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Rp bootflash vs sp bootflash

Hello,

What is the difference between the router bootflash and switch bootflash. Where does ios sup720 boot from the router flash or switch flash?

1 Accepted Solution

Accepted Solutions

Horacio

Bootflash is a generic term we normally use for the flash of both route flash and switch flash...

But technically sp flash is sup-bootflash or sup-bootdisk.

So you will do a dir sup-bootflash: or dir sup-bootdisk: for sp flash.

And the rp flash is actually the bootflash... So to check rp flash you do a dir bootflash:

And to check the external flash card you do a dir disk0:

You may also try a 'show file system' on the switch it will show you all the different flashes you have on the switch.

Thanks

Ankur

"Please rate the post if found useful"

View solution in original post

12 Replies 12

Ankur Arora
Level 1
Level 1

Horacio,

It always boots from the SP bootflash and then passes control to the RP bootflash.

Take a look at the following boot sequence.

Important points are in bold.

*Feb 13 22:44:42.544: %SYS-SW1_SP-5-RELOAD: Reload requested by Delayed Reload. Reload Reason: Reload Command.

*Feb 13 22:44:43.312: %OIR-SW1_SP-6-CONSOLE: Changing console ownership to switch processor

System Bootstrap, Version 8.5(4)

Copyright (c) 1994-2009 by cisco Systems, Inc.

Cat6k-Sup720/SP processor with 1048576 Kbytes of main memory

Autoboot executing command: "boot bootdisk:s72033-ipservicesk9-mz.122-33.SXI4a"

Loading image, please wait ...

Initializing ATA monitor library...

Self extracting the image... [OK]

Self decompressing the image : ######################################################################################################################################################################################################## [OK]

              Restricted Rights Legend

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is

subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph

(c) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted

Rights clause at FAR sec. 52.227-19 and subparagraph

(c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer

Software clause at DFARS sec. 252.227-7013.

           cisco Systems, Inc.

           170 West Tasman Drive

           San Jose, California 95134-1706

Cisco IOS Software, s72033_sp Software (s72033_sp-IPSERVICESK9-M), Version 12.2(33)SXI4a, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)

Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport

Copyright (c) 1986-2010 by Cisco Systems, Inc.

Compiled Fri 16-Jul-10 20:18 by prod_rel_team

Image text-base: 0x40101328, data-base: 0x42323390

*Feb 13 22:17:50.859: %SYS-SW1_SP-3-LOGGER_FLUSHING: System pausing to ensure console debugging output.

Firmware compiled 22-Apr-10 14:56 by integ Build [100]

*Feb 13 22:17:50.859: %OIR-SW1_SP-6-CONSOLE: Changing console ownership to route processor

System Bootstrap, Version 12.2(17r)SX7, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)

Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport

Copyright (c) 2009 by cisco Systems, Inc.

Cat6k-Sup720/RP platform with 1048576 Kbytes of main memory

Download Start

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Download Completed! Booting the image.

Self decompressing the image : ######################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################################## [OK]

              Restricted Rights Legend

Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is

subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph

(c) of the Commercial Computer Software - Restricted

Rights clause at FAR sec. 52.227-19 and subparagraph

(c) (1) (ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer

Software clause at DFARS sec. 252.227-7013.

           cisco Systems, Inc.

           170 West Tasman Drive

           San Jose, California 95134-1706

Cisco IOS Software, s72033_rp Software (s72033_rp-IPSERVICESK9-M), Version 12.2(33)SXI4a, RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc2)

Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport

Copyright (c) 1986-2010 by Cisco Systems, Inc.

Compiled Fri 16-Jul-10 19:51 by prod_rel_team

Image text-base: 0x40101328, data-base: 0x43BC8B30

This product contains cryptographic features and is subject to United

States and local country laws governing import, export, transfer and

use. Delivery of Cisco cryptographic products does not imply

third-party authority to import, export, distribute or use encryption.

Importers, exporters, distributors and users are responsible for

compliance with U.S. and local country laws. By using this product you

agree to comply with applicable laws and regulations. If you are unable

to comply with U.S. and local laws, return this product immediately.

A summary of U.S. laws governing Cisco cryptographic products may be found at:

http://www.cisco.com/wwl/export/crypto/tool/stqrg.html

If you require further assistance please contact us by sending email to

export@cisco.com.

cisco WS-C6504-E (R7000) processor (revision 2.0) with 983008K/65536K bytes of memory.

Processor board ID FXS1723Q1ME

SR71000 CPU at 600Mhz, Implementation 0x504, Rev 1.2, 512KB L2 Cache

Last reset from s/w reset

1 Virtual Ethernet interface

6 Gigabit Ethernet interfaces

12 Ten Gigabit Ethernet interfaces

1917K bytes of non-volatile configuration memory.

8192K bytes of packet buffer memory.

65536K bytes of Flash internal SIMM (Sector size 512K).

Press RETURN to get started!

*Feb 13 22:48:19.651: RP: Currently running ROMMON from S (Gold) region

*Feb 13 22:48:20.503: %SPANTREE-5-EXTENDED_SYSID: Extended SysId enabled for type vlan. The Bridge IDs of all active STP instances have been updated, which might change the spanning tree topology

*Feb 13 22:48:25.007: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from memory by console

*Feb 13 22:48:28.423: %SYS-5-RESTART: System restarted --

Cisco IOS Software, s72033_rp Software (s72033_rp-IPSERVICESK9-M), Version 12.2(33)SXI4a, RELEASE SOFTWARE

VSS-SW1>

VSS-SW1> (fc2)

Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport

Thanks

Ankur

"Please rate the post if found useful"

What would happen if the router flash goes back would the switch flash still boot up or vice versa. What does the router flash do?

Both are important for the switch bootup. If one of them goes bad, the switch will fall into Rommon (diagnostic) mode.

The SP handls all the L2 functionalities of the switch along with the bootup of the switch and managing of the chassis and the power supplies.

The RP manages all the routing protocols and the CLI of the switch. Any command which we enter on the CLI is processed in the RP and is executed in the SP. So both swich flash and router flash are important for the functioning of the switch. Both the route flash and the switch flash hold a copy of IOS imagein each and respective crashfiles in case of any crash.

Thanks

Ankur

"Please rate the post if found useful"

Do you need upload the ios to the switch flash and router flash or do you upload ios on switch flash and automatically copies to router flash. Also, what is the command to  access router flash?

You just need to upload the IOS to the switch flash, it will automatically copy the IOS into the route flash during bootup.

Command to access the switch flash will be one among the two below:

dir sup-bootflash:

dir sup-bootdisk:

Thanks

Ankur

"Please rate the post if found useful"

What about the command to access the router flash?

Also what if I boot from disk 0 will that copy to router flash and ios boot normally?

Command to access router flash is:

dir bootflash:

If you boot from disk0: it will bring up the IOS normally, as it will download the IOS into the router flash while booting up.

Thanks

Ankur

"Please rate the post if found useful"

Arora,

You been really helpful I have one more question for you. I thought dir bootflash: command was to see sup-flash ios or disk 0.

I guess I'm bit confuse and you can clear this up for me . When I do a dir by itself or dir bootflash or command which flash I'm I accessing or how do I know which flash I'm accessing?

Horacio

Bootflash is a generic term we normally use for the flash of both route flash and switch flash...

But technically sp flash is sup-bootflash or sup-bootdisk.

So you will do a dir sup-bootflash: or dir sup-bootdisk: for sp flash.

And the rp flash is actually the bootflash... So to check rp flash you do a dir bootflash:

And to check the external flash card you do a dir disk0:

You may also try a 'show file system' on the switch it will show you all the different flashes you have on the switch.

Thanks

Ankur

"Please rate the post if found useful"

Disclaimer

The  Author of this posting offers the information contained within this  posting without consideration and with the reader's understanding that  there's no implied or expressed suitability or fitness for any purpose.  Information provided is for informational purposes only and should not  be construed as rendering professional advice of any kind. Usage of this  posting's information is solely at reader's own risk.

Liability Disclaimer

In  no event shall Author be liable for any damages whatsoever (including,  without limitation, damages for loss of use, data or profit) arising out  of the use or inability to use the posting's information even if Author  has been advised of the possibility of such damage.

Posting

Point of clarification.  I believe what you're seeing is the SP booting from its ROM (which is flashable [ditto RP ROM]), note "System Bootstrap, Version 8.5(4), not the SP's internal bootflash, known as sup-bootflash to the RP.  It then boots the (full and native) IOS from the RP's bootdisk.  (There's commands to "see" both SP or RP ROMs, and command to upgrade into one of two override regions.)

Back in the days of hybrid setups, the SP would load a CatOS image from its bootflash and the RP would load it's IOS image from its bootflash.

Joseph W. Doherty
Hall of Fame
Hall of Fame

Disclaimer

The  Author of this posting offers the information contained within this  posting without consideration and with the reader's understanding that  there's no implied or expressed suitability or fitness for any purpose.  Information provided is for informational purposes only and should not  be construed as rendering professional advice of any kind. Usage of this  posting's information is solely at reader's own risk.

Liability Disclaimer

In  no event shall Author be liable for any damages whatsoever (including,  without limitation, damages for loss of use, data or profit) arising out  of the use or inability to use the posting's information even if Author  has been advised of the possibility of such damage.

Posting

Different devices have different flashes.  Generally, all devices have very basic system boot loader, stored either in real ROM or in some kind of flash.  The purpose of the boot loader is to load some kind of OS image, and start running it.  (NB: this software tends to be very small.  Besides supporting loading an OS and starting it, it may also support additional features, such as ROMMON.)

In routers, the 2600's boot loader was in ROM.  To upgrade it (if supported by vendor), you needed to replace ROM chips.  In the 2800, the boot loader can be "flash" upgraded.  Newer boot loader versions, either address some bug(s) or add feature(s).  For example, early 2800 could not boot an image on their USB, but a later boot loader image supports that.  Many of the later 6500 boot images include bug fixes.

On 7200s, besides the boot loader, they have a bootflash which can contain a limited feature IOS.  When present the boot loader loads and starts this program, which if if finds a full IOS on the main flash, it will load that and start it.  (I believe the boot loader, if it doesn't find the limited IOS image, will load and start a main IOS image.)

6500s, and their predecessor, the 5500s, their supervisor cards have a L2 component and (optional on the 5500) a L3 component.  Originally each ran their own OS images, which "talked" to each other.  This is why these devices have SP (L2) and RP (L3) flashes on the card.  Later 6500 "native" IOS images support both the SP and RP, so the SP (main) flash isn't used.  (NB: BTW, I think the sup2T is different, it might not have SP flash.)

What this all boils down to, different devices are different.  Again, generally, you'll find a boot loader, and you'll find an OS, but where these image might be stored, will vary between platforms.  (Incidentally, many systems support booting OS image across the wire, so you might not even find an OS image on the device.)

If this all appears confusing, that's because it is.  (Having more than one gray hair, when I was in school for this stuff, I learned how to "toggle" in a program on a PDP8, which teaches you, if nothing else, how much to appreciate on-board boot loaders and/or flashes that "remember" across power cycles.  )

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