How to view the core switch configuration

You can view a core switch's configuration using commands like show running-config for the active configuration and show startup-config for the saved configuration.Accessing the Switch

To view the configuration, first connect to the switch via console cable, SSH, or Telnet. Use a terminal emulator like PuTTY and log in with the appropriate credentials. Ensure you have privileged EXEC mode access (enable mode) to run configuration commands .

Key Commands to View Configuration

• show running-config: Displays the current active configuration in RAM, including VLANs, interface settings, and security parameters .
• show startup-config: Shows the configuration stored in NVRAM that will load on the next reboot .
• show version: Provides switch model, IOS version, uptime, and memory information .
• show vlan brief: Lists all VLANs configured on the switch and their status .
• show interfaces / show ip interface brief: Displays interface status, IP addresses, and operational state .
• show mac address-table: Shows learned MAC addresses and associated ports .
• show spanning-tree: Displays STP status to prevent network loops .
• show inventory / show environment: Checks hardware components, power supplies, and environmental health .

Additional Tips

• Use context-sensitive help by typing ? after a command to see available options .
• For VLAN-specific details, use show vlan id or show interfaces trunk to verify trunking.
• To ensure changes are saved, compare running-config with startup-config and use copy running-config startup-config if needed . By systematically using these commands, you can fully inspect the core switch's configuration, verify VLANs, interface settings, and security policies, and ensure the switch is operating as intended .