8
Cisco 3900 Series, Cisco 2900 Series, and Cisco 1900 Series Integrated Services Routers Generation 2 Software Configuration Guide
Chapter       Overview of the Hardware and Software
IOS Commands
IOS Commands
Table 7 lists the Cisco IOS commands and features that can trigger an erase, write, or erase and write 
operation on a device's boot flash. The erase or write of an attribute on the boot flash can hold the CPU 
for a few milliseconds to complete the operation. The CPU hold can result in a functional impact on 
protocols or applications that are extremely time sensitive, for instance, Bidirectional Forwarding 
Detection (BFD) or routing protocols which use finely tuned short timers. For example, OSPF with fast 
hellos and short dead timers.
Table 7 Cisco IOS Commands 
Functionality Command Name Description
Configuration 
Example Impact
Write to NV 
memory.
write memory This command 
writes the device's 
configuration in to 
the Non-Volatile 
RAM (NVRAM) 
on the boot flash. 
Use this command 
in privileged 
EXEC mode.
Router#write 
memory
A BFD flap is triggered when one of the 
following configuration elements are 
activated or deactivated and configuration is 
saved to memory: 
(config)#warm-reboot
(config)#boot config 
(config)#boot system 
Changing the 
configuration 
register value.
config-register 
value
The router has a 
16-bit 
configuration 
register in 
NVRAM. Each bit 
has value 1 (on or 
set) or value 0 (off 
or clear), and each 
bit setting affects 
the router 
behavior upon the 
next reload power 
cycle. Use this 
command in 
Global 
configuration 
mode.
Router(config)# 
config-register 
0xvalue 
Potential enough to flap bfd.