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SWITCH-Boot Process

The document outlines the boot process and hardware components of Cisco switches, detailing the types of memory used, including ROM, Flash, RAM, and NVRAM. It explains the steps involved in the switch's boot process, from power-on self-test (POST) to loading the IOS and configuration files. Additionally, it provides information on switch ports, LED indications, and configuration modes.

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22 views30 pages

SWITCH-Boot Process

The document outlines the boot process and hardware components of Cisco switches, detailing the types of memory used, including ROM, Flash, RAM, and NVRAM. It explains the steps involved in the switch's boot process, from power-on self-test (POST) to loading the IOS and configuration files. Additionally, it provides information on switch ports, LED indications, and configuration modes.

Uploaded by

Ae Ypr
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CISCO SWITCH – INTERNAL/EXTERNAL HARDWARE

SWITCH BOOT PROCESS

SWITCH FIRST TIME ACCESS PROCESS

SWITCH-CONFIG MODES

TRAINER : RAMU CH
SWITCH EXTERNAL (VISIBLE) HARDWARE
• CONSOLE PORT

• SWITCH LED INDICATION STATUS

• POWER CONNECTIVITY
SWITCH PORTS & CONVENTION

• Fast Ethernet = 100Mbps

• Gigabit Ethernet = 1000Mbps

• 10Gig Port

• POE = Power over Ethernet Ports


CISCO SWITCH LED INDICATION
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Juv--Y1xGlo

• SYST
• RPS
• STAT
• DUPLEX
• SPEED
• POE
• UTIL
• MASTER
INTERNAL HARDWARE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v88Y9x_Owyo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Oq52yDNv0
Network Racks
Console connection to Switch
SWITCH INTERNAL COMPONENTS
Types of memory
Generally Cisco routers and switches contain four types of
memory:

• Read-Only Memory (ROM)


• Flash Memory:
• Random-Access Memory (RAM):
• Non-volatile RAM (NVRAM):
CONFIGURATION FILES

• Configuration Files
- Startup configuration File
- Running configuration File

• VLAN Database
Types of memory
Read-Only Memory (ROM):
ROM stores the Switch’s
• bootstrap startup program,
• Mini operating system software, and
• power-on diagnostic test programs (POST).
Types of memory
Flash Memory:
Generally referred to simply as “flash”,
• the IOS images are held here.
• Flash is erasable and reprogrammable ROM.
• Flash memory content is retained by the router/Switch on reload.
• Flash memory is read / writable , permanent storage.

Random-Access Memory (RAM):


• Stores operational information such as routing tables and the running
configuration file.
• RAM contents are lost when the router / Switch is powered down or reloaded.
• By default, routers/Switches look here first for an Internetwork Operating System
(IOS) file during boot.
Types of memory
Non-volatile RAM (NVRAM):
• NVRAM holds the router/Switch ’s startup configuration
file.
• NVRAM contents are not lost when the router/Switch is
powered down or reloaded.
Types of memory
• RAM is a volatile memory so contents are lost on reload,
where NVRAM and Flash contents are not.

• NVRAM holds the startup configuration file, where RAM


holds the running configuration file.

• ROM contains a bootstrap program called ROM Monitor


(or ROMmon).
• When a router / Switch is powered on, the bootstrap runs
a hardware diagnostic called POST (Power-On Self Test).
CISCO IOS

• IOS : Internetwoking Operting System


• Cisco IOS is the proprietary operating system for Cisco devices.
• IOS provides group of commands used for monitoring, configuring
and maintaining cisco devices.
• For security and easy administration, IOS commands are divided in
the set of different command modes.
• Each command mode has its own set of commands. Which
commands are available to use, depend upon the mode you are in.
SWITCH – BOOT PROCESS
Boot Process
• The router/Switch is powered on.

• The bootstrap program (ROMmon) in ROM runs Power-On Self Test (POST)

• POST checks the CPU subsystem. It tests the CPU, DRAM, and the portion of the flash device that makes up the flash file system.

• The boot loader is a small program stored in ROM and is run immediately after POST successfully completes.

• The boot loader initializes the flash file system on the system board

• The bootstrap (Boot Loader) checks the Configuration Register value to specify where to load the IOS.
• The switch attempts to automatically boot by using information in the BOOT environment variable. If this variable is not set, the switch attempts to loadin
hexadecimal),

• the router/switch first looks for “boot system” commands in startup-config file.
• If it finds these commands, it will run boot system commands in order they appear in startup-config to locate the IOS.

• If not, the IOS image is loaded from Flash . If the IOS is not found in Flash, the bootstrap can try to load the IOS from TFTP server or from ROM (mini-IOS).
• Step 1. First, the switch loads a power-on self-test (POST) program stored in ROM. POST checks the CPU subsystem. It tests the CPU, DRAM, and the portion of
the flash device that makes up the flash file system.

• Step 2. Next, the switch loads the boot loader software. The boot loader is a small program stored in ROM and is run immediately after POST successfully
completes.

• Step 3. The boot loader performs low-level CPU initialization. It initializes the CPU registers that control where physical memory is mapped, the quantity of
memory, and memory speed.

• Step 4. The boot loader initializes the flash file system on the system board.

• Step 5. Finally, the boot loader locates and loads a default IOS operating system software image into memory and hands control of the switch over to the IOS.

• The boot loader finds the Cisco IOS image on the switch using the following process:
• The switch attempts to automatically boot by using information in the BOOT environment variable.
• If this variable is not set, the switch attempts to load and execute the first executable file it can by performing a recursive, depth-first search throughout the
flash file system.
• In a depth-first search of a directory, each encountered subdirectory is completely searched before continuing the search in the original directory.

• On Catalyst 2960 Series switches, the image file is normally contained in a directory that has the same name as the image file (excluding the .bin file extension).

• The IOS operating system then initializes the interfaces using the Cisco IOS commands found in the configuration file, startup configuration, which is stored in
NVRAM.
Boot Process
• After the IOS is found, it is loaded into RAM.

• The IOS attempts to load the configuration file (startup-config)


from NVRAM to RAM.

• If the startup-config is not found in NVRAM, the IOS attempts to


load a configuration file from TFTP.

• If no TFTP server responds, the router/Switch enters Setup Mode


(Initial Configuration Mode).
Boot Process
SUMMARY
Summary : Boot Process
Summary : bootprocess
In short, when powered on the router needs to do:
• Run POST to check hardware
• Search for a valid IOS (the Operating System of the router/Switch)
• Search for a configuration file (all the configurations applied to this
router/Switch)

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