EtherWORKS PCI Remote Boot ROM Installation

This document serves as an installation and configuration guide for the EtherWORKS PCI remote boot ROM (models DE45D-AR and DE45F-AR), intended for experienced network installers. The remote boot ROM allows computers equipped with an EtherWORKS Turbo PCI 10 adapter (DE450) to load their operating system, network drivers, and other files directly from a network file server, thus eliminating the need for local boot diskettes or hard drives.

The manual covers the following key areas:

• Installation and Configuration: It details the physical installation of the ROM into the adapter and the software configuration using the EZWORKS Installation utility. This includes enabling remote boot, selecting one of the supported protocols (MOP, NetWare, TCP/IP, RPL), setting boot timeouts, and managing the built-in RomShield antivirus feature. Command-line switches are also provided as an alternative configuration method.
• Supported Network Environments: The guide provides specific instructions for configuring both servers and clients for remote booting across MOP (PATHWORKS V4.x), NetWare (versions 3.x and 4.x), TCP/IP (using BOOTP, RARP, and TFTP), and RPL (Microsoft LAN Manager, Windows NT Server, and PATHWORKS V5.x and later) networks.
• Boot Image Management: It explains how to create boot image files from diskettes using the IMGGEN utility and how to manage these images, including support for multiple boot images via BOOTCONF.SYS for NetWare. Utilities like MAPGEN are introduced for examining and editing boot image files directly on the server, while BootWare/MSD (for NetWare) simplifies multi-server boot image management.
• Utilities and Tools: Various utilities are detailed, such as UNRPLFIX for removing unnecessary RPLFIX modifications, BATCRLF for addressing "Batch file missing" messages, CHKID/CHKID.SYS for conditional command execution based on node addresses, ROMTYPE for identifying ROM type codes, FREEMEM for releasing memory after booting (TCP/IP), and BPPATCH for dynamically updating TCP/IP parameters in boot files.
• Troubleshooting: The document provides extensive sections on common problems and error messages encountered during the remote boot process for each protocol, offering solutions for issues related to network connectivity, file transfer errors, memory allocation, and configuration mismatches.
• Updates and Other Products: Information on how to obtain the latest driver files from Digital Equipment Corporation's online resources and details on other Digital network adapter products are included.

The overall goal of the remote boot ROM is to centralize boot image management on the network file server, enhancing network security and simplifying updates.