3Com 4500 Booting with the Startup File

1-6
Attribute name Description Feature Identifier
backup
Identifies backup
startup files. The
backup startup file is
used after a switch
fails to start up using
the main startup file.
In the Flash memory, there
can be only one app file, one
configuration file and one
Web file with the backup
attribute.
(b)
none
Identifies files that are
neither of main
attribute nor backup
attribute.
— None
A file can have both the main and backup attributes. Files of this kind are labeled *b.
Note that, there can be only one app file, one configuration file and one Web file with the main attribute
in the Flash memory. If a newly created file is configured to be with the main attribute, the existing file
with the main attribute in the Flash memory will lose its main attribute. This circumstance also applies to
the file with the backup attribute in the Flash memory.
File operations and file attribute operations are independent. For example, if you delete a file with the
main attribute from the Flash memory, the other files in the flash memory will not possess the main
attribute. If you download a valid file with the same name as the deleted file to the flash memory, the file
will possess the main attribute.
After the Boot ROM of a switch is upgraded, the original default app file has the main attribute.
Booting with the Startup File
The device selects the main startup file as the preferred startup file. If the device fails to boot with the
main startup file, it boots with the backup startup file.
For the Web file and configuration file, 3com may provide corresponding default file when releasing
software versions. When booting, the device selects the startup files based on certain order. The device
selects Web files in the following steps:
1) If the default Web file exists, the device will boot with the default Web file;
2) If the default Web file does not exist, but the main Web file exists, the device will boot with the main
Web file;
3) If neither the default Web file nor the main Web file exists, but the backup Web exists, the device
will boot with the backup Web file;
4) If neither of the default Web file, main Web file and backup Web exists, the device considers that no
Web file exists.
For the selection of the configuration file when the device boots, refer to the Configuration File
Management part in this manual.