[comp.dcom.lans] Booting diskless Sun's across FDDI backbone

whna@ciba-geigy.ch (Heinz Naef) (12/14/90)

Hello,

we are currently planning an FDDI-based backbone which we would like to run
multiprotocol, with routing where possible.

Economic thoughts resulted in a requirement that we should be able to attach
diskless UNIX workstations at distant locations to building networks which are
connected via an FDDI router/bridge to the FDDI backbone.

Did anyone successfully do this (with IP routing enabled)? As far as I under-
stand, when e. g. a diskless Sun boots, it first broadcasts a RARP request
which would need to be resolved in the same physical network the client is.
Thus, this wouldn't work across the FDDI backbone if pure IP routing would be
used since the RARP request and reply would have to pass through two FDDI
routers.

Would it be possible to use selective bridging for RARP, combined with
routing for IP? How should a Cisco AGS+ be configured to do so?

Needless to say, this would impose severe overall network layout constraints.

Thanks in advance for any comments or help.

-- 
Heinz Naef, CIBA-GEIGY AG, R-1045.3.37, P.O.Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland
 E-mail: whna@ciba-geigy.ch - Phone: +41 61 697 2675 - Fax: +41 61 697 3288