Users Guide

Table Of Contents
Broadcom BT-FC-UG128-100
6
Emulex Boot for the Fibre Channel Protocol User Guide
Chapter 1: Introduction
This guide describes installing, updating, enabling, and configuring Emulex
®
FC boot code. This guide also describes the
Emulex BFS implementation and its operation with distinct hardware and operating system requirements. BFS is the booting
of a server directly from an operating system image located on a SAN by way of an Emulex adapter using Emulex FC and
FC-NVMe boot code.
When booting from SAN, the storage device is typically identified by its WWPN and a LUN for FC, and an NQN and
Namespace for NVMe over FC. By extending the server system BIOS, BFS functionality is provided by the bootcode
contained on an Emulex adapter in the server. When properly configured, the adapter then permanently directs the server
to boot from a logical unit (disk) on the SAN as if it were a local disk.
NOTE: Emulex drivers support multipath boot configurations. Refer to your storage vendor’s documentation for details on
how to configure multipath booting.
NOTE: Screen captures in this document are for illustrative purposes only. Your system information may vary.
1.1 Emulex Boot Code Files
Emulex provides the following types of boot code:
The x86 Boot code works with the existing system BIOS on x86 systems.
The OpenBoot code works with the existing system firmware on SPARC and IBM Power-series systems. OpenBoot is
also called FCode.
The UEFI Boot code provides system boot capability through the use of the UEFI shell. It also functions on
UEFI 2.x-based x64 platforms through the HII interface.
Emulex is unique in providing Universal Boot and Pair Boot images of boot code. Universal Boot images contain x86 Boot
code, OpenBoot code, and UEFI Boot code. Pair Boot images contain x86 Boot code and UEFI Boot code. These images
provide multiplatform support for BFS.
Universal Boot and Pair Boot transparently determine your system platform type and automatically execute the proper boot
code image in the adapter. These boot code images reside in the adapter flash memory, which allows for easier adapter
portability and configuration between servers.
Boot code is configured using the following methods:
x86 Boot code uses the Emulex LightPulse
®
FC BIOS utility, which is included in the x86 Boot code.
OpenBoot code is configured using commands run from the command line.
UEFI Boot code is configured using the UEFI HII.