B-9
Catalyst 2950 Desktop Switch Software Configuration Guide
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Appendix B Working with the IOS File S ys tem, Configurat ion Files, and Soft w are Images Working with Configuration Files
You can copy (upload) configuration files from the switch to a file server by using TFTP, FTP, or RCP.
You might perform this task to back up a cur rent con figuration file to a server befor e chan ging its
contents so that you can later restore the original configuration file from the server.
The prot ocol you use depends on whic h type of ser ver you are using . The FTP an d RCP trans port
mecha nis ms provi de fast e r pe rfo rm an ce a nd m ore r e lia ble del ivery of da ta than T F TP. The se
improvements are possible b ecause FTP a nd RCP ar e built on a nd use the Tran smission Co ntrol
Protoco l/Int erne t Pro toc ol ( TCP/I P) sta ck, w hich i s co nnec tion-or ien ted.
This section includes this information:
•Guidel ines for Cre ating and Usi ng Configuratio n Files, page B-9
•Configuration File Types a nd Lo ca ti on, p age B-1 0
•Creatin g a Configura tion Fi le By Usi ng a Text Ed ito r, pa ge B-10
•Copying Configuration Fi les By Using TFTP, page B-11
•Copying Configuration Fi les By Using FTP, page B-13
•Copying Configuration Fi les By Using RCP, page B-16
•Clearing Configuration Information, page B-19

Guidelines for Creating and Using Configuration Files

Creatin g configura tion files ca n a id in y our switc h con figurati on. Con figuratio n files can c on tain so me
or all of the com mands nee ded to configure on e or more switches. For example, you might want to
download the same configuration file to several switches that have the same hardware configuration.
Use these guidelines when creating a configuration file:
•We re comm end t hat you co nne ct thro ugh th e c on sole po rt w h en usi n g con figura tio n files t o
configure the swit ch. If you c onfigure the s witc h fro m a Teln et se ssion, I P addr e sses a re no t
chan ged, a nd por t s and mo dule s a re n ot d isab led.
•If no passwords have been set on the switch , you must set them on each switch by enteri ng the
enable secret secret-password global configuration command. Enter a blank line for this command.
The pa ssword i s saved in the configu rat ion file a s c lea r t ext.
•If passwords already exist, you cannot enter the enable secret secret-password globa l conf i gurati on
comman d in the file because the passwor d verification will fail . If you ente r a password in the
configuration file, the switch mistakenly attempts to execute the passwords as commands as it
executes the file.