E21-BP-IPX
Remote Boot Prom Installation Instructions
Remote Boot Operation
The Cabletron Systems E21-BP-IPX Remote Boot PROM is designed for use with Novell version 2.X, 3.1X, and later. The Remote Boot Prom allows workstations to download a copy of the DOS operating system and associated network control files from the fileserver at power up time instead of booting from a local floppy or hard disk.
These files will be loaded into the remote workstations as a "disk image file". The workstation will view this file as a disk, whether the disk is actually present or not. You must install a remote boot ROM in the E21XX adapter card in each workstation on the network that will be remotely booting. Consult your E21xx card installation manual for the location of the boot ROM socket and address jumpers JP1 (I/O), and JP2 (ROM).
DNI Card Installation and Notes
The use of Novell NetWare dictates certain address, interrupt level, and media conventions. the following tables lis the various DNI card jumper configurations and the resulting network parameters. Make sure that your DNI card is configured for the media, protocol, and address parameters compatible with your particular network. The standalone DNI Novell workstation driver must be used.
E11xx, E21xx Series I/O Base Address (JP1)
Figure 1. Setting the I/O Base Address
Set JP1 jumpers as follows:
Select I/O 220H by placing a shunt on pins 1 and 2, and 3 and 4. (Media=Secondary; Protocol=Ethernet_II).
Select I/O 280H by placing a shunt on pins 1 and 2 only. (Media=Secondary; Protocol=Ethernet_802.3).
Select I/O 300H by placing a shunt on pins 3 and 4 only. (Media=Primary; Protocol=Ethernet_II).
Select I/O 380H by leaving all jumpers open. (Media=Primary; Protocol=Ethernet_802.3).
E11xx, E21xx ROM Address/Interrupt (JP2)
Figure 2. ROM Address/Interrupt
Set JP2 jumpers as follows:
Select ROM/RAM Address C000:0 and Interrupt 3 by placing a shunt on pins 1 and 2, and 3 and 4.
Select ROM/RAM Address D000:0 and Interrupt 5 by placing a shunt on pins 3 and 4.
Select ROM/RAM Address E000:0 and Interrupt 7 by placing a shunt on pins 1 and 2.
E11xx, E21xx Series I/O Base Address Protocol
Figure 3. I/O Base Address/Protocol Table.
The following I/O Base Addresses will use the Ethernet_802.3 Protocol: 0300H, 1300H, 2300H, 3300H, 4300H, 5300H, 6300H, and 7300H.
All Microchannel cards use the address scheme shown above. You enter this information into the DNI card when you run the ADF configuration file included in the software shipped with your DNI card.
Preparing the Network
After installing the ROM in your DNI card and configuring it, you must prepare the network for remote boot operation (see DNI Card Installation Manual). The minimum requirements for this task are an operating NetWare network with at least one server and one workstation. To prepare a REMOTE RESET diskette, a computer with at least one floppy drive must be used. For the purposes of this discussion, we will assume that you have a two drive system. If your computer has only one floppy drive, consult your DOS manual for single drive file copy instructions.
You will also need to install the operating system on the server according to the directions in the Novell NetWare system documentation. For information on how to set up the server operating system for remote boot operation consult with the appropriate Novell NetWare manual under "Remote Reset".
Preparing a Remote Reset Diskette
1. Prepare a blank diskette in Driver A, using you DOS option FORMAT A:/S. This will place a copy of your DOS operating system on the formatted diskette. A diskette must be prepared for each version of DOS to be booted on the network. Label this diskette REMOTE RESET.
2. Obtain the Netware SHGEN-2 of WSGEN diskette containing the shells configured for your DNI card. Place this diskette in Drive B. Copy the files IPX.COM and NETX.COM and NET3.COM (for DOS 3.x) or NET4.COM (for DOS 4.x) onto the formatted Remote Reset diskette in Drive A.
3. Create a CONFIG.SYS file on the Remote Reset diskette using a text editor or the DOS option COPY CON. If you use COPY CON, type:
COPY CON A:CONFIG.SYS
FILES=25
BUFFERS=20
<CTRL-Z>
4. Create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the Remote Reset diskette using a text editor or the DOS option COPY CON. If you use COPY CON, type: COPY CON A:AUTOEXEC.BAT, followed by the filenames on the diskette, without their extensions. Make sure that you press <ENTER> after each line. The file should contain the following lines:
IPX
NET3
F:
LOGIN
Substitute NET4 for NET3 for DOS version 4.x.
Remove Remote Reset diskette from Drive A.
Creating a Boot Image File
Use the DOSGEN utility on your server to create an image file from the files that you copied to the REMOTE RESET diskette. To create a server boot file for NetWare v2.x/v3.x, for example:
1. Log onto the network as "Supervisor", and Map to your network server by typing:
MAP F:=SYS:SYSTEM and press <ENTER>.
MAP G:=SYS:LOGIN and press <ENTER>.
2. Insert the REMOTE RESET diskette in Drive A. Change to the SYS:LOGIN directory by typing G: and then pressing <ENTER>.
3. Copy the AUTOEXEC.BAT to the SYS:LOGIN directory and other directories on the server that are default directories as specified by the LOGIN script. When the remote workstation boots, it changes the default directory to SYS:LOGIN. Be aware that the boot process may lose track of the AUTOEXEC.BAT files if copies are not placed in the directories where the booting system expects to find them.
4. Type F:DOSGEN and press <ENTER>.
Verify that the DOSGEN program created files called NET$DOS.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT in the SYS:LOGIN directory on the server.
5. The NET$DOS.SYS must be flagged sharable-read/write. Type:
FLAG NET$DOS.SYS SRW and press <ENTER>.
Remove Remote Reset diskette. If remote booting workstations on your network require different DOS versions, adapter card configurations, or driver parameters, you will need to "customize" a remote boot file for each variation. If you do not need to customize your remote boot files, skip the next section and refer to "Booting Your Workstation".
Customizing Remote Boot Files
Group workstations according to DOS version and configuration. You will need to create a remote boot image file for each unique group of workstations.
1. Format a diskette according to the instructions in "Preparing a Remote Reset Diskette", using the DOS version for the workstation group selected. Make sure that IPX.COM and NET3.COM or NET4.COM are on the diskette.
2. Create a CONFIG.SYS file on the Remote Reset Diskette, using a text editor or the DOS option COPY CON. If you use COPY CON, type:
COPY CON A:CONFIG.SYS
FILES=25
BUFFERS=20
<CTRL-Z>
3. Create a batch file for each group of workstations on the boot diskette using a text editor or COPY CON. Instead of naming the batch file AUTOEXEC.BAT, name each file uniquely, such as AUTO1.BAT, AUTO2.BAT, etc.
Each .BAT file should have the following lines:
IPX
NET3 (use NET4 for 4.X DOS)
F:
LOGIN
4. Copy all the AUTOx.BAT files (where AUTOx is the unique number assigned in step 3) onto the SYS:LOGIN directory on the file server, and any other default directories as defined by the LOGIN scripts. When the workstation boots, it changes the default directory to SYS:LOGIN.
NOTE
The boot process may lose track of the batch files unless they are placed in the directories where the booting workstation will look for them.
5. Create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file on each diskette to call the batch file on that diskette. For example, the AUTOEXEC.BAT file for group one would contain the line: AUTO1. The boot process will execute AUTOEXEC, which in turn will execute AUTO1.
6. Use the DOSGEN utility (on the server) to create an image file on the fileserver from the files on each boot diskette. Make sure that you specify a unique image file filename on the DOSGEN command line. This should take the form of: BOOTDSKx.SYS, where x is the number of the disk created for a workstation group. For example: groups one's image filename would be BOOTDSK1.SYS. For more information see "DOSGEN" under "Utilities Reference" in the Novell NetWare manual.
Repeat this step for each group of workstations, specifying a unique name for each group's boot image file.
7. Determine the workstation "Node Address" for each workstation that will be using remote reset. This information is required for the remote reset boot file BOOTCONF.SYS that you will create in the next step. You can obtain that unique DNI card Node Address from the DNI diagnostics main menu screen. This twelve-digit hexadecimal identification number appears in the lower right corner of the screen in a field called ID Address. To run the diagnostics, consult your DNI Card Installation Manual Appendix A, "Diagnostics".
8. Create a remote reset boot configuration file BOOTCONF.SYS in the SYS:LOGIN directory. This file contains a list of all customized remote reset boot files, with the network and node address of each workstation that needs access to them. All customized boot image files must reside in the BOOTCONF.SYS file or they will not be used.
Use COPY CON or a text editor to create the BOOTCONF.SYS file in the SYS:LOGIN directory. This line format for this file is: 0x[network address],[node address]=[boot image filename]. For example, the line entry for a workstation with node address 00001D03A806, and which is in group 2, on network 123ABC, and used the boot image file BOOTDSK2.SYS, would look like:
0x123ABC,00001D03A806=BOOTDSK2.SYS
NOTE
The BOOTCONF.SYS file must contain an entry for each workstation to be booted. If there are multiple file servers on the network, the image files, BOOTCONF.SYS, and the AUTOx files must be copied onto each file server on the network so that the workstation that is booting can attach to any available server.
Booting Your Workstation
After successful execution of the DOSGEN utility, or creation of customized boot image files, the information required for successful boot ROM operation will be on your server. All workstations that have a DNI card equipped with a boot ROM will automatically perform a remote reset (boot) when powered on. From this point on, no diskette is required to boot the workstation's operating system. To reboot your workstation, press <CTRL_ALT_DEL>. The workstation will boot from the server. If your workstation contains a hard disk, a message will appear on your display that asks if you want to boot from the network. Type "Y" and the workstation will boot from the network server.
NOTICE
Cabletron Systems reserves the right to make changes in specifications and other information contained in this document without prior notice. The reader should in all cases consult with Cabletron Systems to determine whether any such changes have been made. The hardware, firmware, or software described in this manual is subject to change without notice.
IN NO EVENT SHALL CABLETRON SYSTEMS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOST PROFITS) ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS MANUAL OR THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN IT, EVEN IF CABLETRON SYSTEMS HAS BEEN ADVISED OF, KNOWN, OR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
Order Number: 9031236
Novell and NetWare are registered trademarks of Novell, Inc.
Copyright June 1994 by:
Cabletron Systems, Inc.
P.O. Box 5005
Rochester, N.H. 03866-5005
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