Boot From a LAN Link
When boot is over a LAN link, the VCP loader ROM code at the destination system interacts with the download monitor program, VCPMT. VCPMT runs on the local or server node on a LAN. The user interface to VCPMT is RMVCP, remote VCP. These two programs are described in Chapter 11.
The operating system being booted is a memorybased system and is called a •download file." It is a file on the local or server node.
The destination computer or client node is any node on the LAN. The destination computer's LAN card must be set for remote VCP and, if desired, for Forced Cold Load operation. Upon bootup, VCPMT sends the memorybased system download file to the remote node.
Target System Installation
There is a great deal of flexibility in setting up a working system. You might install a bootable system directly on the medium from which it will be booted, or you might make an intermediate copy of a bootable system and transport it for use in the final destination. Following are a few examples (not an exhaustive list) of variations in the software installation process.
If you have a CS/80 disk with CTD (HP 7912/14/42/46) you can install your system from the CTD tape to disk. This involves placing the tape cartridge in the CTD and performing the offline restore procedure. The RTEA Backup and Disk Formatting Utilities Reference Manual, part number 9207790249, describes the procedure.
On an RTE6/VM host system, you can install a memorybased RTEA target system on a CS/80 cartridge tape using the CSYS utility. You can then transport the tape to an ASeries computer and load the target system directly from the tape.
If you have a CS/80 disk without cartridge tape (HP 7933/35/41/45), you can install your system from magnetic tape to disk. This involves booting into memory from magnetic tape a memorybased RTEA system containing the ARSTR utility and using this utility to restore your system from another magnetic tape. The procedure for creating an offline (memorybased) version of ARSTR is described in the RTEA Backup and Disk Formatting Utilities Reference Manual.
For a special purpose memorybased target system, you can use the host system to program the target system PROMs. Then install the PROMs on a PROM module on the target computer, and boot the target system.
If you need to keep several systems available on your ASeries computer, and the systems all use the same disk configuration, you can keep them all on the same bootable disk LU. You can boot the system you want just by specifying the name of the appropriate system file or boot command file when you enter the boot string.
If you have several memorybased systems located around a factory floor (in a process control application, for example) you can use a central program development system to generate new operating systems for these peripheral computers, and then place those new operating systems on DAT tapes. You can then place a DAT tape on a DAT tape drive and boot each system.
Multiple memorybased systems become even easier to install with HDLC (with DS/1000IV or NSARPA/1000) or over LAN. Each memorybased destination system can be set to poweron
System Installation Concepts and Considerations 811