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You should have at least a basic familiarity with the Cisco IOS environment and the command-line interface.
You should have at least a minimal configuration running on your system. You can create a basic configuration file using the setup command.
Many of the Cisco IOS commands described in this document are available and function only in certain configuration modes on the device.
Some of the Cisco IOS configuration commands are only available on certain device platforms, and the command syntax may vary on different platforms.
Configuration files contain the Cisco IOS software commands used to customize the functionality of your Cisco device. Commands are parsed (translated and executed) by the Cisco IOS software when the system is booted (from the startup-config file) or when you enter commands at the CLI in a configuration mode.
Startup configuration files (startup-config) are used during system startup to configure the software. Running configuration files (running-config) contain the current configuration of the software. The two configuration files can be different. For example, you may want to change the configuration for a short time period rather than permanently. In this case, you would change the running configuration using the configure terminal EXEC command but not save the configuration using the copy running-config startup-config EXEC command.
To change the running configuration, use the configure terminal command, as described in the Modifying the Configuration File section. As you use the Cisco IOS configuration modes, commands generally are executed immediately and are saved to the running configuration file either immediately after you enter them or when you exit a configuration mode.
To change the startup configuration file, you can either save the running configuration file to the startup configuration using the copy running-config startup-config EXEC command or copy a configuration file from a file server to the startup configuration (see the “Copying a Configuration File from a TFTP Server to the Router” section for more information).
To enter configuration mode on the device, enter the configure command at the privileged EXEC prompt. The Cisco IOS software responds with the following prompt asking you to specify the terminal, memory, or a file stored on a network server (network) as the source of configuration commands:
Configuring from terminal, memory, or network [terminal]?
Configuring from the terminal allows you to enter configuration commands at the command line, as described in the following section. See the “Re-executing the Configuration Commands in the Startup Configuration File” section for more information.
Configuring from the network allows you to load and execute configuration commands over the network. See the “Copying a Configuration File from a TFTP Server to the Switch” section for more information.
The Cisco IOS software accepts one configuration command per line. You can enter as many configuration commands as you want. You can add comments to a configuration file describing the commands you have entered. Precede a comment with an exclamation point (!). Because comments are not stored in NVRAM or in the active copy of the configuration file, comments do not appear when you list the active configuration with the show running-config or more system:running-config EXEC command. Comments are not displayed when you list the startup configuration with the show startup-config or more nvram:startup-config EXEC mode command. Comments are stripped out of the configuration file when it is loaded onto the device. However, you can list the comments in configuration files stored on a File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Remote Copy Protocol (RCP), or Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server. When you configure the software using the CLI, the software executes the commands as you enter them.
Configuration files are stored in the following locations:
The running configuration is stored in RAM.
On all platforms except the Class A Flash file system platforms, the startup configuration is stored in nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM).
On Class A Flash file system platforms, the startup configuration is stored in the location specified by the CONFIG_FILE environment variable (see the Specifying the CONFIG_FILE Environment Variable on Class A Flash File Systems section). The CONFIG_FILE variable defaults to NVRAM and can be a file in the following file systems:
nvram: (NVRAM)
flash: (internal flash memory)
usbflash0: (external usbflash file system)
You can copy configuration files from a TFTP, rcp, or FTP server to the running configuration or startup configuration of the device. You may want to perform this function for one of the following reasons:
To restore a backed-up configuration file.
To use the configuration file for another device. For example, you may add another device to your network and want it to have a similar configuration to the original device. By copying the file to the new device, you can change the relevant parts rather than recreating the whole file.
To load the same configuration commands on to all of the devices in your network so that all of the devices have similar configurations.
The copy {ftp: | rcp: | tftp: system:running-config} EXEC command loads the configuration files into the device as if you were typing the commands on the command line. The device 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 may 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, you need to copy the configuration file directly to the startup configuration (using the copy ftp: | rcp: | tftp: } nvram:startup-config command) and reload the device.
To copy configuration files from a server to a device, perform the tasks described in the following sections.
The protocol that 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 the FTP and rcp transport mechanisms are built on and use the TCP/IP stack, which is connection-oriented.
In some implementations of TFTP, you must create a dummy file on the TFTP server and give it read, write, and execute permissions before copying a file over it. Refer to your TFTP documentation for more information.
You can copy a configuration file from the device to an RCP server.
One of the first attempts to use the network as a resource in the UNIX community resulted in the design and implementation of the remote shell protocol, which included the remote shell (rsh) and remote copy (rcp) functions. Rsh and rcp give users the ability to execute commands remotely and copy files to and from a file system residing on a remote host or server on the network. The Cisco implementation of rsh and rcp interoperates with standard implementations.
The rcp copy commands rely on the rsh server (or daemon) on the remote system. To copy files using rcp, you need not create a server for file distribution, as you do with TFTP. You need only to have access to a server that supports the remote shell (rsh). (Most UNIX systems support rsh.) Because you are copying a file from one place to another, you must have read permission on the source file and write permission on the destination file. If the destination file does not exist, rcp creates it for you.
Although the Cisco rcp implementation emulates the functions of the UNIX rcp implementation—copying files among systems on the network—the Cisco command syntax differs from the UNIX rcp command syntax. The Cisco rcp support offers a set of copy commands that use rcp as the transport mechanism. These rcp copy commands are similar in style to the Cisco TFTP copy commands, but they offer an alternative that provides faster performance and reliable delivery of data. These improvements are possible because the rcp transport mechanism is built on and uses the TCP/IP stack, which is connection-oriented. You can use rcp commands to copy system images and configuration files from the device to a network server and vice versa.
You also can enable rcp support to allow users on remote systems to copy files to and from the device.
To configure the Cisco IOS software to allow remote users to copy files to and from the device, use the ip rcmd rcp-enable global configuration command.
The RCP protocol requires a client to send a remote username on each RCP request to a server. When you copy a configuration file from the device to a server using RCP, the Cisco IOS software sends the first valid username it encounters in the following sequence:
The username specified in the copy EXEC command, if a username is specified.
The username set by the ip rcmd remote-username global configuration command, if the command is configured.
The remote username associated with the current tty (terminal) process. For example, if the user is connected to the device through Telnet and was authenticated through the username command, the device software sends the Telnet username as the remote username.
The device host name.
For the RCP copy request to execute successfully, an account must be defined on the network server for the remote username. If the server has a directory structure, the configuration file or image is written to or copied from the directory associated with the remote username on the server. For example, if the system image resides in the home directory of a user on the server, you can specify that user name as the remote username.
Use the ip rcmd remote-username command to specify a username for all copies. (Rcmd is a UNIX routine used at the super-user level to execute commands on a remote machine using an authentication scheme based on reserved port numbers. Rcmd stands for “remote command”). Include the username in the copy command if you want to specify a username for that copy operation only.
If you are writing to the server, the RCP server must be properly configured to accept the RCP write request from the user on the device. For UNIX systems, you must add an entry to the .rhosts file for the remote user on the RCP server. For example, suppose the device contains the following configuration lines:
hostname Device1
ip rcmd remote-username User0
If the device IP address translates to device1.example.com, then the .rhosts file for User0 on the RCP server should contain the following line:
Device1.example.com Device1
The RCP protocol requires a client to send a remote username on each RCP request to a server. When you copy a configuration file from the device to a server using RCP, the Cisco IOS software sends the first valid username it encounters in the following sequence:
The username specified in the copy EXEC command, if a username is specified.
The username set by the ip rcmd remote-username global configuration command, if the command is configured.
The remote username associated with the current tty (terminal) process. For example, if the user is connected to the device through Telnet and is authenticated through the username command, the device software sends the Telnet username as the remote username.
The device host name.
For the RCP copy request to execute, an account must be defined on the network server for the remote username. If the server has a directory structure, the configuration file or image is written to or copied from the directory associated with the remote username on the server. For example, if the system image resides in the home directory of a user on the server, specify that user name as the remote username.
Refer to the documentation for your RCP server for more information.
You can copy a configuration file from the device to an FTP server.
 Note |
The password must not contain the special character '@'. If the character '@' is used, the copy fails to parse the IP address of the server. |
The FTP protocol requires a client to send a remote username and password on each FTP request to a server. When you copy a configuration file from the device to a server using FTP, the Cisco IOS software sends the first valid username it encounters in the following sequence:
The username specified in the copy EXEC command, if a username is specified.
The username set by the ip ftp username global configuration command, if the command is configured.
Anonymous.
The device sends the first valid password it encounters in the following sequence:
The password specified in the copy command, if a password is specified.
The password set by the ip ftp password command, if the command is configured.
The device forms a password username @devicename.domain . The variable username is the username associated with the current session, devicename is the configured host name, and domain is the domain of the device.
The username and password must be associated with an account on the FTP server. If you are writing to the server, the FTP server must be properly configured to accept the FTP write request from the user on the device.
If the server has a directory structure, the configuration file or image is written to or copied from the directory associated with the username on the server. For example, if the system image resides in the home directory of a user on the server, specify that user name as the remote username.
Refer to the documentation for your FTP server for more information.
Use the ip ftp username and ip ftp password global configuration commands to specify a username and password for all copies. Include the username in the copy EXEC command if you want to specify a username for that copy operation only.
You can copy files through a VRF interface specified in the copy command. Specifying the VRF in the copy command is easier and more efficient as you can directly change the source interface without using a change request for the configuration.
The following example shows how to copy files through a VRF, using the copy command:
Device# copy scp: bootflash-1: vrf test-vrf
Address or name of remote host [10.1.2.3]?
Source username [ScpUser]?
Source filename [/auto/tftp-server/ScpUser/vrf_test.txt]?
Destination filename [vrf_test.txt]?
Getting the vrf name as test-vrf
Password:
Sending file modes: C0644 10 vrf_test.txt
!
223 bytes copied in 22.740 secs (10 bytes/sec) You can copy the configurations from one switch to another. This is a 2-step process - Copy the configurations from the switch to the TFTP server, and then from TFTP to another switch.
To copy your current configurations from the switch, run the command copy startup-config tftp: and follow the instructions. The configurations are copied onto the TFTP server.
Then, login to another switch and run the command copy tftp: startup-config and follow the instructions. The configurations are now copied onto the other switch.
After the configurations are copied, to save your configurations, use write memory command and then either reload the switch or run the copy startup-config running-config command
To maintain a configuration file that exceeds the size of NVRAM, you should be aware of the information in the following sections.
The service compress-config global configuration command specifies that the configuration file be stored compressed in NVRAM. Once the configuration file has been compressed, the device functions normally. When the system is booted, it recognizes that the configuration file is compressed, expands it, and proceeds normally. The more nvram:startup-config EXEC command expands the configuration before displaying it.
Before you compress configuration files, refer to the appropriate hardware installation and maintenance publication. Verify that your system’s ROMs support file compression. If not, you can install new ROMs that support file compression.
The size of the configuration must not exceed three times the NVRAM size. For a 128-KB size NVRAM, the largest expanded configuration file size is 384 KB.
The service compress-config global configuration command works only if you have Cisco IOS software Release 10.0 or later release boot ROMs. Installing new ROMs is a one-time operation and is necessary only if you do not already have Cisco IOS Release 10.0 in ROM. If the boot ROMs do not recognize a compressed configuration, the following message is displayed:
Boot ROMs do not support NVRAM compression Config NOT written to NVRAMOn class A Flash file system devices, you can store the startup configuration in flash memory by setting the CONFIG_FILE environment variable to a file in internal flash memory or flash memory in a PCMCIA slot.
See the Specifying the CONFIG_FILE Environment Variable on Class A Flash File Systems section for more information.
Care must be taken when editing or changing a large configuration. Flash memory space is used every time a copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config EXEC command is issued. Because file management for flash memory (such as optimizing free space) is not done automatically, you must pay close attention to available flash memory. Use the squeeze command to reclaim used space. We recommend that you use a large-capacity Flash card of at least 20 MB.
You can also store large configurations on FTP, RCP, or TFTP servers and download them at system startup. To use a network server to store large configurations, see the Copying a Configuration File from the Device to a TFTP Server and Configuring the Device to Download Configuration Files sections for more information on these commands.
You can configure the device to load one or two configuration files at system startup. The configuration files are loaded into memory and read in as if you were typing the commands at the command line. Thus, the configuration for the device is a mixture of the original startup configuration and the one or two downloaded configuration files.
For historical reasons, the first file the device downloads is called the network configuration file. The second file the device downloads is called the host configuration file. Two configuration files can be used when all of the devices on a network use many of the same commands. The network configuration file contains the standard commands used to configure all of the devices. The host configuration files contain the commands specific to one particular host. If you are loading two configuration files, the host configuration file should be the configuration file you want to have precedence over the other file. Both the network and host configuration files must reside on a network server reachable via TFTP, RCP, or FTP, and must be readable.
To display information about configuration files, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
show boot Example: |
Lists the contents of the BOOT environment variable (if set), the name of the configuration file pointed to by the CONFIG_FILE environment variable, and the contents of the BOOTLDR environment variable. |
|
Step 3 |
more file-url Example: |
Displays the contents of a specified file. |
|
Step 4 |
show running-config Example: |
Displays the contents of the running configuration file. (Command alias for the more system:running-config command.) |
|
Step 5 |
show startup-config Example: |
Displays the contents of the startup configuration file. (Command alias for the more nvram:startup-config command.) The CONFIG_FILE variable defaults to NVRAM. |
The Cisco IOS software accepts one configuration command per line. You can enter as many configuration commands as you want. You can add comments to a configuration file describing the commands you have entered. Precede a comment with an exclamation point (!). Because comments are not stored in NVRAM or in the active copy of the configuration file, comments do not appear when you list the active configuration with the show running-config or more system:running-config EXEC commands. Comments do not display when you list the startup configuration with the show startup-config or more nvram:startup-config EXEC mode commands. Comments are stripped out of the configuration file when it is loaded onto the device. However, you can list the comments in configuration files stored on a File Transfer Protocol (FTP), Remote Copy Protocol (RCP), or Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server. When you configure the software using the CLI, the software executes the commands as you enter them. To configure the software using the CLI, use the following commands in privileged EXEC mode:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
||
|
Step 2 |
configure terminal Example: |
Enters global configuration mode. |
||
|
Step 3 |
configuration command Example: |
Enter the necessary configuration commands. The Cisco IOS documentation set describes configuration commands organized by technology. |
||
|
Step 4 |
Do one of the following:
Example: |
Ends the configuration session and exits to EXEC mode.
|
||
|
Step 5 |
copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config Example: |
Saves the running configuration file as the startup configuration file. You may also use the copy running-config startup-config command alias, but you should be aware that this command is less precise. On most platforms, this command saves the configuration to NVRAM. On the Class A Flash file system platforms, this step saves the configuration to the location specified by the CONFIG_FILE environment variable (the default CONFIG_FILE variable specifies that the file should be saved to NVRAM). |
In the following example, the device prompt name of the device is configured. The comment line, indicated by the exclamation mark (!), does not execute any command. The hostname command is used to change the device name from device to new_name. By pressing Ctrl-Z (^Z) or entering the end command, the user quits configuration mode. The copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config command saves the current configuration to the startup configuration.
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# !The following command provides the switch host name.
Device(config)# hostname new_name
new_name(config)# end
new_name# copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config
When the startup configuration is NVRAM, it stores the current configuration information in text format as configuration commands, recording only non-default settings. The memory is checksummed to guard against corrupted data.
Note |
Some specific commands might not get saved to NVRAM. You need to enter these commands again if you reboot the machine. These commands are noted in the documentation. We recommend that you keep a list of these settings so that you can quickly reconfigure your device after rebooting. |
To copy configuration information on a TFTP network server, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
copy system:running-config tftp: [[[// location ]/ directory ]/ filename ] Example: |
Copies the running configuration file to a TFTP server. |
|
Step 3 |
copy nvram:startup-config tftp: [[[// location ]/ directory ]/ filename ] Example: |
Copies the startup configuration file to a TFTP server. |
The following example copies a configuration file from a device to a TFTP server:
Device# copy system:running-config tftp://192.168.2.155/backup-confg
Write file backup-confg on host 192.168.2.155? [confirm] Y
Writing backup-confg!!! [OK]
After you have issued the copy command, you may be prompted for additional information or for confirmation of the action. The prompt displayed depends on how much information you provide in the copy command and the current setting of the file prompt global configuration command.
To copy a startup configuration file or a running configuration file from the device to an RCP server, use the following commands beginning in privileged EXEC mode:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
configure terminal Example: |
Enters global configuration mode. |
|
Step 3 |
ip rcmd remote-username username Example: |
(Optional) Changes the default remote username. |
|
Step 4 |
end Example: |
(Optional) Exits global configuration mode. |
|
Step 5 |
Do one of the following:
Example: |
|
Examples
The following example copies the running configuration file named runfile2-confg to the netadmin1 directory on the remote host with an IP address of 192.168.101.101:
Device# copy system:running-config rcp://netadmin1@172.16.101.101/runfile2-confg
Write file runfile2-confg on host 192.168.101.101?[confirm]
Building configuration...[OK]
Connected to 192.168.101.101
Device#
The following example shows how to store a startup configuration file on a server by using RCP to copy the file:
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# ip rcmd remote-username netadmin2
Device(config)# end
Device# copy nvram:startup-config rcp:
Remote host[]? 192.168.101.101
Name of configuration file to write [start-confg]?
Write file start-confg on host 192.168.101.101?[confirm]
![OK]
After you have issued the copy EXEC command, you may be prompted for additional information or for confirmation of the action. The prompt displayed depends on how much information you provide in the copy command and the current setting of the file prompt global configuration command.
To copy a startup configuration file or a running configuration file from the device to an FTP server, complete the following tasks:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
configure terminal Example: |
Enters global configuration mode on the device. |
|
Step 3 |
ip ftp username username Example: |
(Optional) Specifies the default remote username. |
|
Step 4 |
ip ftp password password Example: |
(Optional) Specifies the default password. |
|
Step 5 |
end Example: |
(Optional) Exits global configuration mode. This step is required only if you override the default remote username or password (see Steps 2 and 3). |
|
Step 6 |
Do one of the following:
Example: |
Copies the running configuration or startup configuration file to the specified location on the FTP server. |
Examples
The following example copies the running configuration file named runfile-confg to the netadmin1 directory on the remote host with an IP address of 192.168.101.101:
Device# copy system:running-config ftp://netadmin1:mypass@192.168.101.101/runfile-confg
Write file runfile-confg on host 192.168.101.101?[confirm]
Building configuration...[OK]
Connected to 192.168.101.101
Device#
The following example shows how to store a startup configuration file on a server by using FTP to copy the file:
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# ip ftp username netadmin2
Device(config)# ip ftp password mypass
Device(config)# end
Device# copy nvram:startup-config ftp:
Remote host[]? 192.168.101.101
Name of configuration file to write [start-confg]?
Write file start-confg on host 192.168.101.101?[confirm]
![OK]
After you have issued the copy EXEC command, you may be prompted for additional information or for confirmation of the action. The prompt displayed depends on how much information you provide in the copy command and the current setting of the file prompt global configuration command.
To copy a configuration file from a TFTP server to the device, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
copy tftp: [[[// location]/ directory]/ filename] system:running-config Example: |
Copies a configuration file from a TFTP server to the running configuration. |
|
Step 3 |
copy tftp: [[[// location]/ directory]/ filename] nvram:startup-config Example: |
Copies a configuration file from a TFTP server to the startup configuration. |
|
Step 4 |
copy tftp: [[[// location]/ directory]/ filename]flash-[n]:/directory/startup-config Example: |
Copies a configuration file from a TFTP server to the startup configuration. |
In the following example, the software is configured from the file named tokyo-confg at IP address 192.168.2.155:
Device# copy tftp://192.168.2.155/tokyo-confg system:running-config
Configure using tokyo-confg from 192.168.2.155? [confirm] Y
Booting tokyo-confg from 192.168.2.155:!!! [OK - 874/16000 bytes]After you have issued the copy EXEC command, you may be prompted for additional information or for confirmation of the action. The prompt displayed depends on how much information you provide in the copy command and the current setting of the file prompt global configuration command.
To copy a configuration file from an rcp server to the running configuration or startup configuration, complete the following tasks:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
configure terminal Example: |
(Optional) Enters configuration mode from the terminal. This step is required only if you override the default remote username (see Step 3). |
|
Step 3 |
ip rcmd remote-username username Example: |
(Optional) Specifies the remote username. |
|
Step 4 |
end Example: |
(Optional) Exits global configuration mode. This step is required only if you override the default remote username (see Step 2). |
|
Step 5 |
Do one of the following:
Example: |
Copies the configuration file from an rcp server to the running configuration or startup configuration. |
Examples
The following example copies a configuration file named host1-confg from the netadmin1 directory on the remote server with an IP address of 192.168.101.101, and loads and runs the commands on the device:
device# copy rcp://netadmin1@192.168.101.101/host1-confg system:running-config
Configure using host1-confg from 192.168.101.101? [confirm]
Connected to 192.168.101.101
Loading 1112 byte file host1-confg:![OK]
device#
%SYS-5-CONFIG: Configured from host1-config by rcp from 192.168.101.101
The following example specifies a remote username of netadmin1. Then it copies the configuration file named host2-confg from the netadmin1 directory on the remote server with an IP address of 192.168.101.101 to the startup configuration.
device# configure terminal
device(config)# ip rcmd remote-username netadmin1
device(config)# end
device# copy rcp: nvram:startup-config
Address of remote host [255.255.255.255]? 192.168.101.101
Name of configuration file[rtr2-confg]? host2-confg
Configure using host2-confg from 192.168.101.101?[confirm]
Connected to 192.168.101.101
Loading 1112 byte file host2-confg:![OK]
[OK]
device#
%SYS-5-CONFIG_NV:Non-volatile store configured from host2-config by rcp from 192.168.101.101After you have issued the copy EXEC command, you may be prompted for additional information or for confirmation of the action. The prompt displayed depends on how much information you provide in the copy command and the current setting of the file prompt global configuration command.
To copy a configuration file from an FTP server to the running configuration or startup configuration, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
configure terminal Example: |
(Optional) Allows you to enter global configuration mode. This step is required only if you want to override the default remote username or password (see Steps 3 and 4). |
|
Step 3 |
ip ftp username username Example: |
(Optional) Specifies the default remote username. |
|
Step 4 |
ip ftp password password Example: |
(Optional) Specifies the default password. |
|
Step 5 |
end Example: |
(Optional) Exits global configuration mode. This step is required only if you override the default remote username or password (see Steps 3 and 4). |
|
Step 6 |
Do one of the following:
Example: |
Using FTP copies the configuration file from a network server to running memory or the startup configuration. |
Examples
The following example copies a host configuration file named host1-confg from the netadmin1 directory on the remote server with an IP address of 192.168.101.101, and loads and runs the commands on the device:
device# copy ftp://netadmin1:mypass@192.168.101.101/host1-confg system:running-config
Configure using host1-confg from 192.168.101.101? [confirm]
Connected to 192.168.101.101
Loading 1112 byte file host1-confg:![OK]
device#
%SYS-5-CONFIG: Configured from host1-config by ftp from 192.168.101.101The following example specifies a remote username of netadmin1. Then it copies the configuration file named host2-confg from the netadmin1 directory on the remote server with an IP address of 192.168.101.101 to the startup configuration:
device# configure terminal
device(config)# ip ftp username netadmin1
device(config)# ip ftp password mypass
device(config)# end
device# copy ftp: nvram:startup-config
Address of remote host [255.255.255.255]? 192.168.101.101
Name of configuration file[host1-confg]? host2-confg
Configure using host2-confg from 192.168.101.101?[confirm]
Connected to 192.168.101.101
Loading 1112 byte file host2-confg:![OK]
[OK]
device#
%SYS-5-CONFIG_NV:Non-volatile store configured from host2-config by ftp from 192.168.101.101
After you have issued the copy EXEC command, you may be prompted for additional information or for confirmation of the action. The prompt displayed depends on how much information you provide in the copy command and the current setting of the file prompt global configuration command.
To maintain a configuration file that exceeds the size of NVRAM, perform the tasks described in the following sections:
To compress configuration files, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
configure terminal Example: |
Enters global configuration mode. |
|
Step 3 |
service compress-config Example: |
Specifies that the configuration file be compressed. |
|
Step 4 |
end Example: |
Exits global configuration mode. |
|
Step 5 |
Do one of the following:
Example: |
Enters the new configuration:
“[buffer overflow - file-size /buffer-size bytes].” |
|
Step 6 |
copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config Example: |
When you have finished changing the running-configuration, save the new configuration. |
The following example compresses a 129-KB configuration file to 11 KB:
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# service compress-config
Device(config)# end
Device# copy tftp://192.168.2.15/test-confg system:running-config
Configure using test-confg from 192.168.2.155? [confirm] y
Booting test-confg from 192.168.2.155:!!! [OK - 874/16000 bytes]
Device# copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config
Building configuration...
Compressing configuration from 129648 bytes to 11077 bytes
[OK]
To store the startup configuration in flash memory, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
copy nvram:startup-config flash-filesystem:filename Example: |
Copies the current startup configuration to the new location to create the configuration file. |
|
Step 3 |
configure terminal Example: |
Enters global configuration mode. |
|
Step 4 |
boot config flash-filesystem: filename Example: |
Specifies that the startup configuration file be stored in flash memory by setting the CONFIG_FILE variable. |
|
Step 5 |
end Example: |
Exits global configuration mode. |
|
Step 6 |
Do one of the following:
Example: |
Enters the new configuration. |
|
Step 7 |
copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config Example: |
When you have finished changing the running-configuration, save the new configuration. |
The following example stores the configuration file in usbflash0:
Device# copy nvram:startup-config usbflash0:switch-config
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# boot config usbflash0:switch-config
Device(config)# end
Device# copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config
To use a network server to store large configurations, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
copy system:running-config {ftp: | rcp: | tftp: } Example: |
Saves the running configuration to an FTP, RCP, or TFTP server. |
|
Step 3 |
configure terminal Example: |
Enters global configuration mode. |
|
Step 4 |
boot network {ftp: [[[// [username [: password ]@ ]location ]/ directory ]/ filename ] | rcp: [[[// [username@ ]location ]/ directory ]/ filename ] | tftp: [[[// location ]/ directory ]/ filename ]} Example: |
Specifies that the startup configuration file be loaded from the network server at startup. |
|
Step 5 |
service config Example: |
Enables the switch to download configuration files at system startup. |
|
Step 6 |
end Example: |
Exits global configuration mode. |
|
Step 7 |
copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config Example: |
Saves the configuration. |
To copy a configuration file from flash memory directly to your startup configuration in NVRAM or your running configuration, enter one of the commands in Step 2:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
Do one of the following:
Example: |
|
The following example copies the file named ios-upgrade-1 from partition 4 of the flash memory PC Card in usbflash0 to the device startup configurations:
Device# copy usbflash0:4:ios-upgrade-1 nvram:startup-config
Copy 'ios-upgrade-1' from flash device as 'startup-config' ? [yes/no] yes
[OK]On platforms with multiple flash memory file systems, you can copy files from one flash memory file system, such as internal flash memory to another flash memory file system. Copying files to different flash memory file systems lets you create backup copies of working configurations and duplicate configurations for other devices. To copy a configuration file between flash memory file systems, use the following commands in EXEC mode:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
show source-filesystem: Example: |
Displays the layout and contents of flash memory to verify the filename. |
|
Step 3 |
copy source-filesystem: [partition-number: ][filename ] dest-filesystem: [partition-number: ][filename ] Example: |
Copies a configuration file between flash memory devices.
|
The following example copies the file named running-config from partition 1 on internal flash memory to partition 1 of usbflash0 on a device. In this example, the source partition is not specified, so the device prompts for the partition number:
Device# copy flash: usbflash0:
System flash
Partition Size Used Free Bank-Size State Copy Mode
1 4096K 3070K 1025K 4096K Read/Write Direct
2 16384K 1671K 14712K 8192K Read/Write Direct
[Type ?<no> for partition directory; ? for full directory; q to abort]
Which partition? [default = 1]
System flash directory, partition 1:
File Length Name/status
1 3142748 dirt/network/mars-test/c3600-j-mz.latest
2 850 running-config
[3143728 bytes used, 1050576 available, 4194304 total]
usbflash0 flash directory:
File Length Name/status
1 1711088 dirt/gate/c3600-i-mz
2 850 running-config
[1712068 bytes used, 2482236 available, 4194304 total]
Source file name? running-config
Destination file name [running-config]?
Verifying checksum for 'running-config' (file # 2)... OK
Erase flash device before writing? [confirm]
Flash contains files. Are you sure you want to erase? [confirm]
Copy 'running-config' from flash: device
as 'running-config' into usbflash0: device WITH erase? [yes/no] yes
Erasing device... eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ...erased!
[OK - 850/4194304 bytes]
Flash device copy took 00:00:30 [hh:mm:ss]
Verifying checksum... OK (0x16)
To copy a configuration file from an FTP server to a flash memory device, complete the task in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
configure terminal Example: |
(Optional) Enters global configuration mode. This step is required only if you override the default remote username or password (see Steps 3 and 4). |
|
Step 3 |
ip ftp username username Example: |
(Optional) Specifies the remote username. |
|
Step 4 |
ip ftp password password Example: |
(Optional) Specifies the remote password. |
|
Step 5 |
end Example: |
(Optional) Exits configuration mode. This step is required only if you override the default remote username (see Steps 3 and 4). |
|
Step 6 |
copy ftp: [[// location]/ directory ]/ bundle_name flash: Example: |
Copies the configuration file from a network server to the flash memory device using FTP. |
After you have issued the copy EXEC command, you may be prompted for additional information or for confirmation of the action. The prompt displayed depends on how much information you provide in the copy command and the current setting of the file prompt global configuration command.
To copy a configuration file from an RCP server to a flash memory device, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
configure terminal Example: |
(Optional) Enters global configuration mode. This step is required only if you override the default remote username or password (see Step 3). |
|
Step 3 |
ip rcmd remote-username username Example: |
(Optional) Specifies the remote username. |
|
Step 4 |
end Example: |
(Optional) Exits configuration mode. This step is required only if you override the default remote username or password (see Step 3). |
|
Step 5 |
copy rcp: [[[// [username@ ]location ]/ directory] / bundle_name] flash: Example: |
Copies the configuration file from a network server to the flash memory device using RCP. Respond to any device prompts for additional information or confirmation. Prompting depends on how much information you provide in the copy command and the current setting of the file prompt command. |
To copy a configuration file from a TFTP server to a flash memory device, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
copy tftp: [[[// location ]/ directory ]/ bundle_name flash: Example: |
Copies the file from a TFTP server to the flash memory device. Reply to any device prompts for additional information or confirmation. Prompting depends on how much information you provide in the copy command and the current setting of the file prompt command. |
The following example shows the copying of the configuration file named switch-config from a TFTP server to the flash memory card inserted in usbflash0. The copied file is renamed new-config.
Device#
copy tftp:switch-config usbflash0:new-configTo re-execute the commands located in the startup configuration file, complete the task in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
configure memory Example: |
Re-executes the configuration commands located in the startup configuration file. |
You can clear the configuration information from the startup configuration. If you reboot the device with no startup configuration, the device enters the Setup command facility so that you can configure the device from scratch. To clear the contents of your startup configuration, complete the task in this section:
Important |
The IOS command parser may show a factory-reset all command. For embedded platforms this command is NOT supported as it leads to an ambiguity of which factory does it reference. A partner or integrator may install value add features that could be wiped out and not restored when such a command is executed. The system is obviously not in the state when it left the patrner or integrator's factory. If the desire is to perform a deep wipe of the on-board flash file system, the user should use the zeroization function and be completely familiar with the recovery features of the platform. |
| Command or Action | Purpose | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
||
|
Step 2 |
erase nvram Example: |
Clears the contents of your startup configuration.
|
To delete a specified configuration on a specific flash device, complete the task in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
||
|
Step 2 |
delete flash-filesystem: filename Example: |
Deletes the specified configuration file on the specified flash device.
|
On Class A flash file systems, you can configure the Cisco IOS software to load the startup configuration file specified by the CONFIG_FILE environment variable. The CONFIG_FILE variable defaults to NVRAM. To change the CONFIG_FILE environment variable, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
copy [flash-url | ftp-url | rcp-url | tftp-url | system:running-config | nvram:startup-config ] dest-flash-url Example: |
Copies the configuration file to the flash file system from which the device loads the file on restart. |
|
Step 3 |
configure terminal Example: |
Enters global configuration mode. |
|
Step 4 |
boot config dest-flash-url Example: |
Sets the CONFIG_FILE environment variable. This step modifies the runtime CONFIG_FILE environment variable. |
|
Step 5 |
end Example: |
Exits global configuration mode. |
|
Step 6 |
copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config Example: |
Saves the configuration performed in Step 3 to the startup configuration. |
|
Step 7 |
show boot Example: |
(Optional) Allows you to verify the contents of the CONFIG_FILE environment variable. |
The following example copies the running configuration file to the device. This configuration is then used as the startup configuration when the system is restarted:
Device# copy system:running-config usbflash0:config2
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# boot config usbflash0:config2
Device(config)# end
Device# copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config
[ok]
Device# show boot
BOOT variable = usbflash0:rsp-boot-m
CONFIG_FILE variable = nvram:
Current CONFIG_FILE variable = usbflash0:config2
Configuration register is 0x010F
After you specify a location for the startup configuration file, the nvram:startup-config command is aliased to the new location of the startup configuration file. The more nvram:startup-config EXEC command displays the startup configuration, regardless of its location. The erase nvram:startup-config EXEC command erases the contents of NVRAM and deletes the file pointed to by the CONFIG_FILE environment variable.
When you save the configuration using the copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config command, the device saves a complete version of the configuration file to the location specified by the CONFIG_FILE environment variable and a distilled version to NVRAM. A distilled version is one that does not contain access list information. If NVRAM contains a complete configuration file, the device prompts you to confirm your overwrite of the complete version with the distilled version. If NVRAM contains a distilled configuration, the device does not prompt you for confirmation and proceeds with overwriting the existing distilled configuration file in NVRAM.
Note |
If you specify a file in a flash device as the CONFIG_FILE environment variable, every time you save your configuration file with the copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config command, the old configuration file is marked as “deleted,” and the new configuration file is saved to that device. Eventually, Flash memory fills up as the old configuration files still take up memory. Use the squeeze EXEC command to permanently delete the old configuration files and reclaim the space. |
You can specify an ordered list of network configuration and host configuration filenames. The Cisco IOS XE software scans this list until it loads the appropriate network or host configuration file.
To configure the device to download configuration files at system startup, perform at least one of the tasks described in the following sections:
"Configuring the Switch to Download the Network Configuration File"
"Configuring the Switch to Download the Network Configuration File"
If the device fails to load a configuration file during startup, it tries again every 10 minutes (the default setting) until a host provides the requested files. With each failed attempt, the device displays the following message on the console terminal:
Booting host-confg... [timed out]
If there are any problems with the startup configuration file, or if the configuration register is set to ignore NVRAM, the device enters the Setup command facility.
To configure the Cisco IOS software to download a network configuration file from a server at startup, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
configure terminal Example: |
Enters global configuration mode. |
|
Step 3 |
boot network {ftp: [[[// [username [: password ]@ ]location ]/ directory ]/ filename ] | rcp: [[[// [username@ ]location ]/ directory ]/ filename ] | tftp: [[[// location ]/ directory ]/ filename ]} Example: |
Specifies the network configuration file to download at startup, and the protocol to be used (TFTP, RCP, or FTP).
|
|
Step 4 |
service config Example: |
Enables the system to automatically load the network file on restart. |
|
Step 5 |
end Example: |
Exits global configuration mode. |
|
Step 6 |
copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config Example: |
Saves the running configuration to the startup configuration file. |
To configure the Cisco IOS software to download a host configuration file from a server at startup, complete the tasks in this section:
| Command or Action | Purpose | |
|---|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
enable Example: |
Enables privileged EXEC mode.
|
|
Step 2 |
configure terminal Example: |
Enters global configuration mode. |
|
Step 3 |
boot host {ftp: [[[// [username [: password ]@ ]location ]/ directory ]/ filename ] | rcp: [[[// [username@ ]location ]/ directory ]/ filename ] | tftp: [[[// location ]/ directory ]/ filename ] } Example: |
Specifies the host configuration file to download at startup, and the protocol to be used (FTP, RCP, or TFTP):
|
|
Step 4 |
service config Example: |
Enables the system to automatically load the host file upon restart. |
|
Step 5 |
end Example: |
Exits global configuration mode. |
|
Step 6 |
copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config Example: |
Saves the running configuration to the startup configuration file. |
In the following example, a device is configured to download the host configuration file named hostfile1 and the network configuration file named networkfile1. The device uses TFTP and the broadcast address to obtain the file:
Device# configure terminal
Device(config)# boot host tftp:hostfile1
Device(config)# boot network tftp:networkfile1
Device(config)# service config
Device(config)# end
Device# copy system:running-config nvram:startup-config
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