ZTP Overview

A major goal in any network is a high level of automation. This includes the automatic provisioning of switches newly installed in the network, a process known as Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP).

A new switch comes preinstalled with the Open Network Installation Environment (ONIE). The ONIE is an open source installation environment that acts as an enhanced boot loader utilizing facilities in a Linux/BusyBox environment. This small Linux operating system allows end-users and channel partners to install the target Network OS (NOS) as part of provisioning.

Because ONIE needs the ability to obtain the configuration and image binaries through the management interface, it requires a management LAN.

ONIE has access only to the management interface. ONIE starts a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)-based discovery process to obtain basic configuration information, such as the management IP-Address and the URL of the image to install on the switch. Then ONIE pulls the image and boots it.

Even after ONIE boots the image, the switch is not configured. This leads to questions about how to configure the switch. The RtBrick images come with some pre-installed daemons. The pre-installed Control Daemon (CTRLD) is responsible for the management of the switch, and takes over after the image is activated. This daemon is responsible for configuring the switch properly.

To do this, a hardware box needs to connect to a DHCP server and a management server through the management LAN.

The management server is responsible for providing the image binaries and the configuration of each device.

In summary, there are two major steps in the ZTP process:

ONIE allows also to automate the firmware update. The image request to the management server is slightly different, and the management server needs to provide the firmware update image that the device vendor provides.

This document contains information for both, the NOS installation but also the firmware (FW) update.