Users Guide

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6 Boot Agent Driver Software
This chapter covers how to set up MBA in both client and server environments:
 Overview
 “Setting Up MBA in a Client Environment” on page 26
 “Setting Up MBA in a Linux Server Environment” on page 32
Overview
Marvell BCM57xx and BCM57xxx adapters support pre-execution environment
(PXE), remote program load (RPL), iSCSI, and bootstrap protocol (BOOTP).
Marvell’s Multi-Boot Agent (MBA) is a software module that allows your network
computer to boot with the images provided by remote servers across the network.
The Marvell MBA driver complies with the PXE 2.1 specification and is released
with split binary images. These images reside in the adapter’s firmware and
provide flexibility to users in different environments where the motherboard may or
may not have built-in base code.
The MBA module operates in a client/server environment. A network consists of
one or more boot servers that provide boot images to multiple computers through
the network. The Marvell implementation of the MBA firmware module has been
tested successfully in the following environments:
 Linux Red Hat PXE Server. Marvell PXE clients are able to remotely boot
and use network resources (NFS mount, and so forth) and to perform Linux
installations. In the case of a remote boot, the Linux universal driver binds
seamlessly with the Marvell Universal Network Driver Interface (UNDI) and
provides a network interface in the Linux remotely-booted client
environment.
 Intel APITEST. The Marvell PXE driver passes all API compliance test
suites.
 Windows Deployment Services (WDS). To extend functionalities beyond
basic network connectivity when loading an operating system through
Microsoft WDS, generate a WinPE (3.0 or later) image using the EVBD or
Network Driver Interface Specification (NDIS) driver.