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From: rickert@mp.cs.niu.edu (Neil Rickert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.encore
Subject: Re: can an original Annex boot through a router?
Keywords: annex, boot, router
Message-ID: <1990Dec21.210913.11669@mp.cs.niu.edu>
Date: 21 Dec 90 21:09:13 GMT
References: <3698@ns-mx.uiowa.edu>
Organization: Northern Illinois University
Lines: 41

In article <3698@ns-mx.uiowa.edu> jnford@handlebar.weeg.uiowa.edu (Jay Ford) writes:
>Does the original Annex have the ability to boot through a router from a host
>on a different subnet?  The Annex II has a "load_dump_gateway" parameter which
>allows it to do this, but the original Annex doesn't.
>
  Sure it does.  But it depends more on the router than on the annex.

  What is necessary is for the router to forward the packets.  If
the router practices proxy-arp over the larger net, it should work.  I
believe most routers will handle this.

>I'd appreciate hearing about any experiences related to this.
>
  Enclosed is part of a 'show annex'.  I successfully boot this annex via
a router, although I usually have erpcd running on the same subnet as a
backup, in case the main boot host is unavailable.

  We just lie to the annex about its subnet mask, but are very precise about
the broadcast address.  It thinks the boot address is on the same network
because of our lies about subnet masks, and the router forwards the packets
using proxy arp.  It still handles broadcasts correctly.

  If fact I am considering booting all of our annexes this way.  It it fails
they can fall back to booting via broadcast requests on the local subnet.

annex2: Annex-MX R4.1, 16 ports
command: show annex

annex annex2:
                   inet_addr: 131.156.10.10
              pref_load_addr: 131.156.1.2
              pref_dump_addr: 131.156.1.2
                  image_name: ""
                 subnet_mask: 255.255.0.0
              broadcast_addr: 131.156.10.255

-- 
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  Neil W. Rickert, Computer Science               <rickert@cs.niu.edu>
  Northern Illinois Univ.
  DeKalb, IL 60115                                   +1-815-753-6940