Firmware

The DIGITAL PERSONAL Workstation a/au-Series flashROM contains the SRM console, which supports DIGITAL UNIX and OpenVMS.

The SRM console may use either the graphics controller or the COM1 serial port as the console device. The value of the console environment variable (serial or graphics) determines the device. When console is set to serial, a terminal can be connected to the COM1 port and used as the console device. The main keyboard and graphics display will still be active, although the POST (power on self test) countdown will not be displayed.

The firmware is used to:

Display system configuration information.
Upgrade the firmware.
Boot the operating system (OS) or distribution media.
Control PCI parity.
Set the date and time.

Configuration information is stored in the NVRAM section of the flashROM. If the MLB is replaced, the information in the NVRAM is lost. Keep records of the configuration information to facilitate getting your system back into use.