Cisco Internetworking Operating System (IOS)
Cisco IOS (originally Internetwork Operating System) is software used on most Cisco Systems routers and current Cisco network switches. (Earlier switches ran CatOS.) IOS is a package of routing, switching, internetworking and telecommunications functions integrated into a multitasking operating system. The first IOS was written by William Yeager in 1986.
CLI – Command Line Interface There are different ways to configure a router but most often, the first place we would connect to is the console port. The console port is usually an RJ45 (8 Pin Modular) connection. We can also connect to a Cisco router through an auxiliary port but for that we need a modem. The third way to connect to a Cisco router is in-band, through the program Telnet.
Bringing Up a Router When we first bring up a Cisco router, it will run a power on self-test (POST). If it passes, it will then looks for and load the Cisco IOS from flash memory-- if an IOS file is present. After that, the IOS loads and looks for a valid configuration--the startup-config, that’s stored by default in non-volatile RAM, or NVRAM. If there isn’t a configuration in NVRAM, the router will go in to set up mode, a step by step process to help you configure the router. You can also enter setup mode at any time from the command line by typing the command setup from something called privilege mode. Flash Memory – Flash memory is electronically erasable programmable read-only memory—an EEPROM. The Pound signs (#) are telling us that the IOS is being decompressed into RAM. After it is decompressed into RAM, the IOS is loaded and starts running the router. After the interface status messages appear and we press enter the Router > prompt will appear. This is called user exec mode (User mode). And it’s mostly used to view statistics, but it’s also a steppingstone to logging into privileged mode.