For a long time, the stargate server was not able to perform an automated reboot.
It was quite difficult to figure out why, the loopback interface did not come up. However, after following the boot-up process several times, it avered that the /var/run could not be mounted as virtual filesystem, as it would be overmounted by the /var Partition. However - the ifup program looked in the /var/run/network file to see if an interface is already configured.
When the system did shutdown, the lo-interface was still existing on the physical /var/run/network file. Hence - it was already configured, and the system would not configure it again *shrug*.
Editing the /etc/init.d/loopback file - I added a --force to the command configuring the lo interface. This prevents the ifup program to look into the /var/run/network file.

Now - the server can boot up without human interaction.
I still wonder who wrote the ifup program to work in that brain-dead manner. IMHO - at system boot up - the network LoopBack interface has always to be brought up. This is too much flexibility here !