boot tftp via serial interface

supercooldudesupercooldude Member Posts: 49 ■■□□□□□□□□
in CCNA & CCENT
Has anyone ever succeeded booting tftp via a serial interface?

I configured R1 as tftp-server to provide its flash:<ios-image>.
R1 is connected to R2 by a serial DB60-DB60 crossover cable.
R1 is DCE(192.168.2.10) and R2 is DTE.
R2 has a backup ios image on its flash in case it cannot boot tftp. Both interfaces are setup in startup-config. Both routers are 3620.
I power up R1 and a couple minutes later power up R2.
R2 goes directly into rommon, and when I hit boot, it boots from flash even though BOOT=tftp:c3620-ik9o3s7-mz.123-22.bin 192.168.2.10,12;

Here are some console outputs.
R2#sh ip int brie
Interface                  IP-Address      OK? Method Status                Protocol
Serial0/0                  192.168.2.11    YES NVRAM  up                    up
R2#sh run
Building configuration...

Current configuration : 1048 bytes
!
version 12.3
service timestamps debug datetime msec
service timestamps log datetime msec
no service password-encryption
!
hostname R2
!
boot-start-marker
boot system tftp c3620-ik9o3s7-mz.123-22.bin 192.168.2.10
boot-end-marker
!
!
no aaa new-model
ip subnet-zero
!
!
no ip cef
!
!
!
!
!
interface Serial0/0
 ip address 192.168.2.11 255.255.255.0
 serial restart-delay 0
!
!
!
!
!
no ip http server
ip classless
ip route 192.168.1.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.2.10
!
!
!
line con 0
 exec-timeout 0 0
 logging synchronous
line aux 0
line vty 0 4
 login
!
!
end

R2#copy run start
Destination filename [startup-config]?
Building configuration...
[OK]
R2#sh ver
Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
IOS (tm) 3600 Software (C3620-I-M), Version 12.3(17a), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
Technical Support: [url]http://www.cisco.com/techsupport[/url]
Copyright (c) 1986-2005 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Mon 12-Dec-05 21:59 by evmiller
Image text-base: 0x60008B00, data-base: 0x60CE6000

ROM: System Bootstrap, Version 11.1(20)AA2, EARLY DEPLOYMENT RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
ROM: 3600 Software (C3620-I-M), Version 12.3(17a), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)

R2 uptime is 4 minutes
System returned to ROM by reload
System image file is "flash:c3620-i-mz.123-17a.bin"

cisco 3620 (R4700) processor (revision 0x81) with 61440K/4096K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID 29946303
R4700 CPU at 80MHz, Implementation 33, Rev 1.0
Bridging software.
X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.
1 Serial network interface(s)
DRAM configuration is 32 bits wide with parity disabled.
29K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
16384K bytes of processor board System flash (Read/Write)

Configuration register is 0x0 (will be 0x2102 at next reload)

R2#reload
Proceed with reload? [confirm]

*Mar  1 00:04:31.439: %SYS-5-RELOAD: Reload requested by console. Reload Reason: Reload command.
System Bootstrap, Version 11.1(20)AA2, EARLY DEPLOYMENT RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
C3600 processor with 65536 Kbytes of main memory
Main memory is configured to 32 bit mode with parity disabled

program load complete, entry point: 0x80008000, size: 0x761fbc
Self decompressing the image : ###################################################################################### [OK]

Smart Init is enabled
smart init is sizing iomem
  ID            MEMORY_REQ                 TYPE
000054          0X0004E480 4T Mueslix Serial
000054          0X0004E480 4T Mueslix Serial
                0X00098670 public buffer pools
                0X00211000 public particle pools
TOTAL:          0X00345F70

If any of the above Memory Requirements are
"UNKNOWN", you may be using an unsupported
configuration or there is a software problem and
system operation may be compromised.
Rounded IOMEM up to: 4Mb.
Using 6 percent iomem. [4Mb/64Mb]

System Bootstrap, Version 11.1(20)AA2, EARLY DEPLOYMENT RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Copyright (c) 1999 by cisco Systems, Inc.
C3600 processor with 65536 Kbytes of main memory
Main memory is configured to 32 bit mode with parity disabled

rommon 1 > set
PS1=rommon ! >
CRASHINFO=flash:crashinfo_19930301-000011
RET_2_RUTC=0
?=0
BSI=0
BOOT=tftp:c3620-ik9o3s7-mz.123-22.bin 192.168.2.10,12;
RET_2_RTS=
RET_2_RCALTS=
rommon 2 > boot
program load complete, entry point: 0x80008000, size: 0x761fbc
Self decompressing the image : ###################################################################################### [OK]

Smart Init is enabled
smart init is sizing iomem
  ID            MEMORY_REQ                 TYPE
000054          0X0004E480 4T Mueslix Serial
000054          0X0004E480 4T Mueslix Serial
                0X00098670 public buffer pools
                0X00211000 public particle pools
TOTAL:          0X00345F70

If any of the above Memory Requirements are
"UNKNOWN", you may be using an unsupported
configuration or there is a software problem and
system operation may be compromised.
Rounded IOMEM up to: 4Mb.
Using 6 percent iomem. [4Mb/64Mb]

              Restricted Rights Legend

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is
subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph
(c) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted
Rights clause at FAR sec. 52.227-19 and subparagraph
(c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer
Software clause at DFARS sec. 252.227-7013.

           cisco Systems, Inc.
           170 West Tasman Drive
           San Jose, California 95134-1706



Cisco Internetwork Operating System Software
IOS (tm) 3600 Software (C3620-I-M), Version 12.3(17a), RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)
Technical Support: [url]http://www.cisco.com/techsupport[/url]
Copyright (c) 1986-2005 by cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Mon 12-Dec-05 21:59 by evmiller
Image text-base: 0x60008B00, data-base: 0x60CE6000

cisco 3620 (R4700) processor (revision 0x81) with 61440K/4096K bytes of memory.
Processor board ID 29946303
R4700 CPU at 80MHz, Implementation 33, Rev 1.0
Bridging software.
X.25 software, Version 3.0.0.
1 Serial network interface(s)
DRAM configuration is 32 bits wide with parity disabled.
29K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.
16384K bytes of processor board System flash (Read/Write)



Press RETURN to get started!
Does anyone have information on the exact boot sequence on a 3620 platform?
I am suspecting this platform's ROM cannot initialize serial interfaces,
which is why I tried (with no good result) to put "boot bootstrap flash:c3620-i-mz.123-17a.bin" before "boot system tftp ..." in order to boot flash first then tftp.
Note that rommon on 3620 does not have "tftpdnld" like 26xx.
I would appreciate any help/advice.
Thanks.

SCD
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • mikearamamikearama Member Posts: 749
    Gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that this might not be possible. I've had fun checking this out for the last hour, and can't find anything specific, but there are several indications... ie.

    This link:
    http://cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps669/products_installation_guide_chapter09186a00800a9fa2.html
    suggests, about 3/4 of the way down, that:

    "You must have a TFTP server directly connected to the front-panel Ethernet management port."

    And this link:
    http://cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps167/products_installation_and_configuration_guide_chapter09186a00801f6dd6.html
    suggests, half way down:

    "This boot field setting requires that the Ethernet port on the RP is configured and operational."

    Not one link thought that you could boot to tftp from a serial connection, with the exception of console port (which is a serial connection) using xmodem.

    Hope that helped,
    Mike
    There are only 10 kinds of people... those who understand binary, and those that don't.

    CCIE Studies: Written passed: Jan 21/12 Lab Prep: Hours reading: 385. Hours labbing: 110

    Taking a time-out to add the CCVP. Capitalizing on a current IPT pilot project.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • supercooldudesupercooldude Member Posts: 49 ■■□□□□□□□□
    mikearama,

    Thank you for your time. I appreciate it.
    So no boot from serial interface huh? Bummer. But then I do recall it is a WAN interface after all.
    So why would someone want to boot up a router using tftp across a WAN serial link, right?
    Maybe that's why Cisco hasn't made it possible in rommon, sice there is simply no real world need for it.
    Anyway, I ended up xmodeming another image to flash and booting regular flash ios.
    I may put in an ethernet interface and try again using ethernet.
    I will definitely have to try this thing on one of my 2500s since they got an ios-ish bootstrap/boothelper.
    Thank you again for confirming.

    SCD
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • blackmage439blackmage439 Member Posts: 163
    Have you tried messing with the Configuration Register?

    http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/routers/ps133/products_tech_note09186a008022493f.shtml

    From ROMmon, enter the confreg 0x2124 command. That should set the router to search the network (or in other words, its interfaces) for an IOS image before looking in NVRAM.

    This setting can also be used as a back-up. In addition, if you were to centrally store all your routers' configurations on a server, you would want to have this Config Register active. You could make changes to the configs right on your server, restart the router(s), save the config, and poof! No need to alter configurations on all your routers manually.
    "Facts are meaningless. They can be used to prove anything!"
    - Homer Simpson
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.