Where is the startup configuration stored on a Cisco IOS device?

Where is the startup configuration stored on a Cisco IOS device?

• A. RAM
• B. NVRAM
• C. Flash
• D. ROM

Answer: (B)

The startup configuration is stored in non-volatile memory so it survives reboots. On Cisco IOS devices, the running configuration lives in RAM while the device is on, and when you save changes, the current running-config is copied into startup-config in NVRAM. During boot, the device loads this startup-config from NVRAM to apply the configured settings. Flash holds the IOS image and other files, ROM contains the bootstrap and a minimal IOS, and RAM holds the active running configuration. So the startup configuration resides in NVRAM.

The startup configuration is stored in non-volatile memory so it survives reboots. On Cisco IOS devices, the running configuration lives in RAM while the device is on, and when you save changes, the current running-config is copied into startup-config in NVRAM. During boot, the device loads this startup-config from NVRAM to apply the configured settings. Flash holds the IOS image and other files, ROM contains the bootstrap and a minimal IOS, and RAM holds the active running configuration. So the startup configuration resides in NVRAM.