

USING REMOTE COMPUTERS ON THE NETWORK

Overview
========

This chapter explains how to set up the network so that computers (mostly
diskless computers) can boot from the Remote Boot disk image files stored
on a Personal NetWare server's hard disk.

The following topics are covered in this chapter:

- Determining the Remote Boot PROM Type

- Setting Up Remote Booting on a Server

- Installing a Novell-Certified Remote Boot PROM Chip on Your Network Board

- Making a Bootable Diskette

- Creating Remote Boot Disk Image Files

- Loading the NEARSERV Program

- Running RPLFIX.COM for Older Remote Boot PROMs with DOS Versions Above
  5.x or Later

Introduction
============

Remote booting is based on the concept of storing the image of a bootable
floppy disk in a shared directory on a Personal NetWare or NetWare server
drive. Remote boot computers use this image to boot up to the system prompt.
These computers do not need a diskette or hard drive to function on the
network and are, therefore, called diskless computers. A diskless computer
relies on a Progammable Read Only Memory (PROM) chip installed on its
network board to communicate with the boot server. When the computer is
powered on, it uses the boot image stored on a server to load the necessary
DOS and Personal NetWare system files used for connecting to the workgroup.
 
The image file can include any files you would normally load from a boot
diskette.

Personal NetWare allows you to use a default image file for all diskless
computers on the network, or to use customized image files unique to each
computer's particular system and network environment.

Remote Boot Files
=================

To use Personal NetWare's remote booting feature, the following files must
exist in the LOGIN directory of a Personal NetWare server. These files are
automatically copied to the NWCLIENT\RPL directory when you install the first
Personal NetWare server software.

- RPLODI.COM is the DOS TSR that allows for Remote Program Loading (RPL).
  This file is used only with the older type of Remote Boot PROM; see the
  following section for information about PROM types.

- RPLFIX.COM allows computers to Remote Program Load correctly with DOS 5
  and later.

- RBOOT.COM is for generic Novell RPL Boot PROMs.

- ETHER.RPL is for networks using the IBM Ethernet adapter.

- PCN2L.RPL is for networks using the IBM PC Network adapter.

- TOKEN.RPL is for networks using the IBM Token-Ring adapter.

Determining the Remote Boot PROM Type
=====================================

There are two kinds of Remote Boot PROM used with NetWare networks. The
two types are referred to as follows:

- Old
- Enhanced

It is important the you know the type of Remote Boot PROM you are using.
Some procedures for setting up remote booting on your computer are specific
to the type of Remote Boot PROM you are using. For information on the type
of Remote Reset PROM you are using, refer to the manufacturer's
documentation.

Note: The 'old' type of Remote Boot PROMs support only the raw 802.3 and
E-II frame types. The 'enhanced' type does not support the raw 802.3 frame
type. Therefore, it is important to know what frame types your server
supports to determine whether the type of Remote Boot PROM you are using is
supported. If your server supports the Ethernet frame type 'E-II', you can
then use either type of Remote Boot PROM.

Setting Up Remote Booting on a Server
=====================================

Setting up remote booting on a Personal NetWare server requires you to do
the following:

- Install a Novell-certified Remote Boot PROM chip on your network board
- Make a bootable diskette
- Create Remote Boot disk image files on the Personal NetWare server
- Load the RPL.COM program
- Load the NEARSERV program
- Boot a computer

Installing a Novell-Certified Remote Boot PROM Chip on Your Network Board
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

For information on how to complete this procedure, refer to the
documentation provided with your Novell-certified Remote Boot PROM Kit.

Making a Bootable Diskette
--------------------------

To make a bootable diskette, use the DOS FORMAT /S command, and then copy
the required files to the diskette. Refer to the following section,
'Required Files,' for a list of files.

1. Format a floppy diskette using the DOS FORMAT /S command by typing
   
   FORMAT A: /S <Enter>
   
   This FORMAT command copies DOS system files to the diskette for booting.

   Make sure that the diskette you format is the correct size for the drive.

2. Copy the required files to the boot diskette using the DOS COPY command
   by typing

   COPY directory_path\file_name destination_drive <Enter>

   For example, copy the NET.CFG file from your network directory to the
   boot diskette in drive A: by typing

   COPY C:\NWCLIENT\NET.CFG A:\ <Enter>

Required Files

Create or copy the following files to each image file boot diskette:

AUTOEXEC.BAT
CONFIG.SYS
COMMAND.COM
NET.CFG
VLM (Virtual Loadable Module) files (.VLM files)
VLM.EXE
DOS system and networking files
Network board drivers (LSL.COM, driver.COM, IPXODI.COM)

AUTOEXEC.BAT File

Create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file that includes the following lines. Do not
include RPLODI.COM if you are using the enhanced type of PROM.

@echo off
LSL
RPLODI.COM
network_board_driver.COM
IPXODI
VLM
NET LOGIN username
NET MAP C: LOGIN
SET COMSPEC = C:\COMMAND.COM
C:

Note: If you are creating more than one boot image, rename the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the bootable diskette for each computer to a unique
file name such as DOS1.BAT. See 'Creating Remote Boot Disk Image Files'
for details.

CONFIG.SYS File

Create a system configuration file. Include the following line in the file:

LASTDRIVE=Z

COMMAND.COM File

Make sure that the correct COMMAND.COM file exists on the bootable
diskette for the particular DOS version running on your computer.

NET.CFG File

Create a network configuration file. The following is an example of a
NET.CFG file for a Novell NE2000 Ethernet board:

LINK DRIVER NE2000
   PORT 300
   INT 3
   FRAME ETHERNET_802.2

NETWARE DOS REQUESTER
   PREFERRED WORKGROUP = XXXX
   FIRST NETWORK DRIVE = C

The NET.CFG file on the server should have the same configuration as the
one on the remote computer. You can copy the NET.CFG directly from the
network directory (NWCLIENT by default) on the server to your boot
diskette. (You may need to modify the LINK DRIVER section to match your
board settings if they differ from the settings used on the server.)

DOS System and Networking Files

The following files must exist on the image file boot diskette. You will
need to create the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files manually, and copy or
create the NET.CFG file manually.

CONFIG.SYS
AUTOEXEC.BAT
LSL.COM
RPLODI.COM (Use with 'old' type only)
network_board_driver.COM
IPXODI.COM
VLM.EXE
CONN.VLM
FIO.VLM
GENERAL.VLM
IPXNCP.VLM
NWP.VLM
PNW.VLM
REDIR.VLM
TRAN.VLM
NET.CFG
COMMAND.COM

Creating Remote Boot Disk Image Files
-------------------------------------

If you want to create a single Remote Boot disk image file for a single
computer, see 'Creating a Single Remote Boot Disk Image File'.

If you need to create multiple Remote Boot disk image files for computers
using different network boards or operating environments, see 'Creating
Multiple Remote Boot Disk Image Files'.

Creating a Single Remote Boot Disk Image File

1. To create a disk image file, insert your prepared bootable diskette
   into a floppy disk drive on the server.
   
   See 'Making a Bootable Diskette' for information and procedures.

2. Run the DOSGEN program in the LOGIN directory.

   For example, type the following for drive A:

   DOSGEN A: <Enter>

   Your screen will look similar to the following listing:

   Floppy Type: 3.1/2 inch 1.44 MB
   Total Floppy Space 2880 Sectors
   Transferring Data (2880 Sectors) to 
     'NET$DOS.SYS'
  
   DOSGEN creates a disk image file called NET$DOS.SYS (a copy of the
   files on the boot diskette) in the LOGIN directory.

3. Copy the AUTOEXEC.BAT file from the boot diskette to the LOGIN
   directory.

Creating Multiple Remote Boot Disk Image Files

1. Create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the LOGIN directory that contains only
   a line with twelve spaces in it (use the <Spacebar>).

   You should create this file with an ASCII text editor and save the file
   to the LOGIN directory on your server.

2. Create a subdirectory in LOGIN for each DOS version for which you want
   to create a boot image file.

3. Copy the operating system files for each DOS version to the appropriate
   subdirectory using the DOS COPY command.

4. Locate the bootable diskette and use the REN command to rename the
   AUTOEXEC.BAT on the bootable diskette for each computer to a unique
   name for each computer, by typing

   REN AUTOEXEC.BAT new_file_name.BAT <Enter>

   For example, you could rename the file for the first computer named
   'dos1' by typing

   REN AUTOEXEC.BAT DOS1.BAT <Enter>

5. Copy the renamed .BAT file (DOS1.BAT, in this example) from the boot
   diskette to the LOGIN directory.

6. Create a new AUTOEXEC.BAT file on each boot diskette to execute the
   renamed batch file.

7. Use the DOSGEN program to create a uniquely named .SYS file in the LOGIN
   directory for each bootable diskette.

8. From the LOGIN directory, type a command similar to the following:
 
   DOSGEN A:DOS1.SYS <Enter> 

   Your screen will look similar to the following listing:

   Floppy Type: 3.1/2 inch, 1.44 MB
   Total Floppy Space 2880 Sectors
   Transferring Data (2880 Sectors) to
     'DOS1.SYS'

9. Run NET INFO and record the network number and node address of the
   computer that will use the disk image file you just created.

   You need this information to create the BOOTCONF.SYS file.

   When you have finished running DOSGEN for two boot diskettes, a list
   of the image files will look similar to the following:

      DOS1.SYS: Network#=DOC20 Node=5a003b77

      DOS2.SYS: Network#=DOC20 Node=1b0276a3

10. Create a BOOTCONF.SYS file or modify the existing BOOTCONF.SYS file
    in the LOGIN directory.

    The BOOTCONF.SYS file tells your computer which of the multiple boot
    image file to use.

    When you create multiple Remote Boot disk image files, you also need
    a BOOTCONF.SYS file in the LOGIN directory that lists

    - All customized Remote Boot disk image files. (This doesn't include
      the default NET$DOS.SYS file.)

    - The network address and node address of each computer that uses the
      customized boot image files.

    Add the new entries to the existing BOOTCONF.SYS file with your DOS
    text editor. Include a line for each Remote Boot image file you created,
    using an entry format containing the following information:

    - The number zero and the letter x (0x)
    - The network address
    - A comma (,)
    - The node or station address
    - An equal sign (=)
    - The boot disk image filename

    An example for two boot diskettes follows:
    
    0xDOC20,5a003b77=DOS1.SYS,GNS
    0xDOC20,1b0276a3=DOS2.SYS,GNS

Loading the NEARSERV Program
----------------------------

NEARSERV.EXE is the Personal NetWare Nearest Server TSR. Its purpose is
to support remote booting with Remote Boot PROMs on Personal NetWare.
NEARSERV.EXE replaces BOOTNCP that was used with a NetWare Lite server.

Important: The NEARSERV.EXE program cannot be used if any NetWare 3.x or
4.x or servers exist on the network.

To use the NEARSERV program with Personal NetWare, complete the following:

1. From the LOGIN directory, load the NEARSERV program by typing

   NEARSERV <Enter>

   The Personal NetWare Server must be version 1.2 or later. Do not use
   any parameter settings. The server must have a directory resource named
   'LOGIN' for NEARSERV.EXE to function.
   
It is not necessary to run VLM.EXE on the server; however, the Personal
NetWare workgroup that the server resides in must match the workgroup that
the client has in its boot diskette image file from its NET.CFG file.

Booting Up a Remote Computer
----------------------------

After you have completed the setup procedures in the previous sections, do
the following:

1. Make sure the remote booting hardware is installed according to
   manufacturer's instructions.

2. Make sure the boot server is turned on and has the NEARSERV program
   loaded.

3. Turn on the diskless computer.

4. If you are using older Remote Boot PROMs, see 'Running RPL with Older
   Remote Boot PROMs' for information.

Running RPL with Older Remote Boot PROMs
========================================

If you are using older Remote Boot PROMs, modify the steps for running RPL
on Enhanced Remote Boot PROMs described in the sections that follow by doing
the following:

- For single remote boot image files, see 'Creating a Single Remote Boot
  Disk Image File' for instructions.

- For multiple remote boot image files, see 'Creating Multiple Remote Boot
  Disk Image Files' for instructions.

Running RPLFIX.COM for Older Remote Boot PROMs with DOS Versions Above 5.x
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

RPLFIX allows computers to remote program load (RPL) properly with DOS 5.x
and later. Run it after you create the boot image file. RPLFIX modifies the
boot image file, so you need to run it only once.

The remote computer may hang during the reset process if you are resetting
using DOS 5.x or later and the boot image file has not been modified by
RPLFIX.

Using RPLFIX
------------

RPLFIX is in the NWCLIENT\RPL directory (by default) after install.
 
1. Change directory to the LOGIN directory where the boot image files are
   located (usually named NET$DOS.SYS).

2. Run the RPLFIX utility by typing

   RPLFIX [d:] boot_image_file <Enter>
   
   If you renamed your boot image file, you must use the new filename
   with RPLFIX.

   Replace d with the drive letter where the image file is located. Replace
   boot_image_file with the name of the file created with the DOSGEN program.

   If the drive the LOGIN directory is located on is drive C:, you would
   enter the following:

   RPLFIX C:NET$DOS.SYS

Troubleshooting RPL with Older Remote Boot PROMs
------------------------------------------------

- If you get the error message 'Error opening boot disk image file', you
  are probably attaching to another server that does not contain the Remote
  Boot disk image file. Place a copy of the disk image file on the other
  server that your computer is logging in to.

- If you get the error 'Batch file missing', make sure the AUTOEXEC.BAT
  file is in

  LOGIN directory	For every server you could possibly attach to
  Default directory	For every server you normally log in to

- If a computer using the boot Remote Boot PROM does not boot, and you have
  another computer with a diskette drive configured the same as the first
  computer (has the same type of network board using the same configuration
  options), see if the second computer will boot with the boot diskette you
  used with DOSGEN.

  Booting with the boot diskette on the second computer should be the same
  as booting from the Personal NetWare server on the first computer.

- The type of Remote Boot PROM you are using may not support the frame type
  used on your network. The 'old' type of Remote Boot PROM does not support
  the default 802.2 used with Ethernet networks.


