[nsp] Booting an MSFC from sup-slot0:

[Brian]

On Tuesday, May 20, 2003, at 06:17 AM, Matti Saarinen wrote:

> Brian <signal at shreve.net> writes:
>
>> I am working on a 6509 with dual Sup1A's and MSFC's. I am running
>> into some problems. I am trying to have the MSFC boot the bootldr
>> image from bootflash:, but have the regular IOS image come from
>> sup-slot0:.
>
>      I've also had difficulties in booting 6509's MSFC from sup-slot0.
>      Actually, I've managed to do it once but never again. I think it
>      is not really supported way of doing things. Even Cisco seems to
>      agree.
>
> When running Hybrid mode with CatOS on the Supervisor, you may choose
> to boot the MSFC by loading an image in the Supervisor's slot0 PCMCIA
> card slot. The Flash device is referred to as sup-slot0 in your boot
> system statement. Although such a booting process is supported, it is
> not recommended and should be used only as a temporary step...
>
> (quoted from
> http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps700/ 
> products_tech_note09186a00801347e2.shtml )
>


Matti,

Its funny you should mention the above paragraph.  Its one of the  
things I did run across in my
findings on cisco.com, but I also found this:

As shipped, the MSFC is configured to boot the boot loader image first,  
which then boots the system image from the bootflash. However, if a  
Flash PC card is available on the supervisor engine, we recommend that  
you store all new system images (upgrades) on the supervisor engine  
Flash PC card instead of the bootflash on the MSFC. The boot loader  
image must stay on the MSFC bootflash.

Quoted from:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/hw/switches/ps700/ 
products_command_reference_chapter09186a008007f29d.html


So here is two documents each saying to do it two different ways.

The latest I have heard, is that its the Boot ROM's possibly.  It seems  
in the grand design of things, cisco intended the MSFC to be bootable  
from the Sup-Slot0:, whether things actually worked out that way, I  
don't know.

Brian



>      I assume there are still some issues about the slot0 not being
>      yet fully initialised by the CatOS when MSFC tries to boot. Eves
>      though to bug is marked as fixed. I base my assumption on the
>      fact that I'm able to copy files from sup-slot0 MSFC's bootflash
>      when the switch has booted up.



>
>
>
>> Could it be that "boot sup-slot0:<image_name>" is really the correct
>> format, and that is why it wasn't working for me all along? There
>> are multiple documents on cisco that show both formats.
>
>      It would be really strange if this would be the correct sytax.
>      I've been once successful in booting the MSFC from slot0 and I
>      used the config boot system flash sup-slot0:xyz. It worked once.
>      After the second reload it didn't work anymore. Therefore I
>      suggest that don't try booting MSFC from sup-slot0.
>
>      Cheers,
>
> -- 
> - Matti -