files can be different. For example, you may want to change the configuration for a short time period rather
than permanently. In this case, you would change the running configuration using the
configure terminal
EXEC command but not save the configuration using the
copy running-config startup-config
EXEC
command.
To change the running configuration, use the
configure terminal
command, as described in the
the Configuration File, on page 187
section. As you use the Cisco IOS configuration modes, commands
generally are executed immediately and are saved to the running configuration file either immediately after
you enter them or when you exit a configuration mode.
To change the startup configuration file, you can either save the running configuration file to the startup
configuration using the
copy running-config startup-config
EXEC command or copy a configuration file
from a file server to the startup configuration (see the
Copying a Configuration File from a TFTP Server to
section for more information).
Configuration Mode and Selecting a Configuration Source
To enter configuration mode on the device, enter the
configure
command at the privileged EXEC prompt.
The Cisco IOS software responds with the following prompt asking you to specify the terminal, memory, or
a file stored on a network server (network) as the source of configuration commands:
Configuring from terminal, memory, or network [terminal]?
Configuring from the terminal allows you to enter configuration commands at the command line, as described
in the following section. See the
Re-executing the Configuration Commands in the Startup Configuration File
section for more information.
Configuring from the network allows you to load and execute configuration commands over the network. See
the
Copying a Configuration File from a TFTP Server to the Device
section for more information.
Configuration File Changes Using the CLI
The Cisco IOS software accepts one configuration command per line. You can enter as many configuration
commands as you want. You can add comments to a configuration file describing the commands you have
entered. Precede a comment with an exclamation point (!). Because comments are
not
stored in NVRAM or
in the active copy of the configuration file, comments do not appear when you list the active configuration
with the
show running-config
or
more system:running-config
EXEC command. Comments are not
displayed when you list the startup configuration with the
show startup-config
or
more
nvram:startup-config
EXEC mode command. Comments are stripped out of the configuration file when it
is loaded onto the device. However, you can list the comments in configuration files stored on a File Transfer
Protocol (FTP), Remote Copy Protocol (RCP), or Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server. When you
configure the software using the CLI, the software executes the commands as you enter them.
Location of Configuration Files
Configuration files are stored in the following locations:
• The running configuration is stored in RAM.
• On all platforms except the Class A Flash file system platforms, the startup configuration is stored in
nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM).
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Managing Configuration Files
Configuration Mode and Selecting a Configuration Source
