So yesterday I needed to update the bootcode on our Qlogic mezzanine cards on the blades in the lab. I downloaded the file, your standard zip file with some files and a readme. Instructions seem simple enough, "boot to DOS, Run update.bat" .....I don't know about you, but then I see something that simple, my mind starts racing. Where am I going to find a floppy ? .... where's my DOS boot disk ? ... will these files even fit on the floppy after I make it bootable ?

So no I can't find a floppy, I don't have a DOS boot disk, and of course these files are too big to fit ! ... I'm not even in the lab, I was working from my desk. I don't want to drive over there, I'm trying to save the environment ... well actually I'm just really lazy most days :-)

There's a handy little tool in my toolbox called "virtual floppy drive" .. aka vfd. I wasn't sure if the virtual media of the Blade iDRAC would see it, but it was worth a try. Loaded it up, formatted with the "Create MS-DOS startup disk", then attached to the Blade via virtual media, and it booted ! Then I simply changed virtual disks in vfd to an image with the Qlogic bootcode and ran update.bat. Worked like a charm.



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