22 Setting Up BIOS Configuration Parameters
This section provides an overview of BIOS configuration management, UEFI BIOS, and the BIOS Setup Utility:
Manage the BIOS Configuration
The BIOS configuration parameters on an Oracle x86 server are manageable from the BIOS Setup Utility and Oracle ILOM. For information about using these tools to manage the BIOS configuration, refer to:
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Oracle ILOM – “Maintaining x86 BIOS Configuration Parameters” in the Oracle ILOM Administrator's Guide for Configuration and Maintenance Firmware Release 5.0 at Oracle Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM) 5.0 Documentation.
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BIOS Setup Utility – Common BIOS Setup Utility Tasks
Accessing the BIOS Setup Utility
The BIOS Setup Utility allows you to view product information, and to configure, enable, and disable, or manage system components.
This section provides the following information:
BIOS Setup Utility Menus
The following table provides descriptions for the top-level BIOS Setup Utility menus.
Menu | Description |
---|---|
Main |
View general BIOS information, including version, build date and time, platform and processor, memory, and system date and time. |
Advanced |
Configure NVMe, network stack, PCI subsystem, SATA, disk freeze lock, processor, MD SSD and USB port, Intel platform, Intel socket, CPU, RAM disk, iSCSI, and driver health. |
IO |
Configure internal I/O devices, add-in cards, and PCIe connectors. |
Security |
Configure secure boot. |
Boot |
Configure the retry boot list, network boot retry, boot option priorities. |
Save & Exit |
Save changes and exit, discard changes and exit, discard changes, or restore the default BIOS settings. |
BIOS Key Mappings
When viewing the BIOS output from a terminal using the serial console redirection feature, some terminals do not support function keys. BIOS supports the mapping of function keys to Control key sequences when serial redirection is enabled. The following table provides a description of the function key to Control key sequence mappings.
Function Key | Control Key Sequence | BIOS Setup Function |
---|---|---|
F1 |
Ctrl+Q |
Activate the Setup Utility Help menu. |
F2 |
Ctrl+E |
Enter BIOS Setup Utility while the system is performing power-on self-test (POST). |
F8 |
Ctrl+P |
Activate the BIOS Boot Menu. |
F10 |
Ctrl+S |
Save and Exit changes. |
F12 |
Ctrl+N |
Activate Network boot. |
Access BIOS Setup Utility Menus
You can access the BIOS Setup Utility screens from the following interfaces:
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Use a terminal (or terminal emulator connected to a computer) through the serial port on the back panel of the server.
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Connect to the server using the Oracle ILOM Remote System Console Plus application.
Using UEFI BIOS
Oracle Server X9-2L has a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)-compatible BIOS, which runs with all operating systems that are supported on the server. The BIOS firmware controls the system from power-on until an operating system is booted and allows you to configure, enable, disable, or manage system components.
This section includes the following information:
Configuration Utilities for Add-In Cards
In UEFI BIOS, the configuration screens for the add-in cards appear as menu items in the BIOS Advanced Menu as part of the standard BIOS Setup Utility screens. For example, if the Oracle Storage 12 Gb SAS PCIe RAID HBA, Internal card is installed in the server, the configuration utility for the HBA appears as a menu selection.
Configure and Manage BIOS Using Oracle ILOM
Oracle Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM) includes BIOS configuration and management tools. You can perform the following BIOS configuration tasks using Oracle ILOM:
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View the BIOS configuration synchronization status and synchronize the configuration parameters
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Reset the factory defaults for the service processor (SP) and Oracle ILOM BIOS
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Backup or restore the BIOS configuration
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Enable UEFI diagnostics to run at system boot
For more information about Oracle ILOM BIOS configuration and management tools, refer to the Oracle Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM) 5.0 Documentation.
UEFI Secure Boot
Oracle Server X9-2L UEFI BIOS supports UEFI Secure Boot. UEFI Secure Boot defines how platform firmware can authenticate a digitally signed UEFI image, such as an operating system loader or a UEFI driver.
When enabled, UEFI Secure Boot provides a policy-based invocation of various UEFI executable images, using cryptographic signatures to identify the software publishers. UEFI Secure Boot also requires all third-party UEFI drivers and operating system boot loaders to be signed by Microsoft or with Key Exchange Key (KEK) by using BIOS setup.
UEFI Secure Boot is disabled by default. For configuration information, see Configure UEFI Secure Boot.
Trusted Execution Technology
Oracle Server X9-2L uses Trusted Execution Technology (TXT), which provides authenticity of a platform and its operating system.
When enabled, TXT ensures that the operating system (OS) starts in a trusted environment, and provides the OS with additional security capabilities not available to an untrusted OS. Using cryptographic techniques, TXT provides measurements of software and platform components so that system software as well as local and remote management applications may use those measurements to make trust decisions. Trusted Execution Technology defends against software-based attacks aimed at stealing sensitive information by corrupting system or BIOS code, or modifying a platform's configuration.
Trusted Execution Technology is disabled by default. For configuration information, see Configure Trusted Execution Technology.
Common BIOS Setup Utility Tasks
This section presents the procedures for some of the BIOS setup tasks that you typically perform when setting up and managing the server.
For additional information about BIOS setup tasks, refer to the Oracle X9 Series Servers Administration Guide at Oracle x86 Servers Administration, Diagnostics, and Applications Documentation.
Verify BIOS Factory Default Settings
In the BIOS Setup Utility, you can return the BIOS settings to the optimal factory default values, as well as view and edit settings as needed. Any changes that you make in the BIOS Setup Utility (using the F2 key) persist until the next time you change the settings.
Configure TPM Support
The Trusted Platform Module (TPM) feature set is enabled by default. If you want to disable it, or to enable it after it has been disabled, perform the procedure in this section.
Note:
TPM enables you to administer the TPM security hardware in your server. For additional information about implementing this feature, refer to the Windows Trusted Platform Module Management documentation provided by your operating system or third-party software vendor.If you intend to use the TPM, configure the server to support TPM, which is enabled by default on Oracle Server X9-2L.