File Name: README.TXT IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette Version 11.00 System 8656/8658 CONTENTS --------- 1.0 Overview 2.0 Change History 3.0 Installation and Setup Instructions 4.0 Configuration Information 5.0 Unattended Mode 6.0 Web Sites and Support Phone Number 7.0 Trademarks and Notices 8.0 Disclaimer 1.0 Overview: 1.1 Overview about this code - Eighth BIOS release - version 8 1.2 Limitations - None 1.3 Enhancements - Improvements to the CD boot code - Allows Interrupt 18H to return properly when called 1.4 Level of Recommendations and Prerequisites for the Update: - None 1.5 Dependencies: - None 2.0 Change History -------------------- The below information includes changes and fixes between releases 2.1 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 1.00 - Initial release 2.2 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 2.00 - Adding support for B0 stepping level processors. 2.3 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 3.00 - Correct DMI structures 2.4 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 4.00 - Correct type 16 DMI structure - Add new Service Processor command for new processor speeds. - Fixed problem with unattended saves of the current BIOS - Allowed serial ports to work under non-ACPI Windows 2000 - Fixed an ACPI sleep state hang condition. - Fixed remote POST with the IBM Etherjet 10/100 PCI Management Adapter. - Adding support for C0 stepping level processors. - Allow the user to not rehook INT 19h, letting an adapter take control of the boot sequence. 2.5 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 5.00 - Corrected System Partition hang condition. - Modified memory controller init routine. - Correct DMI to name the processor correctly. - Restored the ability to enable or disable the visibility of the processor serial number through the setup program. - Modified the way the CPU speed is calculated. - Clear the upper half of ESP and EBP prior to calling INT 19h handler. - Add option to disable delayed PCI to ISA reads. 2.6 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 6.00 - Modified B0 stepping level patch application. - Fixed CTRL-ALT-DEL problem with IBM Space Saver Keyboard. - Allow PS/2 mouse and keyboard to be present with a USB mouse and keyboard. - Allows mixing same speed B0 and C0 processors. 2.7 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 7.00 - This BIOS fixes a problem with PCI adapters running out of resources during POST. - Add changes to support the new revision of the South Bridge. 2.8 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 8.00 - This BIOS update addresses Intel Errata G85 and E76. This Errata effects 933 MHZ / 1GHZ 'B' Stepping Level Pentium III processors,only. (i.e. A and C Stepping Levels are okay, as well as B levels at speeds lower than 933MHZ.) This BIOS includes a patch from Intel which Intel believes prevents a potential data error problem. Although Intel states that the problem can only occur under certain limited temperature and voltage conditions, IBM strongly recommends updating your BIOS immediately. - Fixes a problem with certain floppy emulation types of CD's. - Allows for booting a CD when the CD-ROM drive is the secondary device. - Returns from the Int 18H properly. - Corrected booting a system partition that was bootable but not visible. - Allow remote POST to work with all operating systems. 2.9 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 9.00 - Fix hang condition when booting a non-emulation CD. 2.10 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 10.00 - Fix hang condition within setup when the German version of BIOS is loaded. - Fix random hang condition upon entering the system partition. - Allow flashing all languages from the command line. - Add "Boot on POST Error" option. - Send complete CPU and memory configuration to the ASM processor. - Add type 11 DMI entries for the ROM diagnostics build id and ASMA build id. 2.11 IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette 11.00 - Changed NCU.EXE utility to CMOSUTIL.EXE in order to save and restore NVRAM settings stored inside the ASM processor. This includes, but not limited to, PCI interrupt settings. 3.0 Installation and Setup Instructions *Note: If installing from an update package, see additional instructions, in Appendix A. ----------------------------------------- The procedure to update the POST/BIOS is as follows: 3.1 Insert the "IBM Server 8656/8658 POST/BIOS Flash Diskette" into drive A. 3.2 Start up or restart your IBM Server 8656/8658. 3.3 The system will boot off of the diskette and present a window which allows you the option to flash various options. Choose "1 - Update POST/BIOS". 3.4 You will then be asked if you would like to save the current code to a diskette. If you select 'Y', you need to have a formatted diskette already available. 3.5 At this point, the image will be loaded from the diskette, and you will be asked to choose which language you wish to use during POST and in Setup. If you select a choice other than English, the selected language will be merged into the image. There is also an option to Quit the flash update on this menu. 3.6 After this completes the system will update the flash ROM with the new code. When this is complete you will be prompted to remove the diskette and hit return to reboot the system. 4.0 Configuration Information ------------------------------- 4.1 Include any configuration installation 4.2 Configuration Settings 4.3 Hardware Status and Information 5.0 Unattended Mode ------------------------------- 5.1 Steps for unattended mode. Run "flash2.exe US /U" for the United States version Run "flash2.exe SP /U" for the Spain version Run "flash2.exe IT /U" for the Italy version Run "flash2.exe GR /U" for the Germany version Run "flash2.exe FR /U" for the France version 6.0 WEB Sites and Support Phone Number ---------------- 6.1 IBM Support Web Site: http://www.pc.ibm.com/support 6.2 IBM Marketing Netfinity Web Site: http://www.pc.ibm.com/netfinity 6.3 If you have any questions about this update, or problems applying the update go to the following Help Center World Telephone Numbers URL: http://www.pc.ibm.com/qtechinfo/YAST-3P2QLY.html. 7.0 Trademarks and Notices ---------------------------- 7.1 If you use IBM trademarks, include the following lead-in: The following terms are trademarks of the IBM Corporation in the United States or other countries or both: Follow it with a list of the IBM trademarks that are in the README file. Make sure that IBM is in the list. 7.2 Some trademarks must be acknowledged with specific statements. If you use these trademarks in the README.TXT file, include the appropriate separate attribution statement after the list of IBM trademarks. ex: C-bus is a trademark of Corollary, Inc. ex: Java and HotJava are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. ex: Intel trademarks or registered trademarks are trademarks of Intel Corporation. 7.3 Include the following statement to acknowledge any other non-IBM trademarks you might have used. Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others. 8.0 Disclaimer ---------------------------- 8.1 THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. IBM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, IBM GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS. 8.2 Note to Government Users Include the following note after the disclaimer paragraph. Note to U.S. Government Users -- Documentation related to restricted rights -- Use, duplication or disclosure is subject to restrictions set forth in GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corporation. Appendix A: Package Specific Installation Instruction This update is packaged as a self-extracting Package for the web (PFW). To unpack, this update requires that your TEMP environment variable be set to a path with read/write access. You must be logged in as an administrator. The command-line syntax for Package-For-The-Web Firmware update package is: Package.exe [-s] [-a [-s] | [-r] | [-c] | [-x directory] | [-xd] | [-w] | [-?] ] [-s] This initial -s tells the Package-For-The-Web software to install silently and will not prompt if files need to be over-written in the %temp% directory. [-a] Tells the Package-For-The-Web software to pass all subsequent commands to the install package (i.e. the update). [-s] The second -s option indicates to run the update silently and unattended. For firmware updates the update is scheduled to run on the next reboot. An immediate reboot can be forced with the -r option. [-r] Schedule the update (can be used with or without the -s option, either way it has the same meaning) and reboot immediately. [-c] Cancel any scheduled firmware update and record results of this operation in the log file. Only one firmware packages can be scheduled at one time, if a firmware update needs to be applied instead of the currently scheduled firmware update package, the user needs to cancel the current (run with the -c option on any firmware package) package and subsequently run the applicable firmware package. [-x directory] Use with firmware updates to extract the update to directory named directory. Since the Package-For-The-Web extracts itself to subdirectory in the %TEMP% directory, a relative directory will be relative to that location. Normally the user will want to specify an absolute directory. [-xd] Use with firmware updates to extract floppy diskette(s). The floppy diskette(s) can subsequently be used to boot and apply the update in the customary "apply update from floppy diskette" fashion. This option is not available for all firmware updates, such as Tape Drive and Hard Disk updates. [-w] The PowerQuest Virtual Boot Environment requires 2 free sectors on the first track before it can schedule a firmware update. Use this option only if scheduling an update failed because 2 free sectors were not found in the first track. This option will wipe or clear the non boot and the non partition information sectors on the first track. These sectors are normally not used. Before clearing the sectors a copy of the complete first track is saved in the %temp% directory from which the update runs. [-?] Display information about the command line switches. Only the apply-update-silently (-s) option is necessarily unattended, that is the other command line options such as display help (-?) may require the user to "hit any key" to continue. If Windows packages are run without any command line options, a GUI is displayed. This GUI offers all the options available at the command line, except that the -w option is not available.