About Configuration Files
Every network devices contain two types of software for their operation. First one is operating system and second is configuration file. Similar to the computer the operating system facilitates the basic operation of the networking devices. Configuration files contain the Cisco IOS command used to customize the different function of a Cisco device. All commands are executed by the IOS software when the device is booted or when commands are entered in the configuration mode.
The administrator creates the different configuration that defines the desire particular function of the device. A Cisco device contain two configuration files:
1. Startup Configuration File
This file is used during system startup to configure the device. The Startup configuration file or startup-config file is stored in the non volatile RAM. Because of nonvolatile when Cisco device turn off, there is no content loss. This file is loaded into RAM each time the router is started or reloaded. After the Startup configuration file is loaded into RAM, it is known as running configuration or running-config.
2. Running configuration file
This file contains current configuration of the software. We can change the running configuration using the ‘configure terminal’ command. Running configuration is used to operate the network device. After making any changes in this configuration there is a option of saving those changes to the startup configuration file so that they can be use next time when device restarts. Because the running configuration files stores in RAM, it is lost when the device power is off. We can save the operation of these files in the startup configuration file by the command:
Router# copy running-config startup-config or
Router# write memory
To delete startup-configuration that is save in NVRAM:
Router# erase startup-config or
Router# write erase
Verify the basic configuration
All the basic configuration commands stored in the running configuration file of Router R1.We can use the command to display the operation of startup and running configuration:
R1# show running-config
R1# show startup-config
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