Allied Telesis 8100S Series - Manual (Page 57)

Stack Installation Guide for 8100S Series Switches
57
Active Boot Configuration File
The master switch stores the settings of the entire stack in a file in its file
system. This file is referred to as the active boot configuration file. The
switch updates the file with the most recent parameter changes whenever
you issue the WRITE or COPY RUNNING-CONFIG STARTUP-CONFIG
command.
The switch comes with two identical boot configuration files, called
BOOT.CFG and QSTACK.CFG. The commands the files contain assign
the switch the factory IP address 169.254.1.1 and activate the web
browser server so that you may begin to manage the switch with Telnet or
a web browser as soon as you set it up.
The BOOT.CFG file is the default active file. You may continue to use that
file to store the parameter settings of the switch, or you may create
another boot configuration file. There are several ways to do that, the
easiest being the BOOT CONFIG-FILE command, because it both creates
the file and designates it as the active boot configuration file.
The name of the active boot configuration file of the stack may be up to 16
alphanumeric characters, plus the .CFG extension. For example, you
might name the file STACKBLF2RM4.CFG.
The QSTART.CFG file is identical to the BOOT.CFG file. You may use the
file to restore the factory settings if you use the BOOT.CFG to store the
parameter settings of the switch. You would simply copy the
QSTART.CFG file as the BOOT.CFG file.
The master switch periodically sends the active boot configuration file over
the stacking ports to the other switches in the stack, which save the file in
their respective file systems. The master switch distributes the file so that
should it stop functioning or be removed from the stack, any of the other
switches can assume the role of master switch. Here are the events that
prompt the master switch to distribute the active boot configuration to the
member switches:
 The stack performs the discovery process when it is powered on or
reset and when a stacking cable is connected or disconnected. At
the completion of the discovery process, the master switch sends
its active boot configuration file to the member switches.
 When you enter the WRITE command to save your changes to the
parameter settings, to the active boot configuration file. After
updating the file, the master switch sends it to the member
switches.
The master switch changes the name of the active boot configuration file
to BOOT.CFG as it sends the file to the other switches during the
discovery process or in response to the WRITE command. Additionally, it