System information

Chapter 3. Using Flash Cards with the Network Station

This chapter outlines the Flash card support for the IBM Network Station,

describes how they work with the IBM Network Station, when they should be

used and what the limitations are.

Release 3.0 of the IBM Network Station Manager has been enhanced to

provide Flash memory card support. This function is available in U.S. English

for IBM Network Stations connected to any of the IBM servers supported by

Release 3.0.

All the software required to make it operational must be loaded from a server

because the IBM Network Station has no disk storage devices. In

environments where there is no local server, transferring megabytes of code

over a Wide Area Network (WAN) can take 10-20 minutes over a 56kbps line.

In order to reduce the time needed to boot in these environments, the

Network Station operating system and applications can be stored on a

PCMCIA Flash memory card.

Even at larger sites with servers already in place, there may be concerns

about server and network loading after a power failure or first thing in the

morning when many Network Stations are powered on at once. Servers are

very often mission-critical resources. Some customers are reluctant to use

them for other purposes which may put unpredictable loads on the server or

require excess server capacity that is seldom used, such as after a power

failure.

However, if a local server is available at the remote site, it should be used

instead of implementing Flash boot technology. Local servers do not have the

manageability limitations of Flash boot. These limitations are explained in this

chapter.

The Flash memory cards supported are from a select subset of PCMCIA

Series D type II cards (listed in the PRPQ P97000, 5799-GEB, Feature

Number 4002) and are purchased from several third party vendors. The Flash

card product from two of these vendors has been tested and part numbers

and card sizings can be found in Section 3.1, “Flash Card Support” on page

64 and in Section 3.1.1, “Flash Card Sizing” on page 65.

In addition to individual IBM Network Stations being able to boot from their

own Flash card, the offering also provides the capability for several Network

Stations to boot from one Network Station which contains a Flash memory

card. This additional function is called

peer boot.