[gPXE] What keeps the connection to the SAN traget when gPXE quits, before the AoE driver is loaded ?

[The Mad One]

Hello,

I need to explain the San boot sequence(procedure) & compare it to the boot from a local HDD.

with a local HDD it goes this way: Power Good > POST > secondary BIOSs >OS boot from HDD.

With a local (physical) hard drive connected to the HDD controller (ATA/SCSI) it's the BIOS that accesses the HDD before the OS's HDD driver is loaded, but how about AoE SAN boot ?

I know that before gPXE quits it registers the SAN target (AoE or iSCSI) as a BIOS drive, what does that really mean ? How does the BIOS know how (the protocol) to access the BIOS drive over AoE ? Where is the driver responsible for this step ?

I might be completely wrong or missing an important part of the process so, please, be kind & explain me what is happening in the background.

Thanks !
TheMadOne.




      
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