Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Practice Exam

Which command is used to copy the running configuration into the startup configuration?

1. copy startup-config running-config

2. copy running-config startup-config

3. write memory

4. save configuration

The correct answer is: copy running-config startup-config

The command to copy the running configuration into the startup configuration is indeed the one that reads as "copy running-config startup-config." This command is crucial in Cisco networking because it ensures that any changes made to the device's configuration while it is in its active state (running configuration) are saved to the startup configuration. The startup configuration is the configuration that the device will use when it is rebooted. By executing this command, you finalize the configuration changes, ensuring that they are persistent across device reboots. The process effectively writes the current operational settings (running configuration) to be the default settings (startup configuration) that the device will load upon the next startup. In contrast, the other options either describe incorrect command sequences or functions. The first option would attempt to execute the opposite action, which is not valid as we need to copy the running configuration to the startup configuration, not the other way around. The third option, "write memory," was historically used in older Cisco IOS versions for the same purpose as the primary command, but it’s less common in newer practices and may not be directly linked in all IOS versions. Similarly, "save configuration" is a generic term but does not correspond to a recognized command in Cisco IOS. Therefore, the focus on