Intel® NetStructure™ 6000 Switch

C H A P T E R 4
Using Local Management
The IP address assigned to the switch’s interface is stored in
NVRAM. When the switch firmware starts, it automatically
configures the interface with this stored IP address.
The ifconfig command inserts the appropriate routing information
based upon the IP address specified. If a special network address
mask is required, a separate ifconfig command should be issued last
to set the mask.
Note
If the netmask changes, use the ifconfig sl0 netmask command
after setting the IP address.
BOOTP/RARP and DHCP
Client
BOOTP and RARP are software protocols commonly used to
determine a machine’s own IP address when only the hardware
address is known. When the switch powers up, it sends out
simultaneous RARP and BOOTP requests. These requests are
broadcast to all systems on the connected network or VLAN. BOOTP
(or RARP) servers look for these requests, look up the requestor’s IP
address based on the hardware address in the request packet, and send
a response. If an IP address has already been set for the switch, neither
BOOTP nor RARP requests are sent.
If the switch receives a response to either its BOOTP or RARP
request, it uses the information in the response to configure its IP
address. If no response is received, it re-broadcasts the requests 10
times, then terminates. At this point, the switch should be configured
from the command-line console.
BOOTP or RARP operation is configured for each individual
network interface. When enabled, this sends BOOTP and RARP
requests on that interface each time the system starts. The address
assigned in the response message is not stored in NVRAM.
If the switch receives both a BOOTP and a RARP response
simultaneously, it uses the BOOTP response to configure its address.
The switch recognizes a BOOTP or RARP response from any
standard BOOTP or RARP server. To configure the BOOTP or
RARP server, the interfaces’ MAC address needs to be known. Type
ifconfig -a to display the interface’s MAC address.
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