Dell HTTPs Boot User's Guide

Chapter 1: Introduction to HTTPs Boot

The HTTPs Boot feature in Dell BIOS enables systems to download and install the operating system using a secure gateway. The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) network stack in BIOS settings must be enabled for this feature. Unlike Pre-boot Execution Environment (PXE) Boot which uses UDP and does not support Transport Layer Security (TLS), HTTPs Boot supports TLS for secure OS deployment. It functions with both wired and wireless networks, defaulting to wired if both are available. The HTTP(s) Boot settings are enabled by default and operate in two modes:

HTTP(s) Boot Feature Modes

• Auto Mode: This is the default mode. The boot URL is automatically obtained from the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) response.
• Manual Mode: This mode overrides the DHCP response. It requires the user to manually enter the boot URL or web page address, which must point to a .efi file and support alphanumeric strings up to 255 characters, using http:// or https:// prefixes. ? NOTE: No error message is displayed when an unsupported URL is entered.

[Description of Figure 1: Screenshot of Dell BIOS Setup showing the Connection page with HTTP(s) Boot Feature enabled in Auto Mode.]

[Description of Figure 2: Screenshot of Dell BIOS Setup showing the Connection page with HTTP(s) Boot Feature enabled in Manual Mode, with a sample boot URL entered.]

Chapter 2: Upload and Delete the CA Certificate

To establish a connection with the HTTPs Boot server, a Certificate Authority (CA) document must be uploaded. The certificate must be in .pem format, support X.509 with 2048-bit encryption, have a filename with a minimum of five characters including the extension, and be valid. ? NOTE: The time zone is not considered during certificate validation. Only one certificate can be supported at a time.

Upload the CA certificate

Prerequisites: The certificate must be available on an external storage USB drive connected to the system.

Steps:

1. Turn on or restart the computer.
2. Press F2 to enter BIOS Setup. ? NOTE: Continuously tap the F2 key as the system starts to access the BIOS Setup page.
3. In the left pane, click Connection.
4. Click Upload and select the certificate from the external storage drive. The certificate information (owner, thumbprint, validity) will be displayed.
5. Verify the displayed information and click Yes.

[Description of Figure 3: Screenshot of the Certificate Upload confirmation window in Dell BIOS Setup.]

Results: The CA certificate is uploaded, and its thumbprint is displayed on the Connection page.

[Description of Figure 4: Screenshot of Dell BIOS Setup Connection page displaying the uploaded CA certificate thumbprint.]

Delete the CA certificate

About this task: The existing CA certificate must be deleted to upload a new one.

Steps:

1. Turn on or restart your computer.
2. Press F2 to enter BIOS Setup. ? NOTE: Continuously tap the F2 key as the system starts to access the BIOS Setup page.
3. In the left pane, click Connection. The Connection page is displayed.
4. Click Delete.

[Description of Figure 5: Screenshot of Dell BIOS Setup Connection page with the Delete button highlighted for removing the CA certificate.]

[Description of Figure 6: Screenshot of Dell BIOS Setup Connection page after CA certificate deletion, showing 'CA Certificate not provisioned'.]

Chapter 3: Launch HTTPs Boot

Prerequisites:

• Ensure the system is connected to an electrical outlet.
• Ensure the UEFI network stack is enabled.
• Ensure the HTTP(s) Boot Feature is enabled.
• Select the required boot mode.
• Ensure the CA certificate is uploaded.

Steps:

1. Turn on or restart your computer.
2. Press the F12 key until the one-time boot menu is displayed. ? NOTE: If the operating system logo appears, restart the computer and try again. Continuously tap the F12 key as the system starts to access the one-time boot menu.
3. Navigate to UEFI Boot Devices.

[Description of Figure 7: Screenshot of the One-Time Boot Menu in Dell BIOS, highlighting the 'UEFI Boot Devices' and 'UEFI HTTPs Boot' options.]

4. Select UEFI HTTPs Boot. ? NOTE: If BIOS has an admin password, you will be prompted to enter it.
5. Connect to a wired or wireless network. ? NOTE: If a wired network is available, it is used as the default interface. The following screen displays server domain information when no BIOS admin password is set or when it's removed.

Wired network connection

[Description of Figure 8: Diagram illustrating a wired network connection for HTTPs Boot, showing the system obtaining an IP address and downloading the NBP.]

Wireless network connection

Steps for wireless connection:

1. Select a wireless network icon from the list of available networks. ? NOTE: The blue bar indicates signal strength, and a lock icon indicates a secure access point.
2. Depending on the network type:
   • For a secured wireless network, enter the password and click Connect.
   • For an unsecured wireless network, click Connect.

[Description of Figure 9: Diagram illustrating a wireless network connection for HTTPs Boot, showing the system connecting to a wireless network and downloading the NBP.]

Chapter 4: HTTPs Boot default settings

HTTPs Boot settings can be reset to default values using one of the following methods:

• Using the LOAD DEFAULTS option in BIOS setup.
• Resetting the BIOS admin password.
• Resetting the CMOS battery.

Enable Load Defaults option

Steps:

1. Turn on or restart your computer.
2. Press F2 to enter BIOS Setup. ? NOTE: Continuously tap the F2 key as the system starts to access the BIOS Setup page.
3. In the left pane, click Connection. The Connection page is displayed.
4. Click LOAD DEFAULTS.

HTTPs Boot and admin password

HTTPs Boot modes can be modified when the BIOS admin password is not configured. When a password is configured, the HTTPs Boot options are disabled, and the password must be entered to modify them. Asterisks (*) are displayed in the manual boot URL for security.

[Description of Figure 10: Screenshot of Dell BIOS Setup Connection page showing HTTPs Boot Mode with password not configured.]

[Description of Figure 11: Screenshot of Dell BIOS Setup Connection page showing HTTPs Boot Mode with password protected, displaying asterisks for the boot URL.]

When the password is removed, all HTTPs Boot options revert to default values. The manual boot URL and certificate are deleted, and the HTTPs boot mode is set to Auto. For more information on BIOS admin passwords, refer to Dell's support documentation.

Chapter 5: Dell Command | Configure

Dell Command | Configure (DCC) is a software package that provides BIOS configuration capabilities for Dell client systems. IT administrators can use DCC to configure BIOS settings and create BIOS packages via its User Interface (UI) or Command Line Interface (CLI).

HTTPs Boot can be enabled or disabled using the DCC tool. The enable/disable options are password-protected; if password protection is enabled, the password must be entered to modify these attributes.

The HTTPs Boot feature operates in either Auto or Manual mode. By default, Auto Mode is selected, and the boot mode cannot be changed using the DCC tool.

For more information about DCC, consult the Dell Command Configure documents available at https://www.dell.com/support.

Chapter 6: Notifications

The following tables summarize different types of notifications displayed during HTTPs Boot operations.

Table 2. Notification messages

Table 2. Notification messages (continued)

Chapter 7: References

For information on setting up or configuring HTTPs Boot on the server side, consult the following webpages:

• UEFI HTTP Boot
• Configure HTTPs Server and Build Client