        ****** AlphaBIOS ReadMe

        28 September 1999         Version 5.70                   _SFB

        This ReadMe file contains last-minute changes and information
        unique to this family of Alpha systems running Windows NT.  For
        complete information about AlphaBIOS, see the Release Notes as
        well as the Configuration Guide.  These can be found via the
        World Wide Web at URL location:
        http://www.compaq.com/support/files/alphant/index.html


        Products supported:
        -------------------

        This release supports the following products:

            AlphaServer 1200
            DIGITAL Server 5300 Family
            DIGITAL Ultimate Workstation

        Firmware Overview:
        ------------------

        This family of DIGITAL Alpha systems has two different firmware
        environments, called SRM and AlphaBIOS, installed and active.

        The SRM firmware has a character cell based interface, and a
        "chevron" user prompt that ends in three Greater-Than characters
        ( >>> ).  This interface is primarily used in support of
        operating systems other that Windows NT, such as Unix and
        OpenVMS.

        The AlphaBIOS firmware, sometimes referred to as ARC (although a
        separate ARC firmware also exists for older Alpha systems), has
        a screen-oriented interface that looks similar to the BIOS
        interfaces used in personal computers.  The AlphaBIOS layers
        over the SRM and has the interface used in setting up systems
        for the Windows NT operating system.

        This software kit is intended primarily as a vehicle to update
        the AlphaBIOS firmware, but also contains a current copy of the
        SRM firmware.

        Important Information:
        ----------------------

        This kit includes a copy of SRM V5.5.  When a system is upgraded
        to SRM V5.3 or newer for the first time, the update procedure
        *must* be performed twice or AlphaBIOS will not boot. 
        Instructions are included in this document.

        AlphaBIOS version can be verified from the boot menu, or by
        pressing F2 to enter setup and selecting either:

        *  "About AlphaBIOS...", or
        *  "Display System Configuration...", then "Systemboard Configuration"
       

        AlphaBIOS version can also be verified from the SRM by typing
        "show flash".

        When decompressing the compressed firmware image obtained from
        the firmware update web site, be sure to restore the directory
        structure contained in the ZIP file.  This is done using the -d
        option of pkunzip.

        NT Enterprise Installation Information:
        ---------------------------------------

        For customers configuring Windows NT Enterprise edition servers,
        it is highly recommended that both systems in the Cluster have
        the "Warm Reboot" Advanced CMOS setting set to the "disabled"
        setting.  This provides a more robust reboot method and
        increases the reliability of the cluster.

        Updating AlphaBIOS for 5.70:
        ----------------------------

        To update the AlphaBIOS firmware to 5.70:

        1.  Create the Firmware Update floppy:

                a.  This distribution kit will have folders named
                TcDisk1 and TcDisk2.  The files within 
                these TcDisk folders are the files needed on the 
                Firmware Update Floppy diskettes.
        
                b.  Copy the files from the TcDisk folders to the
                *root* of two blank formatted floppy diskettes.

        2.  Insert the TcDisk1 Firmware Update floppy into the system. 

        3.  Boot AlphaBIOS into the Main Menu, and select menu option:

                Upgrade AlphaBIOS

        4.  Select OK to reboot.  At this point, the system will reboot
        and run the Loadable Firmware Update utility (LFU).  (If the 
        system fails to reboot, press the reset button.) 

        5.  LFU will ask you to select the firmware load device.  

                Type dva0

        6.  LFU will next ask you the name of the firmware files list.  

                Hit Enter to accept the default.

        7.  LFU will then load the firmware update files from the floppy
        disks into memory, prompting when it is ready for the second 
        diskette.  It will then display the LFU prompt.

        8.  From the LFU prompt UPD>, type List.  This will show you the
        current versions of the SRM and AlphaBIOS (ARC) firmware images. 

        Note, that if the previous installed AlphaBIOS was not an LFU
        image, no version information for the currently installed
        version will be available.  This should be true only if the
        previous AlphaBIOS is very old.

        9.  From the LFU prompt, type Update.

        10. LFU will prompt you to confirm update ARC (AlphaBIOS), 

                type YES.

        11. LFU will prompt you to confirm update for any boot drivers
        supported by the SRM console (e.g., KZPSA), if such devices are
        present in your system.

                type NO for all boot device prompts.

        12. LFU will prompt you to confirm update the SRM, 

                type YES.

        13. If you have any boot devices supported by the SRM (e.g.,
        KZPSA), the LFU will prompt you to confirm update for each, 

                type NO for each. 

        13. LFU will then return to the prompt.  

                Type exit.

        14.  If the previous SRM version was V5.3 or newer, then the
        system will reboot into AlphaBIOS, and the upgrade is complete. 
        If the system is being updated from an older SRM, then perform
        the following steps to run LFU again:

        15.  Use the following steps to reboot, forcing the system to
        halt in its SRM firmware:

        * The HALT button on the front panel is designated by a triangle
        inside of a circle.  

        * The RESET button is shown by a U-shaped arrow.

        16.  Select HALT mode by pressing the HALT button on the front
        panel, such that the HALT light is lit.  On some systems, the
        light will stay lit by itself, as the switch has two positions;
        other systems are momentary type switches and the button must be
        held manually.

        17.  While the system is in HALT mode, press the RESET button. 
        Keep the system in HALT mode until the SRM prompt ( >>> or
        P00>>>) appears on the screen.

        18.  When the SRM prompt has appeared, remove the system from
        HALT mode, such that the HALT light is no longer lit.

        19.  Enter LFU

                LFU

        20.  Go to Step 5 above, and finish at step 14.



        Note:  If the existing SRM firmware on the system is V5.1 or older, 
        you will need to upgrade SRM to V5.2 or newer before upgrading to 
        SRM via this kit.  For details on SRM, please see the web site at 
        URL location:
        http://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/firmware/ 

        Note:  If the existing AlphaBIOS firmware on the system is V5.62
        or older, you may need to use the special instructions contained
        in the LFU.TXT file in this distribution kit.


        ***** Known Problem in this version:  

          In some cases, the system may not properly perform warm restarts. 
          This may be seen after a system crash, or during an attempt to
          update system firmware from AlphaBIOS.  This issuemay be worked 
          around by entering the CMOS Setup, then Advanced Setup, and setting 
          Warm Restart to Disabled.


        *  Visit Digital Windows NT Info Center's Guide to Hardware
        Systems for the latest firmware, driver, and configuration
        utility information. The URL is
        http://www.compaq.com/support/files/alphant/index.html

