Ignite-UX Administration Guide for HP-UX 11i (B3921-90080, November 2013)

To use this approach, modify bootptab entries to use the appropriate boot loader. The boot
loader will use the AUTO file in the same directory where nbp.efi is located.
Ignite requires the HP-UX version of the install kernel and install file system to match the HP-UX OS
version to be installed. By having different defaults in the AUTO files, the correct install kernel and
file system will be automatically selected.
Limit Network Response by System Class
A subnet might include a variety of systems and devices. Systems that cannot run HP-UX, such as
x86 systems and printers, might request network boot. If the subnet includes various systems and
devices, HP-UX boot servers should be configured to respond only to device classes they can
support.
Note that this approach does not resolve issues with handling client systems that are able to
successfully boot and install from different boot servers. The device class is a constant attribute of
the system. Thus, this approach will not help resolve issues with multiple boot and installations
servers intended to support Integrity systems, since all Integrity systems report the same device
class.
For information on how to configure this solution for booting, see “Ignite-UX Server and Boot Helper
Setup for DHCP” (page 44).
For information on how to configure this solution for networking IP address allocation, see “Isolating
Ignite-UX From Noncontrollable DHCP Servers ” (page 46).
Directed Boot
If client system firmware supports directed network boot, that is a simple way to avoid complex
network boot issues. Directed boot support is not available in some older Integrity systems. Also,
directed boot requires interaction with the system console. Finally, directed boot requires specifying
the network configuration. In most cases, this configuration needs to be consistent with DHCP or
boot server configuration for the client.
Directed boot is provided by the EFI commands dbprofile and lanboot. These commands
make it possible to specify the network configuration to be used for boot (IP address, netmask,
gateway, etc.). For convenience, a dbprofile may be associated with one or more EFI boot
menu options so subsequent boot for installation from the master Ignite server is simplified. Because
the direct boot profile may include a gateway, it is possible to directly boot from an Ignite server
on a separate subnet without using a local subnet boot helper.
For detailed information on directed boot, see “Direct Boot Profiles for Itanium-Based Systems”
(page 103).
Server Selection
PA-RISC clients can specify the boot server to use for DHCP/bootp services and ignore all other
boot offers. The client system network configuration is supplied by the boot helper or Ignite server
located on the same subnet. It is also possible for PA-RISC systems to “search” for network boot
options and build a list that may be used to select the desired boot server. For more information,
see “Booting PA-RISC Clients from the Console ” (page 100).
Limit Network Boot Response by Network Interface Address
When a system broadcasts a request for boot, the request includes the NIC network address (also
known as the MAC address).
Boot servers are often configured to respond to all systems that broadcast a boot request since that
approach simplifies administration. However, most boot servers have the ability to selectively
respond to boot requests.
Complex Network Solutions 53