Filter
Top Products
Intel® Server Board SE7501WV2 TPS BIOS
Revision 1.0
Intel reference number C25653-001
93
6.19.2 Loading the System BIOS
The new BIOS is contained in .BIx files. The number of .BIx files is determined by the size of the
BIOS area in the flash part. The number of files is constrained by the fact that the image and the
utilities fit onto a single, 1.44 MB DOS-bootable floppy. These files are named as follows:
• xxxxxxxx.BIO
• xxxxxxxx.BI1
• xxxxxxxx.BI2
The first eight letters of each filename can be any value, but the files cannot be renamed. Each
file contains a link to the next file in the sequence. iFLASH does a link check before updating to
ensure that the process is successful. See Section 6.19.4.
The user binary area is updated during a system BIOS update. The user binary can be updated
independently from the system BIOS. CMOS is not cleared when the system BIOS is updated in
normal or recovery mode. Configuration information like ESCD is not overwritten during the
BIOS flash update. The user is prompted to reboot after a BIOS update completes.
6.19.3 User Binary Area
The baseboard includes an area in flash for implementation-specific OEM add-ons. The user
binary area can be saved and updated as previously described in the Loading the System BIOS
section. For this update, only one file is needed. The valid extension for user files is .USR.
6.19.4 BIOS Recovery Mode
If an update to the system BIOS is not successful or if the system fails to complete POST and
BIOS is unable to boot an operating system, it may be necessary to run the BIOS recovery
procedure.
To place the baseboard into recovery mode, move the boot option jumper located on the
baseboard to the recovery position. The BIOS is then able to execute the recovery BIOS (also
known as the boot block) instead of the normal BIOS. The recovery BIOS is a self-contained
image that exists solely as a fail-safe mechanism for installing a new BIOS image. The recovery
BIOS boots from a 1.44 MB floppy diskette as used in one of the following devices: a standard
1.44 MB floppy drive, a USB 1.44 MB floppy drive, or an LS-120 removable drive. Recovery
mode requires at least 4 MB of RAM, and drive A: must be set up to support a 3.5” 1.44 MB
floppy drive. This is the mode of last resort, used only when the main system BIOS will not boot.
In recovery mode operation, iFLASH (in non-interactive mode only) automatically updates only
the main system BIOS. iFLASH senses that the platform is in recovery mode and automatically
attempts to update the system BIOS.
Note: During recovery mode, video will not be initialized. One high-pitched beep announces the
start of the recovery process. The entire process takes two to four minutes. A successful update
ends with two high-pitched beeps. Failure is indicated by a long series of short beeps.
6.19.4.1 Performing BIOS Recovery
The following procedure boots the recovery BIOS and flashes the normal BIOS: