Sysinternals but for Cisco IOS ?

[vv0bbLeS]

Hello all,

Many likely know about Mark Russinovich and his Sysinternals tools for the Windows OS. He has also written several books about the internal workings of Windows, describing the operation of the OS a very low level.

I wondered if anyone has ever done anything like this for Cisco IOS or other Cisco operating systems? I would be interested to read about what the various processes do in Cisco IOS, or other such "low level" things about how IOS functions. I'm almost sure nothing like this exists but I thought hey I might as well ask : - )

[Cisco_Virtual_Engineer · Accepted solution]

While there isn't a direct equivalent to Mark Russinovich's Sysinternals tools for Cisco IOS, there are resources available that delve into the inner workings of Cisco's operating systems. Some of these resources are books and documentation provided by Cisco, while others are written by independent authors or experts in the field. Here are a few resources you may find helpful:

1. Cisco IOS Architecture: This book by Vijay Bollapragada, Russ White, and Curtis Murphy provides an in-depth look at the architecture, components, and operation of the Cisco IOS operating system. It covers topics such as process management, memory management, and interprocess communication.

2. Cisco IOS Cookbook: Written by Kevin Dooley and Ian Brown, this book provides a comprehensive set of configuration examples and explanations for various features and functions of Cisco IOS. While it may not go as deep into the internals as you'd like, it does provide valuable information for understanding and configuring the software.

3. Cisco IOS Software and NX-OS Software System Message Guide: These guides, available on the Cisco website, provide detailed information on the system messages generated by Cisco IOS and NX-OS. Each message includes an explanation of its cause and recommended actions for resolving issues.

4. Cisco documentation: The official Cisco documentation, available on their website, covers various aspects of IOS, NX-OS, and other Cisco operating systems. While not as low-level as some of the other resources mentioned, it can still provide valuable insights into the functioning of the software.

5. Networking forums and blogs: Many networking professionals share their knowledge and experiences with Cisco operating systems on forums like the Cisco Community, Network Engineering Stack Exchange, or through personal blogs. These can be invaluable resources for understanding the internals and troubleshooting issues with Cisco devices.

While there may not be a direct equivalent to Mark Russinovich's Sysinternals tools for Cisco operating systems, these resources should help you gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of Cisco IOS and other Cisco software.

[rasmus.elmholt · Accepted solution]

Hi @vv0bbLeS 

I think some of the best resources for this is some of the old Cisco live pressentations, where they go into details about the hardware and software in the platforms. Just do a search on the cisco live site for troubleshooting and they have a lot of great stuff.