IBM xSeries 255 POST/BIOS Flash Disk Version 1.02 Installation README File CONTENTS ________ 1.0 Overview 2.0 Change History 3.0 Installation and Setup Instructions 4.0 Configuration Information 5.0 Unattended Mode 6.0 Web Sites and Support Phone Number 7.0 Trademarks and Notices 8.0 Disclaimer 1.0 Overview 1.1 This README file contains the latest information about installing the IBM xSeries 255 POST/BIOS. 1.2 Limitations - NA 1.3 Enhancements - NA 1.4 Level of Recommendations and Prerequisites for the Update: - See the list of changes for information to determine whether or not you are affected by the enhancements and fixes. 1.5 Dependencies 2.0 Change History V1.02 - September 12, 2002 ---------------------- - Fixes for remote floppy and some DOS applications. - Added setup item to display MAC addresses of PXE enabled adapters. - Added Memory Mirroring function. V1.01 - July 31, 2002 ---------------------- - Fixed Netware hot plug pci failures when attempting to hot plug two or more PCI adapters in succession. - Allow for remote keyboard to work when using the RSA remote floppy function and/or when starting remote control operation after the system has already booted. - Fix for potential hang during Netware boot, if using USB keyboard. - Fix for WOL when using RDM. - Updated PXE ROM. - Fix for power button press sometimes being ignored in Windows 2000. V1.00 - May 31, 2002 ---------------------- - Initial release 3.0 Installation and Setup Instructions *Note: If installing from an update package, see additional instructions, in Appendix A. The procedure to update the POST/BIOS is as follows: 3.1 Insert the "IBM xSeries 255 POST/BIOS Flash Disk" into drive A. 3.2 Start up or restart your IBM xSeries 255 server. 3.3 The system will boot off of the disk and present a window which allows you the option to flash various options. Choose "1 - Update POST/BIOS". 3.4 You will be asked if you would like to move the current POST/BIOS image to the backup ROM location. If you select 'Y', the current code will be flashed in to the backup bank immediately. 3.5 If the current system POST/BIOS supports the Asset Tag feature, you will be asked if you would like to change it. If you select 'Y', you will be able to enter a new number. 3.6 You will then be asked if you would like to save the current code to a disk. If you select 'Y', you need to have a formatted disk already available, or specify a fully qualified path and file name. 3.7 At this point, the image will be loaded from the disk, and you will be asked to choose which language you wish to use during POST and in Setup. If you select a choice other than English, the selected language will be merged into the image. There is also an option to Quit the flash update on this menu. 3.8 After this completes the system will update the flash ROM with the new code. When this is complete you will be prompted to remove the disk and hit return to reboot the system. 4.0 Configuration Information 5.0 Unattended Mode 5.1 Steps for unattended mode. 5.1.1 Modify CONFIG.SYS on the Flash Diskette to read: "SHELL=FLASH2.EXE /u /r xx* **" 5.1.2 Reboot the system with the Flash Diskette in Drive A: * Note: "xx" refers to the language support. By default the system will flash the English versions of BIOS and Setup if no language is specified. ** Note: An optional parameter of "/a:" can be added to allow for storing a system asset tag number where "" is replaced with up to a 32 digit string. 6.0 Web Sites and Support Phone Number 6.1 IBM Support Web Site: http://www.pc.ibm.com/support 6.2 IBM Marketing Web Site: http://www.pc.ibm.com/ww/eserver/xseries/ 6.3 If you have any questions about this update, or problems applying the update go to the following Help Center World Telephone Numbers URL: http://www.pc.ibm.com/qtechinfo/YAST-3P2QLY.html. 7.0 Trademarks and Notices THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. IBM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, IBM GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS. 8.0 Disclaimer 8.1 THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. IBM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, IBM GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS. 8.2 Note to Government Users Include the following note after the disclaimer paragraph. Note to U.S. Government Users -- Documentation related to restricted rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure is subject to restrictions set forth in GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corporation. Appendix A: Package Specific Installation Instruction This update is packaged as a self-extracting Package for the web (PFW). To unpack, this update requires that your TEMP environment variable be set to a path with read/write access. You must be logged in as an administrator. The command-line syntax for Package-For-The-Web Firmware update package is: Package.exe [-s] [-a [-s] | [-r] | [-c] | [-x directory] | [-xd] | [-w] | [-?] ] [-s] This initial -s tells the Package-For-The-Web software to install silently and will not prompt if files need to be over-written in the %temp% directory. [-a] Tells the Package-For-The-Web software to pass all subsequent commands to the install package (i.e. the update). [-s] The second -s option indicates to run the update silently and unattended. For firmware updates the update is scheduled to run on the next reboot. An immediate reboot can be forced with the -r option. [-r] Schedule the update (can be used with or without the -s option, either way it has the same meaning) and reboot immediately. [-c] Cancel any scheduled firmware update and record results of this operation in the log file. Only one firmware packages can be scheduled at one time, if a firmware update needs to be applied instead of the currently scheduled firmware update package, the user needs to cancel the current (run with the -c option on any firmware package) package and subsequently run the applicable firmware package. [-x directory] Use with firmware updates to extract the update to directory named directory. Since the Package-For-The-Web extracts itself to subdirectory in the %TEMP% directory, a relative directory will be relative to that location. Normally the user will want to specify an absolute directory. [-xd] Use with firmware updates to extract floppy diskette(s). The floppy diskette(s) can subsequently be used to boot and apply the update in the customary "apply update from floppy diskette" fashion. This option is not available for all firmware updates, such as Tape Drive and Hard Disk updates. [-w] The PowerQuest Virtual Boot Environment requires 2 free sectors on the first track before it can schedule a firmware update. Use this option only if scheduling an update failed because 2 free sectors were not found in the first track. This option will wipe or clear the non boot and the non partition information sectors on the first track. These sectors are normally not used. Before clearing the sectors a copy of the complete first track is saved in the %temp% directory from which the update runs. [-?] Display information about the command line switches. Only the apply-update-silently (-s) option is necessarily unattended, that is the other command line options such as display help (-?) may require the user to "hit any key" to continue. If Windows packages are run without any command line options, a GUI is displayed. This GUI offers all the options available at the command line, except that the -w option is not available.