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Cisco IOS Packaging Features

Today I am going to talk about the various IOS images which is widely used in the Cisco devices to have the various features. The difference in the Cisco IOS models are the features supported and can be used on the basis of the requirement for your network. Cisco IOS Software is the most widely leveraged network infrastructure software in the world.

What are the various IOS used in the Cisco devices ?
Well Cisco uses the below mentioned IOS packaging and these are

  • Layer 2 Base
  • LAN Base 
  • IP Base 
  • IP services 
  • Enterprise Services 
  • Advanced IP Services 
  • Advanced Enterprise Services 
I hope you guys listen about these IOS image packaging which is provided by Cisco systems. 

What are the features of the IOS image packaging which is mentioned above ?

The first two packages, Layer 2 Base and LAN Base, are offered for Layer 2 on the Cisco 2900 Series; therefore, these are not applicable to other Cisco Catalyst switches. The IP Base package
is the most basic package offered across the Layer 3 Cisco Catalyst switches. 

The IP Services package is an advanced Cisco IOS Software feature set that contains full IP routing capabilities. Three additional premium packages offer new Cisco IOS Software feature combinations that address more complex network requirements.



Fig 1.1- Cisco IOS Packaging

Let's talk about all the IOS image packaging one by one to understand the feature sets 


Cisco LAN Base IOS Packaging
LAN Base includes advanced LAN features for Cisco switches. It includes everything in the Layer 2 Base, plus Cisco AutoQoS, Cisco AutoSecure, Advanced 802.1x, Advanced, Access Lists (Layer 2-4 filtering, Time Based ACLs, Port Based ACLs), and Advanced QoS (Layer 2-4 Classification, Ingress policing, Ingress Rate Limiting, DSCP Classification).

Cisco IP Base IOS Packaging
IP Base is a baseline set of Layer 2 and Layer 3 Cisco IOS Software services required to operate Cisco Switches. IP Base includes all the features of LAN Base, plus Edge IP Routing (Static, RIP, EIGRP-STUB & Basic PIM), HSRP/ VRRP, and GRE Tunnelling.

Cisco IP Services IOS Packaging
IP Services is an advanced Cisco IOS Software feature set that requires full IP routing capabilities. IP Services includes all the features of IP Base plus full IP routing (EIGRP, OSPF & PIM), BGP, Policy Based Routing, GLBP, High Availability, Redundant PR+, Multi- VRF, WAN Protocols1, enhanced QoS functionality (NBAR)1, and Catalyst 6500 Virtual Switching System.

Cisco Advanced IP Services IOS Packaging
Advanced IP Services is a comprehensive set of Cisco IOS Software features designed for IP-only networks. It includes all the features of IP Services plus additional features including ISIS, MPLS, Layer 2 VPNs, Layer 3 VPNs, and IPv6.

Cisco Enterprise Services IOS Packaging
Enterprise Services is a comprehensive set of Cisco IOS Software features for Enterprise environments. The Enterprise Services package includes IPv6, all the features of IP Services and additional features for Layer 3 multi-protocol environments, such as AppleTalk Routing, IPX Routing, and IBM Networking Services.

Cisco Advanced Enterprise Services IOS Packaging
Advanced Enterprise Services merges support for all Enterprise and IP protocols (ie: AppleTalk, Novell, IPX, ISIS, and BGP) and adds Advanced Security (IOS Firewall, IDS) features. It is the most feature rich package and it includes all the features of IP Services and Enterprise Services.