Appendix D Dual Boot Block On Grantley Platforms; Overview; Before Startup; When To Use Dual Boot Block - Supermicro X10SRH-CF/CLN4F User Manual

Dual Boot Block on Grantley Platforms

Overview

On X10 Grantley platforms, Supermicro introduces the Dual Boot Block feature that
revives the system from an inert state if the primary boot block in the ROM chip
is damaged. A boot block carries critical codes to boot the system with minimum
hardware requirements for the BIOS recovery flash.
In the previous generation platforms, there is an onboard jumper called JBR1 to
activate the secondary boot block in the ROM chip. However, it is not convenient
for data centers and enterprises.
This document describes how to enable the BIOS recovery flash by using the Dual
Boot Block feature through IPMI GUI browser and IPMI Command Sets on the X10
Grantley platforms.

Before Startup

A USB flash drive with FAT32 file system and Super.ROM stored are required, and
the USB flash drive does not need to be bootable. IPMI firmware that is capable of
supporting BIOS Resilience function in IPMI browser and of mounting virtual media
via OEM CMDs is required, too. The SMCIPMITool is needed if Dual Boot Block is
activated by IPMI Command Sets as stated in Section D-2.

When to Use Dual Boot Block

The primary dual block can get corrupted when it is flashing and encounters a power
outage. The system does not respond nor output video at all after power-on. The
secondary boot block can be activated to kick in the BIOS recovery flash.

How to Use Dual Boot Block

Two methods on how to use the Dual Boot Block feature are introduced in the
following pages:
1. Through the IPMI GUI Browser
2. Through the IPMI Command Sets
These are user-attended operations. IPMI logic on the defective system has to be
alive and functioning. IPMI IP is known to the user.
Appendix D
D-1
Appendix D: Dual Boot Block