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| 1.5 |  | Important IOS Features |
| 1.5.6 |  | Backup and restoration of a configuration using a TFTP server |

Most switches have a TFTP client, allowing configuration files to be sent to and retrieved from a TFTP server.

For the switch to obtain the new configuration over the network, after the configuration is cleared, a valid IP address and default gateway setting must be configured.

For complete system recovery, make sure that a copy of the configuration file of each switch has been stored somewhere other than on the switch itself. It is a big mistake to have to rebuild the entire configuration file from scratch during a system outage, especially when a backup copy could have easily been created as a backup on a network-accessible machine.

Through TFTP, a configuration file can be stored on a TFTP server and recovered later when needed.

As a side note, TFTP servers are inherently weak in security. It is highly recommended not to keep your configuration files in a TFTP directory space until actually needed. Anyone who compromises the TFTP server can modify the configuration files without approval. The prudent network administrator will maintain configuration files in a secure directory space and copy them back to the TFTP directory space only when he or she is ready to use them. Although this adds another step to the recovery process, the security benefits definitely outweigh the procedural disadvantages.

Transferring Cisco IOS-based switch configuration files via TFTP to another device works the same as with a router. The command copy running-config tftp will copy the configuration file to a TFTP server at the location specified by the IP address.

The recovery process works in reverse. To recover a configuration file from a TFTP server, issue the command copy tftp running-config. This will load the configuration file specified into the "active" memory of the switch. When retrieving the configuration file, it can be written to Flash, startup configuration, or to running configuration.