B-19
Catalyst 2928 Switch Software Configuration Guide
OL-23389-01
Appendix B Working with the Cisco IOS File System, Configuration Files, and Software Images
Working with Software Images
Caution
You cannot restore a file after it has been deleted.
Working with Software Images
This section describes how to archive (download and upload) software image files, which contain the
system software, the Cisco IOS code, and the embedded device manager software.
Note
Instead of using the
copy
privileged EXEC command or the
archive tar
privileged EXEC command, we
recommend using the
archive download-sw
and
archive upload-sw
privileged EXEC commands to
download and upload software image files.
You can download a switch image file from a TFTP, FTP, or RCP server to upgrade the switch software.
If you do not have access to a TFTP server, you can download a software image file directly to your PC
or workstation by using a web browser (HTTP) and then by using the device manager to upgrade your
switch. For information about upgrading your switch by using a TFTP server or a web browser (HTTP),
see the release notes.
You can replace the current image with the new one or keep the current image in flash memory after a
download.
You upload a switch image file to a TFTP, FTP, or RCP server for backup purposes. You can use this
uploaded image for future downloads to the same switch or to another of the same type.
The protocol that you use depends on which type of server you are using. The FTP and RCP transport
mechanisms provide faster performance and more reliable delivery of data than TFTP. These
improvements are possible because FTP and RCP are built on and use the TCP/IP stack, which is
connection-oriented.
These sections contain this configuration information:
•
Image Location on the Switch, page B-20
•
tar File Format of Images on a Server or Cisco.com, page B-20
•
Copying Image Files By Using TFTP, page B-21
•
Copying Image Files By Using FTP, page B-24
•
Copying Image Files By Using RCP, page B-28
Note
For a list of software images and the supported upgrade paths, see the release notes.