Frequent Question: What Operating System Does Cisco Use?
Contents

Cisco IOS (Internetwork Operating System) is a proprietary operating system that runs on Cisco Systems routers and switches. The core function of Cisco IOS is to enable data communications between network nodes.

What OS is Cisco IOS based on?

Cisco IOS is a monolithic operating system running directly on the hardware while IOS XE is a combination of a linux kernel and a (monolithic) application (IOSd) that runs on top of this kernel.

What operating system do Cisco routers run?

Since routers do not have hard disk drives, the operating system is stored on a flash memory card or nonvolatile RAM (NVRAM). This section gives an overview of the Internet Operating System (IOS), the operating system of Cisco routers. The Cisco routers in the Internet Lab run IOS version 12.0 or higher.

Elena Rostova

Elena Rostova

Lead Health, Wellness & Medical Journalist

Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.

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