yes

computername=PREOS

lanroot=A:\

username=PREOS

workgroup=WORKGROUP

reconnect=yes

dospophotkey=N

lmlogon=0

logondomain=WORKGROUP

preferredredir=basic

autostart=basic

maxconnections=8

[network drivers]

netcard=el90x.dos

transport=tcpdrv.dos,nemm.dos

devdir=A:\

LoadRMDrivers=yes

[386enh]

TimerCriticalSection=5000

UniqueDosPSP=TRUE

PSPIncrement=2

[Password Lists]

*Shares=A:\Shares.PWL

PREOS=A:\PREOS.PWL

PROTOCOL.INI:

[network.setup]

version=0x3110

netcard=tcm$el90x,1,TCM$EL90X,1

transport=tcpip,TCPIP

lana0=tcm$el90x,1,tcpip

[TCPIP]

NBSessions=6

SubNetMask0=255 0 0 0

IPAddress0=0 0 0 0

DisableDHCP=0

DriverName=TCPIP$

BINDINGS=TCM$EL90X

LANABASE=0

[protman]

DriverName=PROTMAN$

PRIORITY=MS$NDISHLP

[TCM$EL90X]

DriverName=el90x$

NetWare Pre-OS Sample

CONFIG.SYS:

device=himem.sys /TESTMEM:OFF

device=emm386.exe noems

dos=high,umb

files=60

buffers=20,0

lastdrive=z

AUTOEXEC.BAT:

set NWLANGUAGE=English

lsl.com

3c90x.com

ipxodi.com

vlm.exe

fc /b c:\windows\system.dat f:\login\critical\systems.dat > c:\temp\compare.txt

find /i "no difference encountered" c:\temp\compare.txt >nul

if errorlevel 2 echo Error in string search. Cannot report if matches found.

if errorlevel 1 goto CriticalFilesDifferent

if errorlevel 0 goto CriticalFilesNotDifferent

:CriticalFilesDifferent

echo Critical files have changed. Restoring files now…

copy f:\login\critical\system.dat c:\windows\system.dat /v /y

goto END

:CriticalFilesNotDifferent

echo Critical Files intact…proceeding to local disk boot…

:END

delete c:\temp\compare.txt

pboot

NET.CFG:

Link Driver 3C90X

frame ETHERNET_802.2

NetWare DOS Requester

FIRST NETWORK DRIVE = F

NETWARE PROTOCOL = NDS BIND

PREFERRED SERVER = LANTECH 1

Technical Information

The following specification applies to the Pre-OS phase only.

Memory requirements: Available conventional memory is reduced by 3 KB, and available extended memory is reduced by the size of the boot image.

Chapter 6: Using MBA in TCP/IP Environments

Introduction

With the introduction of the Internet and Windows NT Server, the TCP/IP networking protocol is common in today's networking environments. The features and utilities included with MBA allow it to operate successfully in TCP/IP networks.

TCP/IP-Specific Features

Supports network booting of operating systems such as DOS and Windows from any TCP/IP network which has a BOOTP or DHCP and a TFTP service

Includes Boot Image Editor and other utilities for creating, examining, and editing boot image files on the server

Includes BPPATCH utility to insert BOOTPTAB or DHCP fields into text and batch files

Network Requirements

MBA requires that a BOOTP or DHCP Service or daemon exists on the server to provide the IP address assignment and the filename and location of the boot image file. MBA also requires a TFTP server to enable the transfer of the boot image file to the PC.

Figure 12: MBA in Traditional TCP/IP Environments

How MBA Works in a TCP/IP Environment

To boot the PC, the MBA ROM first sends a broadcast to all of the servers on the network to see if one of them is running a BOOTP or DHCP service and has the required information for the PC (PC's IP address and boot image file name). The response from the server provides the PC with its IP address, the name of the boot image file and the IP address of the server that has the image file.

The PC then sends a TFTP request to the server to transfer a copy of the boot image file. This image file is stored in the PC's memory as a RAM disk. When the entire file is received, MBA passes control over to the downloaded file. The PC boots just as it would from a diskette.

After the PC has fully booted and connected to the network, the FREEMEM utility can be used to remove the boot RAM disk, and restore drive A: to the local floppy drive, if it exists.

Quick Setup

These abbreviated instructions are for those who are experienced with MBA installation in TCP/IP environments; refer to information presented later in this chapter for more detailed instructions. Complete the steps under “Quick Start ” in Chapter 2 before moving on to this section.

At the server

1. Check that BOOTP and TFTP services, or DHCP and TFTP services are installed on the designated server. Install them if necessary.

2. When setting up TFTP, create a directory for all boot image files. The suggested directory name is TFTPBOOT.

3. If you are using a DHCP service or daemon, you must configure option 67 (Bootfile Name) with the file name of the boot image. Refer to the documentation of your DHCP server for instructions.

4. If you are using a BOOTP service, it uses a file (normally called BOOTPTAB) which contains information for all PCs. Make sure this file contains at least the IP address and boot image file name for each PC that will be booting with MBA.

Note: Steps 3 and 4 above are not required if the boot image file name is MBA.IMG or is the same as the file name specified by the TCP/IP image file name option in MBA.

At any PC

Create boot image files for each PC (or group of PCs):

1. Create a boot diskette that is capable of booting a PC, including DOS system files, memory managers, and network drivers.

The only compatible memory manager is EMM386. If you are using it with Windows 3.x, be sure to add the “/y” parameter to specify a network path to EMM386.EXE.

When using the DOS 6.2 or higher HIMEM.SYS driver, specify the “/TESTMEM:OFF” parameter

A skeletal .BAT file follows:

rem network drivers load here

rem NFS or other drive mapping command here

init.bat

INIT.BAT, located on the server, is as follows:

set comspec = e:\dos\command.com

freemem

rem other commands may load now

2. Run the Boot Image Editor to create the server boot image. See “Working with Boot Image Files for TCP/IP Environments” in the Boot Image Editor online help for details.

3. Ensure the boot image file is readable so the TFTP service can access it.

4. Verify the PC boots correctly by booting the PC, noting whether the desired server and boot image file are accessed.

5. If the PC has problems booting, follow the detailed steps in this section, and if problems persist, read “Application Notes ” and “Troubleshooting ” at the end of this chapter.

Setting Up the Server

Before a PC can use MBA for network booting, you must set up a server to provide the PC with the information it needs.

If there are multiple servers on the network, only one of them needs to be set up for remote booting. This server must have the following services installed:

BOOTP or DHCP service

TFTP service

The BOOTP or DHCP service provides the PC with its IP address and the name of the image file to boot. The Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) service is used during the transfer of the boot file to the PC.

BOOTP Service

The BOOTP service may be included with the server TCP/IP package; check your documentation. If you do not have the service, contact technical support for your operating system to see if it is available.

The BOOTP service uses a file (normally called BOOTPTAB) which contains information for all PCs. This file must contain at least the IP address and boot image file name for each PC.

DHCP Service

A DHCP service may have been provided with your server software. Servers providing this MBA-compatible service include Sun Solaris, Windows NT Server, OS/2 Warp Server, and Red Hat Linux.

TFTP Service

The boot image file is transferred to the PC using TFTP. The TFTP service should be included with your TCP/IP package, but may be disabled; see your TCP/IP documentation for information.

When setting up TFTP you should create a directory for all of the image files. The suggested directory name is TFTPBOOT.

Setting Up the PC

Before you can use MBA in a PC, you must first create a regular boot diskette, the same as you would if you were to boot from that PC's floppy drive.

The next step involves taking a snapshot of the boot diskette, capturing its contents and creating an image file that will reside on the file server's hard disk.

Creating a Boot Diskette

1. Format a diskette as a DOS system diskette.

2. Copy all the files to the boot diskette that are needed to connect the PC to the network.

This must include a CONFIG.SYS and any device drivers and an AUTOEXEC.BAT to load the required network files. If you are mapping network directories to a local drive, the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the diskette should transfer control to a .BAT file on the network drive.

Note: If you are using a memory manager see “Using Memory Managers ” in this chapter, as some restrictions may apply.

Here is a sample AUTOEXEC.BAT file mapping the /PUBLIC directory, on the server called TEST, to local drive E:

lsl

fasteth (or whatever your ODI driver is named)

odipkt

ethdrv

idrive

idmnt unix test /public e: pcnfs nobody

init

At the end of this AUTOEXEC.BAT file, control is transferred to another .BAT file (INIT.BAT) located on the network drive. This second .BAT file should change the DOS COMSPEC variable so that DOS can find a copy of COMMAND.COM after the image is released from memory. The FREEMEM program is then executed to release all the memory used during booting and to restore drive A: as a local drive. FREEMEM must be run from a network drive. For additional information see “FREEMEM: Free RAM Disk Memory ” under “Other Tools.”

set comspec = e:\dos\command.com

freemem

Following FREEMEM, you may run any other commands needed to start the PC.

Once the boot diskette is created, boot the PC using this disk to confirm that it is working correctly. When you are confident the boot diskette is correct you can use it to create the image file.

When creating boot image files, it is necessary to ensure that each PC booting with MBA has a licensed copy of the operating system being used (e.g. DOS).

Creating a Boot Image File Using Boot Image Editor

Boot Image Editor is a utility that creates a boot image file from the contents of a boot diskette. You can find Boot Image Editor on the MBA Utility CD or the MBA subdirectory on the EtherCD.

Use the procedures in “Working with Boot Image Files for TCP/IP Environments” in the Boot Image Editor online help to copy the contents of a boot diskette to a directory on a file server. These procedures may be completed on any PC on the network that has a floppy drive. The image file can also be created on a hard disk in a PC that is not connected to the network, then transferred to the server on a diskette.

When you have copied the boot image file, ensure the file is readable so the TFTP service can access it, then store the boot diskette you have just created in a safe place; it may be required at a later date. The PC can now be booted using MBA.

You have now created a single boot image file that any PC with MBA can load and boot from the network (assuming the PCs are using the same type of NIC). If there are PCs on your LAN using MBA that require different boot configurations (e.g. different NICs, different CONFIG.SYS options), you will need to create additional boot image files. If the server does not provide an image filename on the DHCP or BOOTP reply, MBA uses MBA.IMG for the default filename.

You can now reboot the PC to make sure the image file was built correctly.

Boot Screen

When booting with MBA, the PC screen looks similar to Figure 13 or 14.

If the PC does not boot correctly, see “Troubleshooting ” at the end of this chapter.

Figure 13: Normal TCP/IP boot screen

Figure 14: Verbose TCP/IP boot screen

Other Tools

In addition to the TCP/IP-specific tools mentioned in this chapter, the MBA Utility CD or the EtherCD MBA subdirectory includes other tools that help simplify the installation and use of MBA. These tools are outlined in this section.

UNDIS3C.DOS: 3Com Universal NDIS Driver

What is the 3Com Universal NDIS Driver?

The 3Com Universal NDIS (Network Device Interface Specification) Driver is a NDIS 2 specification compliant driver that resides upon the UNDI (Universal Network Driver Interface) layer. It performs network operations defined in the NDIS 2 specification by calling the UNDI layer API functions defined in the PXE (Preboot Execution Environment) specification v2.1. The upper side of the 3Com Universal NDIS driver is bound to a protocol driver while on the lower side it is bound to UNDI layer.

The 3Com Universal NDIS driver replaces NDIS 2 common NIC-specific drivers by utilizing UNDI NIC-specific functions, which ultimately means it can support any NIC that includes a PXE-compliant boot ROM.

Many 3^rd-party client management products utilize a Universal NDIS driver in their pre-OS stage of client management. This is typically done during remote operating system installations, workstation and/or application deployments. Also, the Universal NDIS driver can be included in boot images created by IT managers to perform specific pre-OS tasks.

What is needed to use the 3Com Universal NDIS Driver

A NIC with MBA or a PXE-compliant boot ROM. MBA or PXE can be included on the NIC or integrated into the system BIOS.

3Com Universal NDIS driver file UNDIS3C.DOS. This file is located in the TCPIP subdirectory on the MBA Utility CD and on the EtherCD.

A server with DHCP, BOOTP, RPL or PXE Services enabled.

PROTOCOL.INI Parameters

Along with common NDIS 2 parameters supported in PROTOCOL.INI file (e.g. NETADDRESS), 3Com Universal NDIS driver supports following unique keywords in the driver binding section of PROTOCOL.INI file:

VERBOSE=[YES] [NO]

YES: Displays driver build number, hardware information (Vendor/Device ID etc.), UNDI Version, UNDI Code, Data location and Size.

NO: Default

GETSTATE=[YES] [NO]

YES: Invokes UNDIGetState function during Initialization to check what state UNDI is in. See Intel PXE Specification 2.1 or greater

NO: Default

An example of a PROTOCOL.INI file:

[GEN_NDIS]

DRIVERNAME=UNDIS3C$

VERBOSE=YES

GETSTATE=YES

A sample PROTOCOL.INI file is also located in the TCPIP subdirectory on the MBA Utility CD and on the EtherCD.

Loading the 3Com Universal NIS Driver

The 3Com Universal NDIS driver can be loaded from both CONFIG.SYS and from a batch file (usually AUTOEXEC.BAT). When using NDIS Protocol Manager, SYSTEM.INI file is required.

Adding 3Com’s Universal NDIS Driver to a Boot Image

Adding 3Com’s Universal NDIS driver to a boot image file involves three steps:

1. Copying needed files onto a DOS system diskette.

2. Taking a snapshot of the disk with 3Com’s Boot Image Editor utility. This utility is included on the MBA Utility CD or in the MBA subdirectory on the EtherCD.

3. Inserting the 3Com Universal NDIS driver into the boot image.

In this example, the boot image is based on a Microsoft Client boot disk, which allows you to load network drivers, and map to network resources. The boot disk can be created using the MS Network Client Administrator. Other DOS-based clients could be built using NT capable NFS servers and DOS client software that usually consists of TCP/IP-based TSR's and packet drivers.

Examples of these clients are:

PC TCP/IP from FTP software

URL: http://www.ftp.com/product/pctcp/pctcp4.htm

NFS Maestro from Hummingbird Communications

URL: http://www.hummingbird.com/products/maestro/

Once you have prepared a client boot diskette, use the Boot Image Editor to take a snapshot of the diskette and create a boot image.

To specify a Pre-OS image, Choose Pre-OS under options

Under Advanced choose the option to Keep UNDI in Memory. (Without this option selected, the Universal NDIS driver will fail.)

Sample Boot Image

CONFIG.SYS:

device=himem.sys /TESTMEM:OFF

device=emm386.exe noems

dos=high,umb

files=60

device=ifshlp.sys

REM Loading the Universal NDIS driver

device=a:\net\undis3c.dos

lastdrive=z

AUTOEXEC.BAT:

path=a:\net

a:\net\net initialize

a:\net\netbind.com

a:\net\umb.com

a:\net\tcptsr.exe

a:\net\tinyrfc.exe

a:\net\nmtsr.exe

a:\net\emsbfr.exe

a:\net\net start

net use z: \\SYS1\Utilities

SYSTEM.INI:

[network]

sizworkbuf=1498

filesharing=no

printsharing=no

autologon=yes

computername=TEST1

lanroot=A:\

username=Administrator

workgroup=WORKGROUP

reconnect=yes

dospophotkey=N

lmlogon=0

logondomain=WORKGROUP

preferredredir=basic

autostart=basic

maxconnections=8

[network drivers]

netcard=UNDIS3C.DOS

transport=tcpdrv.dos,nemm.dos

devdir=A:\

LoadRMDrivers=yes

[386enh]

TimerCriticalSection=5000

UniqueDosPSP=TRUE

PSPIncrement=2

[Password Lists]

*Shares=A:\Shares.PWL

PREOS=A:\PREOS.PWL

PROTOCOL.INI:

[network.setup]

version=0x3110

netcard=tcm$UNDIS3C,1,TCM$UNDIS3C,1

transport=tcpip,TCPIP

lana0=tcm$UNDIS3C,1,tcpip

[TCPIP]

NBSessions=6

SubNetMask0=255 0 0 0

IPAddress0=0 0 0 0

DisableDHCP=0

DriverName=TCPIP$

BINDINGS=UNDIS3C

LANABASE=0

[protman]

DriverName=PROTMAN$

PRIORITY=MS$NDISHLP

[UNDIS3C]

DriverName=UNDIS3C$

VERBOSE=YES

GETSTATE=NO

FREEMEM: Free RAM Disk Memory

FREEMEM releases all the memory used to transfer the boot image file from the server after the PC has booted. It also changes drive A: back to the local floppy drive (drive A: is used as a RAM disk while the PC is booting from the image file).

Note:

Before you can use FREEMEM you must change your DOS COMSPEC variable to a DOS directory on the network, otherwise you will get an error when DOS tries to reload COMMAND.COM after FREEMEM terminates.

FREEMEM can not be included in the image file; it must be executed from a network drive (or local hard drive).

After using FREEMEM you should have about 2 KB less memory available than you have when you boot from the diskette used to create the image file.

BPPATCH: Supporting Replaceable Parameters

The BPPATCH program is used to replace parameters from the BOOTP/DHCP reply packet into text files. This allows one common image file to be used by several PCs, with the parameters unique to each PC (like the IP address) being specified in the BOOTPTAB file on the server and replaced in the image file when the PC boots.

Note: BPPATCH must be run before FREEMEM.

Using BPPATCH

To use BPPATCH you must first put tags into your text files (batch files, configuration files etc.) to indicate which BOOTP fields you want to replace. You then run BPPATCH and specify the files to be patched on the command line. You can specify more than one file at a time. For example if you want to patch the files START.BAT and PCTCP.INI, your command line is:

bppatch start.bat pctcp.ini

Note: To patch parameters for commands in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file you must place these commands in a second batch file, so you can run BPPATCH before the second batch file is executed. For example, if you put all the commands in a file called START.BAT, your AUTOEXEC.BAT file would be as follows:

bppatch start.bat

start

Application Notes

This section lists some techniques for using MBA in TCP/IP environments.

Using Memory Managers

Currently the only supported memory manager is EMM386.

EMM386

If you are using EMM386 with Windows 3.x you must add the “/y” command line option. The “/y” option allows you to specify a path for EMM386 after the PC has booted. If you try to run Windows after booting from the network you get an “Invalid path for EMM386” message. This is because Windows needs access to the EMM386 file and, since the PC was booted from the network, the original file is no longer available. Using the “/y” option you can specify a network path so Windows can access EMM386 from the network. For example:

device=emm386.exe /y=e:\dos\emm386.exe

HIMEM.SYS

If you are using MSDOS 6.2 or higher you must use the “/TESTMEM:OFF” option with HIMEM.SYS to disable the extended memory RAM test. The resulting command line is:

device=himem.sys /TESTMEM:OFF

Troubleshooting

Quick Fixes: What to Check First

When things do not work, the best way to diagnose problems is to interpret MBA's PC screen using MBA's verbose mode. See “Displaying Verbose Status Information ” in Chapter 4. Refer to the following section for explanations of MBA screen messages.

MBA Messages

BOOTP
DHCP

If the PC has stopped at this prompt and the progress dots (….) are increasing, it means that no reply has been received from the BOOTP or DHCP service on the server, and you should check the following:

A proper connection to the file server. Try to connect to the server if you boot from a floppy or hard drive.

(BOOTP case only) Your server is running a BOOTP service. You may want to try running the service in stand-alone mode to see if it is getting the request from the PC. The service should also have a debug mode where it displays information on the screen for each request it gets and replies to.

Transferring boot image file (x-y) (only in verbose mode)

The two numbers in the brackets, x and y, indicate retries and packet number respectively. During a normal transfer the first number, the retries, should remain at 1 and the second number, the packet number, should increase.

If the retry count is increasing but the packet number is not, it indicates the PC is not receiving any packets from the TFTP service. If the packet number remains at 1 make sure your server is running TFTP.

If both the retry count and the packet number are increasing it indicates the transfer is progressing correctly, but the PC is not receiving packets as quickly as it can process them. This normally indicates a busy network.

File Transfer Error Messages

Most file transfer errors originate at the server. Some common file transfer errors are:

File transfer error:

If you see “File transfer error” with no description, it indicates the PC received an error packet, but the sending server did not indicate what the error was.

File transfer error: File not found

This message comes from the TFTP service on the server. It means the TFTP service could not find the file the PC requested. The full filename is displayed on the PC screen; make sure this filename is correct and that the file does exist.

File transfer error: Access violation

This message comes from the TFTP service on the server. It usually indicates the boot image file does not have world read permission. This message may also occur if you are running the TFTP service in secure mode.

File transfer error: Image file too large

While downloading the boot image file from the server the image file has filled all the available conventional memory in the PC. The only way to correct this is to decrease the size of the image file, or use an extended memory image. This can be done using the new Boot Image Editor.

Error: Not enough extended memory for image

While downloading the boot image file from the server, the image file has filled all the available extended memory in the PC. The only way to correct this is to decrease the size of the image file or add more memory in the PC.

Chapter 8: Using MBA in NetWare Environments

Introduction

MBA has the following features when used in NetWare environments:

Supports all current versions of NetWare

Supports all current versions of DOS

Does not require RPL.NLM to be loaded on the server; boots using a native, routable protocol

Handles multiple file servers on the network; optional MSD NLM (included) directs boot requests to the correct file server and image file

Allows the selection of different boot images for each PC at boot time

Includes boot management utilities

Includes Boot Image Editor and other utilities for creating, examining, and editing boot image files on the server

Network Requirements

MBA supports all current versions of NetWare using NCP/IPX protocol and transport layers. Unlike RPL-style ROMs, MBA for NetWare communicates using native, routable NetWare protocols and does not require any NLMs to be loaded at the server to support network booting. This ensures complete compatibility with all current versions of NetWare, and Ethernet frame-type independence.

Most Ethernet versions of MBA are configurable to support 802.3, 802.2, or Ethernet II (type-8137) frame types. For version 3.12 and higher of NetWare, 802.2 is the default frame type; older versions of NetWare default to the 802.3 frame type. Make sure the Ethernet frame type selected by MBA is also supported at the file server used to boot the PC.

Figure 17: MBA in NetWare Environments

Quick Setup

These abbreviated instructions are for those who are experienced with MBA installation in NetWare environments; refer to information presented later in this chapter for more detailed instructions. Complete the steps under “Quick Start ” in Chapter 2 before moving on to this section.

Step 1 - Create a boot image file

1. Format a bootable diskette, and copy to it all the files needed to make a boot diskette. Alternatively, you may copy an existing boot image file and modify it using the Boot Image Editor utility (found on the MBA Utility CD or MBA subdirectory on the EtherCD). To install Boot Image Editor, see “Boot Image Editor Installation” in Chapter 2 “Installing MBA.”

2. If you are using Windows 3.x and loading EMM386 in CONFIG.SYS, be sure to add the “/y=” option to define the network path where EMM386.EXE is located. If your NIC has a memory-mapped RAM region, be sure to exclude this region from your memory manager.

3. In AUTOEXEC.BAT, ensure that RPLODI.COM is loaded immediately after LSL.COM (if using the Boot Image Editor Loader option, RPLODI is not required).

4. If you are supporting more than one boot image, rename AUTOEXEC.BAT to a different name, and create a new AUTOEXEC.BAT that contains only this unique .BAT file name. This avoids problems with sharing the same AUTOEXEC.BAT in the LOGIN directory.

5. In the .BAT file that invokes the network shell such as VLM.EXE or Client32, add the following statements just before VLM:

set path=

set comspec=x:command.com

where X: is the drive letter that is later mapped to the DOS directory by the PC. Do not place a backslash after the drive letter (X:)

Avoid explicit references to drive A: anywhere within the boot diskette.

6. Using Boot Image Editor (located on the MBA Utility CD or MBA subdirectory on the EtherCD), or Novell's DOSGEN.EXE, create a boot image file in the SYS:LOGIN directory. If using DOSGEN, copy the .BAT file that invokes the network shell from the diskette to the SYS:LOGIN directory.

Step 2 - Add PC information to BOOTCONF.SYS

Skip this step if all PCs are sharing the same NET$DOS.SYS boot image file:

In the SYS:LOGIN directory, either create a BOOTCONF.SYS file or edit the existing one. If using the MSD NLM option, you must use BOOTEDIT to edit BOOTCONF.SYS. BOOTEDIT is easy to use and helps you avoid syntax and sorting problems in the BOOTCONF.SYS file.

Step 3 - Verify the PC boots correctly

1. Boot the PC, noting whether the desired file server and boot image file are being accessed.

2. If the PC has problems booting, follow the detailed steps provided in the following section. If problems persist, read the “Application Notes ” and “Troubleshooting ” sections at the end of this chapter.

Boot Screen

When booting with MBA, your screen looks similar to Figure 18 or 19:

Figure 18: Normal NetWare boot screen

Figure 19: Verbose NetWare boot screen

Creating a Boot Image File Using Boot Image Editor

The first step in creating a boot image file is to create a regular boot diskette, much the same as you would to boot the PC from a floppy drive.

The next step involves taking a snapshot of the boot diskette, capturing its contents and creating an image file that will reside on the file server's hard disk.

Step 1 - Create a boot diskette

1. Format a diskette as a DOS system diskette.

2. Copy needed files to the boot diskette. Copy all required device drivers, NetWare client drivers, and any other files you would normally place on a boot diskette.

3. If using EMM386 along with Windows 3.x, be sure to add the “/y=” option to define the network path where EMM386.EXE is located. For example,

device=emm386.exe /y=x:\dos\v6.20\emm386.exe

If the NIC has a memory-mapped RAM region, be sure to exclude this region from your memory manager.

4. When using the VLM client for your network shell, copy the Novell RPLODI.COM file onto your boot diskette, and modify your AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that RPLODI is loaded immediately after LSL. Alternatively, you may use the Loader option in Boot Image Editor.

5. Add the following SET statements to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, just before the network shell statement:

set path=

set comspec=x:command.com

where X: is the drive letter that is mapped to a server DOS directory during login. This ensures that COMMAND.COM will be accessed correctly while loading VLM with DOS 6.x.

6. When using the VLM client for your network shell, verify that your AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the boot disk looks similar to the following:

Comments

lsl

rplodi must be used with all odi drivers

fasteth or whatever your odi driver is called

ipxodi

set path=

set comspec=x:command.com

vlm or netx

f: drive letter of first network drive

When creating boot image files, it is necessary to ensure that each PC booting with MBA has a licensed copy of the operating system being used (e.g. DOS).

Step 2 - Run Boot Image Editor

1. Create a boot image file using the Boot Image Editor. See “Working with Boot Image Files for NetWare Environments” in the Boot Image Editor online help for details.

The boot image file created by the Boot Image Editor must be placed in the SYS:LOGIN directory of your current server using the files contained on the boot diskette in drive A:. MBA will use the default filename NET$DOS.SYS unless another image file is specified in either BOOTCONF.SYS or the NetWare image file name option in MBA. An MBA ROM installed on a NIC uses this file to load the operating system, network drivers, and other information needed to boot from the network.

Boot Image Editor can create an image file that is installed as a RAM disk by using the Loader option. This option transfers the entire image file into extended memory, closes the network connection, and boots the workstation from RAM drive A:. To remove the RAM disk from memory use the FREEMEM.COM utility.

2. Check to make sure the boot image file exists in the SYS:LOGIN directory.

3. The .BAT file that loads VLM.EXE (or NETX.EXE) must be copied from the diskette to the LOGIN directory. If not copied, you will see a “Batch File Missing” message as VLM or NETX transfers from drive A: to SYS:LOGIN but does not find the .BAT file that was running on drive A:.

Figure 20: Copying Batch Files to the Login Directory

If you see a “Batch File Missing” message when your PC has booted, you may also need to copy AUTOEXEC.BAT into the default directory that is specified by the user's LOGIN script, or follow other steps listed under “Batch File Missing Messages and How To Avoid Them ” in this chapter.

4. Store the boot diskette you have just generated in a safe place, as it may be required at a later date.

Boot Using MBA

The PC can now be booted using MBA. Perform the following steps as needed:

1. In order for multiple PCs to boot using this file, it must be flagged as shareable. When Boot Image Editor creates an image file it automatically flags the file as shareable. If you need to set it manually (e.g. if you created the image with DOSGEN), use the NetWare FLAG command:

flag net$dos.sys sh (for netware 4.x and 5.x)

flag net$dos.sys s (for netware 3.x)

2. If your network has more than one file server, copy the boot image file and AUTOEXEC.BAT to each server's SYS:LOGIN directory. If you use the optional MSD NLM, you do not need to worry about copying these files across all file servers. See “Multiple Servers: How the MSD NLM Can Help ” in this chapter.

You have now created a single boot image file that any PC with MBA installed can load and boot from the network. If your MBA-equipped PCs have different booting requirements, there are two ways to meet these requirements:

You may use the CHKID and ROMTYPE utilities (provided with MBA) which allow you to load drivers conditionally based on node address or NIC type.

You may have to create additional boot image files if different operating systems are used. See “Supporting Different PCs with One Boot Image ”, and “Creating Additional Boot Image Files .”

Supporting Different PCs with One Boot Image

Although boot image files may be shared by many identical PCs, you may wish to create additional boot image files for other PCs which require different drivers to be loaded either in CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT.

Using the CHKID and ROMTYPE utilities provided with MBA, you can avoid having to create additional boot image files by steering through CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT based on the PC's node address and NIC type.

For example:

Using CHKID you could specify that a certain CONFIG.SYS driver is loaded only for one or more PC node addresses. CHKID may also be used within AUTOEXEC.BAT.

Using ROMTYPE in AUTOEXEC.BAT, you could support many different ODI drivers within one boot image, automatically loading the one appropriate for each of your PCs.

Refer to “Other Tools ” for information on CHKID and ROMTYPE.

Creating Additional Boot Image Files

Although many PCs can boot from the same boot image file, it is likely that more than one boot image file will be required to suit the differing needs of the PCs on your network, especially if different operating system versions need to be supported. Supporting multiple boot images requires an understanding of three important issues:

Creating/editing the BOOTCONF.SYS boot index file

Avoiding AUTOEXEC.BAT conflicts in SYS:LOGIN

Using Boot Image Editor to create different boot images

Creating and Editing the BOOTCONF.SYS Boot Index File

The default boot image file is NET$DOS.SYS. When you need to support more than one boot image file, you must name these files in a special boot index file called BOOTCONF.SYS.

The BOOTCONF.SYS file is an index of all the boot image file names and the network address and node address of each PC that must access those files. This file must be in the SYS:LOGIN directory.

MBA (or the MSD NLM, if loaded) scans the contents of BOOTCONF.SYS during PC boot, and if no entry is found which matches the PC's network and node address, the default boot image file is used.

The BOOTCONF.SYS file may be created and edited in the following ways:

Using the BOOTEDIT utility (provided with MBA) ensures correct syntax, offers search/sort capabilities, and other helpful features. BOOTEDIT must be used when loading the optional MSD NLM. See “Multiple Servers: How the MSD NLM Can Help .”

Using an ASCII editor (such as the MS-DOS editor, EDIT). This is recommended only in emergencies, or when BOOTCONF.SYS contains only a few entries. Avoid using EDIT when MSD is being used, because BOOTCONF.SYS must be sorted.

Editing BOOTCONF.SYS using BOOTEDIT

BOOTEDIT is the BOOTCONF.SYS editor supplied with MBA. This editor hides all BOOTCONF.SYS syntax requirements and offers helpful features such as searching, sorting, undo, automatic address insertion, and more. BOOTEDIT conforms to the extended BOOTCONF.SYS syntax requirements of the MSD NLM options supported by MBA.

BOOTEDIT has the following syntax:

Usage: bootedit [servername] [/mono]

If the file server name is omitted, the current file server is used. BOOTEDIT automatically detects monochrome screen modes, but this mode may be forced with the “/mono” parameter. BOOTEDIT uses the full height of a screen or window (i.e. 43 rows); the minimum required size is 80x25 characters.

When BOOTEDIT loads BOOTCONF.SYS, any errors detected in the data format are displayed and BOOTEDIT will not enter the edit mode. If any PC entries with comments over 40 characters long are found, a warning is displayed.

BOOTEDIT has a capacity of approximately 3,000 records, depending on the amount of free conventional memory.

For further information on using BOOTEDIT, refer to online help information by pressing F1 from within BOOTEDIT.

Editing BOOTCONF.SYS Using an ASCII Editor

Each line of BOOTCONF.SYS should be entered using the following format:

0x[network],[node]=[image file name]

where if the network number is 1, the node address is 00A024D6055F, and the boot image filename is WRKSTN2.SYS, then the appropriate syntax is:

0x1,00a024d6055f=wrkstn2.sys

Note: The first character of a BOOTCONF.SYS entry is a ZERO (not the letter O). Although most node addresses are 12 digits long, you do not need to include the leading zeros.

To avoid confusion and problems related to network numbers you should enter wild cards for the network number followed by the node address which can be obtained from the NIC. To use wildcards insert eight question marks (?) instead of the network numbers as follows:

0x????????,[node]=[image file name]

Entries in this format must be generated for each PC that needs a boot file other than the default NET$DOS.SYS.

Wild cards can also be used for the node address. This allows several workstations to use the same image file. A common use of wildcards in the node address is to use question marks for the last 6 characters of the address. This will allow all NICs from the same manufacturer to use the same image (the first 6 characters of the node address indicate the NIC manufacturer). The placement of the wild card entries is important; they should be at the end of the file so they do not override any specified addresses. In Figure 21, all NICs that have the first 6 characters 00104B will use SALES.SYS, except for 00104B267345, because it has it’s own entry above the wild card entry.

Note: To find the PC's node address, check the MBA boot screen or use the configuration program that comes with your NIC.

You may put comments on each line entry in BOOTCONF.SYS, as long as there is at least one space separating the boot image file name and the comment. In general, it is a good idea to keep comments reasonably short, as MBA must scan through them. Too many comments may delay the PC's boot procedure.

0x00000020,0000c0516776=image1.sys Paul’s boot image

0x00000021,00c0f987b345=ron.sys Ron’s boot image

0x00000021,00000f456787=steve.sys Steve’s boot image

0x????????,00104b267345=george.sys George’s boot image

0x????????,00104b??????=tsg.sys Default image for tsg

0x????????,????????????=win.sys Default image

Figure 21: Sample BOOTCONF.SYS

Avoiding AUTOEXEC.BAT Conflicts in SYS:LOGIN

When more than one boot image file exists in a server's SYS:LOGIN directory, you must take care to avoid conflicts with AUTOEXEC.BAT files. When a PC executes VLM or NETX during its boot sequence, the remainder of the currently running .BAT file is loaded from the SYS:LOGIN directory, not from the boot image.

The easiest way to avoid any problems is to ensure that each boot image file executes VLM or NETX from a uniquely named .BAT file, not from AUTOEXEC.BAT.

Within each boot diskette or boot image:

1. Rename the original AUTOEXEC.BAT to a unique .BAT filename.

Note: Using the same name as the image file helps you keep track of which boot image file a .BAT file belongs to.

2. Create a new AUTOEXEC.BAT within the boot image or boot disk that invokes this uniquely named .BAT file. Refer to Figure 22.

Figure 22: Using unique batch files

When VLM (or NETX) is loaded from IMAGE1.BAT in the image file, it continues executing from IMAGE1.BAT in SYS:LOGIN. Each image disk can have its own batch file name to avoid conflicts in SYS:LOGIN.

Using Boot Image Editor to Create Additional Boot Image Files

See “Working with Multiple NetWare Boot Image Files” in the topic “Working with Boot Image Files for NetWare Environments” in the Boot Image Editor online help.

Select a file name that helps you remember something about the contents of the image file, (for example MSDOS62.SYS). If no file extension is specified, .SYS is the default.

Note: We recommend using the .SYS extension for boot image files.

Selecting Different Images at Boot Time

See “Working with Multiple NetWare Boot Image Files” in the topic “Working with Boot Image Files for NetWare Environments” in the Boot Image Editor online help for details.

Note: Be sure to modify the PC's entry in BOOTCONF.SYS to refer to the menu boot filename in place of the original boot image filename. If BOOTCONF.SYS is not used, name your menu boot file NET$DOS.SYS.

Multiple Servers: How the MSD NLM Can Help

When multiple servers exist on a network, MBA must know the server from which to obtain the boot information.

To indicate which server is to be used, MBA includes an optional server NLM called MSD (Multi Server Director). If the MSD option is enabled in the MBA configuration, MBA attempts to locate a server running the MSD NLM. If located, this server directs MBA to the proper server and image to boot from.

If a server running MSD NLM cannot be located or the MSD option is disabled, MBA locates the nearest server and attempts to boot from that server.

Because of the random nature of finding a particular server (it depends on how busy a server is, and how quickly it responds), it is absolutely necessary that you copy all boot image files, AUTOEXEC and other .BAT files, and BOOTCONF.SYS files across all file servers in your internetwork. Failure to do so may cause MBA to occasionally issue an “Error Opening Boot File” message as it connects to a server that doesn't contain the required boot image files.

With the MSD NLM option, you can specify the file server(s) from which an MBA-equipped PC will boot, and maintain boot image files only on the designated servers.

A full-featured MSD NLM is provided with MBA. This version is unrestricted and includes activity logging.

How MSD Works

At boot time, MBA-equipped PCs first broadcast a “Get nearest MSD” request. See Figure 17. One or more file servers reply with the address of the nearest MSD NLM. MBA then sends a request to the MSD NLM asking for the name of the server and image file. Upon receiving this request, the NLM looks for the PC's boot information in the BOOTCONF.SYS file. If a matching entry is found, MSD replies to the MBA PC with the information.

If no matching PC entry is found, MSD replies with the name of a boot image file which is specific to the PC's type of NIC (except in cases where the NODEFAULT option is used). You can obtain the ROMTYPE number from the MBA Information screen. Also see “Other Tools: ROMTYPE: Conditional Execution based on MBA Type ” in this chapter.

If the PC receives no reply from the MSD NLM in two seconds, MBA defaults to its normal mode of operation and attempts to boot from the nearest file server.

Installing MSD

The MSD NLM is installed on a NetWare 3.x or 4.x file server, although the boot image files themselves may exist on any file server in the network.

Copy the file MSD NLM from the MBA Utility CD or MBA subdirectory on the EtherCD to the SYSTEM directory on the SYS: volume of the server that is used to load the MSD NLM.

The MSD NLM requires the following additional Novell NLMs:

AFTER311.NLM (on NetWare 3.x servers)

CLIB.NLM (must be version 3.12 or higher)

Note: If you are using NetWare 3.x you must load AFTER311.NLM before MSD. CLIB.NLM is loaded automatically by MSD.

MSD is loaded using the LOAD command on the System Console on your NetWare server. You must have access to the System Console screen of the server, either directly at the server, or through RCONSOLE.

MSD Command Line Options

There are several command line parameters that can be specified when loading MSD:

Usage: msd <msd_name> [max=] [nodefault] [log]

options

[max=] - sets the maximum number of workstations which MSD will accept when processing BOOTCONF.SYS. The default number is 512. Each entry requires about 100 bytes of server memory, so the more entries you allow, the more memory MSD will require.

[nodefault] - tells MSD not to reply to any workstations that are found in the BOOTCONF.SYS file

[log] - tells MSD to create a log file of all its activities

The first parameter specifies the unique name to be assigned to this instance of MSD; if no name is specified, MSD assumes the name of the server on which it is running.

Add a line to your server AUTOEXEC.NCF to load MSD when the server is started. The following are examples of valid MSD command lines:

load msd

Loads MSD, assumes the name of the server it is running on, and uses the default maximum number of 512 workstation entries.

load msd main

Loads MSD, names it “main” and uses the default maximum number of 512 workstation entries.

load msd main max=1024

Loads MSD, names it “main” and sets a maximum number of 1024 workstation entries.

load msd test log max=100 nodefault

Loads MSD, names it “test”, creates a status log file, sets a maximum of 100 workstation entries, and tells MSD to use nodefault mode.

MSD may be unloaded from your server at any time with the NetWare “unload” system console command:

unload msd

NODEFAULT Mode

If MSD does not find a PC entry in the BOOTCONF.SYS file, it normally responds with a boot image file name based on the MBA type code for the ROM in the PC. This default image name has the format MSD$<type>.SYS. For example, the default image file name for a PC with an NIC which has a MBA type code of 003 would be MSD$003.SYS. This allows you to create boot image files based on the NIC type, without adding an entry in the BOOTCONF.SYS file.

If you do not want MSD to respond with these default image filenames, use the “NODEFAULT” command line option. In NODEFAULT Mode MSD responds to the PC with an error message instead of an image filename. This is a security feature and prevents any PC that is not defined in BOOTCONF.SYS from booting.

MSD Console Display

For a full description of the MSD console display, view the file MSD.TXT on the MBA Utility CD or MBA subdirectory on the EtherCD.

MSD PC Messages

There are several messages related to MSD operation that may appear at an MBA-equipped PC.

MSD: no reply: (only in verbose mode)

The MBA ROM in the PC has broadcast a message in an attempt to communicate with MSD, but no reply was received. This message occurs only in cases where MSD is not installed on at least one server on the network, or if the server in which the MSD NLM is loaded is not currently operating.

This message may also occur within the first few minutes of the MSD NLM being loaded at a file server, as it takes several minutes for all file servers on the network to be aware of the NLM's existence.

After this message is issued, MBA defaults to its normal operation, and attempts to contact any available file server for its boot image.

MSD: [msdname] Found server <servername>:

This message appears at the PC during normal operation, and indicates the name of the MSD NLM that serviced the request, and the name of the file server from which the boot image file is retrieved.

MSD: [msdname] Server <servername> is unavailable:

This message appears at the PC if MSD is unable to locate the file server that was specified in the BOOTCONF.SYS entry defined for the PC.

After this message is issued, MBA in the PC defaults to its normal operation and attempts to contact any available file server for its boot image. When a file server is finally reached, MBA attempts to open the filename specified for its PC in BOOTCONF.SYS; if this fails, MBA attempts to open the default boot image file, NET$DOS.SYS.