6 • System image handling SmartWare Software Configuration Guide66 IntroductionIntroductionThis chapter describes how to load and maintain system images and driver software. System images contain theapplication image and driver software images. The application image represents the software running Smart-Ware, which must be stored in the persistent region of the memory. Driver software images contain softwarethat must also be stored in the persistent region of the memory. Driver software images are used for optionalPMC interface cards.This chapter includes the following sections:• Memory regions in SmartWare• Boot procedure and bootloader (see page 68)• Factory configuration (see page 76)• System image handling task list (see page 77)Patton SmartNode devices are shipped with a default system image that is stored in persistent flash memory.The system image contains the application image and driver software images that comprise the SmartWare. Inaddition, a factory configuration is loaded into the SmartNode at the factory that sets initial SmartWareparameters.Operational configuration files that you create are stored in SmartNode flash memory. Backup copies can alsobe stored on a remote server. Transferring configuration files between the flash memory and a remote serverrequires using the trivial file transfer protocol (TFTP). The TFTP server must be accessible through one of theSmartNode IP interfaces. TFTP cannot be used from the console interface.The following sections focus on SmartWare memory regions, as well as the software components you can copyinto the memory or move between a TFTP server and the memory of the SmartNode. Since SmartWare uses aspecific vocabulary in naming those software components, refer to appendix A, “Terms and definitions” onpage 517 to ensure that you understand the concepts.Memory regions in SmartWareThe SmartNode memory SmartWare uses is divided into several regions as shown in figure 12 on page 67. Aremote TFTP server is used for uploading or downloading the configurations, application, and driver softwareimages to or from the SmartNode’s memory. In SmartWare command syntax, you must prefix the file path of afile on the TFTP server that is used for image upload or download with tftp:, followed by the absolute file pathstarting from the root directory of the TFTP server.The flash memory persistently stores data it contains and has two logical regions called flash: and nvram:,which are used as follows:• The application image, a bootloader image and one or more driver software images must be stored in thelogical region flash: of the flash memory.• Configuration files must be stored in the logical region nvram: of the flash memory. The factory default configu-ration is always loaded and may be restored by pressing the SmartNode reset button; see the getting started guidethat came with your SmartNode. The startup, or user-specific configuration, is also stored in nvram:.The factory configuration is read-only. It is contained in the logical region nvram: of the SmartNode. It can beused if no user-specific configuration is available to start-up SmartWare with a minimal functionality. Thisconfiguration is named factory-config in SmartWare terminology.
