Running vs. startup config

config t # to go to global configruation mode

hostname Router1 # the change from the previous name "Router" to "Router1" takes effect immediately in running config

Running config: The config that is in effect right now Startup config: The config that will be in effect once the device is (re)booted

  • as long as changes have not been saved, they wil only afffect the running config (not the startup config)
    • to get back to the original config, reboot (as the last resort)
end # to get to privileged exec mode

copy run start # save running config to startup config

Backup your config to same device (bad idea)

copy run flash:my_config #  my_config will be the filename

sh flash # to verify that my_config is in there

# make my_config the startup config

erase start # on older router the command would be wr erase; it erases the content of the respective file, in this case the startup config
copy flash:my_config start # copy the content of my_config to start

Backup your config to different device (good idea)

# copy running config to a tftp server

copy run tftp # provide the IP address after hitting enter and afterwards the filename

# view the content of the file
more flash:my_config

Config storage locations

  • IOS operating system is stored in Flash
  • Startup Config is stored in NVRAM
  • Running Config is stored in RAM (loaded into RAM from startup config when device boots up)