Chapter 8 – Managing Cisco

Devices
What is configuration register?
• Can be used to change router’s behavior in several ways:
• How the router boots (ROM, NetBoot), which configuration file/software it boots from
• Options that can be chosen while booting
• Console speed

• Upon booting up, router searches configuration register to determine where is Cisco IOS
software. Then, it will attempt to load the file if available.
• By default, configuration register is set to load Cisco IOS from flash memory – by finding and
load startup-config from NVRAM, which stores all the startup configuration file of the router.
Understanding Configuration Bits
• All Cisco router have a 16-bit (2 bytes) software register which are read from 15 to 0 (left to
right).
• Uses Hexadecimal as a representation for configuration register bits.
• Hexadecimal digits usually starts with a ‘0x’. Hexadecimal digits are as follows:
• A = 10, B = 11, C= 12, D = 13, E = 14, F = 15

• Mostly, the default configuration of a Cisco router would be 0x2102.

In this case, the binary value will be 0010000100000010

Types of Boot field
Checking current configuration
• Check the current value of configuration register by show version command. In this case,
the setting tells the router to look in NVRAM for the boot sequence.

• sh version command displays system hardware config information, system serial number,
software version and name of boot image on router.
• config-register [registration bit] command changes the configuration
register only when it is in global configuration mode (config t)
Boot system
• If it happens that there is system failure and
your router is unable to boot from a
corrupted flash, you can boot another IOS.
• Often times you can boot your IOS image
through FTP server (File Transfer Protocol) or
even TFTP server (Trivial FTP) or Mini-IOS.
• Mini-IOS
• Fallback utility that contains stripped down
version of IOS.
• Only used in critical situations where IOS image
can’t be found in flash.

How configuration is set in during failures: Flash, FTP/TFTP, Mini-IOS

Backing up and Restore Cisco IOS
• As time evolves, there will be much more better and newer versions of Cisco IOS. Although,
precautions also has to be taken.
• Always a good practice to copy the existing file to a FTP/TFTP host as a backup, if any case that
the new image crashes and eventually corrupts.
• In order to back up IOS image to network server, must ensure that:
• You can access the network server.
• Ensure network server has enough space for image.
• Verifying the file naming and path requirements.
Backing up and Restore Cisco IOS
Considerations before copying
image to/from router:
• Ping the server to check for
solid connectivity.
• Ethernet connection must be
made with crossover cable
between router workstation.
• Workstation must be on same
subnet as router.
• TFTP server software must be
running on laptop.
Verifying Flash memory
• Before upgrading Cisco IOS on router with new IOS file, good practice to verify flash memory
has enough room to hold new image.
• If there is not enough memory in the flash for both the images to load, the old image will then
be completely erased.
• Use sh flash command and show version command to verify amount of flash
memory being stored.
Restore or Upgrade Cisco IOS router
• Function of this is to restore/upgrade Cisco IOS to flash memory or replace an original file that
has been damaged.
• This can be done by downloading the IOS file from a TFTP server to flash memory by using the
copy tftp flash command
 Cisco IOS File System (IFS)
• This file system allows you to work with files and directories just as how it is in
Windows.

• IFS allows you to view all of the files, even those on remote servers. It enables
you to explore various directories and inventory files in any directory we want.

• Users can make subdirectories in flash memory.

• IFS uses URLs to determine the whereabout of a file, rather than path name. You
can just type URLs right into your commands to identify the location of your
file/directory.

• Similar commands that are used similar to NTFS (Windows)

• dir, copy, more, delete, erase/format, mkdir/rmdir
Using Cisco IFS to Upgrade IOS
Checking directory in flash memory

Copying IOS file into the flash memory by using copy

[source-url] [destination-url] command

Used to show files in your flash and

verifying the if you have copied the IOS into
your flash memory

The IOS image that was

being copied from the
TFTP server.
Licensing
• Before I5.0 IOS code (software release), licenses are readily made available
throughout the internet and can be downloaded whenever we need it.
Although as time goes by, the standards have changed.

• A pre-ordered or newly bought ISR router will be pre-installed with software

images that we need and also licenses that we ordered, as long as we pay for
everything.

• Before 15.0 IOS code, there were several different software feature sets for
each hardware router. Although with the help of 15.0 IOS code, every single
one of the software feature is available in one file and is called a universal
image.

• 3 different technology packages available for purchase:

• Data: MPLS, ATM
• Unified Communication: VoIP, IP telephony
• Cisco IOS Firewall, IPS, IPsec
Obtaining license
• User can either obtain license from:
• Cisco License Manager (CLM)
• Cisco Product License Registration portal (Web)

• Larger companies will typically use CLM to obtain licenses as it helps to manage and keep track
of all installed license for you. Meanwhile, the portal can be used on smaller business or in
situations whereby you do not have much license installed on your router.
• When purchased the package, user need to permanently activate their package using UDI and
product authorisation key (PAK). This is used to acknowledge that you purchased the license.
• Then, you will need to activate the license on the router by using the license install
command if installing it manually through the portal.
Obtaining license

This shows that the license is installed

and copied to the flash drive
 Right-To-Use Licenses
• Known to be a trial version of the license software that
you want to use. Can be used for a limited time of 60
days.
• This feature allows a user/organisation to test a license
if it will truly meet their business requirements. Within
this 60 days, they can decide whether they would want
to extend and make this license permanent.
• To enable Right-To-Use license, you can use the
license boot module command.
• User can immediately use the feature set as soon as the
router is reloaded, rather than restarting the router yet
again.
Backing up & Uninstalling License
• Backing up License
• Backing up is important if in any case that your
license get lost or even corrupted.
• You can back up your installed IOS license in your
flash by using the license save command.

• Uninstalling License
• To uninstall the license on the router, you will need
to disable the package and use the no license
boot module command.
• Then, it is a need to clear the license by using the
license clear command and remove the no
license boot module command.
THANK YOU