How to auto-provision Brocade switches by DHCP
Options
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
03-23-2018 05:00 PM
Going through the documentation (which is pretty shoddy) I can't seem to figure this out. My best guess, from what I've read, is:
However, after getting a DHCP address there are no attempts by the switch to download the manifest file (but it does try to download a config file.) How does this work?
- Unzip firmware distribution into TFTP server root
- Add option 66 pointing to DHCP server (e.g.
192.168.0.1
) - Add option 67 pointing to manifest file (e.g.
FI08070a_Manifest.txt
) - Reboot switch
However, after getting a DHCP address there are no attempts by the switch to download the manifest file (but it does try to download a config file.) How does this work?
9 REPLIES 9
Options
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
03-26-2018 11:39 AM
I just configured this in my lab and it worked like a champ. I have an ICX-7150 running 8.0.61a and the following configuration on an ICX 7150-C12 as the DHCP server. I am using TFTPd on my laptop as the TFTP server.
vlan 420 by port
untagged ethe 1/1/8
router-interface ve 420
!
ip dhcp-server enable
!
ip dhcp-server pool autoprovision
bootfile FI08070a_Manifest.txt
dhcp-default-router 192.168.42.1
excluded-address 192.168.42.1 192.168.42.99
lease 0 0 15
network 192.168.42.0 255.255.255.0
tftp-server 10.10.10.100
deploy
!
interface ve 420
ip address 192.168.42.1 255.255.255.0
vlan 420 by port
untagged ethe 1/1/8
router-interface ve 420
!
ip dhcp-server enable
!
ip dhcp-server pool autoprovision
bootfile FI08070a_Manifest.txt
dhcp-default-router 192.168.42.1
excluded-address 192.168.42.1 192.168.42.99
lease 0 0 15
network 192.168.42.0 255.255.255.0
tftp-server 10.10.10.100
deploy
!
interface ve 420
ip address 192.168.42.1 255.255.255.0
Options
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
03-26-2018 12:48 PM
Hmm, very frustrating, that's exactly the setup I'm using (although not on a Brocade DHCP server.) My TFTP server is the same machine as the default gateway. I've tried a few variations such as option 150 instead of 66, and still no luck. Thanks for going through the trouble though!
As for why the config gets downloaded, I know the switch defaults to pulling a config from its gateway, so my hunch is that the TFTP server address included in the DHCP reply is being ignored completely by the switch. This would possibly explain why it doesn't even try to download the manifest file.
It's a shame you aren't able to pull a packet trace since it's just a switch-to-switch communication. There must be something different getting sent by the Brocade DHCP server.
Just noticed you were asking about DHCP server config, but as I said I do not use switches for DHCP serving. Here's what a reply looks like:
As for why the config gets downloaded, I know the switch defaults to pulling a config from its gateway, so my hunch is that the TFTP server address included in the DHCP reply is being ignored completely by the switch. This would possibly explain why it doesn't even try to download the manifest file.
It's a shame you aren't able to pull a packet trace since it's just a switch-to-switch communication. There must be something different getting sent by the Brocade DHCP server.
Just noticed you were asking about DHCP server config, but as I said I do not use switches for DHCP serving. Here's what a reply looks like:
Your-IP 172.16.0.5
Client-Ethernet-Address 78:a6:e1:2d:d8:c6
Vendor-rfc1048 Extensions
Magic Cookie 0x63825363
DHCP-Message Option 53, length 1: Offer
Server-ID Option 54, length 4: 172.16.0.1
Lease-Time Option 51, length 4: 6721
Subnet-Mask Option 1, length 4: 255.255.255.248
Default-Gateway Option 3, length 4: 172.16.0.1
Domain-Name-Server Option 6, length 4: 192.168.242.200
TFTP Option 66, length 10: "172.16.0.1"
TFTP-Server-Address Option 150, length 4: 172.16.0.1
BF Option 67, length 21: "FI08070a_Manifest.txt"
Options
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
03-26-2018 12:53 PM
Try changing the default gateway to something else since you are on the same switch and it is not needed. Set option 66 to your PC since it is the tftp server. What are you using for your DHCP server?
Options
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
03-26-2018 01:05 PM
My PC is not a TFTP server, my router is; it's also my DHCP server.
Options
- Mark as New
- Bookmark
- Subscribe
- Mute
- Subscribe to RSS Feed
- Permalink
- Report Inappropriate Content
03-26-2018 03:48 PM
My PC is not my TFTP server, my router is (and is also my DHCP server.) I tried setting up TFTP on my laptop in case the Brocade didn't like them being the same address, but no change.
I think the only thing left to try is setting up one Brocade as a DHCP server like you've done, and grabbing a packet trace via port mirroring to see why it works! Very frustrating that all the documentation is so vague or factually incorrect.
Thanks for your assistance though!
I think the only thing left to try is setting up one Brocade as a DHCP server like you've done, and grabbing a packet trace via port mirroring to see why it works! Very frustrating that all the documentation is so vague or factually incorrect.
Thanks for your assistance though!