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Configuring a Windows PC as a TFTP/BootP Server

Overview

This document explains how to obtain and utilize the free TFTP/BootP Services application to upgrade the firmware on most Enterasys devices.

Discussion

Before You Begin...
You need the following before you begin:

Understanding TFTP and BootP
TFTP and BootP are both IETF standards. The TFTP (Trivial File Transfer Protocol) defines a simple method of transferring a file from a server to a client. The BootP (Bootstrap Protocol) defines a method by which a device can obtain an IP address for itself, the path and file name of a "boot" file (firmware image), and the IP address of a TFTP server from which it can download the boot file.

Enterasys's TFTP/BootP Services application acts as a server for both TFTP and BootP clients. Additionally, TFTP/BootP Services can recognize Enterasys devices and set the appropriate MIBs via SNMP to initiate a TFTP transfer.

Initiating a TFTP Transfer
The following instructions detail how to download firmware via a TFTP transfer to a Enterasys device using the TFTP/BootP Services application.

  1. Start the TFTP/BootP Services application.
  2. If necessary, click the Start Download tab to bring it to the front as shown in Figure 1.

    3. Start Download Screen Figure 1: Start Download Screen

  3. Enter the IP address of the device that you intend to download to.
  4. Enter the community name (password) you have assigned to the device. If you have never assigned a community name, then use "public", the Enterasys default.
  5. Click the Contact button. The traffic light will turn yellow while it attempts to contact the device, and then turn green when contact has been established. If the traffic light turns red, verify the IP address and physical connections to the device.

    6. Depending on the device you have contacted, the next two options may not be available on your screen.

  6. If you wish to do an "online" download, check the Online Download checkbox. Not all devices support an online download. If the device you have contacted does not support an online download, then the online download checkbox will be grey.
    • If you selected an online download, you may select the Auto Reboot checkbox. This will cause the device to reset and load the new firmware immediately after the online download. If you do not check this option, the new firmware will be downloaded to the device's flash EEPROM, but not loaded into RAM and run until you manually reboot the device.
  7. If you are initiating a standard "offline" download (e.g. you did not check the Online Download box) to a device on another subnet (across a router from your workstation) then you will need to do one of the following:
    • Enable Proxy ARP on your router
    • Enter a Gateway IP Address in the appropriate field (see Figure 1). This should be the address of the router to which the device needs to send the TFTP request in order to reach your workstation. Be sure to enter this address from the device's perspective (the device's "side" of the router).

    Proxy ARP or a Gateway IP Address is not necessary when doing an online download or when doing a download to an AMD-based device (FN10, FN100 or ATX). Some devices do not support the Gateway IP Address field. If the device does not support this field, your workstation must be on the same subnet as the device, or you must enable proxy ARP on your router.

  8. Click the Browse... button, and select the firmware image file for the device. For a standard "offline" download, the file extension should be .HEX, for an Online Download, the file extension should be .FLS. For AMD-based devices (ATX, FN10 and FN100) the file extension should be .HDR. AMD-based devices also require a second file with the extension .SW. TFTP/BootP Services automatically downloads this file after the .HDR file. This .SW file must have the same name and be in the same directory as the .HDR file.
  9. The path to the firmware image should now be listed in the File Name field. Verify that the entire path and file name is not more the twenty characters long. If it is, then move the file to another directory with a shorter path.
  10. In some cases you will need a static ARP entry to successfully complete a TFTP transfer. While this is typically necessary only for standard offline downloads that exceed five minutes, it is suggested that you add the static ARP entry for all TFTP transfers to avoid possible failure. The following instructions explain how to do this for Microsoft's TCP/IP stack (which comes with Windows 95 and NT).
    • Open a DOS or command line window.
    • At the command prompt, type "arp -a" to display the ARP cache.
    • Something similar to the following should be displayed:
        • Interface: 128.20.35.119
            Internet Address     Physical Address     Type
            128.20.42.69     00-00-1d-85-96-75     dynamic
        -->>  128.20.16.200     00-00-1d-13-66-4a     dynamic <<--
            128.20.35.201     00-a0-c9-65-ed-1d     dynamic

      (If your ARP cache is empty, you will need to ping or contact the device, and then display the ARP cache again.)

      Note the line with the arrows. This shows the dynamic ARP entry for the device you have contacted. Dynamic ARP entries timeout after five minutes. By making the entry static, it will not timeout until you reboot your workstation.

    • Using the information from the dynamic ARP entry, make a static ARP entry. The syntax to create a static ARP entry is:
      • Syntax: arp -s IPAddress MACAddress
      • For example: arp -s 128.20.16.200 00-00-1d-13-66-4a
    • After you have entered this command, type "arp -a" again to view the updated ARP cache:
        • Interface: 128.20.35.119
            Internet Address     Physical Address     Type
            128.20.42.69     00-00-1d-85-96-75     dynamic
        -->>  128.20.16.200     00-00-1d-13-66-4a     static <<--
            128.20.35.201     00-a0-c9-65-ed-1d     dynamic

      Note that the line with the arrows is now listed as a static ARP entry.

    • Once the static ARP entry is set, exit the command line window, and return to the TFTP/BootP Services application.
  11. Click the Download button to begin the TFTP transfer. If you are doing a standard offline download, it will take the device a few minutes to reboot and begin the transfer.
  12. If you want to monitor the transfer:
    • Click the View Log tab. The following is an example of a successful TFTP transfer log:
      • TFTP: Started transfer of: C:\32013.HEX to 128.20.16.200
      TFTP: Completed transfer of: C:\32013.HEX to 128.20.16.200

      A transfer to an AMD-based device would look like this:
      TFTP: Started transfer of: C:\30200.HDR to 128.20.106.12
      TFTP: Completed transfer of: C:\30200.HDR to 128.20.106.12
      TFTP: Waiting for transfer of C:\30200.SW to 128.20.106.12
      TFTP: Started transfer of: C:\30200.SW to 128.20.106.12
      TFTP: Completed transfer of: C:\30200.SW to 128.20.106.12

    • Once the transfer has started, click on the TFTP Server tab to watch the progress of the transfer.

Configuring the BootP Server
The following instructions detail how to configure the BootP server portion of the TFTP/BootP Services application.

  1. Start the TFTP/BootP Services application.
  2. In order to configure the BootP server, you will need to know the MAC address of the device sending the BootP requests. This is usually easily discovered using the BootP/TFTP Services log:
    • Click the View Log tab. You should see messages similar to the following:
      • BootP: Unable to process request from: 00-00-1D-13-66-4A
      BootP: Unable to process request from: 00-00-1D-13-66-4A

      This indicates that a device with a MAC address of 00-00-1D-13-66-4A is sending BootP requests. Currently the BootP server is not configured to respond to this MAC address, so it is unable to process the request.

    • Note this MAC address on a piece of paper.
    • If more than one MAC address is listed, then there are multiple devices sending BootP requests. Depending on your network, this may be normal. You must determine which MAC address belongs to the device you are trying to configure. Most devices list the MAC address on a sticker on the front panel.

      • Note that bridges, switches and routers have a MAC address per port. In these cases, the address listed on the front of the unit represents port 1 of the unit, while your workstation may actually be on another port. Consecutive ports usually use consecutive MAC addresses, so if port 1 is 00-00-1D-22-76-B1, port 2 would be 00-00-1D-22-76-B2, port 3 would be -B3, etc.

  3. Click the BootP Server tab.

    4. BootP Server Screen Figure 2: BootP Server Screen

  4. Click the New button.
  5. Enter the address you noted in step 2 in the MAC Address field. Be sure to separate each double-digit with a hyphen, as illustrated in Figure 2.
  6. Enter the IP address that should be assigned to the device. If you are configuring the BootP for a 9C300-1 (MMAC-Plus Environmental Module), enter any available IP address. The 9C300-1 will "borrow" the IP to do the TFTP transfer, but not save it.
  7. Click the Browse... button, and select the firmware image file for the device. The TFTP transfer that follows a BootP is always a standard "offline" download, therefore the file extension must be .HEX. (AMD-based devices do not support BootP).
    • Second generation SmartSwitch 2000 and 6000 modules (2E2xx, 2H2xx, 6E2xx, 6H2xx, etc.) are an exception to this rule, the .fls file for these modules work for both on-line and off-line downloads.
  8. The path to the firmware image should now be listed in the File Name field. Verify that the entire path and file name is not more the twenty characters long. If it is, the move the file to another directory with a shorter path.
  9. Click the Update button.
  10. The information you just entered should now appear as a line entry in the large field. Click on this line.
  11. Select the Direct Reply to BootP Requests button, unless you are downloading firmware to a 9C300-1 (MMAC-Plus Environmental Module) in which case you should select Broadcast Reply...

    12. If you are downloading firmware to a 9C300-1 (MMAC-Plus Environmental Module) skip the next two steps!

  12. Click the Set Arp button. This attempts to set a static ARP entry in your workstation's ARP cache. If you are not using Microsoft's TCP/IP stack (which comes with Windows 95 and NT), then you will need to make a static ARP entry manually. Refer to your TCP/IP stack's documentation for instructions on how to do this.
  13. Due to an anomaly in Windows 95 and NT, you must verify that the Set Arp button worked:
    • Open a DOS or command line window.
    • At the command prompt, type "arp -a" to display the ARP cache.
    • Something similar to the following should be displayed:
        • Interface: 128.20.35.119
            Internet Address     Physical Address     Type
            128.20.35.46     00-00-1d-19-f1-e3     dynamic
            128.20.42.69     00-00-1d-85-96-75     dynamic
        -->>  128.20.16.200     00-00-1d-13-66-4a     static <<--
            128.20.35.201     00-a0-c9-65-ed-1d     dynamic

      Note the line with the arrows. This indicates that the Set Arp button successfully set the static ARP entry. The other lines are referred to as dynamic ARP entries, which your workstation discovered itself. If you have a static ARP entry for the device you are contacting, you can exit the command window.

    • If your ARP cache is empty, you will need to ping or contact another device, and then click the Set Arp button again. A static ARP entry can not be made until at least one dynamic entry exists. If necessary, you can temporarily disconnect your workstation from the device sending the BootP requests, ping any device, and then reconnect to the BootP-ing device and click the Set Arp button.
  14. The BootP server is now configured, and should respond to the BootP requests. After the device receives the BootP reply from the server, it will initiate a TFTP transfer.
  15. If you want to monitor the transfer:
    • Click the View Log tab. The following is an example log of a successful BootP followed by a TFTP transfer:
      • BootP: Unable to process request from: 00-00-1D-13-66-4A
      BootP: Unable to process request from: 00-00-1D-13-66-4A
      BootP: Request from: 00-00-1D-13-66-4A processed.
      TFTP: Started transfer of: C:\32013.HEX to 128.20.16.200
      TFTP: Completed transfer of: C:\32013.HEX to 128.20.16.200
    • Once the TFTP transfer starts, you can click on the TFTP Server tab to view the progress of the download.