About the OpenVMS InfoServer Utility

InfoServer network booting is supported for OpenVMS installations and upgrades on any OpenVMS Alpha system and on any Integrity servers that support OpenVMS. For OpenVMS Integrity server systems, InfoServer network booting is supported on all LAN cards (also referred to as LAN devices or adapters) that are supported by EFI.

For both OpenVMS Alpha and Integrity servers Version 8.4 installations and upgrades, you can boot from a virtual DVD/CD drive on the LAN using the OpenVMS InfoServer utility. You can use the OpenVMS InfoServer software application on all Version 8.2-1 or later OpenVMS Integrity server systems as well as on any OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.3 or later systems that support a DVD drive. This support provides the additional advantage of allowing a network administrator to upgrade multiple OpenVMS systems on the network from a single copy of the OpenVMS distribution CD or DVD.

Using the InfoServer utility on Integrity servers for network booting requires several one-time-only configuration steps unique to OpenVMS Integrity servers. Likewise, using the InfoServer utility on OpenVMS Alpha servers requires an additional, one-time-only software configuration step. Any configuration procedures that might have been performed for network booting using an InfoServer hardware system (traditionally used by Alpha systems) are not valid for the OpenVMS Integrity servers or OpenVMS Alpha InfoServer application.

Booting from the InfoServer utility for OpenVMS Integrity servers differs significantly from booting from the InfoServer hardware system traditionally used by OpenVMS Alpha systems or from the InfoServer utility on OpenVMS Alpha systems. For example, while Alpha systems use the Maintenance Operations Protocol (MOP) to request the primary bootstrap file (APB.EXE) to start the boot, the Integrity servers console uses the Intel Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) bootstrap protocol in conjunction with the TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS BOOTP server and TFTP. The Integrity servers EFI console first loads the primary bootstrap file VMS_LOADER.EFI, which is formatted for EFI compatibility. VMS_LOADER.EFI then uses TFTP to request the primary bootstrap IPB.EXE from the boot server. IPB.EXE is formatted in OpenVMS ODS file structure and is needed for booting the OpenVMS Integrity servers operating system.

To install or upgrade the operating system over the network, OpenVMS Integrity server systems must use the InfoServer utility that is integrated with the OpenVMS operating system. The InfoServer hardware traditionally used by OpenVMS Alpha systems is not equipped to handle DVD drives required for the OpenVMS Integrity servers distribution media. OpenVMS Alpha systems can use the OpenVMS InfoServer utility or the traditional InfoServer hardware system that is independent of OpenVMS. OpenVMS Alpha systems can boot from the distribution CD on DVD drives (DVD drives support both DVDs and CDs). Table 22 summarizes the major differences between Alpha and Integrity servers InfoServer booting.

InfoServer Booting: Differences Between Alpha and Integrity server Systems

Component	Alpha	Integrity servers
Downline load protocol	MOP	PXE (DHCP/BOOTP/TFTP)
Boot file	APB_version (for example, APB_084)	VMS_LOADER.EFI and IPB.EXE (both files are version specific)
Boot server	Any MOP-enabled system with the specified file	Only those BOOTP servers having the network device MAC address defined in the BOOTP database
LAN server	InfoServer hardware, or InfoServer utility running on OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.3 or later, or on OpenVMS Integrity servers Version 8.2-1 or later	InfoServer application running on OpenVMS Alpha Version 8.3 or OpenVMS Integrity servers Version 8.2-1 or later.

Because of these differences, any procedures used for Alpha systems to set up booting from the InfoServer hardware are not valid for setting up booting from the OpenVMS InfoServer utility. In addition, actions for setting up booting from the OpenVMS Integrity servers InfoServer utility differ from those required for setting up booting from an OpenVMS Alpha InfoServer utility. Table 23 lists the various actions that need to be performed to enable network booting using the OpenVMS InfoServer utility on OpenVMS Integrity servers or OpenVMS Alpha systems. These actions need be performed only once except where noted.

Procedure for Enabling InfoServer Network Booting

InfoServer Client Setup
Architecture	Actions Required	Section
Integrity servers clients only	Determine the LAN I/O card to be used on your local Integrity servers for the network boot and report the associated OpenVMS device name, its IP address, and its MAC address to the network administrator responsible for setting up the BOOTP server. Optionally (and recommended), add this network device as an EFI boot option—this procedure can be repeated on any other system in the LAN that will use the InfoServer server for network booting. Verify that the network device is supported by EFI as a bootable device.	Section
InfoServer Utility Setup
Architecture	Actions Required (You or Network Administrator)	Section
Integrity servers or Alpha	Designate at least one OpenVMS system in the LAN as the InfoServer server. Upgrade the system if necessary (OpenVMS Integrity servers must be Version 8.2-1 or later; OpenVMS Alpha must be Version 8.3 or later).	Upgrade instructions in Chapter 6. Prior to upgrading, review Chapter 4, and Chapter 5.
Integrity servers or Alpha	Copy SYS$STARTUP:ESS$LAD_STARTUP.TEMPLATE to SYS$STARTUP:ESS$LAD_STARTUP.DAT and then modify parameters in SYS$STARTUP:ESS$LAD_STARTUP.DAT. Determine which network device will be used for InfoServer LAD operations. Copy SYS$STARTUP:ESS$LAST_STARTUP.TEMPLATE to SYS$STARTUP:ESS$LAST_STARTUP.DAT and then modify parameters in SYS$STARTUP:ESS$LAST_STARTUP.DAT. Add a line to SYS$MANAGER:SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM to start the SYS$STARTUP:ESS$LAD_STARTUP.COM file at startup. If you changed any SYSGEN parameters, run AUTOGEN and reboot; if you did not change SYSGEN parameters, skip the reboot and execute the SYS$STARTUP:ESS$LAD_STARTUP.COM file manually. Use the InfoServer control program to create a service for the DVD drive.	Section .
Alpha only	Enable MOP on the boot server and then copy APB_084.SYS from the OpenVMS Version 8.4 distribution media to the MOP download database (LAN$DLL, which defaults to MOM$SYSTEM).	See the LANCP chapter in HP OpenVMS System Management Utilities Reference Manual: A-L.
Integrity servers only	Set up the TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS BOOTP server and TFTP server. (For each new release of OpenVMS Integrity servers, update the client entries in the BOOTP database to point to the new version-specific boot file.) The person responsible for setting up the boot server needs information about your InfoServer client. OpenVMS Integrity servers boot files are unique for each version of OpenVMS Integrity servers. Latest boot files must be available and referenced in the BOOTP server database.	Section .



	NOTE: The discussion of InfoServer booting in this manual pertains to environments where the boot clients and servers are located in the same LAN. For more complex circumstances, consult HP Customer Support.