Configure the Router File System
In a large network, you have lots of interconnected equipment and it’s impossible to configure all of this equipment manually using step-by-step commands.
Fortunately, there are various ways of copying or updating your configurations. The Cisco IFS (IOS File System) enables an administrator to navigate the various directories and list the files in a directory. The administrator can also create subdirectories in flash memory or on disk.
VPNRouter# show file systems
File Systems:
Size(b) Free(b) Type FlagsPrefixes
* 255744000 221896413 disk rw flash0: flash:#
262136 255005 nvram rwnvram:
VPNRouter#This command provides some useful information, such as:
Total and free memory space
File system type
File authorization
Levels of authorization include read only (ro), write only (wo), and read-write (rw). Note that the asterisk*in front of the flash file system indicates that it’s the current default file system; the bootable IOS is located in flash memory. As a result, the#symbol is appended to the flash listing to indicate that it’s a bootable disk.
Because the flash file system is the default file system, thedircommand lists the contents in flash memory.
VPNRouter# dir Directory of flash0:/ 3 -rw- 33591768 <no date> c1900-universalk9-mz.SPA.151-4.M4.bin 2 -rw- 28282 <no date> sigdef-category.xml 1 -rw- 227537 <no date> sigdef-default.xml 255744000 bytes total (221896413 bytes free) VPNRouter#
A number of files are stored in flash memory but only the first one is of interest to us. It’s the name of the current Cisco IOS file image that is running in RAM.
Save in Non-Volatile Memory (NVRAM)
Non-volatile memory (NVRAM) is a type of memory that stores data even when it’s no longer connected to a power supply. To display the contents of the NVRAM, use:
the
cd(change directory) command, to change the default file system.the
pwdcommand, to display the current directory and check that you're displaying the NVRAM directory.the
dircommand, to list the contents of the NVRAM.
A number of different files are shown, but the one we’re interested in is the file called “startup-config”, which defines the configuration at startup (as the name suggests!).
So, if you want your configurations to be saved after rebooting your network devices, you must copy them to the non-volatile RAM.
You know this command, because you’ve already used it several times:copy running-config startup-config. You can also perform the reverse operation if you want to reload your initial configuration without having to reboot the equipment.
VPNRouter# copy running-config startup-config Destination filename [startup-config]? Building configuration... [OK] VPNRouter# copy startup-config running-config Destination filename [running-config]? 950 bytes copied in 0.416 secs (2283 bytes/sec) VPNRouter# %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console VPNRouter#
Save Your Configurations in Cisco Packet Tracer
You can save and restore your configurations in Cisco Packet Tracer. You just need to go to the connectivity device and select the Config menu.
Okay, here’s a short video to show you how to save within Cisco Packet Tracer.
Save Your Configurations on an TFTP Server
You can also save and restore your configurations using a TFTP server. And what’s great is that this service exists within Cisco Packet Tracer!
To copy your configurations onto a TFTP server, use thecopy running-config tftpcommand and specify the IP address of the server:
VPNRouter# copy running-config tftp Address or name of remote host []? 192.168.30.3 Destination filename [VPNRouter-confg]? Writing running-config.....!! [OK - 950 bytes] 950 bytes copied in 7.047 secs (134 bytes/sec) VPNRouter#
You just need to enter thecopy tftp running-config command to restore the configuration to the memory currently in use (running-config) from a TFTP server:
VPNRouter# copy tftp running-config Address or name of remote host []? 192.168.30.3 Source filename []? VPNRouter-confg Destination filename [running-config]? Accessing tftp://192.168.30.3/VPNRouter-confg... Loading VPNRouter-confg from 192.168.30.3: ! [OK - 950 bytes] 950 bytes copied in 0 secs VPNRouter#
Time for a video:
Let's Recap!
In this chapter, you’ve seen:
how to display different router file systems using the command
show file systems.how to save your configurations in non-volatile memory using the command
copy running-config startup-config.how to save your connectivity device configurations in Cisco Packet Tracer using the Config menu.
how to save your configurations onto a TFTP server using the command
copy tftp running-config.
You’ve reached the end of the course. Congratulations! You’ve made a great leap in the huge world of networks. Cisco Packet Tracer is a fantastic tool not only to learn how networks operate, but primarily to simulate corporate networks so that connectivity devices can be configured.
Before finishing up, go ahead and do the final practical exercise and the quiz so that you can get your course completion certificate. Good luck! And I’ll see you soon on a new adventure!
