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Working with the Cisco IOS File System, Configuration Files, and Software Images
Working with Configuration Files
To load the same configuration commands on all the switches in your network so that all the switches have similar
configurations.
You can copy (upload) configuration files from the switch to a file server by using TFTP, FTP, or RCP. You might perform
this task to back up a current configuration file to a server before changing its contents so that you can later restore the
original configuration file from the server.
The protocol you use depends on which type of server you are using. The FTP and RCP transport mechanisms provide
faster performance and more reliable delivery of data than TFTP. These improvements are possible because FTP and
RCP are built on and use the TCP/IP stack, which is connection-oriented.
Guidelines for Creating and Using Configuration Files
Creating configuration files can aid in your switch configuration. Configuration files can contain some or all of the
commands needed to configure one or more switches. For example, you might want to download the same configuration
file to several switches that have the same hardware configuration.
Use these guidelines when creating a configuration file:
We recommend that you connect through the console port for the initial configuration of the switch. If you are
accessing the switch through a network connection instead of through a direct connection to the console port, keep
in mind that some configuration changes (such as changing the switch IP address or disabling ports) can cause a
loss of connectivity to the switch.
If no password has been set on the switch, we recommend that you set one by using the enable secret
secret-password global configuration command.
Note:
The copy {ftp: | rcp: | tftp:} system:running-config privileged EXEC command loads the configuration files on the
switch as if you were entering the commands at the command line. The switch does not erase the existing running
configuration before adding the commands. If a command in the copied configuration file replaces a command in the
existing configuration file, the existing command is erased. For example, if the copied configuration file contains a
different IP address in a particular command than the existing configuration, the IP address in the copied configuration
is used. However, some commands in the existing configuration might not be replaced or negated. In this case, the
resulting configuration file is a mixture of the existing configuration file and the copied configuration file, with the copied
configuration file having precedence.
To restore a configuration file to an exact copy of a file stored on a server, copy the configuration file directly to the startup
configuration (by using the copy {ftp: | rcp: | tftp:} nvram:startup-config privileged EXEC command), and reload the
switch.
Configuration File Types and Location
Startup configuration files are used during system startup to configure the software. Running configuration files contain
the current configuration of the software. The two configuration files can be different. For example, you might want to
change the configuration for a short time period rather than permanently. In this case, you would change the running
configuration but not save the configuration by using the copy running-config startup-config privileged EXEC
command.
The running configuration is saved in DRAM; the startup configuration is stored in the NVRAM section of flash memory.
Creating a Configuration File By Using a Text Editor
When creating a configuration file, you must list commands logically so that the system can respond appropriately. This
is one method of creating a configuration file:
1.
Copy an existing configuration from a switch to a server.
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- Configuration Overview
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