show ip interface brief

[sneakysaurus]

Just a quick question that I have been unable to find the answer to on the net.

I ran the "show ip interface brief" on one of my 3550 switches.

Under the "method" column I have some interfaces saying "NVRAM" and some saying "manual" Can anyone explain what the difference between the "manual" and "NVRAM" setting?

Thanks,

Craig.

[Kevin Dorrell]

Not sure, but is your startup configuration synchronised with your running configuration? Maybe the "manual" ones are those that have been reconfigured since the last time you booted the switch, and therefore may or may not be consistent with what is in NVRAM.

Kevin Dorrell

Luxembourg

[sneakysaurus]

Thats what I thought but after doing a copy run start some interfaces still say manual.

Anyone any ideas?

[Kevin Dorrell]

Do any of them change at all when you do the copy? It would be interesting to see what happens when you do a restart, but I guess that is not a good idea to try. ;-)

What you could do is to reconfigure an unused or unimportant port, and see if it changes from "NVRAM" to "manual", and then see if it stays "manual" even if you do a copy run start. If, so, I would bet it changes back to "NVRAM" next time you reload.

Kevin Dorrell

Luxembourg

[Richard Burts]

Kevin

If my memory is correct you are on the right path. But it is not a question of what is in the startup config now but what was in the startup config when the device booted. If the interface prameters were in the config file at startup, the parameters were assigned when the device booted and the method is NVRAM and if the parameters were actively configured the method is manual and will stay that way till the device is rebooted.

HTH

Rick

[paddyxdoyle]

Yes, i believe its how your interface obtains its IP address although i don't know how the device differentiates between manual and NVRAM.

Here are the possible values:

The method field has the following possible values:

•RARP or SLARP—Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) or Serial Line Address Resolution Protocol (SLARP) request

•BOOTP—Bootstrap protocol

•TFTP—Configuration file obtained from Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server

•manual—Manually changed by CLI command

•NVRAM—Configuration file in nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM)

•IPCP—ip address negotiated command

•DHCP—ip address dhcp command

•unassigned—No IP address

•unset—Unset

•other—Unknown

HTH

PJD

[sneakysaurus]

Thanks guys. You were right. On a reboot all the ip interaces went to "NVRAM". I also setup up a new ip int and it displayed as "manual"

Thanks for your help. it just annoyed me not knowing what it was.

Craig.