missing dbprofile command in EFI Shell

[Tim Nelson]

Has anyone encountered / attempted to use the dbprofile command from the EFI shell ?

Ignite admin guide references the use of this in order to set Ignite server IP address for lanboots in lieu of DHCP.

Curious if FW update is required, did not see any mention of it in the latest FW release notes.

rx2640

[Tim Nelson]

I believe I found the reason.

I found a note in the forums that the dbprofile command is only available on partitionable systems. The rx2620 is not partitionable.

The mention of this is at the beginning of the Direct boot profiles chapter.

"All partitionable Itanium-based systems......"

[Tim Nelson]

Found more info: this is for rx4620 but there is also the same firmware update for rx2620.

PHSS_34994 system firmware 4.1

- Added support for Directed LAN Boot within the EFI 'lanboot' command.

[mits]

Here is lanboot command help output. As you can see, lanboot uses the dbprofile. It's why you need to update the firmware.

help lanboot
Perform boot over LAN using a default server or a directed boot profile

LANBOOT [select] [-od "optional_data"] | [-dn name]

select : Select from a list of available LAN devices
-od : Pass optional command line arguments to the boot file
"optional_data" : Optional command line arguments to pass to the boot file
-dn : Specify the db-profile name to use for the LAN boot
name : The db-profile name to access

Note:
1. Use 'select' when no default LAN device is provided, so a list
of available LAN devices will be provided for user selection.
2. Use '-od' to specify optional data to be passed to the boot file.
3. Use '-dn' to specify a Direct Boot Profile (db-profile) to be used
to handle the LAN boot. Use the 'dbprofile' command to create and
manage db-profiles.

[rick jones]

The initial dbprofile support was on the partitionable systems - eg the ones based on the sx1000 chipset (rx7620, rx8620 and initial Itanium Superdomes). This has been extended to the sx2000-based systems - eg the rx7640, rx8640 and the latest Itanium Superdomes.

It has also been extended to the zx2-based systems - eg the rx2660, rx3600, rx6600 and IIRC the BL860c.

If the Ignite admin guide is for a "current" version then it probably needs to have a defect filed against it via the Response Center to get it updated.

[Tim Nelson]

Thanks Guys..

[Maxim Yakimenko]

So, I did not get it, guys - is it possible to boot rx2620 with direct profile, when I tried, I created dbprofile, give command
lanboot select -db ..,choosen lancard, EFI written something like 'waiting for server', than 'pxe-timeout'. What is the problem? I need to start some specific server or I need to patch EFI or it is not possible at all?

[Tim Nelson]

if you were able to use the dbprofile command then the FW is probably up to date. The version I had did not have any dbprofile command.

send a snap shot of your dbprofile

need
sip, cip, gip set.

[rick jones]

well, there needs to be _some_ tftp server out there at least, and if you use -dhcp there has to be a dhcp server willing to give you an IP address (hence the suggestion about -cip etc). In the context of ignite, there likely needs to be an ignite server running somewhere - if dhcp doesn't give that as the "next server" IP then you need the -sip suggestion and perhaps -b to specify the file the machine should grab.

[Tim Nelson]

Rick,

The issue I ran into as well as some others was executing a lanboot and then some other DHCP server ( typically a windows server) answers the request faster than the Ignite server.

One other way around this and I use it for virtual machines is to boot an Ignite installer disk then select Ignite server recovery. Once the DHCP server gives me an IP and can change the information and then finish the boot/install from the Ignite server.

I believe the purpose of the direct boot profiles was to correct this "other" DHCP server issue.

Yes all the correct services must be running on the Ignite server in order to work.i.e. tftp and configured nfs.