ROUTERS

CISCO INTERNETWORK OPERATION SYSTEM (IOS)

= OS used in Cisco routers and switches
CPU

= executes OS Instructions such as:

System Initialization
Routing Function
Network Interface Control

Four Types of Memory

ROM = permanent storage
o Bootstrap Instructions / program ROMmon
o Scaled down version of IOS
o POST
Flash Memory
o IOS permanent storage
o Erasable and reprogrammable ROM
o Flash memory content is retained by the router on reload.
RAM = volatile and losses its content when router is powered down, restarted
= stores instructions and data needed by CPU. Stores:
OS cisco IOS is copied into RAM during boot up
Running Config File holds the commands that the router is currently using
IP Routing Table stores information about directly connected and remote
networks
ARP Cache stores IP add and MAC add mappings
Packet Buffering temporary storage of packets when received before they
sent out to an exit interface
SDRAM - Running-Config, Routing Table, IOS (everything is loaded and
executed from RAM)
NVRAM = startup-config permanent storage

Note: The show version command also gives us this information.

60416K/5120K
How much ram in the router/how much DRAM is being used for packet memory
So, from the output above we can learn:
Amount of RAM: 60416 + 5120 = 65536KB / 1024 = 64MB
Amount of NVRAM: 239KB

Amount of Flash: 62720KB

ROUTER BOOTUP PROCESS
1. Router powered on
2. Bootstrap (ROMmon) in ROM runs POST
3. Bootstrap check configuration register. 2102 default value
4. Load the IOS the router has an ordered routine for loading the IOS
a. Flash Memory - the IOS is typically loaded from Flash memory
b. TFTP - if there is no IOS in Flash, the router will search for a network TFTP
server
c. ROM - if there is no IOS found, the router defaults to a recovery IOS called
ROMmon
5. Load the Startup-Config - the router has an ordered routine for loading the
startup-config file
a. NVRAM memory - the startup-config file is typically loaded from NVRAM
memory
b. TFTP - if there is no config file in NVRAM, the router will search for a network
TFTP server,
c. Setup-Mode - if there is no configuration file found, the router defaults to
setup-mode
3 WAYS TO ACCESS CLI
1. Console
2. Telnet or SSH
3. Aux
ROUTER MODES
User Exec
Privileged Exec
Global Config
Interface Config
Routing Config
Line Config

Router>
Router#
Router(config)#
Router(config-if)#
Router(config-router)#
Router(config-line)#