Table Of Contents
Modifying, Downloading, and Maintaining Configuration Files
Display Configuration File Information
Understand Configuration Files
Location of Configuration Files
Enter Configuration Mode and Select a Configuration Source
Configure the Cisco IOS Software from the Terminal
Copy Configuration Files from the Router to a Network Server
Copy a Configuration File from the Router to a TFTP Server
Copy a Configuration File from the Router to an rcp Server
Copy a Configuration File from the Router to the rcp Server Tasks
Copy Configuration Files from a Network Server to the Router
Copy a Configuration File from a TFTP Server to the Router
Copy a Configuration File from an rcp Server to the Router
Copy a Configuration File from an rcp Server to the Router Tasks
Maintain Configuration Files Larger than NVRAM
Compress the Configuration File
Store the Configuration in Flash Memory (Cisco 7000 family)
Load the Configuration Commands from the Network
Copy Configuration Files between Different Locations
Copy Configuration Files from Flash Memory to the Startup or Running Configuration
Copy Configuration Files between Flash Memory Devices
Copy a Configuration File from a Server to Flash Memory
Reexecute the Configuration Commands in Startup Configuration
Clear the Configuration Information
Erase the Startup Configuration
Erased a Stored Configuration File
Specify the Startup Configuration File
Specify the CONFIG_FILE Environment Variable (Cisco 7000 family)
Configure the Router to Download Configuration Files
Network Versus Host Configuration Files
Configure the Router to Download Configuration Files Task List
Configure the Router to Download the Network Configuration File
Configure the Router to Download the Host Configuration File
Modifying, Downloading, and Maintaining Configuration Files
This chapter describes how to load and maintain configuration files. Configuration files contain commands entered to customize the function of the Cisco IOS software.
To benefit most from the instructions and organization of this chapter, your router must contain a minimal configuration that allows you to interact with the system software. You can create a basic configuration file using the setup command facility. See the user guide for your hardware platform for more information on using setup at first-time startup. See the "Using Setup for Configuration Changes" chapter in this publication for information on using setup after first-time startup.
For a complete description of the configuration file commands in this chapter, refer to the "Configuration File Commands" chapter in the Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference. To locate documentation of other commands that appear in this chapter, use the command reference master index or search online.
Note
One or more of the commands that previously appeared in this chapter have been replaced by new commands. maps the old commands to their replacements. The old commands continue to perform their normal functions in the current release, but support for these commands will cease in a future release.
Configuration File Task List
To load and maintain configuration files needed for startup, complete any of the tasks in the following sections:
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Display Configuration File Information
Perform the following tasks in EXEC mode to display information about configuration files:
List the contents of the BOOT environment variable, the name of the configuration file pointed to by the CONFIG_FILE environment variable, and the contents of the BOOTLDR environment variable.
show boot (Cisco 3600 series, Cisco 7000 family only)
List the configuration information stored in a specified file.
show file device:filename (Cisco 7000 family only)
List the configuration information in running memory.
show running-config
List the startup configuration information.
On all platforms except the Cisco 7000 family1 , the startup configuration is usually NVRAM. On the Cisco 7000 family, the CONFIG_FILE environment variable points to the startup configuration. The CONFIG_FILE variable defaults to NVRAM.
show startup-config
1 The Cisco 7000 family consists of Cisco 7000 series routers with RSP7000, Cisco 7200 series routers, and Cisco 7500 series routers.
Refer to the Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference for examples of these commands.
Understand Configuration Files
Configuration files contain the commands the router uses to customize the function of the Cisco IOS software. The setup command facility helps you create a basic configuration file. However, you can manually change the configuration by typing commands in a configuration mode.
Types of Configuration Files
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 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 command but not save the configuration using the copy running-config startup-config command.
To change the running configuration, use the configure terminal command, as described in the "Configure the Cisco IOS Software from the Terminal" section. To change the startup-config, you can either save the running configuration file to the startup configuration using the copy running-config startup-config command (which is also described in the "Configure the Cisco IOS Software from the Terminal" section) or copy commands from a file directory to the startup configuration without affecting the running configuration (refer to the "Copy Configuration Files from a Network Server to the Router" section).
Location of Configuration Files
The configuration files are stored in the following places:
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Enter Configuration Mode and Select a Configuration Source
To enter configuration mode, 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. Refer to the "Configure the Cisco IOS Software from the Terminal" section for details. Configuring from memory reexecutes the commands in the startup configuration file. See the "Reexecute the Configuration Commands in Startup Configuration" section for more details. Configuring from the network allows you to load and execute configuration commands over the network. See the "Copy Configuration Files from a Network Server to the Router" section for more details.
Configure the Cisco IOS Software from the Terminal
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 EXEC command. Also, when the startup configuration is NVRAM, comments do not show up when you list the startup configuration with the show startup-config EXEC command. Comments are stripped out of the configuration file when it is loaded onto the router. However, you can list the comments in configuration files stored on a TFTP, rcp, or MOP server.
When you configure the software from the terminal, the software executes the commands you enter at the system prompts. To configure the software from the terminal, complete the following tasks:
In the following example, the software is configured from the terminal. The comment The following command provides the router host name identifies the purpose of the next command line. The hostname command changes the router name from router1 to router2. By pressing Ctrl-Z (^Z) or entering the command end, the user quits configuration mode. Finally, the copy running-config startup-config command saves the current configuration to the startup configuration.
Router1# configure terminalRouter1(config)# !The following command provides the router host name.Router1(config)# hostname router2Router2(config)# endRouter2# copy running-config startup-configWhen the startup configuration is NVRAM, it stores the current configuration information in text format as configuration commands, recording only nondefault settings. The memory is checksummed to guard against corrupted data.
CautionSome specific commands might not get saved to NVRAM. You will have to enter these commands again if you reboot the machine. These commands are noted in the documentation. We recommend that you keep a listing of these settings so you can quickly reconfigure your router after rebooting.
Copy Configuration Files from the Router to a Network Server
You can copy configuration files from the router to a TFTP server or rcp server. You might do this task to back up a current configuration file to a server before changing its contents, thereby allowing you to later restore the original configuration file from the server. The following sections describe these tasks:
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The protocol you use depends on which type of server you are using. The rcp transport mechanism provides faster performance and more reliable delivery of data than TFTP. These improvements are possible because rcp is built on and uses the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack, which is connection-oriented.
Copy a Configuration File from the Router to a TFTP Server
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.
To store configuration information on a TFTP network server, complete the following tasks in the EXEC mode:
The command prompts you for the destination host's address and a filename, as the following example illustrates.
The following example copies a configuration file from a router to a TFTP server:
Tokyo# copy running-config tftpRemote host [172.16.2.155]?Name of configuration file to write [tokyo-confg]?Write file tokyo-confg on host 172.16.2.155? [confirm] y#Writing tokyo-confg!!! [OK]Copy a Configuration File from the Router to an rcp Server
You can copy a configuration file from the router to an rcp server.
If you copy the configuration file to a personal computer used as a file server, the computer must support rsh.
Understand the rcp Username
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 router to a server using rcp, the Cisco IOS software sends the first valid username in the following list:
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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. Use the ip rcmd remote-username command to specify which directory on the server to use. For example, if the system image resides in the home directory of a user on the server, you can specify that user's name as the remote username.
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 router. For UNIX systems, you must add an entry to the .rhosts file for the remote user on the rcp server. For example, suppose the router contains the following configuration lines:
hostname Rtr1ip rcmd remote-username User0If the router's IP address translates to Router1.company.com, then the .rhosts file for User0 on the rcp server should contain the following line:
Router1.company.com Rtr1Refer to the documentation for your rcp server for more details.
Copy a Configuration File from the Router to the rcp Server Tasks
To copy a startup configuration file or a running configuration file from the router to an rcp server, complete the following tasks:
Store a Running Configuration File on a Server Example
The following example copies the running configuration file named rtr2-confg to the netadmin1 directory on the remote host with an IP address of 172.16.101.101:
Router# configure terminalRouter(config)# ip rcmd remote-username netadmin1Router(config)# endRouter# copy running-config rcpRemote host[]? 172.16.101.101Name of configuration file to write [Rtr2-confg]?Write file rtr2-confg on host 172.16.101.101?[confirm]Building configuration...[OK]Connected to 172.16.101.101Router#Store a Startup Configuration File on a Server Example
The following example shows how to store a startup configuration file on a server by using rcp to copy the file:
Rtr2# configure terminalRtr2(config)# ip rcmd remote-username netadmin2Rtr2(config)# endRtr2# copy startup-config rcpRemote host[]? 172.16.101.101Name of configuration file to write [rtr2-confg]?Write file rtr2-confg on host 172.16.101.101?[confirm]![OK]Copy Configuration Files from a Network Server to the Router
You can copy configuration files from a TFTP server or an rcp server to the running configuration or startup configuration of the router. You may want to do this for one of the following reasons:
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The copy tftp running-config and copy rcp running-config commands load the configuration files into the router as if you were typing the commands in at the command line. They do 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 will be 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 will be used. However, some commands in the existing configuration may not be replaced or negated. In this case, the resulting configuration file will be a mixture of the existing configuration file and the copied configuration file, with the copied configuration file having precedence.
In order 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 tftp startup-config or copy rcp startup-config command) and reload the router.
The following sections describe these tasks:
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You can copy configuration files from a TFTP or rcp server.The protocol you use depends on which type of server you are using. The rcp transport mechanism provides faster performance and more reliable delivery of data than TFTP. These improvements are possible because the rcp transport mechanism is built on and uses the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) stack, which is connection-oriented.
Copy a Configuration File from a TFTP Server to the Router
To copy a configuration file from a TFTP server to the router, complete the following tasks from EXEC mode:
In the following example, the software is configured from the file tokyo-config at IP address 172.16.2.155:
Router1# copy tftp running-configHost or network configuration file [host]?IP address of remote host [255.255.255.255]? 172.16.2.155Name of configuration file [tokyo-confg]?Configure using tokyo-confg from 172.16.2.155? [confirm] yBooting tokyo-confg from 172.16.2.155:!!! [OK - 874/16000 bytes]Copy a Configuration File from an rcp Server to the Router
You can copy configuration files from an rcp server to the router.
If you copy the configuration file to a personal computer used as a file server, the computer must support rsh.
Understand the rcp Username
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 router to a server using rcp, the Cisco IOS software sends the first valid username in the following list:
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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. Use the ip rcmd remote-username command to specify which directory on the server to use. For example, if the system image resides in the home directory of a user on the server, you can specify that user's name as the remote username.
Copy a Configuration File from an rcp Server to the Router Tasks
To copy a configuration file from an rcp server to the running configuration or startup configuration, perform the following tasks:
Copy rcp Running-Config Example
The following example copies a host configuration file named host1-confg from the netadmin1 directory on the remote server with an IP address of 172.16.101.101, and loads and runs those commands on the router:
Router# configure terminalRouter(config)# ip rcmd remote-username netadmin1Router(config)# endRouter# copy rcp running-configHost or network configuration file [host]?Address of remote host [255.255.255.255]? 172.16.101.101Name of configuration file [Router-confg]? host1-confgConfigure using host1-confg from 172.16.101.101? [confirm]Connected to 172.16.101.101Loading 1112 byte file host1-confg:![OK]Router#%SYS-5-CONFIG: Configured from host1-config by rcp from 172.16.101.101Copy rcp Startup-Config Example
The following example specifies a remote username of netadmin1. Then it copies the configuration file host2-confg from the netadmin1 directory on the remote server with an IP address of 172.16.101.101 to the startup configuration.
Rtr2# configure terminalRtr2(config)# ip rcmd remote-username netadmin1Rtr2(config)# endRtr2# copy rcp startup-configAddress of remote host [255.255.255.255]? 172.16.101.101Name of configuration file[rtr2-confg]? host2-confgConfigure using host2-confg from 172.16.101.101?[confirm]Connected to 172.16.101.101Loading 1112 byte file host2-confg:![OK][OK]Rtr2#%SYS-5-CONFIG_NV:Non-volatile store configured from host2-config by rcp from 172.16.101.101Maintain Configuration Files Larger than NVRAM
To maintain a configuration file that exceeds size of NVRAM, perform one of the tasks in the following sections:
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Compress the Configuration File
The service compress-config global configuration command specifies that the configuration file is to be stored compressed in NVRAM. Once the configuration file has been compressed, the router functions normally. When the system is booted, it recognizes that the configuration file is compressed, expands it, and proceeds normally. The show startup-config EXEC command expands the configuration before displaying it.
To compress configuration files, perform the following tasks, beginning in global configuration mode:
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 command works only if you have Cisco IOS Software Release 10 boot ROMs or later. Installing new ROMs is a one-time operation and is necessary only if you do not already have Cisco IOS Release 10 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 NVRAMThe example below compresses a 129 KB configuration file to 11 KB.
Router# configure terminalRouter(config)# service compress-configRouter(config)# endRouter# copy tftp running-configHost or network configuration file [host]?IP address of remote host [255.255.255.255]? 172.16.2.155Name of configuration file [tokyo-confg]?Configure using tokyo-confg from 172.16.2.155? [confirm] yBooting tokyo-confg from 172.16.2.155:!!! [OK - 874/16000 bytes]Router# copy running-config startup-configBuilding configuration...Compressing configuration from 129648 bytes to 11077 bytes[OK]Store the Configuration in Flash Memory (Cisco 7000 family)
On the Cisco 7000 family routers, you can store the startup configuration in Flash memory by setting the environment variable CONFIG_FILE to a file in internal Flash memory or Flash memory in a PCMCIA slot.
To store the startup configuration in Flash memory, perform the following tasks, beginning in privileged EXEC mode:
Refer to the "Specify the CONFIG_FILE Environment Variable (Cisco 7000 family)" section for more information.
The following example stores the configuration file in slot 0:
Router# copy startup-config slot0:router-configRouter# configure terminalRouter(config)# boot buffersize 129000Router(config)# boot config slot0:router-configRouter(config)# endRouter# copy running-config startup-configCare must be taken when editing or changing a large configuration. Flash memory space is used every time a copy running-config startup-config 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. Cisco recommends that you use a large-capacity Flash card of at least 20 MB.
Load the Configuration Commands from the Network
You can also store large configurations on TFTP or rcp servers and download them at system startup. To use a network server to store large configurations, perform the following tasks, beginning in privileged EXEC mode:
Refer to the "Copy Configuration Files from the Router to a Network Server" and "Configure the Router to Download Configuration Files" sections for more information on these tasks.
Copy Configuration Files between Different Locations
On many platforms, such as the Cisco 1600 series, Cisco 3600 series, and Cisco 7000 family routers, you can copy files from one Flash memory device, such as internal Flash memory or a Flash memory card in a PCMCIA slot, to other locations. You can also copy configuration files from a TFTP or rcp server to Flash memory.
Copy Configuration Files from Flash Memory to the Startup or Running Configuration
To copy a configuration file from Flash memory directly to your startup configuration in NVRAM or your running configuration, enter one of the following command in EXEC mode:
The following example copies the file ios-upgrade-1 from partition 4 of the Flash memory PC Card in slot 0 to the router's startup configuration on a Cisco 3600 series.
For a Cisco 1600 series router, the process will be the same except the device used in the copy command must be flash:
Router# copy slot0:4:ios-upgrade-1 startup-configCopy 'ios-upgrade-1' from flash deviceas 'startup-config' ? [yes/no] yes[OK]Copy Configuration Files between Flash Memory Devices
On Cisco 3600 series and Cisco 7000 family routers, you can copy files from one Flash memory device, such as internal Flash memory or a Flash memory card in a PCMCIA slot, to another Flash memory device. Copying files to different Flash memory devices lets you create backup copies of working configurations and duplicate configurations for other routers.
To copy a configuration file between Flash memory devices, follow these steps in EXEC mode:
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Copy a Configuration File between Local Flash Memory Devices Example
The following example copies the file running-config from partition 1 of internal Flash memory to partition 1 of slot 1 on a Cisco 3600 series router. In this example, the source partition is not specified, so the router prompts for the partition number.
Router# copy flash: slot1:System flashPartition Size Used Free Bank-Size State Copy Mode1 4096K 3070K 1025K 4096K Read/Write Direct2 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/status1 3142748 dirt/network/mars-test/c3600-j-mz.latest2 850 running-config[3143728 bytes used, 1050576 available, 4194304 total]PCMCIA Slot1 flash directory:File Length Name/status1 1711088 dirt/gate/c3600-i-mz2 850 running-config[1712068 bytes used, 2482236 available, 4194304 total]Source file name? running-configDestination file name [running-config]?Verifying checksum for 'running-config' (file # 2)... OKErase flash device before writing? [confirm]Flash contains files. Are you sure you want to erase? [confirm]Copy 'running-config' from flash: deviceas 'running-config' into slot1: device WITH erase? [yes/no] yesErasing device... eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee ...erased![OK - 850/4194304 bytes]Flash device copy took 00:00:30 [hh:mm:ss]Verifying checksum... OK (0x16)Copy a Configuration File from a Server to Flash Memory
To copy a configuration file from an rcp server to a Flash memory device, perform the following task in privileged EXEC mode:
To copy a configuration file from a TFTP server to the router, complete the following tasks from EXEC mode:
Copy TFTP example for Cisco 7000 Family
On the Cisco 7000 family, the following example copies the router-config file from a TFTP server to the Flash memory card inserted in slot 0 of the Network Processing Engine (NPE) or Route Switch Processor (RSP) card. The copied file has the name new-config.
Router# copy tftp:router-config slot0:new-configReexecute the Configuration Commands in Startup Configuration
To reexecute the commands located in the startup configuration, complete the following task in privileged EXEC mode:
Reexecute the configuration commands located in the startup configuration.
configure memory
Clear the Configuration Information
You can clear the configuration information from the startup configuration. If you reboot the router with no startup configuration, the router will enter the setup facility so that you can configure the router from scratch.
Erase the Startup Configuration
To clear the contents of your startup configuration, perform the following task in EXEC mode:
For all platforms except the Cisco 7000 family, this command erases NVRAM. The startup configuration file cannot be restored once it has been deleted.
On the Cisco 7000 family, when you use the erase startup-config command, the router erases or deletes the configuration pointed to by CONFIG_FILE environment variable. If this variable points to NVRAM, the router erases NVRAM. If the CONFIG_FILE environment variable specifies a Flash memory device and configuration filename, the router deletes the configuration file. That is, the router marks the file as "deleted," rather than erasing it. This feature allows you to recover a "deleted" file. Refer to the "Recover Deleted Files on a Flash Device" section for more information on recovering deleted files.
Erased a Stored Configuration File
To erase or delete a saved configuration from a specific Flash device, complete one of the following tasks in EXEC mode:
When you delete a specific file in Flash memory, the system marks the file as deleted, allowing you to later recover a "deleted" file using the undelete command. Erased files cannot be recovered.
For the Cisco 7000 family, if you omit the device name, the Cisco IOS software uses the default device specified by the cd command.
If you attempt to erase or delete the configuration file specified by the CONFIG_FILE environment variable, the system prompts you to confirm the deletion.
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The following example erases the myconfig file from a Flash memory card inserted in slot 0:
Router# erase slot0:myconfigThe following example deletes the myconfig file from a Flash memory card inserted in slot 0:
Router# delete slot0:myconfigSpecify the Startup Configuration File
Normally, the router uses the startup configuration file in NVRAM or the device specified by the CONFIG_FILE environment variable (Cisco 7000 family) at startup. See the "Specify the CONFIG_FILE Environment Variable (Cisco 7000 family)" section for details on setting the CONFIG_FILE variable.
You can also configure the router to automatically request and receive two configuration files from the network server at startup. See the "Configure the Router to Download Configuration Files" section for details.
Specify the CONFIG_FILE Environment Variable (Cisco 7000 family)
On the Cisco 7000 family, 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 variable, complete the following tasks, beginning in EXEC mode:
Possible devices are nvram, bootflash, slot0, and slot1.
When saving the runtime CONFIG_FILE environment variable to the startup configuration, the router 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 router prompts you to confirm your overwrite of the complete version with the distilled version. If NVRAM contains a distilled configuration, the router does not prompt you for confirmation and proceeds with overwriting the existing distilled configuration file in NVRAM.
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The following example copies the running configuration file to the first PCMCIA slot of the RSP card in a Cisco 7500 series. This configuration is then used as the startup configuration when the system is restarted.
Router# copy running-config slot0:config2Router# configure terminalRouter(config)# boot config slot0:config2Router(config)# endRouter# copy running-config startup-config[ok]Router# show bootBOOT variable = slot0:rsp-boot-mCONFIG_FILE variable = nvram:Current CONFIG_FILE variable = slot0:config2Configuration register is 0x010FConfigure the Router to Download Configuration Files
You can configure the router 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 router will be a mixture of the original startup configuration and the one or two downloaded configuration files.
Network Versus Host Configuration Files
For historical reasons, the first file the router downloads is called the network configuration file. The second file the routers downloads is called the host configuration file. Two configuration files can be used when all of the routers on a network use many of the same commands. The network configuration file contains the standard commands used to configure all of the routers. 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 MOP, and must be readable.
Understand the rcp Username
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 a server to the router using rcp, the Cisco IOS software sends the first valid username in the following list:
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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. Use the ip rcmd remote-username command to specify which directory on the server to use. For example, if the system image resides in the home directory of a user on the server, you can specify that user's name as the remote username.
If you copy the configuration file to a personal computer used as a file server, the computer must support rsh.
Configure the Router to Download Configuration Files Task List
You can specify an ordered list of network configuration and host configuration filenames. The Cisco IOS software scans this list until it successfully loads the appropriate network or host configuration file.
To configure the router to download configuration files at system startup, perform at least one of the tasks described in the following sections:
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If the network server fails to load a configuration file during startup, it tries again every ten minutes (the default setting) until a host provides the requested files. With each failed attempt, the network server displays a message on the console terminal. If the network server is unable to load the specified file, it displays the following message:
Booting host-confg... [timed out]Refer to the Internetwork Troubleshooting Guide publication for troubleshooting procedures.
If there are any problems with the startup configuration file, or if the configuration register is set to ignore NVRAM, the router enters the setup command facility. See the "Using Setup for Configuration Changes" chapter in this publication for details on the setup command.
Configure the Router to Download the Network Configuration File
To configure the Cisco IOS software to download a network configuration file from a server at startup, complete the following tasks:
For Step 2, if you do not specify a network configuration filename, the Cisco IOS software uses the default filename network-confg. If you omit both the tftp and the rcp keywords, the software assumes that the you are using TFTP to transfer the file and that the server whose IP address you specify supports TFTP. If you omit the address, the router uses the broadcast address.
You can specify more than one network configuration file. The software tries them in order entered until it loads one successfully. This procedure can be useful for keeping files with different configuration information loaded on a network server.
Configure the Router to Download the Host Configuration File
To configure the Cisco IOS software to download a host configuration file from a server at startup, complete the following tasks.
If you do not specify a host configuration filename, the router uses its own name to form a host configuration filename by converting the name to all lowercase letters, removing all domain information, and appending -confg. If no host name information is available, the software uses the default host configuration filename router-confg. If you omit both the tftp and the rcp keywords, the software assumes that the you are using TFTP to transfer the file and that the server whose IP address you specify supports TFTP. If you omit the address, the router uses the broadcast address.
You can specify more than one host configuration file. The Cisco IOS software tries them in order entered until it loads one successfully. This procedure can be useful for keeping files with different configuration information loaded on a network server.
Configure the Router to Download Configuration Files at System Startup Example
In the following example, a router is configured to download the host configuration file hostfile1 and the network configuration file networkfile1: The router uses TFTP and the broadcast address to obtain the file.
Router# configure terminalRouter(config)# boot host hostfile1Router(config)# boot network networkfile1Router(config)# service configRouter(config)# endRouter# copy running-config startup-config
