Correct Use of Boot Command

[Patrick McHenry]

I was wondering what is the correct way to use the boot command.

If an image is installed on every switch in the stack, should each switch load it's own image or just the Masters image? Or, does it really matter if they are really the same image. But, if a switch in the stack dies for whatever reason then if there were 8 switches in the stack, number 8 would become 7 and it would have a incorrect boot statement as there wouldn't be a switch 8 anymore. Since flash: will always exist in the stack wouldn't it be better to use flash: in the boot statement?

For instance:

Switch 8
-------------------
BOOT path-list      : flash8:/c3750e-universalk9-mz.150-2.SE/c3750e-universalk9-mz.150-2.SE.bin

or

Switch 8
-------------------
BOOT path-list      : flash:/c3750e-universalk9-mz.150-2.SE/c3750e-universalk9-mz.150-2.SE.bin

Thank you - Pat

[ghostinthenet]

Best thing to do is have each switch boot from its own flash. When stack upgrades are done, all member switches' local flashes are updated as part of the process, so there is no harm in booting from the local file system and, as you have already pointed out, it is more resilient in the event that the stack master goes off-line.

[Patrick McHenry]

Thanks for the response Jody

Just so I understand -

you are saying that each switch should be configured to boot from flash: rather than flash:# in the switch stack?

So, no matter what the number switch a switch is in the stack, it's individual boot statement should be flash:Image

Hope that is clear - Pat

[ghostinthenet · Accepted solution]

Hey Pat:

Yes. Booting from the local "flash:/" is the way to go. Booting from another switch's flash is a good recovery mechanism if the local copy is missing or corrupted, but introduces an additional point of failure if used as the primary boot. It also messes things up if you have mismatched switches in the stack (3750E/3750X and 3750/3750G, for example) that need different images. 

Jody