To create a backup copy of your system image, you can copy system images from boot flash memory to a Trivial File Transfer Protocol (TFTP) server.

In some implementations of TFTP, you must create a dummy file on the TFTP server and give it read,
write, and execute permissions before copying the file over it. Refer to your TFTP documentation for more
information.

Tips - Before you copy software between the network server and boot flash memory in the switch router, do the following:

- Make sure you have access to the network server, and obtain its IP address and name.
- Verify that the server has sufficient room to accommodate the Cisco IOS software image.
- Check the filename requirements and file space of the network server.

To create a backup of the system software on a TFTP server, use the following steps beginning in privileged EXEC mode:

	Command	Purpose
Step 1	Router(config)# dir bootflash:	Displays the contents of boot flash memory, including the names of the images that currently reside there. Note the name of the image file you want to copy.
Step 2	Router# copy bootflash: tftp:	Copies a file from boot flash memory to a TFTP server. Be sure to include a colon at the end of the tftp parameter as shown in this example.

The following example demonstrates copying a specified system image file from the boot flash memory to the default TFTP server:

Router# dir bootflash:
Directory of bootflash:/

1 -rw- 3173128 cat2948g-in-mz.120-7.W5.14.45
2 -rw- 3173364 cat2948g-in-mz.120-7.W5.14.46

16777216 bytes total (10430596 bytes free)
Router# copy bootflash: tftp:
Source filename []? cat2948g-in-mz.120-7.W5.14.46
Address or name of remote host []? 171.10.0.111
Destination filename [cat2948g-in-mz.120-7.W5.14.46]? yes

!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!!
!!!!!!!!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!.!
!!!!!!!!.!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!.!
!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!!.!!!
!!!!!!.!.!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!!.!!!!!!!!!.!!
!!!!!!!!.!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!.!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!
!.!.!!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!!!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!.!!!!!!!!!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!.!.!.!!!!!!!!!.!!.!.!.!.!.!!!! !!!
3173364 bytes copied in 743.840 secs (4271 bytes/sec)