CHAPTER 12

Managing the Cisco IOS

Cisco routers and switches have an operating system, just as computers have operating systems. This operating system is used to access and manage the hardware on the router or switch and is used as the interface to change and view settings on the device. Although most Cisco devices are now capable of being managed through a web interface that presents a graphical user interface (GUI) to the administrator, management of routers and switches traditionally is done through the Cisco command-line interface (CLI).

Until recently, Cisco switches could have one of two operating systems installed. The CAT OS, which was inherited when Cisco purchased another switch manufacturer, continued to be an option until just recently. Cisco issued its final maintenance release in 2009 and will end support of this operating system in 2013. The Cisco Internetwork Operating System (IOS) has been the operating system in Cisco routers all along, and over the years Cisco replaced the CAT OS with the Cisco IOS on its switch models.