HP Business Desktops BIOS

Deployment and Manageability
The HP BIOS provides several technologies that help integrate the HP Business Desktop computer into
a corporate enterprise. More detailed information, including customer success stories, can be found at
the
http://www.hp.com/go/im.
Installing a new computer
The HP BIOS supports Preboot Execution Environment (PXE). PXE is an industry-standard method of
booting a computer to a network server, which provides remote management features such as initial
operating system deployment and configuration. With PXE support, a new computer can be installed
into a networked environment without using CD-ROMS or boot diskettes—the computer can simply
download an image for installation over the network. In addition, the emergency boot function allows
a computer to boot to a network image, in the event that the local operating system or storage has
been compromised. The PXE environment can also allow an HP computer that is configured without
local storage to boot to a network image for normal user operation (similar to a thin client
deployment). The HP BIOS allows PXE boot devices to be added to the boot sequence either locally or
remotely (for example, boot to CD–ROM, then diskette, then PXE). The HP BIOS enables the computer
to be set up anywhere in the networked enterprise without having an IT support person present.
It is often desirable to configure the BIOS settings on a large batch of new computers before the OS is
deployed. Rather than manually entering F10 setup to make the desired changes on each computer,
an HP BIOS utility called Replicated Setup (REPSET.EXE) is available to automate this procedure.
Replicated Setup runs in a DOS environment and can be configured in a DOS image that can be
downloaded via PXE, or loaded from a bootable diskette, CD, or USB storage device. Replicated
Setup requires a text file (CPQSETUP.TXT) containing a list of BIOS settings. This file is easily created
from one computer on which the configuration is originally built using F10 setup. This text file is
human-readable and can be edited by the administrator, if desired. After the file is created, the
administrator simply runs the utility and associated text file from the chosen media. Assign Password is
an associated utility designed to attach a password to the Replicated Setup utility. This is necessary if
the computer already has a setup password in place. If a setup password is not in place when
Replicated Setup is run, a password can be set as part of the replicated settings. (The Business
Desktop BIOS Utility for Replicated Setup SoftPaq contains these tools and additional information at
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/hpcpqdt/us/download/18040.html.)
Remote computer configuration
The HP BIOS enables the network administrator to perform some functions over the network instead of
manually. In this way, the administrator can control HP Business Desktop computer configurations
throughout the enterprise from one central location. All the administrator has to do is download the
utility along with the text file to the client for remote execution.
Similar to the Replicated Setup utility, the BIOS settings can be deployed throughout the enterprise
under the OS by using System Software Manager SSM (
http://www.hp.com/go/ssm). SSM software
provides the GETCONFIG.EXE utility, which is used to create a CONFIG.TXT (a BIOS settings file
similar to CPQSETUP.TXT). As with the Replicated Setup text file, the configuration settings can be
edited for the desired changes and then deployed across the enterprise.
New systems, starting with the HP Compaq dc7600 and HP xw4300 Workstation, support a new
manageability interface called HP Client Manager Interface (or HP CMI for short). HP CMI is built into
the BIOS and provides, via WMI (Windows Management Interface), the ability to read or change
BIOS settings, read supported sensor events, or receive alerts. Since it is built into the BIOS, HP CMI
is an agent-less interface that can’t accidentally be deleted from the system. Any management console
or scripting facility that can connect to WMI can use the HP CMI interface, either locally or remotely.
Some older HP systems will be supported by a WMI software provider that will emulate the native
BIOS HP CMI support. Details of the interface are provided in a separate white paper Managing and
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