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B-18
Catalyst 2950 and Catalyst 2955 Switch Software Configuration Guide
OL-10101-02
Appendix B Working with the Cisco IOS File System, Configuration Files, and Software Images
Working with Software Images
Caution You cannot restore the startup configuration file after it has been deleted.
Deleting a Stored Configuration File
To delete a saved configuration from flash memory, use the delete flash:filename privileged EXEC
command. Depending on the setting of the file prompt global configuration command, you might be
prompted for confirmation before you delete a file. By default, the switch prompts for confirmation on
destructive file operations. For more information about the file prompt command, see the Cisco IOS
Command Reference for Release 12.1.
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, Cisco IOS code, and the embedded device manager software.
You can download a switch image file from a TFTP, FTP, or RCP server to upgrade the switch software.
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 another of the same type.
The protocol that you use depends on which type of server that 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.
This section includes this information:
• Image Location on the Switch, page B-18
• tar File Format of Images on a Server or .com, page B-19
• Copying Image Files By Using TFTP, page B-20
• Copying Image Files By Using FTP, page B-22
• Copying Image Files By Using RCP, page B-26
Note For a list of software images and the supported upgrade paths, see the release notes.
Image Location on the Switch
The software image is stored as a .bin file in a directory that shows the version number. A subdirectory
contains the HTML files needed for web management. The image is stored on the system board flash
memory (flash:).