ZTP process during switch boot

  1. The switch boots up with the factory default configuration.

    If the ZTP operation detects that the switch configuration is different from the factory default configuration, the ZTP operation ends. The switch must be configured at the installation site.

  2. The switch sends out a DHCP discovery from the management port.

    On switches that support ZTP operations on data ports, the switch also sends out a DHCP discovery from all data ports in the default VLAN.

    The switch waits to receive DHCP options indefinitely or until the running configuration is modified. If a DHCP IP address is received but no DHCP options are received, the switch waits an additional minute before ending the ZTP operation.

    On switches that support ZTP operations on data ports, DHCP options received on the management port have priority over DHCP options received on data ports:

    • If DHCP options are received on the management port before being received on a data port, the switch processes those options immediately.

    • If DHCP options are received on a data port, the switch waits an additional 30 seconds for options to be received on the management port. If no DHCP options are received on the management port during those 30 seconds, the switch processes the DHCP options it received on the data port.

    After the ZTP operation ends, there is no automatic retry. You can either attempt to boot the switch with the factory default configuration again, configure the switch at the installation site, or use the ZTP force-provision CLI to trigger the ZTP process, ignoring the present running configuration of the switch.

    • Once force-provision is enabled, new DHCP requests are sent from the switch. Disabling force-provision does not stop the DHCP already in progress, but only changes the switch configuration status of force-provision.

    • If ZTP fails while force-provision is enabled, there is no automatic retry. To retry, ztp force-provision should be disabled and re-enabled to clear the current ZTP state and send a new DHCP request. When ztp force-provision is already enabled on the switch, re-enabling it results in no operation.

    • If the DHCP server is configured to provide both ZTP image and configuration options and there is a non-default startup configuration present on the switch, clearing the non-default startup configuration before triggering ztp force-provision is recommended. If an image is downloaded via ZTP, the switch reboots once the image download is complete and ZTP force-provision configuration is lost, causing ZTP to enter into a failed state. ZTP force-provision will need to be enabled again to continue the process.

  3. The DHCP server responds with an offer containing the following:

    • The IPv4 address of the TFTP server

    • One or both of the following:

      • The name of the firmware image file

      • The name of the configuration file

    • Aruba Central Location (optional)

    • HTTP Proxy Location (optional)

  4. If a firmware image file is offered, the ZTP operation downloads the image file from the TFTP server to the switch. If the current switch image and downloaded firmware image version do not match, then the switch boots with the downloaded image:

    • If the image upgrade fails, the switch retains its original firmware image and the ZTP operation ends with a failed status.

    • If the image upgrade succeeds, the ZTP operation is started again after the switch reboots. Because the downloaded image file matches the image file installed on the switch, the ZTP operation continues, and checks if a configuration file is offered.

  5. If a configuration file is offered, the ZTP operation downloads the configuration file copies the file to the startup configuration of the switch:

    • If the startup configuration update fails, the switch retains its factory-default running configuration and the ZTP operation ends with a failed status.

    • If the startup configuration update is successful, the startup configuration is copied to the running configuration:

      • If the copy operation fails, the ZTP operation ends with a failed status.

      • If the copy operation succeeds, the ZTP operation ends successfully.