Application Notes - How to Configure Auto-install on Managed Switches

C o n c e p t s
Auto Install is a software feature that provides for the configuration of a switch automatically when the device is initialized
and no configuration file is found on the switch. The downloaded configuration file is not distributed across a stack. When
an administrator saves configuration, the config file is distributed across a stack. The Auto Install process requires DHCP
to be enabled by default in order for it to be completed. The downloaded config file is not automatically saved to startup-
config. An administrator must explicitly issue a save request in order to save the configuration. The Auto Install process
depends on the configuration of other devices in the network, including a DHCP or BOOTP server, a TFTP server and, if
necessary, a DNS server. There are three phases to Auto Install:
1. Configuration or assignment of an IP address for the device.
2. Assignment of a TFTP server.
3. Obtaining a configuration file for the device from the TFTP server.
C o m p o n e n t s
The following requirements are needed when using this guide for implementation:
C o n f i g u r a t i o n S t e p s
Switch IP Address Assignment
If BOOTP or DHCP is enabled on the switch and an IP address has not been assigned, the switch issues requests for an IP
address assignment. The behavior of BOOTP or DHCP with respect to IP address assignment is unchanged by the addition
of the Auto Install feature. That is, the following information returned from the server is recognized.
• The IP address (yiaddr) and subnet mask (option 1) to be assigned to the switch
• The IP address of a default gateway (option 3), if needed for IP communication. Some network configurations
require the specification of a default gateway through which some IP communication can occur. The default
gateway is specified by Option 3 of a BOOTP or DHCP response.
After an IP address is assigned to the switch, if a host name is not already assigned, then Auto Install issues a DNS request
for the corresponding host name. This host name is also displayed as the CLI prompt the same as if the hostname
command was used.
TFTP IP Address and the Configuration File Name
The following information is also processed, any of which can be returned by a BOOTP or DHCP server:
• The name of the configuration file (bootfile or option 67) to be downloaded from the TFTP server.
• The identification of the TFTP server from which to obtain the bootfile. This is given by any of the following fields:
- The host name of the TFTP server (option 66 or sname). Either the TFTP address or name is specified, not
both, in most network configurations. If a TFTP host name is given, a DNS server is required to translate the
name to an IP address.
- The IP address of the TFTP server (option 150).
- The address of the TFTP server (siaddr) to be used for Auto Install requests.
No configuration assigned by BOOTP or DHCP is saved in startup-config.
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Application Notes
Product Model/Release Version
NETGEAR Fully Managed Switch GSM/XSM Series
GSM series firmware version 7.x and above
XSM series firmware version 8.x and above