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This procedure describes how to flash BIOS on a client node (e.g., compute node or viz tile node) by using the Rocks command line and PXE.
First, you must add the BIOS flashing files (e.g., a DOS-based flash utility, .bin file or an autoexec.bat) to the directory /opt/pxeflash/addon.
As an example, to flash a Dell Dimension E521 desktop, we executed:
# cd /opt/pxeflash/addon # wget http://ftp.us.dell.com/bios/DME521-010111.EXE |
To add the BIOS flashing file to a bootable floppy image, execute:
# cd /opt/pxeflash # make build |
This will incorporate all files in the /opt/pxeflash/addon directory into a floppy image named pxeflash-FDSTD.288.
Now copy the floppy image into /tftpboot/pxelinux/pxeflash, by executing:
# make install |
Set a client node to PXE boot your flash image:
# rocks set host pxeboot <hostname> action=pxeflash |
PXE boot the client node. After the client boots, it will display a DOS prompt.
Before flashing the client node, on the frontend, reset the PXE action so the client boots the OS from local disk:
# rocks set host pxeboot <hostname> action=os |
On the client, execute the BIOS flash program.
In our example, we executed the program DME521-010111.EXE.
When the flash process completes, reboot the client node.
 | Important Acknowledgement: We are grateful for the contribution of Jeremy Lawrence for describing the basic approach in his Rocks discussion list posting https://lists.sdsc.edu/pipermail/npaci-rocks-discussion/2005-June/012092.html. |