Preparing to Copy or Upload an Image File By Using FTP

You can copy images files to or from an FTP server.

The FTP protocol requires a client to send a remote username and password on each FTP request to a server. When you copy an image file from the switch to a server by using FTP, the Cisco IOS software sends the first valid username in this list:

•The username specified in the archive download-sw or archive upload-sw privileged EXEC command if a username is specified.

• style='orphans: auto;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing: 0px' border=0 v:shapes="_x0000_i1026">The username set by the ip ftp username username global configuration command if the command is configured.

• Anonymous.

The switch sends the first valid password in this list:

• The password specified in the archive download-sw or archive upload-sw privileged EXEC command if a password is specified.

•The password set by the ip ftp password password global configuration command if the command is configured.

• style='orphans: auto;widows: 1;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;word-spacing: 0px' border=0 v:shapes="_x0000_i1030">The switch forms a password named username@switchname.domain. The variable username is the username associated with the current session, switchname is the configured hostname, and domain is the domain of the switch.

The username and password must be associated with an account on the FTP server. If you are writing to the server, the FTP server must be properly configured to accept the FTP write request from you.

Use the ip ftp username and ip ftp password commands to specify a username and password for all copies. Include the username in the archive download-sw or archive upload-sw privileged EXEC command if you want to specify a username only for that operation.

If the server has a directory structure, the image file is written to or copied from the directory associated with the username on the server. For example, if the image file resides in the home directory of a user on the server, specify that user's name as the remote username.

Before you begin downloading or uploading an image file by using FTP, do these tasks:

• Ensure that the switch has a route to the FTP server. The switch and the FTP server must be in the same subnetwork if you do not have a router to route traffic between subnets. Check connectivity to the FTP server by using the ping command.

• If you are accessing the switch through the console or a Telnet session and you do not have a valid username, make sure that the current FTP username is the one that you want to use for the FTP download. You can enter the show users privileged EXEC command to view the valid username. If you do not want to use this username, create a new FTP username by using the ip ftp username username global configuration command. This new name will be used during all archive operations. The new username is stored in NVRAM. If you are accessing the switch through a Telnet session and you have a valid username, this username is used, and you do not need to set the FTP username. Include the username in the archive download-sw or archive upload-sw privileged EXEC command if you want to specify a username for that operation only.

•When you upload an image file to the FTP server, it must be properly configured to accept the write request from the user on the switch.

For more information, see the documentation for your FTP server.

Uploading an Image File By Using TFTP

You can upload an image from the switch to a TFTP server. You can later download this image to the switch or to another switch of the same type.

Use the upload feature only if the web management pages associated with the embedded device manager have been installed with the existing image.

Beginning in privileged EXEC mode, follow these steps to upload an image to a TFTP server:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1		Make sure the TFTP server is properly configured; see the "Preparing to Download or Upload an Image File By Using TFTP" section.
Step 2		Log into the switch through the console port, the Ethernet management port, or a Telnet session.
Step 3	archive upload-sw tftp:[[//location]/directory]/image-name.tar	Upload the currently running switch image to the TFTP server. •For //location, specify the IP address of the TFTP server. •For /directory/image-name.tar, specify the directory (optional) and the name of the software image to be uploaded. Directory and image names are case sensitive. The image-name.tar is the name of the software image to be stored on the server.

The archive upload-sw privileged EXEC command builds an image file on the server by uploading these files in order: info, the Cisco IOS image, and the web management files. After these files are uploaded, the upload algorithm creates the file format.

Caution For the download and upload algorithms to operate properly, do not rename image names.

Copying Image Files By Using FTP

You can download a switch image from an FTP server or upload the image from the switch to an FTP server.

You download a switch image file from a server to upgrade the switch software. You can overwrite the current image with the new one or keep the current image after a download.

You upload a switch image file to a server for backup purposes. You can use this uploaded image for future downloads to the switch or another switch of the same type.

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