About the Cisco IOS Software
Documentation

This chapter discusses the objectives, audience, organization, and conventions of the Cisco Internetwork Operating System (Cisco IOS) software documentation.

All Cisco technical documentation and additional literature are available on UniverCD, Cisco's online library of product information. UniverCD is updated and shipped monthly, so it might be more up to date than printed documentation. UniverCD is available both as a single CD and as an annual subscription. To order UniverCD, contact your local sales representative or call Cisco Customer Service.

You can also access Cisco technical documentation on the World Wide Web URL http://www.cisco.com.

Cisco IOS Software Documentation Objectives

This Cisco IOS software documentation describes the tasks and commands necessary to configure and maintain your access server or router.

See the Cisco Access Connection Guide for information about making connections to and from access servers and routers.

Audience

This publication is intended primarily for users who will be configuring and maintaining access servers and routers, but are not necessarily familiar with tasks, the relationship between tasks, or the commands necessary to perform particular tasks.

Cisco IOS Software Documentation Organization

The Cisco IOS software documentation is divided into six modules. Each module consists of two books: a configuration guide and a corresponding command reference. Chapters in a configuration guide describe protocols, configuration tasks, and Cisco IOS software functionality and contain comprehensive configuration examples. Chapters in a command reference match the organization of the corresponding configuration guide and provide complete command syntax information. Configuration guides should be used in conjunction with a corresponding command reference.

The Cisco IOS software documentation modules are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Cisco IOS Software Documentation Modules

Document Conventions

Software and hardware documentation uses the following conventions:

• The caret character (^) represents the Control key.

For example, the key combinations ^D and Ctrl-D are equivalent: Both mean hold down the Control key while you press the D key. Keys are indicated in capitals, but are not case sensitive.

• A string is defined as a nonquoted set of characters.

For example, when setting an SNMP community string to "public," do not use quotation marks around the string; otherwise, the string will include the quotation marks.

Command descriptions use these conventions:

• Vertical bars ( | ) separate alternative, mutually exclusive, elements.

• Square brackets ([ ]) indicate optional elements.

• Braces ({ }) indicate a required choice.

• Braces within square brackets ([{ }]) indicate a required choice within an optional element.

• Boldface indicates commands and keywords that are entered literally as shown.

• Italics indicate arguments for which you supply values; in contexts that do not allow italics, arguments are enclosed in angle brackets (< >).

Examples use these conventions:

• Examples that contain system prompts denote interactive sessions, indicating that the user enters commands at the prompt. The system prompt indicates the current command mode. For example, the prompt Router(config)# indicates global configuration mode.

• Terminal sessions and information the system displays are in screen font.

• Information you enter is in boldface screen font.

• Nonprinting characters, such as passwords, are in angle brackets (< >).

• Default responses to system prompts are in square brackets ([ ]).

• Exclamation points (!) at the beginning of a line indicate a comment line. They are also displayed by the Cisco IOS software for certain processes.

Caution Means reader be careful. In this situation, you might do something that could result in equipment damage or loss of data.

---

Note Means reader take note. Notes contain helpful suggestions or references to materials not contained in this manual.

---

Within the Cisco IOS software documentation, the term router is used to refer to both access servers and routers. When a feature is supported on the access server only, the term access server is used. When a feature is supported on one or more specific router platforms (such as the Cisco 4500), but not on other platforms (such as the Cisco 2500), the text specifies the platforms supported.

Within examples, routers and access servers are alternately shown. These products are used only for example purposes--an example that shows one product does not indicate that the other product is not supported.