Newsgroups: bit.listserv.novell
Date:         Fri, 2 Oct 1992 23:46:14 ADT
Reply-To:     Novell LAN Interest Group <NOVELL@SUVM.BITNET>
From:         Brian Cassidy <BPC@UNB.CA>
Subject:      Experience with SMC RPL Boot ROM (ROM-RPL v1.5)

This boot rom is designed for use in the SMC EtherCard PLUS
and EtherCard PLUS Elite cards. It is compatible with NW 286,
NW 386, LAN Manager and IBM LAN Server. It is architecturally
similar to the boot rom used in the IBM ethernet card which
implements the RPL boot protocol used by LAN Manager and
LAN Server. This uses the 802.2 frame type for which a special
server NLM is required (etherrpl.nlm) for NW 3.11. Do not confuse
this rom with the SMC Netware Boot ROM (ROM-NOV) which uses the
802.3 frame type and for which no special NLM is required.

SMC alleges that this rom is compatible with both microchannel
and non-microchannel computers and Netware 386 but we
found that ROM-RPL v1.5 in an SMC 8013EP/A when placed in a
microchannel workstation (PS/2 56slc) would not work. The solution
was supposed to be a replacement nlm called rpl.nlm. Not only
did this new nlm not work, it crashed the server (ps2/95).

Novell quickly fixed rpl.nlm to prevent the server crash but
remote boot still would not work.
SMC claimed that this rom used to work and that
Novell made a change in the protocol stack accepted by
rpl.nlm (in conjunction with ether.rpl) which killed it.
After much finger pointing between Novell and SMC, SMC finally
released a new version of ether.rpl called $0000.rpl.
Remote boot is now working. Total resolution time for
this problem was approximately 2-1/2 months.
Software versions are:
       rpl.nlm   08-18-92
       $0000.rpl 09-23-92

It is worthwhile to note here the special peculiarities
of the IBM slc line of computers in as much as remote boot
is concerned. These computers have a set of bios image files
(*.iml) associated with them. These are normally loaded from
the hard drive during the boot process. Booting is a two step
process; load the bios image files and then load the boot (DOS)
image. The bios image files must be loaded into a special
subdirectory of the login directory.

When remote booting a system with the hard drive
connected, the bios image files come from the hard drive and
the boot image from the server. With the hard drive physically
disconnected (SCSI devices reconfigured with the reference
diskette); the remote boot process goes as follows:
For cold boot (from power off), there are two complete boot
sequences separated with the message:
BOOTSTRAP-RPL-111: IML Update in Process; Computer will RE-BOOT
Both boot sequences are preceeded by the traditional memory
test messages xxxxx KB OK.
For warm boot (power on and system functional), it is a more
traditional simple loading of the boot image from the server.

My timings showed approximately 25 seconds for warm boot and
approximately 95 seconds for cold boot. The test computer
had 8MB ram.

I think it important to note that SMC's traditional Netware
boot rom (ROM-NOV) will not work on the IBM slc computers.
They are not aware of the requirement to load the bios
image files.

There are also rumors that with Netware 4.0,
that the traditional Netware boot roms using 802.3
style packets will no longer be supported. If true,
this would force all Netware 4.0 users to upgrade their
boot roms to be compatible with the protocol accepted
by RPL.NLM such as the SMC ROM-RPL rom.

On ethernet networks the frame type may be either 802.2
or Ethernet_II. I believe that Lanworks makes such a
rom and of course all IBM adapters (ethernet, pcnet and
token ring) have compatible roms. I have successfully
tested an IBM ethernet card (and remote boot) in the 56slc.
The IBM card is an almost identical twin to the SMC 8013EP/A.

SMC reports that $0000.rpl will be available on version 4.4
of their superdisk. They further advise that the current version
of $0000.rpl does not support Western Digital EtherCard
PLUS adapters: 8003EBT and 8013EBT.

Brian Cassidy <BPC@UNB.CA>
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU