System Configuration

With the System Configuration page, you can:

Setting the Console Baud Rate

The console allows terminal and PC access to the switch. After the console is installed, make sure the baud rate of the terminal or PC matches the console port baud rate.

To change the console port baud rate:

  1. From the Baud Rate drop-down list, select a baud rate that matches the setting of the attached terminal or PC.
    The default is 9600 bps.
  2. Click Apply.

Note: You can also display the console port characteristics in ASCII format by clicking Details.

Saving the System Configuration File and Rebooting the Switch

The startup configuration file contains the IP addresses, passwords, and any other parameters you entered when you first configured the switch. The switch maintains the configuration by reloading this file when it restarts. However, the startup configuration file might not be the active configuration (that is, the configuration currently operating the switch). Changes that you make through CVSM or the command-line interface (CLI) take effect immediately, but you must explicitly save them to include them in the startup configuration.

To save the active configuration file, click Save Configuration to copy the active configuration to Flash memory. Wait approximately 30 seconds for the new settings to be saved to permanent storage before turning off the switch.

By default, the System Reload Options fields contain the correct reboot information; therefore, to reboot the switch, click Reboot System. If you forget to save the active configuration file and click Reboot System, the switch prompts you to save the file.

Setting System Reload Options

If the System Reload Options fields do not contain the information that the switch needs to reboot, you can enter it. To complete the fields, enter the names of files that reside in Flash memory. If you do not know these filenames, you can display them by entering the following EXEC mode command at the command-line prompt:

dir flash:

Directory of flash:

65 -rwx 3456 Jan 01 1970 00:11:18 c2900xl-h2-mz-120.5-XP
4 drwx 13376 Mar 03 1993 04:29:25 html
72 -rwx 135 Mar 03 1993 02:22:38 env_vars
237 -rwx 1128 Mar 01 1993 00:51:33 config.text

The IOS image file has a name similar to c2900xl-h2-mz-120.5-XP or c3500XL-c3h2-mz-120.5-XP.
The configuration file has the name "config.text".

To enable the switch to reboot:

  1. In the Cisco IOS Image File field, enter the path and image filename.
  2. In the Configuration File field, enter the path and configuration filename.
  3. Skip the Helper Path List field.
  4. Skip the NVRAM Buffer Size field.
    Note: The NVRAM buffer size is the number of bytes allocated to hold the configuration file in NVRAM. Normally, the default setting of 32768 bytes is large enough.
    You can check the size of the configuration file by entering the dir command in EXEC mode from the command-line prompt. You can increase the buffer to a maximum of 524288 bytes on switches with 8 MB of DRAM.
  5. In the Boot Loader Flags field, enter -post if you want to see an extended power-on self test during the reboot process.
    Note: Using this flag can increase the boot time as much as 5 minutes.
  6. Click Apply to save the reload information to Flash memory.
  7. Reload the IOS image and the configuration saved in the configuration file by clicking Reboot System.

Note: Select the Manual Boot checkbox if you want the booting process to pause before the IOS image is loaded. You can also select the Enable Break while Booting checkbox if you want a break (such as an RS-232 break) to end the boot process. For more information, review the system reload options.

Setting Upgrade Options and Upgrading the Software

To upgrade your switch IOS image and HTML files for CVSM, perform the following procedures in the listed order:

  1. Download files from CCO.
  2. Obtain the TFTP server IP address.
  3. Upgrade the software.

You can also upgrade your ATM module image.

Note: For IOS release 11.2(8.x)SA5 and later, the IOS image and CVSM software are combined into a single tar file.

Downloading Files from CCO

Use this procedure to download the Cisco TFTP server application, a combined tar file of the IOS image (.bin files) and CVSM software (.html files), and the ATM module image from CCO to the hard disk on your PC or UNIX station:

  1. Login to CCO by following the instructions in the Release Notes for the Catalyst 2900 Series XL and the Catalyst 3500 Series XL, Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP.
  2. Download the TFTP server application by following the instructions in CCO.
    Note: To ensure full technical support, Cisco Systems recommends using the TFTP server application (Version 1.1). Earlier versions of this application will not properly copy the files during the upgrade process.
  3. Download the combined tar file by following the instructions in CCO.
    Note: For information about the image filenames that the tar file contains, see the Release Notes for the Catalyst 2900 Series XL and the Catalyst 3500 Series XL, Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP.
  4. Download the ATM module software image by following the instructions in the Release Notes for Catalyst 2900 Series XL ATM Modules.

Note: You cannot upgrade 2900 XL switches with 4MB of DRAM to an 8-MB image.  The 4-MB models are WS-C2908-XL, WS-C2916M-XL, WS-C2924C-XL, and WS-C2924-XL.   To operate these switches as member switches in a cluster, upgrade them to Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.x)SA6.

Obtaining the TFTP Server IP Address

The upgrade procedure requires you to enter the IP address of the PC or UNIX station that is acting as the TFTP server. Use one of the methods below to obtain the TFTP server address (you might want to write down this address when you obtain it):

Note: If your PC is running the Cisco TFTP server, check for the server IP address on the title bar of the TFTP application.

Upgrading the Switch Software

The following procedure shows you how to upgrade from 12.0(5)XP to 12.0(5)XP (for example, from standard to Enterprise Edition Software) and from 12.0(5)XP to a later version of software. Catalyst 2900 XL switches with 4 MB of DRAM (model numbers WS-C2908-XL, WS-C2916M-XL, and some WS-C2924-XL and WS-C2924C-XL models) cannot run Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP. However, you can include 4 MB switches in a cluster if you upgrade them to Cisco IOS Release 11.2(8.x)SA6. To determine switch memory size, use the CLI command show version.

To  upgrade the switch software, use this procedure:

  1. To avoid errors during the upgrade process, close any open CVSM pages except the System Configuration page.
  2. In the Combined Cisco IOS and Visual Switch Manager Upgrade section, enter the IP address of your TFTP server in the Server IP Address or Name of TFTP Server field.
  3. In the Cisco IOS and Visual Switch Manager Upgrade Filename field, enter the filename of the tar file that you downloaded from CCO (such as c2900XL-h2s-mz-120.5-XP.tar or c3500XL-c3h2s-mz-120.5-XP.tar).
    Enter the path and filename of the tar file, preceded by two slashes (//). If you enter only the filename in this field, you must set the path in the TFTP root directory of the TFTP server application.
    Note: Cisco IOS Release 12.0(5)XP cannot be installed on switches with 4 MB of DRAM. To determine switch memory size, use the CLI command show version.
  4. Select the Retain Current IOS Image File Name checkbox if you do not want your existing filename to be replaced with the new IOS image filename.
    By default, this checkbox is deselected, and the image will be renamed with the new name.
  5. Click Upgrade Cisco IOS and Visual Switch Manager.
    If Flash memory does not have enough space for two images, the new image is copied over the existing one.
    If Flash memory has enough space, the new image is copied to the selected switches but does not replace the current running image. After the new image is completely downloaded, the old one is erased. If a failure occurs during the copy process, you can still reboot your switch using the old image.
  6. Wait for the successful message to appear in the TFTP server window or the CVSM message window.
  7. Reboot the system.
    In the System Reload Options section, click Reboot System.
  8. Reload the CVSM page to access the new HTML files.

Upgrading the ATM Module Image

To upgrade the image on the ATM module:

  1. To avoid errors during the upgrade process, close any open CVSM pages except the System Configuration page.
  2. In the Combined Cisco IOS and Visual Switch Manager Upgrade section, enter the IP address of your TFTP server into the Server IP Address or Name of TFTP Server field.
  3. In the Cisco ATM Upgrade Filename field, enter the filename of the ATM module image that you downloaded from CCO (see Downloading Files from CCO).
    For example, enter C29atm-m-m-120-2.bin.
    Note: You can enter the path and filename in this field; it must be preceded with two slashes (//). If you enter only the filename in this field, you must set up the path in the TFTP root directory of the TFTP server application.
  4. Click Upgrade ATM Module in Slot 1 or Upgrade ATM Module in Slot 2, depending on where the ATM module is installed.
  5. In the TFTP server window, wait for the successful message to appear.
  6. After the upgrade is complete, reboot the system to use the new image.
    In the System Reload Options section, click Reboot System.

System Reload Options

Field Description
Cisco IOS Image File The path and name of the image file that the switch runs when it is rebooted.
Configuration File The path and name of the startup configuration file that the image file reads to configure the switch. The startup configuration file might not be the same as the running configuration file.
Helper Path List The path and filename to the helper file used by the image when it reloads. Helper files can extend the functionality of the boot loader. For example, diagnostic software can be loaded with the boot loader. This field is for technical support use only.
NVRAM Buffer Size The number of bytes in the NVRAM buffer. This buffer must be able to hold the configuration file. You can check the size of the configuration file by entering the dir command in EXEC mode from the command-line prompt. You can increase the buffer to a maximum of 524288 bytes on switches with 8 MB of DRAM. The default size is 32768 bytes.
Boot Loader Flags Entering -post causes the load image to run an extended power-on self test (POST).
Manual Boot Causes a pause before the image is reloaded. Enter a command at the command-line prompt to start the reload.
Enable Break while Booting Allows a break, such as an RS-232 break, to end the boot. If a break occurs, the command prompt redisplays. You can use this option to interrupt the boot when running terminal emulation software on a remote workstation.