Boot Agent

The Intel® Boot Agent is a software product that allows your networked client computer to boot using a program code image supplied by a remote server.

Implementation support for the Boot Agent includes:

•Multi-protocol boot ROM code designed for remote booting from Gigabit Ethernet Adapters

•Compliance with the Pre-boot eXecution Environment (PXE) Version 2.1 Specification

•Remote Program Load (RPL) runtime and loader software included with some versions of the Boot Agent

Intel® Boot Agent offers:

•Compliance with the Wired for Management Baseline (WfM) 2.0 specification

•Compatibility with legacy boot agent environments that use BOOTP protocol

•Customization in pre-boot, Windows®, and DOS environments

Operating environment

The Boot Agent operates in a client/server environment. Often, in this environment, one or more servers provide remote boot services to a large number of client computers through a common network. The computer system where the Intel® Boot Agent is loaded is considered to be a client with respect to the remote boot capability even if that system acts as a server after the system has finished booting.

Configuration options

The Intel® Boot Agent software provides configuration options that allow you to customize the behavior of the Boot Agent software. You can configure the Boot Agent in a pre-boot environment (before the operating system is loaded).

Configuring the Boot Agent in a pre-boot PXE or RPL environment

You can customize the behavior of the Boot Agent software through a pre-boot (operating system independent) configuration setup program contained within the adapter's flash ROM. A single user interface allows you to configure PXE and RPL protocols on HP Gigabit adapters. You can access this pre- boot configuration setup program each time the client computer cycles through the boot process. The boot process is triggered whenever any of the following boot events occur:

•Power on

•Hard reset (Reset button on system, if available)

•Soft reset (Ctrl+Alt+Del)

•Operating system or application-initiated system restart

When the boot process begins, the screen clears and the computer begins its Power On Self-Test (POST) sequence. Shortly after completion of the POST, the Boot Agent software stored in flash ROM executes. The Boot Agent then displays an initialization message, similar to the one below, indicating that it is active:

Initializing Intel(R) Boot Agent Version X.X.XX

PXE 2.0 Build 083 (WfM 2.0)

Press Ctrl+S to enter the Setup Menu.

This display may be hidden by the manufacturer's splash screen. See your manufacturer's documentation for details.

Adapter configurations 41