Table Of Contents
Hardware and Software Requirements
System Memory and Software Image Functions and Interactions
Electrical Equipment Guidelines
Electrostatic Discharge Prevention
Obtaining Technical Assistance
Contacting TAC by Using the Cisco TAC Website
Using the Flash Disk
Product Numbers: MEM-C4K-FLD64M=, MEM-C4K-FLD128M=
Customer Order Number: DOC-7814096=
Introduction
This configuration note is a standalone publication that provides instructions for installing, removing, and using Flash Disks in Cisco products that have PC Card slots—formerly called Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slots. This document also applies to the compact Flash Disk used on the Catalyst 4000 family Supervisor Engine III.
Flash Disks and the compact Flash Disk provide from 48 MB to 128 MB of storage space for your configuration files, Cisco IOS software images, and so forth. (For a more complete discussion of Flash Disk features, see the "Product Description" section.)
Contents
This configuration note includes the following sections:
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Obtaining Technical Assistance
Related Documentation
Your system and the Cisco IOS software running on it contain extensive features and functionality. For information on Cisco IOS software and for general installation and maintenance information for your system, use the following resources:
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For Cisco IOS software configuration information and support, refer to the modular configuration and modular command reference publications in the Cisco IOS software configuration documentation set that corresponds to the software installed on your Cisco hardware. You can also refer to the Cisco IOS software release notes for the version of software you are using on your hardware.
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Note
You can access Cisco IOS software documentation and hardware installation and maintenance documentation on the World Wide Web at http://www.cisco.com, http://www-china.cisco.com, or http://www-europe.cisco.com.
If you are reading Cisco documentation on the World Wide Web, you can submit comments electronically. Click Feedback on the toolbar and then select Documentation. After you complete the form, click Submit to send it to Cisco. We appreciate your comments.
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To view Cisco documentation or obtain general information about documentation, refer to the following sources:
–
Documentation CD-ROM. (See the "Documentation CD-ROM" section.)
–
Cisco.com. (See the "Cisco.com" section.)
–
Customer Service at 800 553-6387 or 408 526-7208. Customer Service hours are 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific time, Monday through Friday (excluding company holidays). You can also send e-mail to cs-rep@cisco.com.
Installation Prerequisites
This section describes installation prerequisites you should observe before you can use the Flash Disk in your system, and includes the following subsections:
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Hardware and Software Requirements
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System Memory and Software Image Functions and Interactions
Hardware and Software Requirements
The Flash Disk provides file storage for the Catalyst 4000 family Supervisor Engine III if this system is running Cisco IOS Release 12.1(8) EY or later.
Tools and Parts Required
You need some or all of the following tools and parts to install a Flash Disk:
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MEM-C4K-FLD64M or MEM-C4K-FLD128M Flash Disk kit
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3/16-inch flat-blade screwdriver—For Flash Disk installation in Cisco 7100 series systems only
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Antistatic wrist strap
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Access to a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server
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Linear Flash memory card
Compatibility Requirements
This section discusses Flash Disk compatibility and use between supported systems.
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Note
The Flash Disk is supported as the primary boot medium for RSP8- and NPE-300-based systems only. In all other systems, you should use the Flash Disk side by side with a linear Flash memory card. In systems using a Flash Disk with a linear Flash memory card, it is possible to boot from a Flash Disk; however, you must maintain a bootable image on a linear Flash memory card to ensure that your system is bootable if the boot flash memory software image becomes corrupted.
The compact Flash Disk is supported by the Cisco 7401ASR router only.
The format command places a processor-specific library on the Flash Disk so that the ROM monitor software can read the Flash memory media. If you plan to use the boot or dir commands at the ROM monitor prompt (rommon>), you might need to reformat your Flash Disk if it was not already formatted on a like system processor. To ensure Flash Disk system compatibility, observe the following guidelines:
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To use a Flash Disk from an I/O controller-based system in an RSP8-based system, first reformat the Flash Disk.
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To use a Flash Disk from an RSP8-based system in an I/O controller-based system, first reformat the Flash Disk.
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For simple file storage and retrieval functions, Flash Disks can be interchanged between and used in any system listed in the "Tools and Parts Required" section.
In order to boot a Cisco IOS software image from the Flash Disk, when the system is executing from the ROM monitor software image, your ROM monitor software image and your rxboot image (which are contained in the boot ROM device on your system processor) must be Cisco IOS Release 12.1(8) EY or later. Use the show version or show hardware commands to verify that your RSP8-based system is running these software images.
System Memory and Software Image Functions and Interactions
The read-only memory (ROM) monitor image on your system performs important functions, such as running a brief set of system diagnostics, and initializing the hardware. This image gains control at reset or power on, or after a nonrecoverable event (such as a bus error). The ROM monitor software image has a rudimentary user interface that is recognizable by way of the ROM monitor prompt (rommon>). The ROM monitor software image has console drivers and trap handlers for parity and bus errors; however, the ROM monitor does not have any network interface code and it cannot boot an image over the network.
By default, and as a result of a reset or power on, the ROM monitor loads the rxboot image from boot flash memory. If the ROM monitor cannot find a bootable image in boot flash memory, it searches the PC Card-based devices (such as linear Flash memory cards or Flash Disks) for the first bootable image. Normally, this would be the boot image.
The boot image, when loaded, looks in the boot environment variables—stored in nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM)—to determine the location of the Cisco IOS software image and the configuration to use.
The operation of the boot environment variables is described in the "Boot Environment Variables" section, which follows.
Boot Environment Variables
The contents of the boot environment variables, which are stored in the configuration file in NVRAM, determine the actions your system takes on bootup. To see the current settings of these variables, use the show bootvar command as follows:
Router> show bootvarBOOT variable =CONFIG_FILE variable =Current CONFIG_FILE variable =BOOTLDR variable does not existConfiguration register is 0x100Following are explanations for each of these boot environment variables:
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BOOT variable—Points to the Cisco IOS software image that you want to boot; you set it in configuration mode. The default software image is the CISCOxxx image (where xxx is a filename assigned by the system, if you do not enter a specific filename). The system then looks for the first image on the Flash Disk in slot 0.
Enter configuration mode and specify a filename and PC Card slot from which to boot using the configure terminal and boot system commands as follows:
Router# configure terminalEnter configuration commands, one per line. End with CTRL-Z.System(config)# boot system flash disk0:<image>
The result of this configuration file entry is that the BOOT variable is disk0:rsp-p-mz.12-0.
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CONFIG_FILE (configuration file) variable—Determines where the configuration is read from on bootup; you set it in configuration mode as follows:
Router# configure terminalEnter configuration commands, one per line. End with CTRL-Z.System(config)# boot config disk0:<image>
The result of this configuration file entry is that the CONFIG_FILE variable is disk0:configfile.
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BOOTLDR (boot loader) variable—Determines which image is used as the boot helper (rxboot); you set it in configuration mode as follows:
Router# configure terminalEnter configuration commands, one per line. End with CTRL-Z.System(config)# boot bootldr bootflash:<image>
The result of this configuration file entry is that the BOOTLDR variable is bootflash:c7200-boot-mz.
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Configuration register variable—Instructs the system where to look for a bootable Cisco IOS software image; you set it as a hexadecimal value in configuration mode as follows:
Router# configure terminalEnter configuration commands, one per line. End with CTRL-Z.System(config)# config-register 0x102If there is no boot system command in the configuration file, the router will try to load the default file image from the Flash Disk. For more information, see "Rebooting the Router" in the Cisco IOS Configuration Fundamentals manual.
Sample Upgrade Process
This section applies to users who want to use Flash Disks for simple file storage.
Step 1
Format your onboard Flash memory—called boot flash memory. (See the format command description in Table 2 on page 10.)
Step 2
Upgrade your onboard Flash memory by copying the Cisco IOS Release 12.x rxboot image into onboard Flash memory. (See the "Using the copy Command" section.)
Step 3
Copy the Release 12.x software image from onboard Flash memory to the linear Flash memory card in your system processor's PC Card slot. (See the "Using the copy Command" section.)
Step 4
Change the boot variables in your configuration file to point to the new Cisco IOS image in your linear Flash memory card. (See the preceding section, "Boot Environment Variables.")
Step 5
Reboot your system to load the Release 12.x software image from the linear Flash memory card in your system processor.
Step 6
Insert a Flash Disk. (See the "Installing a Flash Disk" section.)
Step 7
With your system running Cisco IOS Release 12.x, format the blank Flash Disk. (See the format command description in Table 2 on page 10, and the "Using the format Command" section.)
You should now be able to store configuration files and Cisco IOS software images on your Flash Disk.
If you have an NPE-300 (or a later processor)-based system, you should now be able to boot from any Cisco IOS software images you store on your Flash Disk.
Safety Guidelines
Following are safety guidelines that you should follow when working with any equipment that connects to electrical power, or which might be sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage.
Electrical Equipment Guidelines
Follow these basic guidelines when working with any electrical equipment:
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Before beginning any procedures requiring access to the chassis interior, locate the emergency power-off switch for the room in which you are working.
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Disconnect all power and external cables before moving a chassis
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Do not work alone when potentially hazardous conditions exist.
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Never assume that power has been disconnected from a circuit; always check.
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Do not perform any action that creates a potential hazard or makes the equipment unsafe.
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Carefully examine your work area for possible hazards such as moist floors, ungrounded power extension cables, and missing safety grounds.
Electrostatic Discharge Prevention
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) damage, which can occur when electronic cards or components are improperly handled, results in complete or intermittent failures.
Use the following guidelines for preventing ESD damage:
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Always use an ESD wrist or ankle strap and ensure that it makes good skin contact; connect the equipment end of the strap to an unfinished chassis surface.
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Avoid contact between the printed circuit boards and clothing. The wrist strap only protects components from ESD voltages on the body; ESD voltages on clothing can still cause damage.
WarningFor safety, periodically check the resistance value of the antistatic strap. The measurement should be between 1 and 10 megaohms (Mohms).
Product Description
Flash Disks are Flash memory-based devices that conform to the PC Card (formerly PCMCIA) standard, and that present an ATA (AT Attachment) interface to the system. This interface complies with the ANSI ATA Interface Document X3T13.1153 D Rev. 9 specification.
The Flash Disk is more flexible than linear Flash memory because the Flash Disk has controller circuitry that allows it to emulate a hard disk and that automatically maps out bad blocks and performs automatic block erasure. Further, the Flash Disk provides the capability to allocate noncontiguous sectors, which eliminates the need for the squeeze command (previously required with linear Flash memory cards).
The Flash Disk provides increased Flash-based memory space—64 to 128 MB—for storage of system configuration files, Cisco IOS software images, and other types of system-related files. Table 1 provides memory information for the Flash Disk.
Table 1 Flash Disk Memory Options
Memory Size Product Number64 MB
MEM-C4K-FLD64M1
128 MB
MEM-C4K-FLD128M
1 These products are also available as Flash Disk upgrades. To order an upgrade, add an equal sign (=) after the Product Number, for example, MEM-C4K-FLD64M=.
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Note
The Flash Disk is only supported on systems with the Cisco IOS File System feature, and the Cisco IOS File System feature is supported in Cisco IOS Release 12.0(1) or later releases of 12.0. In general, Flash Disk functionality requires Cisco IOS Release 12.0(2) or a later release of 12.0.
The Cisco IOS File System feature provides a single interface to all file systems your system uses:
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Flash memory file systems—Flash Disks, onboard Flash memory, linear Flash memory cards
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Network file systems—File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Remote Copy Protocol (rcp), and TFTP
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Any other endpoint for reading or writing data—NVRAM, the running configuration, ROM, raw system memory, system bundled microcode, Xmodem, Flash load helper log, modems, and BRI MUX interfaces
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Note
A complete discussion of the Cisco IOS File System feature is beyond the scope of this publication. For information about this feature, refer to the Configuration Fundamentals Configuration Guide and Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference publications for Cisco IOS Release 12.x. These publications are available on the Documentation CD-ROM and through Cisco.com. (To obtain the Documentation CD-ROM, see the "Documentation CD-ROM" section. For information on how to access Cisco.com, see the "Cisco.com" section.)
Installing a Flash Disk
This section provides the Flash Disk installation procedures.
Use the show version command to verify that a Flash Disk-compatible version of Cisco IOS software is running on your system:
System> show versionCisco Internetwork Operating System SoftwareIOS (tm) 7200 Software (C7200-J-M), Released Version 12.0(2)Copyright (c) 1986-1998 by cisco Systems, Inc.If a Flash Disk-compatible version of Cisco IOS software is running on your system, proceed with the installation procedure. If a Flash Disk-compatible version of Cisco IOS software is not running on your system, install an appropriate software image before proceeding with the installation procedure.
Use the following procedure to install and eject a Flash Disk:
Step 1
Face the front panel of the system processor that has the PC Card slots, which appear as shown in a of Figure 1.
Figure 1 Installing and Ejecting a Flash Disk
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Step 2
Hold the Flash Disk with its connector end toward the PC Card slot and its front label facing up.
The Flash Disk is keyed and cannot be seated the wrong way. The ejector button does not pop out if the Flash Disk is not completely inserted.
Step 3
Insert the Flash Disk into the PC Card slot until the Flash Disk completely seats in the connector at the rear of the slot, and the ejector button pops out toward you.
(See b in Figure 1).The Flash Disk does not insert all the way inside the PC Card slot; a portion of the Flash Disk remains outside the slot. Do not attempt to force the Flash Disk past this point.
Step 4
To eject a Flash Disk, press the appropriate ejector button—located to the right of the slot— until the Flash Disk is free of the connector at the rear of the PC Card slot.
(See c in Figure 1.)Step 5
Remove the Flash Disk from the slot and place it in an antistatic bag.
This completes the procedure for installing and removing a Flash Disk. Proceed to the "Working with a Flash Disk" section.
Working with a Flash Disk
This section provides basic instructions for working with a Flash Disk in your system. Detailed descriptions of more complex Flash Disk options and the Cisco IOS File System feature are beyond the scope of this publication and can be found in the following Cisco IOS Release 12.x publications:
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Configuration Fundamentals Configuration Guide, in the chapter "File Management"
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Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference, in the chapter "File Management Commands"
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Note
These and all publications are available on the Documentation CD-ROM and Cisco.com. To obtain the Documentation CD-ROM, see the "Documentation CD-ROM" section. For information on how to access Cisco.com, see the "Cisco.com" section.
This section includes the following subsections:
Software Command Overview
This section lists some of the basic software commands you can use with the Flash Disk. Examples of these commands are included in the sections that follow.
The Flash Disk and other memory devices and locations in your system are defined as file systems, which are locations where you can store, use, or retrieve files and software images. (See the brief discussion about the Cisco IOS File System feature in the "Product Description" section.
You can use Flash Disks in either one or both of the PC Card slots on your system processor, or you can use one Flash Disk in one PC Card slot and a linear Flash memory card in the adjacent PC Card slot. Flash Disks in PC Card slots 0 and 1 are referred to as disk0: and disk1:, respectively, whereas linear Flash memory cards in PC Card slots 0 and 1 are referred to as slot0: and slot1:, respectively.
The following partial output of the show file systems command shows a sample system with a Flash Disk—called disk0:—installed in PC Card slot 0 and a linear Flash memory card—called slot1:—installed in PC Card slot 1:
System# show file systemsFile Systems:Size(b) Free(b) Type Flags Prefixes(Additional displayed text omitted from this example.)48755200 48747008 flash rw disk0:7995392 4717276 flash rw slot1:Table 2 lists the software commands that you can use with the Flash Disk.
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Note
You can use other arguments with some of the commands listed in Table 2; however, in Table 2 and throughout this document, command arguments are limited to those that apply to the Flash Disk and related file systems.
For a discussion of additional command arguments, refer to the Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference document, in the chapter "File Management Commands."
Using Software Commands
This section provides examples of some of the basic software commands you can use with the Flash Disk. See Table 2 for optional arguments you can use with some of the following commands:
Using the show Command
To display information about Flash Disk format and geometry, use the show [disk0: | disk1:]command:
System# show disk0:******** ATA Flash Card Geometry/Format Info ********ATA CARD GEOMETRYNumber of Heads: 16Number of Cylinders 840Sectors per Cylinder 32Sector Size 512Total Sectors 430080ATA CARD FORMATNumber of FAT Sectors 105Sectors Per Cluster 16Number of Clusters 26822Number of Data Sectors 429536Base Root Sector 338Base FAT Sector 128Base Data Sector 370Router#In this example:
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Number of Heads is the number of heads on the Flash Disk.
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Number of Cylinders is the number of cylinders on the Flash Disk.
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Sectors per Cylinder is the number of sectors in each cylinder.
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Sector Size is the number of bytes in each sector.
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Total Sectors is the total number of sectors on the Flash Disk.
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Number of FAT Sectors is the number of sectors used to track allocation of clusters to files.
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Sectors Per Cluster is the number of sectors contained in each cluster. (Files grow by a minimum of one cluster.)
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Number of Clusters is the total number of clusters available for use by files.
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Number of Data Sectors is the number of sectors available for files.
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Base Root Sector is the logical address of the first sector of the root directory.
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Base FAT Sector is the first sector in the File Allocation Table (FAT).
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Base Data Sector is the first sector available for use by files.
Using the pwd Command
To determine which PC Card slot you are accessing, use the pwd command:
System# pwddisk0:/System#The preceding example indicates that you are currently in the working directory called disk0:, which is the Flash Disk in PC Card slot 0.
Using the cd Command
To move back and forth between installed Flash Disks, use the cd command by defining a specific path name. Then to verify your working directory, use the pwd command:
System# cd disk1:System# pwddisk1:/System# cd disk0:System# pwddisk0:/You can also move up (or back) one level in the Flash Disk directory hierarchy using the cd .. command, and then verify your working directory with the pwd command:
System# pwddisk1:daily_dir/System# cd ..System# pwddisk1:/System#Using the dir Command
To list the directory structure and contents of the Flash Disk from which you are currently working, use the dir command with no arguments:
System# dirDirectory of disk1:/1 drw- 0 Jul 25 1998 10:23:11 daily_dir2 drw- 0 Jul 25 1998 10:28:37 access_lists48755200 bytes total (48742912 bytes free)System#Note that the size of the Flash Disk is shown in the output of the dir command. (A 48-MB Flash Disk is shown in this example.) You can also view the contents of other directories and file systems using specific optional arguments with the dir command. (See Table 2.)
Using the format Command
To format a new Flash Disk, use the format [disk0: | disk1:] command.
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Note
You must format a new Flash Disk before you can use it. If you plan to use a Flash Disk that was formatted and used on another type of system, see the "Compatibility Requirements" section to determine if you need to reformat the Flash Disk first.
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CautionThe formatting procedure erases all information on the Flash Disk. To prevent the loss of important data that might be stored on a Flash Disk, proceed carefully. If you want to save data that is currently on your Flash Disk, copy the data to a TFTP server or to another Flash Disk before you format the new Flash Disk. A Flash Disk that was shipped as part of a configured system contains a Flash Disk-compatible Cisco IOS software image; therefore, you do not need to format it to use it in the system in which it was shipped.
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Note
A spare Flash Disk is shipped blank; therefore, you must format it before you can use it.
Use the following procedure to format a new Flash Disk using the format command. (The procedure assumes you have already booted your system.)
Step 1
Insert the Flash Disk into PC Card slot 0 using the procedures in the "Installing a Flash Disk" section.
If slot 0 is not available, use slot 1, but in the following step use the format disk1: command, not the format disk0: command, or you will format the Flash Disk that is being used in slot 0.
Step 2
Use the format disk0: command to format the Flash Disk in PC Card slot 0 as follows:
System# format disk0:Format operation may take a while. Continue? [confirm]Format operation will destroy all data in `disk0:'. Continue? [confirm]Format:Drive communication & 1st Sector Write OK...Writing Monlibsectors............................................................................................Monlib write completeFormat:All system sectors written. OK...Format:Total sectors in formatted partition:81760Format:Total bytes in formatted partition:49861120Format:Operation completed successfully.Format of disk0:complete
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Note
A 48-MB Flash Disk was formatted in this example.
The new Flash Disk is now formatted and ready to use in the system on which you formatted it.
(For specific formatting and compatibility requirements, see the "Compatibility Requirements" section.)Using the copy Command
To copy an image from a Flash Disk to another file system or from another file system to the Flash Disk, use the copy command:
copy [tftp: | bootflash: | disk0: | disk1:]source-filename [tftp: | bootflash: | disk0: | disk1:]destination-filename
In this example:
•
The file you want to copy is located in a file system (tftp:, bootflash:, and so forth).
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The variable source-filename is the name of the file you want to copy to another file system (tftp:, bootflash:, and so forth).
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The variable destination-filename is the name you want to apply to this file after it is copied.
You do not need to change the filename; this is an option.
The following assumptions are made for this command:
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You have a system processor with a Flash Disk-compatible Cisco IOS software image in the onboard Flash memory—called boot flash memory—so you can start the system.
•
Your system is running Cisco IOS Release 12.0(2) or later.
•
The bootable image you want to copy to the Flash Disk exists in another file system or on a TFTP server to which you have access (meaning you know its name and have connectivity to it), and at least one interface is available over which you can access this server through Telnet. To ensure access to a TFTP server, you need to configure at least one interface. To configure an interface, you can use the setup command or use the configuration editor.
An Ethernet interface is used in the examples that follow.
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You know the filename of the image you want to copy to the Flash Disk.
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Note
You might need to copy a new image to a Flash Disk whenever a new Cisco IOS software release or a new Cisco IOS software maintenance release becomes available. You can use the copy command for this purpose.
Use the following procedure to copy a file (called new.image in this example) located on a Flash Disk—called disk1:—in PC Card slot 1 to the Flash Disk—called disk0:—in PC Card slot 0:
Step 1
If the Flash Disk is unformatted or has been formatted on another, possibly incompatible system, format it now using the procedure in the "Using the format Command" section, as appropriate.
Step 2
To copy the image new.image to Flash Disk disk0:, use the following series of commands:
System> enablePassword:System# copy disk1:new.image disk0:new.image3393 bytes copied in 0.548 secs#System#In the preceding example, the 3393-byte file new.image was copied to the Flash Disk in PC Card slot 0 in approximately one-half second.
Step 3
Verify that the file new.image is now on the Flash Disk in PC Card slot 0:
System# pwddisk0:/System# dirDirectory of disk0:/1 -rw- 3393 Jul 26 1998 17:44:47 new.image48755200 bytes total (48747008 bytes free)System#
Using the mkdir Command
To create a directory on the Flash Disk, use the mkdir command. The following example shows how to create a directory called daily_dir on the Flash Disk in PC Card slot 1, and then verify that it was created:
System# mkdir disk1:daily_dirCreated dir disk1:daily_dirSystem# dirDirectory of disk1:/1 drw- 0 Jul 25 1998 10:15:43 daily_dir48755200 bytes total (48751104 bytes free)System#![]()
Note
If you create a directory and place a file in it that you plan to access or use later on, be sure to define the entire directory path to the file as you enter the appropriate software commands.
For example, if you placed the file itsa.file into the directory daily_dir on the Flash Disk in PC Card slot 1, you must designate the entire directory path as follows: disk1:daily_dir/itsa.file. Otherwise, the system might not be able to locate this file.
Using the rmdir Command
To remove a directory from the Flash Disk, use the rmdir command. The following example shows how to remove the directory daily_dir from the Flash Disk in PC Card slot 1, and then verify that it was removed:
System# rmdir disk1:daily_dirDelete disk1:daily_dir? [confirm] yRemoved dir disk1:daily_dirSystem# dirDirectory of disk1:/No files in directory.48755200 bytes total (48751104 bytes free)System#Using the delete Command
To delete a file from a Flash Disk, use the delete command. Use the dir command to find the file you want to delete, and then use the delete command to delete it.
The following example shows how to find a file (called fun1) on the Flash Disk in PC Card slot 0, delete the file, and then verify that it is deleted:
Step 1
Find the file you want to delete:
System# dirDirectory of disk0:/1 drw- 0 May 10 1998 09:54:53 fun148755200 bytes total (48742912 bytes free)Step 2
Delete the file fun1:
System# delete disk0:fun1Step 3
Verify that the file fun1 is deleted:
System# dirDirectory of disk0:/No files in directory.48755200 bytes total (48742912 bytes free)System#
Obtaining Documentation
The following sections provide sources for obtaining documentation from Cisco Systems.
World Wide Web
You can access the most current Cisco documentation on the World Wide Web at the following sites:
Documentation CD-ROM
Cisco documentation and additional literature are available in a CD-ROM package, which ships with your product. The Documentation CD-ROM is updated monthly and may be more current than printed documentation. The CD-ROM package is available as a single unit or as an annual subscription.
Ordering Documentation
Cisco documentation is available in the following ways:
•
Registered Cisco Direct Customers can order Cisco Product documentation from the Networking Products MarketPlace:
http://www.cisco.com/cgi-bin/order/order_root.pl
•
Registered Cisco.com users can order the Documentation CD-ROM through the online Subscription Store:
http://www.cisco.com/go/subscription
•
Nonregistered Cisco.com users can order documentation through a local account representative by calling Cisco corporate headquarters (California, USA) at 408 526-7208 or, in North America, by calling 800 553-NETS (6387).
Documentation Feedback
If you are reading Cisco product documentation on the World Wide Web, you can submit technical comments electronically. Click Feedback in the toolbar and select Documentation. After you complete the form, click Submit to send it to Cisco.
You can e-mail your comments to bug-doc@cisco.com.
To submit your comments by mail, use the response card behind the front cover of your document, or write to the following address:
Attn Document Resource Connection
Cisco Systems, Inc.
170 West Tasman Drive
San Jose, CA 95134-9883We appreciate your comments.
Obtaining Technical Assistance
Cisco provides Cisco.com as a starting point for all technical assistance. Customers and partners can obtain documentation, troubleshooting tips, and sample configurations from online tools. For Cisco.com registered users, additional troubleshooting tools are available from the TAC website.
Cisco.com
Cisco.com is the foundation of a suite of interactive, networked services that provides immediate, open access to Cisco information and resources at anytime, from anywhere in the world. This highly integrated Internet application is a powerful, easy-to-use tool for doing business with Cisco.
Cisco.com provides a broad range of features and services to help customers and partners streamline business processes and improve productivity. Through Cisco.com, you can find information about Cisco and our networking solutions, services, and programs. In addition, you can resolve technical issues with online technical support, download and test software packages, and order Cisco learning materials and merchandise. Valuable online skill assessment, training, and certification programs are also available.
Customers and partners can self-register on Cisco.com to obtain additional personalized information and services. Registered users can order products, check on the status of an order, access technical support, and view benefits specific to their relationships with Cisco.
To access Cisco.com, go to the following website:
Technical Assistance Center
The Cisco TAC website is available to all customers who need technical assistance with a Cisco product or technology that is under warranty or covered by a maintenance contract.
Contacting TAC by Using the Cisco TAC Website
If you have a priority level 3 (P3) or priority level 4 (P4) problem, contact TAC by going to the TAC website:
P3 and P4 level problems are defined as follows:
•
P3—Your network performance is degraded. Network functionality is noticeably impaired, but most business operations continue.
•
P4—You need information or assistance on Cisco product capabilities, product installation, or basic product configuration.
In each of the above cases, use the Cisco TAC website to quickly find answers to your questions.
To register for Cisco.com, go to the following website:
http://www.cisco.com/register/
If you cannot resolve your technical issue by using the TAC online resources, Cisco.com registered users can open a case online by using the TAC Case Open tool at the following website:
http://www.cisco.com/tac/caseopen
Contacting TAC by Telephone
If you have a priority level 1 (P1) or priority level 2 (P2) problem, contact TAC by telephone and immediately open a case. To obtain a directory of toll-free numbers for your country, go to the following website:
http://www.cisco.com/warp/public/687/Directory/DirTAC.shtml
P1 and P2 level problems are defined as follows:
•
P1—Your production network is down, causing a critical impact to business operations if service is not restored quickly. No workaround is available.
•
P2—Your production network is severely degraded, affecting significant aspects of your business operations. No workaround is available.
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