Technical data

10
Configuring TFTP
The Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) handles the file transfer from a TFTP
server to a diskless client or other remote system. The client initiates the file
transfer.
The Bootstrap Protocol (BOOTP) server answers network bootstrap requests
from diskless workstations and other network devices such as routers, terminal
servers, and network switching equipment. For more information about setting
up the BOOTP service, see Chapter 9.
This chapter reviews key concepts and describes:
• How to set up the TFTP service (Section 10.2)
• TFTP security (Section 10.3)
• How to solve TFTP problems (Section 10.4)
10.1 Key Concepts
The Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) transfers files from a TFTP server to
diskless clients or other remote systems. The client initiates the file transfer.
If the client sends a read request to the TFTP server, the server attempts to
locate this file.
TFTP has the following characteristics:
• TFTP clients are not registered in a database.
• TFTP, which runs as an unprivileged user in the TCPIP$TFTP account, is
restricted to those files that the normal unprivileged user can access.
• TFTP clients are not regulated by the usual OpenVMS user security methods.
• No user name or password is required to use the TFTP service.
10.2 Setting up the TFTP Service
To set up the TFTP server software, run TCPIP$CONFIG (see the Compaq
TCP/IP Services for OpenVMS Installation and Configuration manual).
The procedure creates:
• A TFTP user account
• Service records in the services database
• Default directories
• A TFTP root directory to which the logical name TCPIP$TFTP_ROOT: will
point
Configuring TFTP 10–1