Firmware Update Information

1.2Console Firmware Components and Revision Information

The AlphaServer 4100 is shipped with two console images - the SRM console for Compaq Tru64 UNIX, DIGITAL UNIX and OpenVMS Alpha customers and the AlphaBIOS console for Windows NT customers and for running ARC-based utilities. The SRM console update image (RHSRMROM.SYS) is a compressed file which contains the following individual firmware images:

Table 1–2 V6.0-4 SRM Console Firmware Components and Revisions

Component

Revision Information

SRM Console

V6.0-4

OpenVMS Alpha PALcode

V1.21-2

DIGITAL UNIX PALcode

V1.23-2

Extended SROM (XSROM)

V6.0

Qlogic ISP1020 Firmware

V5.57.

A World Wide Web (WWW) site is provided for firmware updates. Once the Alpha Systems Firmware Update V6.0 CD-ROM becomes available, update firmware for the AlphaServer 4100 will be available via this update CD. At that time, a /V6.0 directory will be created on the World Wide Web (see Section 1.6 for details).

Serial ROM (SROM) ships in a socketed part on each AlphaServer 4100 CPU. It is reponsible for initializing and testing enough of the machine to load Extended SROM (XSROM) from system flash ROM. The latest SROM revision for all AlphaServer 4100 CPU types/revisions is V3.0. Versions V1.1 and V2.0 SROMs can be used on all CPU types/revisions unless you will be bypassing the embedded remote console function and connecting to a high speed modem, in which case, the minimum version needed is V2.0 SROMs for alternate (non-9600) COM1 baud rate support.

XSROM is reponsible for loading the SRM console and associated PAL code. If SROM determines that the firmware image it is supposed to load is corrupt (checksum fails), it attempts to load the system Fail-Safe Loader (FSL) from flash ROM. The FSL is a simple floppy loader that can be used to load an SRM console from a floppy diskette. This loaded console can then be used to run the AlphaServer 4100 update utility (LFU). A kit with the FSL diskette and release notes is available. The V5.0 kit contents are listed in Table 1–3.

Table 1–3 Fail-safe Loader Kit content

Part Number

Description

 

QZ-00WAA-HC.5.0

AlphaServer FSL V5.0

RX23 KIT

AK-R1FYB-CA

AlphaServer FSL V5.0

RX23

AV-R1FZB-TE

AlphaServer Fail Safe REL NTE

The AlphaBIOS console is loaded and started by the SRM console if the

SRM console’s OS_TYPE environment variable is set to "NT" or if the

1–3

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Compaq 4100 Console Firmware Components and Revision Information, Component Revision Information, Part Number Description