Cisco WS-C2960-24TC-S Software Guide - Page 653

Appendix B Working with the Cisco IOS File System, Configuration Files, and Software Images Working with Configuration Files Use these guidelines when creating a configuration file: • We recommend that you connect through the console port for the initial configuration of the switch. If you are accessing the switch through a network connection instead of through a direct connection to the console port, keep in mind that some configuration changes (such as changing the switch IP address or disabling ports) can cause a loss of connectivity to the switch. • If no password has been set on the switch, we recommend that you set one by using the enable secret secret-password global configuration command. Note The copy {ftp: | rcp: | tftp:} system:running-config privileged EXEC command loads the configuration files on the switch as if you were entering the commands at the command line. The switch does not erase the existing running configuration before adding the commands. If a command in the copied configuration file replaces a command in the existing configuration file, the existing command is erased. For example, if the copied configuration file contains a different IP address in a particular command than the existing configuration, the IP address in the copied configuration is used. However, some commands in the existing configuration might not be replaced or negated. In this case, the resulting configuration file is a mixture of the existing configuration file and the copied configuration file, with the copied configuration file having precedence. To restore a configuration file to an exact copy of a file stored on a server, copy the configuration file directly to the startup configuration (by using the copy {ftp: | rcp: | tftp:} nvram:startup-config privileged EXEC command), and reload the switch. Configuration File Types and Location Startup configuration files are used during system startup to configure the software. Running configuration files contain the current configuration of the software. The two configuration files can be different. For example, you might want to change the configuration for a short time period rather than permanently. In this case, you would change the running configuration but not save the configuration by using the copy running-config startup-config privileged EXEC command. The running configuration is saved in DRAM; the startup configuration is stored in the NVRAM section of flash memory. Creating a Configuration File By Using a Text Editor When creating a configuration file, you must list commands logically so that the system can respond appropriately. This is one method of creating a configuration file: Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 Copy an existing configuration from a switch to a server. For more information, see the "Downloading the Configuration File By Using TFTP" section on page B-11, the "Downloading a Configuration File By Using FTP" section on page B-13, or the "Downloading a Configuration File By Using RCP" section on page B-16. Open the configuration file in a text editor, such as vi or emacs on UNIX or Notepad on a PC. Extract the portion of the configuration file with the desired commands, and save it in a new file. Copy the configuration file to the appropriate server location. For example, copy the file to the TFTP directory on the workstation (usually /tftpboot on a UNIX workstation). OL-8603-04 Catalyst 2960 Switch Software Configuration Guide B-9