Boot image on flash vs. bootflash?

[rainman]

Got a question that maybe somebody knows the answer to:

By default Cisco puts the boot image on the filesystem "bootflash:", and the IOS images are stored on "flash:". You can manually put the boot image on "flash:", as long as you use a statement in the configuration to point to it.

Why does Cisco put these image files on separate filesystems? If you can boot off the boot image on flash, versus using bootflash, why doesn't Cisco just place the IOS and boot image on "flash:"?


Tx - Rainman

 

[octorian]

You can swap out the flash more easily, and it is considered a user-configurable part of the system. Thus, it can also become corrupted.

If you think in PeeCee terms, the "bootflash" would be the chip the "BIOS" is stored on, and the "flash" would be the hard drive that the "operating system" boots from.

I also think Cisco includes a cut-down version of IOS in a place other than the main "flash" for recovery purposes too.

-Derek