Managed PC Boot Agent (MBA)

Multiprotocol network boot firmware enables network administrators to deploy centrally administered management applications to networked clients during their boot phase.

emBoot's MBA is client-based firmware that allows a client PC to do a "network boot” using the NIC or LAN-On-Motherboard.

MBA adds extra important features in addition to our standard PXE boot agent:

MBA supports additional boot protocols:

• Remote Program Load (RPL)
• Netware NCP/IPX
• “Traditional” BOOTP

MBA is fully compliant with the Intel Wired for Management - Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) specification. PXE is the defacto industry standard protocols/APIs for network booting.

Key Benefits

Extra features and options:

• Default action when a network boot fails: PXE - goes to next device in BIOS boot order OR reboots PC to try again
• Prompt when network boot fails: PXE – waits a definable time period before going to next device MBA – waits a definable time period before going to next device OR can display message to user and wait for a key press before going to next device

Compatible, robust, and dependable:

• MBA undergoes extensive and thorough testing:
  • Software compatibility testing with popular desktop management products (IBM LCCM, Intel LCM, OnCommand CCM, Symantec Ghost, Windows RIS, and more.)
  • System compatibility testing with different PCs, BIOS's, configurations (PCI bridge, AGP, memory sizes, etc.), EFI, etc.
  • Network compatibility testing: 10/100(/1000), switch, hub, force speed, auto negotiate, with traffic, etc.
  • Component testing (e.g. UNDI) with in-house test programs and scripts e.g. UNDI stress and API test utility, triprotocol cycling script, etc.
• >16 years of testing experience and exposure
• Tier 1 PC vendors such as HP, Dell, Gateway, IBM, Toshiba, etc. trust MBA

Includes a CD of useful tools and utilities to help administrators setup a networking booting environment:

• Windows-based Boot Image Editor - to create\edit network boot image files
• Universal NDIS2 Driver - provides DOS NDIS2 driver that works with all NICs (uses boot ROM)
• PBOOT.EXE – provides seamless transition from pre-OS phase to local OS boot
• Includes comprehensive electronic MBA User Guide