Autoinstallation Terms

Before configuring autoinstallation, become familiar with the terms defined in Table 44.

Table 44: Autoinstallation Terms

Term	Definition
autoinstallation	Automatic configuration of a device over the network from a preexisting configuration file that you create and store on a configuration server—typically a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server. Autoinstallation takes place on a device that is powered on without a valid configuration (boot) file or is configured specifically for autoinstallation. Autoinstallation is useful for deploying multiple devices in a network.
default configuration	Configuration that takes place on a device unable to locate a configuration (boot) file. You can set up two default configuration files for autoinstallation on the device: network.conf to specify IP address-to-hostname mappings for devices on the network, or router.conf to provide just enough configuration for your subsequent Telnet access.
hostname.conf	Host-specific configuration file for autoinstallation on a device that contains all the configuration information necessary for the device. In the filename, hostname is replaced with the hostname you are assigning to the device.
host-specific configuration	Configuration that takes place on a device for which you have created a host-specific configuration file for autoinstallation called hostname.conf. The hostname.conf file contains all the information necessary to configure the device. For the device to use hostname.conf, it must be able to determine its own hostname from the network.
network.conf	Default configuration file for autoinstallation, in which you specify IP addresses and associated hostnames for devices on the network.
router.conf	Default configuration file for autoinstallation with a minimum configuration sufficient for you to telnet to the device and configure it manually.