lpar_netboot Command

Purpose

Retrieves the media access control (MAC) address and physical location code from network adapters for a partition, or instructs a partition to start the network.

Syntax

To retrieve the MAC address and physical location code:

lpar_netboot -M -n [ -v ] [ -x ] [ -f ] [ -i ] [ -E environment [ -E ... ]] [ -A ] -t ent [ -T { on | off }] [ -D -s Speed -d Duplex -S Server -G Gateway -C Client [ -K subnetmask ] [ -V vlan_tag ] [ -Y vlan_priority ]] partition_name partition_profile managed_system

To perform a network boot:

lpar_netboot [ -v ] [ -x ] [ -f ] [ -i ] [ -E environment [ -E ... ]] [ -g args ] [{ -A -D | [ -D ] -l physical_location_code | [ -D ] -m MAC-address }] -t ent [ -T { on | off }] -s Speed -d Duplex -S Server -G Gateway -C Client [ -K subnetmask ] [ -V vlan_tag ] [ -Y vlan_priority ] [[ -a -B tftp_image_filename ] -B bootp_image_filename ] partition_name partition_profile managed_system

To retrieve the MAC address and physical location code on a system supporting a full system partition:

lpar_netboot -M -n [ -v ] [ -x ] [ -f ] [ -i ] [ -E environment [ -E ... ]] [ -A ] -t ent [ -T { on | off }] [ -D -s Speed -d Duplex -S Server -G Gateway -C Client [ -K subnetmask ] [ -V vlan_tag ] [ -Y vlan_priority ]] managed_system managed_system

To perform network boot on a system supporting a full system partition:

lpar_netboot [ -v ] [ -x ] [ -f ] [ -i ] [ -E environment [ -E ... ]] [ -g args ] [{ -A -D | [ -D ] -l physical_location_code | [ -D ] -m MAC-address }] -t ent [ -T { on | off }] -s Speed -d Duplex -S Server -G Gateway -C Client [ -K subnetmask ] [ -V vlan_tag ] [ -Y vlan_priority ] [[ -a -B tftp_image_filename ] -B bootp_image_filename ] managed_system managed_system

Description

The lpar_netboot command instructs a logical partition to network boot, by having the partition send out a bootp request to a server specified with the -S flag. The server can be a NIM server that serves SPOT resources, or it can be another server that serves network boot images.

If the -M and -n flags are specified, the lpar_netboot command returns the Media Access Control (MAC) address and the physical location code for a particular type of network adapter that is specified with the -t flag. When the -m flag is specified, lpar_netboot boots a partition, by using a specific network adapter that matches the specified MAC address. When the -l flag is specified, lpar_netboot boots a partition, by using a specific physical location code for the network adapter that matches the specified physical location code. The matching MAC address or physical location code is dependent upon the hardware resource allocation in the profile in which the partition was booted. The lpar_netboot command also requires arguments for partition name, partition profile (which contains the allocated hardware resources), and the name of the managed system in which the partition was defined.

Flags

Item Description
-A Returns all adapters of the particular type that are specified with the -t flag.
-a Specifies the network IP addresses when the server, client, and gateway are IPv6 addresses.
-B Image_filename Specifies the file name of the network boot image. The -B flag is a required flag for IPv6 addresses.
-C Client Specifies the IP address of the partition to start the network.
-D Performs a ping test to identify and use the adapter that can successfully ping the server that is specified with the -S flag.
-d Duplex Specifies the duplex setting of the partition that is specified with the -C flag. The valid values for the -d flag are full, half, and auto.
-E Specifies the setting for the environment variable. The following commands return the same output:
-E LPAR_NETBOOT_DEBUG=1
export LPAR_NETBOOT_DEBUG=1
-f Force closes a virtual terminal session for the partition.
-G Gateway Specifies the gateway IP address of the partition that is specified with the -C flag.
-g args Specifies generic arguments for starting the partition. You can specify additional arguments with the firmware boot command, by using the -g flag. The -g flag is added for starting the preboot execution environment (PXE). An example for the -g argument follows:
-g autoyast=
nfs://9.184.115.219//
csminstall/csm/SLES10/09B873DC 
dhcptimeout=150
install=nfs://9.184.115.219//
csminstall/Linux/SLES/10/ppc64/GA/CD1
-i Forces an immediate shutdown of the partition. If this option is not specified, a delayed shutdown is performed.
-K subnetmask Specifies the mask that the gateway uses in determining the appropriate subnetwork for routing. The subnet mask is a set of 4 bytes, as in the IP address. The subnet mask consists of high bits (1s) corresponding to the bit positions of the network and subnetwork address, and low bits (0s) corresponding to the bit positions of the host address.
-l phys_loc Specifies the physical location code of the network adapter to use for network boot.
-M Displays the network adapter MAC address and physical location code.
-m maddress Specifies the MAC address of the network adapter to use for network boot.
-n Instructs the partition to not network boot.
-S Server Specifies the IP address of the partition, from which to retrieve the network boot image during network boot.
-s Speed Specifies the speed setting of the partition that is specified with the -C flag.
-T Enables or disables the display of the firmware-spanning tree. The valid values for the -d flag are on and off.
-t ent Specifies the type of adapter for displaying the MAC address or physical location code discovery, or for network boot. The only valid value for the -t flag is ent for Ethernet.
-V vlan_tag Specifies the VLAN tag identifier for tagging Ethernet frames during network installation for virtual network communication. The valid values for the -V flag are 0 - 4094.
-v Displays additional information while the command is running.
-x Displays debug output while the command is running.
-Y vlan_priority Specifies the VLAN tag priority for tagging Ethernet frames during network installation for virtual network communication. The valid values for the -Y flag are 0 - 7.

Parameters

Item Description
partition_name Specifies the name of the partition.
partition_profile Specifies the name of the partition profile to use.
managed_system Specifies the name of the managed system on which the partition is defined.

Environment variables

Item Description
INSTALLIOS_DEBUG Prints the lpar_netboot debug output, when specified with the installios command.
LPAR_NETBOOT_DEBUG Prints the lpar_netboot debug output. Hence, it is similar to the -x flag.
LPAR_NETBOOT_DEBUG_BOOT Initiates the firmware boot command, when specified with the -s flag.
LPAR_NETBOOT_ADD_TIMEOUT Extends the timeout value by 5 seconds, as shown in the following example:
LPAR_NETBOOT_ADD_TIMEOUT=5
LPAR_NETBOOT_SUB_TIMEOUT Lowers the timeout value by 8 seconds, as shown in the following example:
LPAR_NETBOOT_SUB_TIMEOUT=8
LPAR_NETBOOT_SPANNING_TREE Enables or disables the display of the firmware-spanning tree. The valid values for the -d flag are on and off. Hence, it is similar to the -T flag
OPEN_DEV_DEBUG Displays the firmware open_dev debug output, when the value of the OPEN_DEV_DEBUG variable is set to yes.
FIRMWARE_DUMP Displays the firmware dump for firmware debugging, when the value of the FIRMWARE_DUMP variable is set to yes.

Exit Status

Item Description
0 Successful completion

Security

Access Control: You must have root authority to run the lpar_netboot command.

Examples

  1. To retrieve MAC address and physical location code for partition machA with a partition profile machA_prof on a managed system test_sys, enter the following command:
          lpar_netboot -M -n -t ent "machA" "machA_prof" "test_sys"
  2. To network boot partition machA with a partition profile machA_prof on a managed system test_sys, enter the following command:
          lpar_netboot -t ent -s auto -d auto -S 9.3.6.49 -G 9.3.6.1 -C 9.3.6.234
                        "machA" "machA_prof" "test_sys"
  3. To network boot partition machA with a specific MAC address of 00:09:6b:dd:02:e8 and a partition profile machA_prof on a managed system test_sys, enter the following command:
          lpar_netboot -t ent -m 00096bdd02e8 -s auto -d auto -S 9.3.6.49 -G 9.3.6.1
                        -C 9.3.6.234 "machA" "machA_prof" "test_sys"
  4. To network boot partition machA with a specific physical location code of U1234.121.A123456-P1-T6 and a partition profile machA_prof on a managed system test_sys, enter the following command:
          lpar_netboot -t ent -l U1234.121.A123456-P1-T6 -s auto -d auto -S 9.3.6.49
                        -G 9.3.6.1 -C 9.3.6.234 "machA" "machA_prof" "test_sys"
  5. To perform a ping test and a network boot of partition machA with a partition profile machA_prof on a managed system test_sys, enter the following command:
          lpar_netboot -t ent -D -s auto -d auto -S 9.3.6.49 -G 9.3.6.1 -C 9.3.6.234
                        "machA" "machA_prof" "test_sys"
  6. To perform a ping test and a network boot of partition machA with a partition profile machA_prof on a managed system test_sys and disable firmware-spanning tree discovery, enter the following command:
          lpar_netboot -t ent -T off -D -s auto -d auto -S 9.3.6.49 -G 9.3.6.1
                        -C 9.3.6.234 "machA" "machA_prof" "test_sys"

Location

/opt/ibm/sysmgt/dsm/dsmbin/lpar_netboot