Configuring Services
Configuring boot services

Follow these steps, to reach the Boot Server Setup page:

  1. On the Summary Status page, click Setup.
  2. On the Setup page, click Boot Server, under Services.

The Boot Server Setup page, which is shown in Figure , contains the following settings:

  • Configuration Server Protocol – Use the Configuration Server Protocol drop-down menu to select the method the network uses for IP address assignment. The menu contains the following options:
    • None – The network does not have an automatic system for IP address assignment.
    • BOOTP – The network uses Boot Protocol, in which IP addresses are hard-coded, based on MAC addresses.
    • DHCP – With Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), IP addresses are leased for a period of time. The lease duration can be set on this page.
  • Use Previous Configuration Server Settings – Select yes to have the bridge save the most recent response from the boot server. The bridge uses the most recent settings if the boot server is unavailable.
  • Read .iru File from File Server – Use this setting to have the bridge use configuration settings in an .iru file on the BOOTP or DHCP server, or the default file server. Files with .iru extensions usually contain configuration information used during system start-up. The drop-down menu contains the following options:
    • Always – The bridge always loads configuration settings from an .iru file on the server.
    • Never – The bridge never loads configuration settings from an .iru file on the server.
    • If specified by server – The bridge will load configuration settings from an .iru file on the server, if the DHCP or BOOTP response from the server specifies that an .iru file is available. This is the default setting. The Load Now button, under the drop-down menu, instructs the bridge to read an .iru file immediately.
  • Current Boot Server – The Current Boot Server line, under the drop-down menu, lists the server that responded to the bridge boot request. If all zeros appear, it means that the bridge is not using BOOTP or DHCP, or that no server responded to the BOOTP or DHCP request.
  • Specified ".iru" File Server – The Specified ".iru" File Server line lists the IP address of the server where the .iru file is stored. If all zeroes appear, it means that no file server is set up to provide an .iru file.
  • BOOTP Server Timeout – This setting specifies the length of time, in seconds, the bridge waits to receive a response from a single BOOTP server. This setting applies only when BOOTP is selected from the Configuration Server Protocol drop-down menu.
  • DHCP Multiple-Offer Timeout – This setting specifies the length of time, in seconds, the bridge waits to receive a response when there are multiple DHCP servers.
  • DHCP Requested Lease Duration – This setting specifies the length of time, in minutes, the bridge requests for an IP address lease from the DHCP server.
  • DHCP Minimum Lease Duration – This setting specifies the shortest amount of time, in minutes, the bridge will accept for an IP address lease. The bridge ignores leases shorter than this period.
  • DHCP Client Identifier Type – This optional setting is used to include a class identifier type in the DHCP request packets the bridge sends to the DHCP server. The DHCP server can be set up to send responses according to class identifier type.