Fail Safe Loader Information for AlphaServer 4x00 and AlphaServer 1200 Systems Corruption of the resident firmware on an AlphaServer 4x00 or AlphaServer 1200 system can be recovered using the FSL floppy and the Loadable Update Utility (LFU). The FSL recovery console is a pre-V5.3 firmware loadable image that will permit updating firmware via the LFU command. With the release of SRM V5.3 console firmware, the AlphaBIOS console was relocated to a different sector in the flash ROM to accommodate Windows NT serviceability. Use of the built-in LFU required that the update procedure be repeated a second time to insure the AlphaBIOS was properly relocated in flash ROM. Additionally, a system must first be updated to V5.3 from any earlier version of SRM console firmware before updating to a later version. Because the FSL recovery console is a pre-5.3 loadable image it is necessary to first run LFU to update a system to V5.3 SRM console firmware and then re-run LFU to update the SRM firmware to a later version (V6.0 is the last released version) and AlphaBIOS to V5.70. Files to help accomplish this recovery task have been located on the Alpha Systems Firmware Updates Interim WWW page. The appropriate URLs and files information is listed at the bottom of this page. =============================================================================== Making the FSL floppy using mkboot.exe from a PC: 1. Download mkboot.exe and rhboot.exe (or the mkrhboot.zip file) from the interim web page to the same directory location on the hard drive of your PC. If using the .zip file:Unzip the .zip file and extract both the mkboot.exe and rhboot.exe file to the same directory on the hard drive of your PC. 2. Insert a FAT formatted floppy disk into your PC floppy drive (A:). 3. From a DOS window/Command Prompt, using the same directory from where the two .exe files were located in step 1 above, run the mkboot.exe file using rhboot.exe as the input file The mkboot command syntax is as follows: mkboot image-in For example: C:\ mkboot rhboot.exe The rhboot.exe image along with a boot record will be written to the floppy disk (A:). This is the recovery FSL floppy disk. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Making the V5.3 SRM console firmware update floppy disk: LFU updates for V5.3 requires one floppy disk. 1. Download/extract the V5.3 dsk1 .zip file to the floppy disk. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Making the V6.0 SRM console firmware update floppy disks: LFU updates for V6.0 requires two floppy disks. 1. Download/extract the V6.0 dsk1 .zip file to a floppy disk. 2. Download/extract the V6.0 dsk2 .zip file to a floppy disk. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Recovering Corrupted Firmware for AlphaServer 4x00 or AlphaServer 1200 Systems NOTE: For Windows NT users the system must be halted at the SRM prompt for the recovery operation and subsequent updates to succeed. 1. All users must first insert the FSL floppy into the floppy disk drive on the system. 2. Reset the system. ** For Windows NT users, while the system is resetting, press the halt ** ** button (AlphaServer 4x00) or toggle the halt button (AlphaServer 1200). ** The FSL recovery firmware will load and the system should be at the FSL console LP00>>> prompt. If possible, Windows NT users should now set the EV os_type to either VMS or UNIX. LP00>>> set os_type unix 3. Update to V5.3 SRM console firmware: Insert the V5.3 disk1 floppy into the floppy drive. 4. Invoke the update utility using the LFU command. LP00>>> lfu 5. Update the SRM console to V5.3 and exit LFU UPD> update srm* : : : UPD> exit Note: Windows NT users can keep the system set to halt or halt the system at the SRM. 4. System should be at the P00>> prompt. Insert the V6.0 disk1 floppy into the floppy drive. 5. Invoke the update utility again using the LFU command. P00>>> lfu 6. Update the SRM console to V6.0 and the AlphaBIOS to 5.70 then exit LFU. LFU update via floppy for V6.0 requires two floppy disks. The update utility will request the second floppy disk when updating the SRM firmware. UPD> up alpha : : ** insert second floppy disk into floppy drive ** UPD> up srm* : : UPD> exit 7. Release the halt button or reset the system. For Windows NT users change the os_type EV back to NT. =============================================================================== Files for AlphaServer 4x00 systems can be found at the following URL: http://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/interim/as4x00/fsl/ 00readme.txt # this file fsl_v50.doc # V5.0 FSL file included in FSL kit fsl_v50.ps # postscript file of the fsl_V50 document mkboot.exe # PC executable to create a bootable floppy mkrhboot.zip # compressed file containing mkboot.exe and rhboot.exe rhboot.exe # FSL recovery console loadable image rh53dsk1.zip # compressed file containing AS4x00 V5.3 files for # creating a floppy disk for LFU updates rh60dsk1.zip # compressed file containing AS4x00 V6.0 files for # creating the first of two floppy disks for LFU updates rh60dsk2.zip # compressed file containing AS4x00 V6.0 files for # creating the second of two floppy disks for LFU # updates =============================================================================== Files for AlphaServer 1200 systems can be found at the following URL: http://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/firmware/interim/as1200/fsl/ 00readme.txt # this file fsl_v50.doc # V5.0 FSL file included in FSL kit fsl_v50.ps # postscript file of the fsl_V50 document mkboot.exe # PC executable to create a bootable floppy mkrhboot.zip # compressed file containing mkboot.exe and rhboot.exe rhboot.exe # FSL recovery console loadable image tc53dsk1.zip # compressed file containing AS1200 V5.3 files for # creating a floppy disk for LFU updates tc60dsk1.zip # compressed file containing AS1200 V6.0 files for # creating the first of two floppy disks for LFU # updates tc60dsk2.zip # compressed file containing AS1200 V6.0 files for # creating the second of two floppy disks for LFU # updates