How to perform iBFT?

As discussed in previous post, We can perform iBFT in three ways. I will be explaining that in brief below.


iBFT though System ROM (Native iBFT):
Many servers supporting iBFT through system ROM. As per my knowledge most of the UEFI boot supported servers support iBFT through their ROM. In these servers iBFT is implemented in UEFI ROM. To perform this type of iBFT boot, all we need is a iBFT supported Server ROM and a network adapter. Normally UEFI Firmware will contain the required iBFT drivers.

Here is the way to perform iBFT in this method.

1. Configure a server with a network adapter
2. Enter System UEFI interface. Here, in Network settings you can find iSCSI configuration field.
3. Select the iSCSI Configuration option and provide the Initiator and Target details.
4. Now Reboot the system
5. You will be able to see an iSCSI session is established in iSCSI Target.
6. Enter UEFI Shell. If inbuilt system UEFI shell is not available, Copy required UEFI kernel files into a USB and boot from the UEFI kernel.
7. In UEFI Shell, Enter the command “drivers –b” à It will list all the drivers loaded
8. You can find “ISCSIDXE” driver file which is the inbox iBFT supported driver file.
9. Now you can check all the iSCSI target and initiator details using the command “Map -r"
10. You can see the iSCSI target details in the output.
11. Now proceed to install OS and provide Network drivers if LUN not detected.

iBFT though Adapter's Firmware:
Many HBA adapters and CNA Adapters available now with Inbuilt iBFT support. To perform the iBFT using Adapters Firmware, we should be having the required drivers. We need to keep the Boot Mode as disabled and Personality should be NIC. Here are the simple steps to perform:

1.  In UEFI supported system, Go to the Network settings in System BIOS settings and change the personality to “NIC” only.
2.  Reboot the system
3.  Enter system settings and select iSCSI configuration for particular adapter’s network settings.
4. Provide all the required initiator and Target information to boot from iSCSI and save it.
5. Enter UEFI Shell. If inbuilt system UEFI shell is not available, Copy required UEFI files into a USB and boot from the file.
6. Select the boot from file in Boot options and provide the UEFI file “UEFIx64”
7.  Take a USB and copy all required UEFI shell files and drivers to that and connect it to the server (Applicable to Network adapter supported iBFT)
8.  Now Reboot the system.
9. You will be able to see an iSCSI session is established in iSCSI Target.
10. Enter UEFI Shell. If inbuilt system UEFI shell is not available, Copy required UEFI files into a USB and boot from the file.
11. Select the boot from file in Boot options and provide the UEFI file “UEFIx64”
12. It will load the UEFI shell
13. Enter the command “drivers –b” à It will list all the drivers loadedYou can find “ISCSIDXE” driver file which is an inbox iBFT supported driver file.
14. Now you can check all the iSCSI target and initiator details using the command “Map –r”
15. You can see the below output if the LUN detected successfully.
16. Select the boot from file and provide the UEFI file “UEFIx64”
17. It will load the UEFI shell
18. drivers -b à It will list all the drivers loaded
19. unload XX <Where “XX” is handle for iscsidxe driver>
20. And for loading go to directory where driver is, eg:- fs0: or fs1:
21. Then “load <driver name>”
22. Load iSCSIConfig first then DXEdisk driver. Once you load the drivers
23. Don’t reboot the server because it will lose all the drivers you have loaded previously.
24. Just try to boot from DVD from RBSU itself.