Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server is an important service for Network engineers, because they will be using this TFTP server for coping big IOS(Inter networking Operating System)files to routers, So as a Linux administrators we have to install and configure tftp server.

Why these network guys uses TFTP server for coping IOS images? why not ftp, scp, rcp etc?
Ans : Because TFTP use UDP protocol for sending data, so it’s bit faster due to it’s unreliable way of sending data. In early days one serial port is between router and server so the data transmission is very slow, so they started using TFTP server as file server to copy images for faster delivery.

Here are the steps to configure TFTP server

Step 1 : Install TFTP server

#yum install tftp-server
or
 #rpm -ivh tftp-server*

Here we have to make a note that TFTP, telnet, rsync, talk services run under one single service called Xinted.

Step 2 : Configuring TFTP server

#cd /etc/xinetd.d
#vi tftp

Edit the tftp configuration file as follows, save it and exit.
[root@test xinetd.d]# vi tftp
# default: off
# description: The tftp server serves files using the trivial file transfer
# protocol. The tftp protocol is often used to boot diskless
# workstations, download configuration files to network-aware printers,
# and to start the installation process for some operating systems.
service tftp
{
socket_type = dgram
protocol = udp
wait = yes
user = root
server = /usr/sbin/in.tftpd
server_args = -s /tftpboot
disable = no
per_source = 11
cps = 100 2
flags = IPv4
}

In the above file what we have specify to TFTP server is

Please use protocol as UDP
TFTP service command

Then tftp dump place (/tftpboot), it’s like ftp server dump(/var/ftp/pub) place

disable=no means TFTP service is enable

another things no need to edit.


Step 3 :
Give full permissions to /tftpboot

#chmod 777 /tftpboot

Step 4 : Restart the xinetd service, so that the tftp server configuration is up to date.

#service xinetd restart

Step 5 : Permanently on Xinetd service

#chkconfig xinetd on

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Mr Surendra Anne is from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. He is a Linux/Open source supporter who believes in Hard work, A down to earth person, Likes to share knowledge with others, Loves dogs, Likes photography. He works as Devops Engineer with Taggle systems, an IOT automatic water metering company, Sydney . You can contact him at surendra (@) linuxnix dot com.