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Working with the Cisco IOS File System, Configuration Files, and Software Images
Working with Configuration Files
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 12.2.
Caution: You cannot restore a file after it has been deleted.
Replacing and Rolling Back Configurations
The configuration replacement and rollback feature replaces the running configuration with any saved Cisco IOS
configuration file. You can use the rollback function to roll back to a previous configuration.
Understanding Configuration Replacement and Rollback
Archiving a Configuration
The configuration archive provides a mechanism to store, organize, and manage an archive of configuration files. The
configure replace privileged EXEC command increases the configuration rollback capability. As an alternative, you can
save copies of the running configuration by using the copy running-config destination-url privileged EXEC command,
storing the replacement file either locally or remotely. However, this method lacks any automated file management. The
configuration replacement and rollback feature can automatically save copies of the running configuration to the
configuration archive.
You use the archive config privileged EXEC command to save configurations in the configuration archive by using a
standard location and filename prefix that is automatically appended with an incremental version number (and optional
timestamp) as each consecutive file is saved. You can specify how many versions of the running configuration are kept
in the archive. After the maximum number of files are saved, the oldest file is automatically deleted when the next, most
recent file is saved. The show archive privileged EXEC command displays information for all the configuration files saved
in the configuration archive.
The Cisco IOS configuration archive, in which the configuration files are stored and available for use with the configure
replace command, is in any of these file systems: FTP, HTTP, RCP, TFTP.
Replacing a Configuration
The configure replace privileged EXEC command replaces the running configuration with any saved configuration file.
When you enter the configure replace command, the running configuration is compared with the specified replacement
configuration, and a set of configuration differences is generated. The resulting differences are used to replace the
configuration. The configuration replacement operation is usually completed in no more than three passes. To prevent
looping behavior no more than five passes are performed.
You c an use the copy source-url running-config privileged EXEC command to copy a stored configuration file to the
running configuration. When using this command as an alternative to the configure replace target-url privileged EXEC
command, note these major differences:
The copy source-url running-config command is a merge operation and preserves all the commands from both the
source file and the running configuration. This command does not remove commands from the running configuration
that are not present in the source file. In contrast, the configure replace target-url command removes commands
from the running configuration that are not present in the replacement file and adds commands to the running
configuration that are not present.
You can use a partial configuration file as the source file for the copy source-url running-config command. You must
use a complete configuration file as the replacement file for the configure replace target-url command.
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