Cisco 7609S filesystems: Where is the IOS?

I have been configuring and deploying different Cisco routers and switches, and all of them has the same usability. Checking the location of IOS on routers and switches simply use show flash: or dir command, this is not the case on Cisco 7609S.

Cisco 7609S storage filesystem is more complex than other Cisco routers and switches which I have encountered.

Cannot find IOS but the IOS is booted?!
Cisco 7609S RPS720 has two CF flash slots labeled as DISK0 and DISK1.
To show the contents of the CF flash use show disk0: command.

C7609-1#sh disk0:

No files on device

256524288 bytes available (0 bytes used)

C7609-1#

It turns out that IOS is not in the external compact flash and no configuration files was saved in CF.

From the “?” I found this command show bootdisk:, naturally I thought the IOS must have stored in this partition, but I was wrong.

C7609-1#sh bootdisk:
No files on device

512090112 bytes available (0 bytes used)

C7609-1#

Use the dir ? I saw multiple partitions.

C7609-1#dir ?
  /all                List all files
  /recursive          List files recursively
  all-filesystems     List files on all filesystems
  bootdisk:           Directory or file name
  cns:                Directory or file name
  const_nvram:        Directory or file name
  dfc#1-bootflash:    Directory or file name
  dfc#2-bootdisk:     Directory or file name
  dfc#3-bootdisk:     Directory or file name
  dfc#4-bootdisk:     Directory or file name
  disk0:              Directory or file name
  disk1:              Directory or file name
  flexwan-fpd:        Directory or file name
  null:               Directory or file name
  nvram:              Directory or file name
  revrcsf:            Directory or file name
  slavebootdisk:      Directory or file name
  slaveconst_nvram:   Directory or file name
  slavedisk0:         Directory or file name
  slavedisk1:         Directory or file name
  slavenvram:         Directory or file name
  slavercsf:          Directory or file name
  slavesup-bootdisk:  Directory or file name
  slavesystem:        Directory or file name
  sup-bootdisk:       Directory or file name
  sup-microcode:      Directory or file name
  system:             Directory or file name
  tar:                Directory or file name
  tmpsys:             Directory or file name
  <cr>

C7609-1#

But I decided not to go in one by one instead I want to study and understand the partitions.

Additionally the boot variable is empty, how does IOS load when there is no pointer to boot the IOS?

C7609-1#sh bootvar
BOOT variable =
CONFIG_FILE variable =
BOOTLDR variable =
Configuration register is 0x2102

Standby BOOT variable =
Standby CONFIG_FILE variable =
Standby BOOTLDR variable =
Standby Configuration register is 0x2102
C7609-1#

Exploring the file systems
Use show file systems command to display the entire filesystems detail.

C7609-1#sh file systems
File Systems:

       Size(b)       Free(b)      Type  Flags  Prefixes
             -             -    opaque     rw   system:
             -             -    opaque     rw   tmpsys:
             -             -    opaque     ro   flexwan-fpd:
*    256524288     256524288      disk     rw   disk0:
             -             -      disk     rw   disk1:
     512081920     308699136      disk     rw   sup-bootdisk:
     126386878             0    opaque     ro   sup-microcode:
             0     476566804    opaque     wo   sup-image:
        127212        126108     nvram     rw   const_nvram:
             -             -    opaque     rw   null:
             -             -    opaque     ro   tar:
             -             -   network     rw   tftp:
             -             -    opaque     wo   syslog:
       4059328       4050580     nvram     rw   nvram:
     512090112     512090112      disk     rw   bootdisk:#
             -             -   network     rw   rcp:
             -             -   network     rw   ftp:
             -             -   network     rw   http:
             -             -   network     rw   scp:
             -             -   network     rw   https:
             -             -    opaque     ro   cns:
       4059328       4050580     nvram     rw   slavenvram:
        127212        126108     nvram     rw   slaveconst_nvram:
     256524288     256524288      disk     rw   slavedisk0:
             -             -      disk     rw   slavedisk1:
     512081920     347807744      disk     rw   slavesup-bootdisk:
     512090112     512090112      disk     rw   slavebootdisk:
             -             -     nvram     rw   slavercsf:
             -             -    opaque     rw   slavesystem:
    1024573440    1023606784      disk     rw   dfc#2-bootdisk:
    1024573440    1023606784      disk     rw   dfc#3-bootdisk:
    1024573440    1023606784      disk     rw   dfc#4-bootdisk:
      32768000      32768000     flash     rw   dfc#1-bootflash:
             -             -    opaque     rw   revrcsf:

C7609-1#

Now this output is very clear, I look for the partitions which are utilized and went in to explore.

It turns out that the IOS is stored in the sup-bootdisk: and slavesup-bootdisk: partitions.

C7609-1#sh sup-bootdisk:
-#- --length-- -----date/time------ path
1    130713444 May 25 2012 06:46:54 +00:00 c7600rsp72043-advipservicesk9-mz.122-33.SRD8.bin
2     33554432 Aug 6 2012 02:22:22 +00:00 sea_log.dat
3     39106560 May 25 2012 14:12:04 +00:00 c7600-fpd-pkg.122-33.SRD8.pkg

308699136 bytes available (203382784 bytes used)

C7609-1#
C7609-1#sh slavesup-bootdisk:
-#- --length-- -----date/time------ path
1    130713444 May 25 2012 06:56:14 +00:00 c7600rsp72043-advipservicesk9-mz.122-33.SRD8.bin
2     33554432 Aug 6 2012 02:23:44 +00:00 sea_log.dat

347807744 bytes available (164274176 bytes used)

C7609-1#

The startup-config and other persistent configs are stored in nvram: (of course :))

C7609-1#dir nvram:
Directory of nvram:/

 3965  -rw-        5599                    <no date>  startup-config
 3966  ----          25                    <no date>  private-config
 3967  -rw-        5599                    <no date>  underlying-config
    1  ----           0                    <no date>  rf_cold_starts
    2  ----         258                    <no date>  persistent-data
    3  -rw-           0                    <no date>  ifIndex-table

4059328 bytes total (4050580 bytes free)
C7609-1#

The running-config is stored in system:

C7609-1#dir system:
Directory of system:/

    2  -r--           0                    <no date>  default-running-config
    3  dr-x           0                    <no date>  memory
    1  -rw-        5599                    <no date>  running-config
   11  dr-x           0                    <no date>  vfiles

No space information available
C7609-1#

The vlan.dat file is stored in const_nvram:

C7609-1#dir const_nvram:
Directory of const_nvram:/

    1  -rw-        1104                    <no date>  vlan.dat

127212 bytes total (126108 bytes free)
C7609-1#

To filter the type you want to see for example I only want to see disk type.

C7609-1#sh file systems | include disk
*    256524288     256524288      disk     rw   disk0:
             -             -      disk     rw   disk1:
     512081920     308699136      disk     rw   sup-bootdisk:
     512090112     512090112      disk     rw   bootdisk:#
     256524288     256524288      disk     rw   slavedisk0:
             -             -      disk     rw   slavedisk1:
     512081920     347807744      disk     rw   slavesup-bootdisk:
     512090112     512090112      disk     rw   slavebootdisk:
    1024573440    1023606784      disk     rw   dfc#2-bootdisk:
    1024573440    1023606784      disk     rw   dfc#3-bootdisk:
    1024573440    1023606784      disk     rw   dfc#4-bootdisk:
C7609-1#