Routers are the glue that holds the Internet together, and Cisco Systems--holding roughly 70% of the market--is the most prominent router manufacturer. Cisco's routers come in all shapes and sizes and almost all of them, from the smallest to the largest, run the IOS operating system. IOS is an extremely powerful and complex operating system, with an equally complex configuration language. There are many commands, with many options, and if one thing is configured incorrectly, the entire company could find itself offline.
Cisco IOS in a Nutshell covers IOS configuration for the TCP/IP protocol family. The book is divided into two parts: the first part includes chapters on the user interface, configuring lines and interfaces, access lists, routing protocols, and dial-on-demand routing and security; the second part is a classic O'Reilly-style quick reference to all the commands that you need to work with TCP/IP, including the lower-level protocols on which it relies, and lots of examples of the most commonly encountered configuration steps for the routers themselves.
Jim Boney has worked at Chesapeake Computer Consultants, Inc. for the last eight years as a consultant specializing in a wide variety of subjects: network design, network management, Unix administration, and programing in various languages (Perl, Java, Tcl/Tk, and C/C++). For the last three years, he has been working on the vLab project, which allows complete access to Cisco routers over the Internet. Jim lives in Pasadena, Maryland with his wife Peggy.
Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects. The animal on the cover of Cisco IOS in a Nutshell is a donkey, Equus asinus, also known as a domesticated ass. Today's donkeys are probably descendants of the African wild ass, and they were domesticated by the Egyptians in around 4000 B.C. They're about four feet tall, and they're known for their long ears, the short mane that looks a bit like a push broom, and the braying noise they make. The big ears and braying enabled wild asses to keep in touch across the distances that often separated them as they searched for sparse food sources in the African desert. Donkeys are relatives of the horse; though they are considerably smaller in stature than their cousins, they live longer, up to 25-30 years. They can also run as fast as 30 miles per hour. Emily Quill was the production editor and Rachel Wheeler was the copyeditor for Cisco IOS in a Nutshell. Ann Schirmer and Sada Preisch provided quality control; Derek DiMatteo and Philip Dangler provided production assistance. Ellen Troutman wrote the index.
Hanna Dyer designed the cover of this book, based on a series design by Edie Freedman. The cover image is a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. Emma Colby produced the cover layout with QuarkXPress 4.1 using Adobe's ITC Garamond font.
Melanie Wang designed the interior layout, based on a series design by Nancy Priest. Mihaela Maier converted the files from Microsoft Word to FrameMaker 5.5.6 using tools created by Mike Sierra. The text and heading fonts are ITC Garamond Light and Garamond Book. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read using Macromedia FreeHand 9 and Adobe Photoshop 6. This colophon was written by Leanne Soylemez.
Comments about O'Reilly Media CISCO IOS in a Nutshell:
Recommendable book for all beginners on Cisco routers.
Many detailed example configurations are making this book valuable
and the way it is written makes it enjoyable to read.
What I am missing is a chapter for beginners. Because when you are not familiar with
with Ciscos platform and functionllity concept is it difficult to find out what function
is on your router and which functionallity is not but can be added however.
2/26/2002
4.0
Cisco IOS in a Nutshell Review
By John Herraghty
from Undisclosed
Comments about O'Reilly Media CISCO IOS in a Nutshell:
CISCO IOS is essentially an ad-hoc effort that lost logical form some years ago. But IOS is widely known, and is thus a de facto router config standard. For some semblance of logic in the ad hoc jumble, this book will shine a light. I would recommend it for both beginners and experienced operators. It provides a lot of glue to hold information together. CISCO IOS on line help is cryptic at best, but the command line reference covers command by command with excellent configuration examples. When you are away from a router for a few months, and then have to go back to doing a routing project, this is a simple and timesaving way to verify your configs for the basic stuff.
Sure, some subjects could have been covered in more depth, but it isn't an encylopaedia, just a desk reference. I much prefer this book which is geared to making things work, than the CISCO books which are geared to passing exams. Use the CISCO web site to review in depth technology configurations. Use this book to review before you configure. Don't show up on a customer site without it.
1/16/2002
4.0
Cisco IOS in a Nutshell Review
By Tarak Robbana
from Undisclosed
Comments about O'Reilly Media CISCO IOS in a Nutshell:
Some of the good things are:
1. The Special Topics chapter that discusses the differences between IRB, CRB
and what BVI's are used for. Ive never found a better description.
2. The chapter on ATM/Frame Relay. I especially liked the definitions of ATM
encapsulation, aal5snap, aal5mux, aal5nlpid. Excellent. I liked the
discussion of LANE as well.
3. The line command chapter. Cleared up some things for me. Thanks.
A couple of the bad things are:
1. Mutlicasting should be better covered.
2. In the command reference It would be nice to know what IOS image the
