EFI BIOS

[Omair_1]

Hi all,

Is it possible in any way, to employ an EFI BIOS on either a DL365 or a ML370 server?

Many thanks,

Omair

[David Claypool]

What would be your purpose in doing so? The only BIOS that is provided is that for the platform designed for the system from HP.

[Omair_1]

Thanks for the reply David.

I should have worded my question a little better. I'm researching in to when the ProLiant servers will employ the use of an EFI BIOS due to some Radia developments.

[Torsten.]

Many different manufactures just talk about new EFI based BIOS, but HP has it in the Integrity server series yet.

[Patrick Terlisten]

Hello Omair,

currently EFI is only used in combination with Itanium, for example in the Integrity machines. I can't imagine that EFI is planned for ProLiants.

Windows can't use EFI. HP developed eLILO, a LILO Linux Bootloader that can use EFI. It's developed for IA-64, but will also work with IA-32.

Best regards,
Patrick

[rick jones]

I thought that (some of) the intel-based iMac's had EFI. People run Windows on bare-metal there. Perhaps there is some sort of shim...

Given that Itanium uses EFI and Windows Server runs on Itanium, there is a good chance that Windows can understand EFI when/if it wants to.

Coming from the Itanium side of the house, "EFI BIOS" sounds a bit redundant :)

[Patrick Terlisten]

Hi,

correct, the Intel based Macs do have EFI. But you need "boot camp" to use XP parallel to an installed Mac OS X.

Best regards,
Patrick

[David Claypool]

ProLiant servers are built to the specs of the Intel-Microsoft "Hardware Design Guide 3.0." It specifies EFI for IA-64 and indicates EFI for IA-32 as a possible future.

Thant being said, a BIOS is a very individual thing for a platform. You can't take any old BIOS and flash it. Similarly, EFI is a design consideration that goes beyond the ROM of the system. You can't take a non-EFI motherboard and put an EFI ROM into it...

There shouldn't be anything designed for the IA-32 world (or, more currently, x86-64) that needs, requires or could use EFI. What is this supposed Radia requirement?

[Torsten.]

But if you search the web for BIOS manufacturers and EFI, you will find many docs about the planning.
Maybe this is the future for any system ...

[Omair_1]

Thanks for all your comments.

This is issue (Radia + EFI) is based on a customer requirement. We're undertaking some research to find any information as to if and when the ProLiant servers will make use of EFI.

Should this be the case then Radia will be developed accordingly.