Cisco Network Operating System

Cisco IOS

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Operating Systems
 Purpose of OS
• PC operating systems enable a user to:
• Use a mouse to make selections and run programs.
• Enter text and text-based commands.
• View output on a monitor.

• Cisco IOS enables a network technician to:

• Use a keyboard to run CLI-based network programs.
• Use a keyboard to enter text and text-based commands.
• View output on a monitor.

• All networking devices come with a default IOS.

• It is possible to upgrade the IOS version or feature set.

Internal Components of a Cisco Router and Switch
 Internal component … cont’d
• Bootstrap: Stored in the microcode of the ROM, the bootstrap is used to
bring a router up during initialization. It boots the router up and then loads
the IOS.

• POST (power-on self-test): stored in the microcode of the ROM, used to

check the basic functionality of the router hardware and determines which
interfaces are present.

• ROM monitor: stored in the microcode of the ROM, the ROM monitor is used
for manufacturing, testing, and troubleshooting, as well as running a mini-IOS
when the IOS in flash fails to load.

• Mini-IOS Called the RXBOOT or bootloader: by Cisco, the mini-IOS is a small

IOS in ROM that can be used to bring up an interface and load a Cisco IOS into
flash memory. The mini-IOS can also perform a few other maintenance
operations.
 Internal component … cont’d
• RAM (random access memory): Used to hold packet buffers, ARP cache,
routing tables, and also the software and data structures that allow the router
to function. Running-config is stored in RAM, and most routers expand the
IOS from flash into RAM upon boot.

• ROM (read-only memory): Used to start and maintain the router. Holds the
POST and the bootstrap program as well as the mini-IOS.

• Flash memory: Stores the Cisco IOS by default. Flash memory is not erased
when the router is reloaded. It is EEPROM (electronically erasable
programmable read-only memory).
 Internal component … cont’d

• NVRAM (nonvolatile RAM): Used to hold the router and switch configuration.
NVRAM is not erased when the router or switch is reloaded. Does not store
an IOS. The configuration register is stored in NVRAM.

• Configuration register: Used to control how the router boots up. This value
can be found as the last line of the show version command output and by
default is set to 0x2102, which tells the router to load the IOS from flash
memory as well as to load the configuration from NVRAM. It’s a combination
of 16 bits written as hexadecimal.
– Notice that bit 6 can be used to ignore the NVRAM contents.
 Boot Sequence

1. The IOS device performs a POST, which tests the hardware to verify that all
components of the device are present and operational. It’s stored in and
runs from read-only memory (ROM).

2. The bootstrap in ROM locates and loads the Cisco IOS software. By default,
the IOS software is loaded from flash memory in all Cisco devices.

3. The IOS software then looks for a valid configuration file stored in NVRAM.
This file is called startup-config and will be present only if an administrator
has copied the running-config file into NVRAM.

4. If a startup-config file is found in NVRAM, the router or switch will copy it,
place it in RAM, and name the file the running-config. When that fails, which
it typically does, the device will begin the setup mode configuration
process.
 Cisco IOS Access

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Access Methods
 Terminal Emulation Programs
PuTTY
 Terminal Emulation Programs (cont.)
Tera-Term
 Terminal Emulation Programs (cont.)
SecureCRT
 Navigate the IOS

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 Cisco IOS Modes of Operation
• A console connection must be established before initial configuration of a
Cisco device.
• After being consoled in, the network technician will have to navigate
through various command modes of the IOS CLI.
• The Cisco IOS modes use a hierarchical structure and are quite similar for
both switches and routers.
Primary Command Modes
 Configuration Command Modes
Global Configuration Mode
• To configure the device must enter this mode with configure terminal
command
• Example: Switch(config)#
• CLI configuration changes are made that affect the operation of the device as
a whole
• From this mode, the user can enter different sub-configuration modes
Two common sub-configuration modes include:
• Line Configuration Mode - Used to configure console, SSH, Telnet, or AUX
access. Example: Switch(config-line)#
• Interface Configuration Mode - Used to configure a switch port or router
network interface. Example: Switch(config-if)#
Navigate Between IOS Modes
Navigate Between IOS Modes (cont.)

Exit
End or Ctrl+Z
 The Command Structure

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Basic IOS Command Structure
IOS Command Syntax
IOS Help Features
IOS Help Features (cont.)
 Hotkeys and Shortcuts
• Tab – Completes the remainder of a partially typed command or keyword
• Ctrl-R – Redisplays a line
• Ctrl-A – Moves cursor to the beginning of the line
• Ctrl-Z – Exits configuration mode and returns to user EXEC
• Down Arrow – Allows the user to scroll forward through former commands
• Up Arrow – Allows the user to scroll backward through former commands
• Ctrl-Shift-6 – Allows the user to interrupt an IOS process such as ping
or traceroute.
• Ctrl-C – Aborts the current command and exits the configuration mode
 Basic Device Configuration

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 Hostnames

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 Device Names
Guidelines to Choose a Hostname

Configuring Device Names

Hostnames allow devices to be identified

by network administrators over a network
or the Internet.
Configure Hostnames
 Limit Access to Device Configurations

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Secure Device Access
Configure Passwords
Privileged EXEC Password Example

User EXEC Password Example

VTY Line Password Example

 Configure Passwords (cont.)

• Use the enable secret command, not the older enable password command.
• The enable secret command provides greater security because the password
is encrypted.
 Configure Passwords (cont.)

Console port must be secured.

• Reduces the chance of unauthorized personnel physically plugging a
cable into the device and gaining device access.
VTY lines allow access to a Cisco device via Telnet.
• The number of VTY lines supported varies with the type of device and the
IOS version.
Encrypt Passwords

service password-encryption
• Prevents passwords from
showing up as plain text
when viewing the
configuration.

• Purpose of this command

is to keep unauthorized
individuals from viewing
passwords in the
configuration file.

• After this command is

applied, removing the
encryption service does
not reverse the
encryption
 Banner Messages

• These are an important

part of the legal process in
the event that someone is
prosecuted for breaking
into a device.

• Wording that implies that

a login is "welcome" or
"invited" is not
appropriate.

• Often used for legal

notification because it is
displayed to all connected
terminals.
 Save Configurations

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Save the Running Configuration File

• Startup configuration –File

stored in NVRAM that
contains all of the
commands that will be used
upon startup or reboot.
NVRAM does not lose its
contents when the device is
powered off.

• Running configuration –
File stored in RAM that
reflects the current
configuration, modifying
affects the operation of a
Cisco device immediately.
RAM loses all of its content
when the device is powered
off or restarted.
 Alter the Running Configuration
• Restore the device to its previous configuration by removing the changed
commands individually.

• Copy the startup configuration file to the running configuration with the copy
startup-config running-config privileged EXEC mode command.

• Reload the device with the reload command from privileged EXEC mode.

• Switch# reload
–System configuration has been modified. Save? [yes/no]: n
–Proceed with reload? [confirm]
 Capture Configuration to a Text File
Using PuTTY to Capture Console Session
 Capture Configuration to a Text File (cont.)
Enabling Session Logging in PuTTY

• All session output will be

captured to the file
specified, MySwitchLogs.
• Execute the show running-
config or show startup-
config command at the
privileged EXEC prompt.
Text displayed in the
terminal window will be
placed into the chosen file.
 Capture Configuration to a Text File (cont.)
Disabling Session Logging in PuTTY
 Port and address Schemes

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 IP Addresses
Configuring a Static IP Address
Connecting End Devices on a Host
 Interfaces and Ports
• Network communications depend on end user device interfaces, networking device
interfaces, and the cables that connect them.
• Types of network media include twisted-pair copper cables, fiber-optic cables, coaxial
cables, or wireless.
• Different types of network media have different features and benefits.
• Ethernet is the most common local area network (LAN) technology.
• Ethernet ports are found on end user devices, switch devices, and other networking
devices.
• Cisco IOS switches have physical ports for devices to connect to, but they also have
one or more switch virtual interfaces (SVIs). No physical hardware on the device is
associated with it. It is created in software.
• SVI provides a means to remotely manage a switch over a network.
 Configure IP Addressing

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 Manual IP Address Configuration for End Devices

Manually Assigning IPv4

Ethernet Adapter Properties Address Information
 Automatic IP Address Configuration for End Devices
Assigning Dynamic Addresses
Automatic IP Address Configuration for End Devices
(cont.)
Verifying Windows PC IP Configuration
 Switch Virtual Interface Configuration

• IP address - Together with subnet mask, uniquely identifies end device on internetwork

• Subnet mask - Determines which part of a larger network is used by an IP address

• interface VLAN 1 - Interface configuration mode

• ip address 192.168.10.2 255.255.255.0 - Configures the IP address and subnet mask for the
switch

• no shutdown - Administratively enables the interface

• Switch still needs to have physical ports configured and VTY lines to enable remote management
 Verifying Connectivity

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Interface Addressing Verification
End-to-End Connectivity Test
 Summary

• Explain the features and functions of Cisco IOS Software.

• Configure initial settings on a network device using the Cisco IOS software.

• Given an IP addressing scheme, configure IP address parameters on end devices to

provide end-to-end connectivity in a small to medium-sized business network.

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Thank you.