Consolidated Platform Configuration Guide, Cisco Ios Release 15.2(4)E (Catalyst 2960-X Switches - Cisco Catalyst 2960 series Configuration Manual

To use RCP to copy files, the server from or to which you will be copying files must support RCP. The RCP
copy commands rely on the rsh server (or daemon) on the remote system. To copy files by using RCP, you
do not need to create a server for file distribution as you do with TFTP. You only need to have access to a
server that supports the remote shell (rsh). (Most UNIX systems support rsh.) Because you are copying a file
from one place to another, you must have read permission on the source file and write permission on the
destination file. If the destination file does not exist, RCP creates it for you.
RCP requires a client to send a remote username on each RCP request to a server. When you copy an image
from the switch to a server by using RCP, the Cisco IOS software sends the first valid username in this list:
• The username specified in the archive download-sw or archive upload-sw privileged EXEC command
if a username is specified.
• The username set by the ip rcmd remote-usernameusername global configuration command if the
command is entered.
• The remote username associated with the current TTY (terminal) process. For example, if the user is
connected to the router through Telnet and was authenticated through the username command, the
switch software sends the Telnet username as the remote username.
• The switch hostname.
For the RCP copy request to execute successfully, an account must be defined on the network server for the
remote username. If the server has a directory structure, the image file is written to or copied from the directory
associated with the remote username on the server. For example, if the image file resides in the home directory
of a user on the server, specify that user's name as the remote username.
Before you begin downloading or uploading an image file by using RCP, do these tasks:
• Ensure that the workstation acting as the RCP server supports the remote shell (rsh).
• Ensure that the switch has a route to the RCP server. The switch and the server must be in the same
subnetwork if you do not have a router to route traffic between subnets. Check connectivity to the RCP
server by using the ping command.
• If you are accessing the switch through the console or a Telnet session and you do not have a valid
username, make sure that the current RCP username is the one that you want to use for the RCP download.
You can enter the show users privileged EXEC command to view the valid username. If you do not
want to use this username, create a new RCP username by using the ip rcmd remote-usernameusername
global configuration command to be used during all archive operations. The new username is stored in
NVRAM. If you are accessing the switch through a Telnet session and you have a valid username, this
username is used, and there is no need to set the RCP username. Include the username in the archive
download-sw or archive upload-sw privileged EXEC command if you want to specify a username only
for that operation.
• When you upload an image to the RCP to the server, it must be properly configured to accept the RCP
write request from the user on the switch. For UNIX systems, you must add an entry to the .rhosts file
for the remote user on the RCP server.
For example, suppose the switch contains these configuration lines:
hostname Switch1
ip rcmd remote-username User0
If the switch IP address translates to Switch1.company.com, the .rhosts file for User0 on the RCP server should
contain this line:
Switch1.company.com Switch1
For more information, see the documentation for your RCP server.

Consolidated Platform Configuration Guide, Cisco IOS Release 15.2(4)E (Catalyst 2960-X Switches)

Copying Image Files Using RCP
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