Vision Infosystems (VIS)

Cisco Router Architecture

Cisco routers consist of many hardware and Software components. The main components of a Cisco router
include the following:

• DRAM
• NVRAM
• Flash
• ROM
• IOS (Internetwork Operating System)

Random-Access Memory (RAM)

RAM can be called as routers working area. Cisco routers use RAM to store the current configuration file
and other important data like IP routing table, etc. This RAM is temporary in nature.

Nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM)

NVRAM is place where Cisco router stores a router’s configuration file. The NVRAM storage area is
retained by the router in the event of a power cycle. When the router is powers up, the IOS copies the stored
configuration file from the NVRAM to RAM.

System Flash
It is a place where Cisco router stores its Operating System. The System Flash is an erasable and
programmable memory which stores router’s IOS image. You can delete, retrieve, and store new versions of
IOS in the Flash memory system.

Read-Only Memory
Read-only memory (ROM) stores a MINI-IOS of router which is used in an event where the IOS becomes
corrupted or no current IOS image is stored in Flash. ROM mode provides a special mode called as
ROMMON> mode which helps a you to upgrade your IOS, change configuration register to break
password, etc.

Cisco Interfaces
Cisco router physical interfaces provide connections to a network. The various types of physical interface
include Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, token ring, serial, ISDN BRI, etc. The logical interfaces include Loopback,
Tunnel, Null, etc. There are also various other interfaces like Console, AUX, etc. Cisco has provides naming
convention to each router interface base on type and number of interface. Below are the examples of
interface type’s and there numbers.

Physical interfaces type and naming convention

Types Non-Modular Modular VIP
Ethernet (10 mbps) e0,e1,e2, etc e0/0, e0/1, etc e0/0/0, e0/1/0, etc
Fast Ethernet (100 mbps) f0, f1, f2, etc F0/0, f0/1, etc F0/0/0, f0/0/01, etc
Serial (normally 56 kbps to 2 mbps) S0, s1, s2, etc S0/0, s0/1, etc S0/0/0, s0/0/1, etc

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ISDN BRI (128 kbps) Bri0, bri1, etc Bri0/0, bri0/1,etc Bri0/0/0, bri0/0/1 ,etc

In modular router the naming convention is based on interface-type slot/port. VIP (Versatile Interface
Processor) is used in Cisco 7500 series. The naming convention used in VIP series is interface-type
adapter/slot/port.

IOS
IOS called as Internetwork Operating System. The main software component of Cisco router is its IOS. IOS
is software which provides user interface to Cisco router. Each Cisco Router requires an IOS to function
properly. Each router series uses different types of IOS based on hardware configuration of Cisco router.
IOS is a .bin files which is stored in Flash and named as e.g. c2500-js-mz-t1.bin. The latest version of IOS is
12.3.

Cisco routers IOS modes or prompts

• Rommon 1> : When the router is in boot mode and loaded with a subset of the IOS image, only a
limited number of commands are available.
• Router> : (User mode) This model is initial mode for IOS. This mode does not provide any rights to
users. This mode allow user to use certain command like show, ping, tracert, etc.
• Router# : (User EXEC mode or privilege mode) Basic IOS commands are permitted from the
command-line interface (CLI). In this mode as cannot modify, delete router configuration, etc. An
example prompt is visrouter>.
• Router(config)# : (Global Configuration mode) Where you can make configuration changes. An
example prompt is visrouter(config)#.
• Router(Config-if)# : (Interface configuration mode) Where you make configuration changes to
interfaces such as the Ethernet or Serial connections. Example prompt is visrouter(config-if)#.
• Router(config-subif)# (Sub-interface configuration mode) This mode is used to configure sub-
interface on a router.
• Router(Config-router)# : (Routing protocol configuration mode) This mode is use to configure
routing protocols.
• Router(config-line)# : (Line protocol configuration mode) This mode is used to configure your lines
like console, aux, vty, etc.

There are various other modes available in IOS for configure various commands and parameters related to
your configuration and requirement.