Setting up the network interface as a startup device

This section describes how to enable the F12 function key to set up the network interface as a startup device.

On some HMC models, the F12 function key is not enabled for use when the HMC is powered on. These steps enable the F12 function key so that you can specify the network interface as a startup device.

To set up the network interface as a startup device, you must be a member of one of the following roles:

super administrator
operator
service representative

To set up the network interface as a startup device, do the following:

Shut down and power off the HMC. For more information, see Shutting down, logging off, and disconnecting the HMC.
Power on the HMC console.
Press F1 to start the BIOS Setup utility.
Find and select Startup or Start Options.
Select Startup Sequence to view the list of startup devices.
Depending on the type of HMC (desktop or rack-mounted), use the +/- key or arrow key to make the network interface an entry in the startup list, after the hard disk.
If the HMC is a desktop, find and enable the Start up Device Menu prompt. This enables the F12 function key when the HMC powers on, so that you can select the network device in your startup list.
For CR2 and CR3 machine types, the Planar Ethernet PXE/DHCP entry should have Planar Ethernet 1 and Planar Ethernet 2.
On desktop HMC machines, do the following:
1. Press Esc.
2. Select Devices -> Network Setup.
3. Ensure that PXE Boot Agent and PXE Base code are set to Enabled. If these settings are not enabled, networking will not occur.
When you have finished, save the settings and exit the BIOS setup utility to restart the boot process.

You can now press F12 to select the network device as the startup device. If a DHCP server can accept PXE requests from the HMC, and has the required files, the HMC will boot from it, then the Backup/Upgrade/Restore/Install window opens.

Beginning with HMC Version 5 Release 2.0, the chhmc command can be used on some HMC machine types to set the network interface as a startup device. To enable network boot on the HMC, use the following command:

chhmc -c netboot -s enable

When the command completes, you can the following command to verify that network boot has been enabled:

lshmc -r

The command then displays the following:

ssh=enable,xntp=disable,websm=enable,http=enable,netboot=enable

To disable network boot, use the chhmc command:

chhmc -c netboot -s disable