Overview – Allied Telesis AT-2973T (NetExtreme II) User Manual

Page 36

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Chapter 3: Installing Broadcom Boot Agent Driver Software

36

Overview

Both the AT-2973SX and AT-2973T Broadcom NetXtreme II adapters
support Preboot Execution Environment (PXE). 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 Broadcom
MBA driver complies with the PXE 2.1 specification and is released with
both monolithic and split binary images. This provides 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 Broadcom implementation of the
MBA module has been tested successfully in the following environments:

Linux Red Hat PXE Server. Broadcom PXE clients are able to
remotely boot and use network resources (NFS mount, and so forth)
as well as perform Linux installations. In the case of a remote boot, the
Linux universal driver binds seamlessly with the Broadcom Universal
Network Driver Interface (UNDI) and provides a network interface in
the Linux remotely-booted client environment.

Intel APITEST. The Broadcom PXE driver passes all API compliance
test suites.

MS-DOS UNDI. The MS-DOS Universal Network Driver Interface
(UNDI) seamlessly binds with the Broadcom UNDI to provide a
network adapter driver interface specification (NDIS2) interface to the
upper layer protocol stack. This allows computers to connect to
network resources in an MS-DOS environment.

Remote Installation Service (RIS). The Broadcom PXE clients are
able to remotely boot to a Windows 2000 Server or a Windows Server
2003 (SP1 and older) system running RIS to initialize and install
Windows Server 2003 and prior operating systems. To extend
functionalities beyond basic network connectivity when loading an
operating system through RIS, see “Using the NetXtreme II Monolithic
Driver” on page 83
.

Windows Deployment Service (WDS). For Windows Server 2003
SP2, RIS was replaced by WDS, which offers a Broadcom PXE client
to install Windows operating systems, including Windows Vista and
Windows Server 2008. To extend functionalities beyond basic network
connectivity when loading an operating system through WDS, see
“Using the NetXtreme II Monolithic Driver” on page 83.

Automated Deployment Service (ADS). The Broadcom PXE client
can connect to a Windows Server 2003 system and run a deployment
agent that allows one to perform some administrative functions,
including, but not limited to, deploying a Windows Server 2003 image.

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