CCNA Security online course

Cisco Configuration Professional (CCP) Example: Changing a Router Hostname

Learn how to change a Cisco router hostname with Cisco Configuration Professional, deliver the configuration, save it to startup-config, and verify the result with IOS CLI.

What Cisco Configuration Professional Does

Cisco Configuration Professional (CCP) is a graphical application for configuring and managing supported Cisco routers. Instead of entering every command directly into the IOS CLI, an administrator can use CCP forms, menus, and configuration workflows for many common tasks.

A graphical interface can make basic administration easier, especially when you are learning how router features are organized. However, CCP does not replace IOS knowledge. CCNA Security learners and network administrators still need to understand Cisco command modes, configuration commands, verification commands, and configuration storage.

Prerequisites

Before configuration begins, the router must already be added to the CCP community. In CCP, a community is the device inventory or managed group containing routers available for administration.

You must also have management access to the router and know which device should be changed. Always select the target router from the CCP device list before opening its configuration options. Selecting the wrong device can apply a valid configuration change to the wrong location.

For background, see the Cisco Configuration Professional overview and how to add a router to CCP.

Example Goal: Rename a Router

In this example, the router's current name is replaced with Branch-Router-01. A hostname is the identifying name assigned to a Cisco device. It commonly appears in the IOS prompt and helps administrators identify the device in management interfaces and command output.

Choose a name that follows your organization's naming convention. A useful hostname can identify a site, device role, or device number, but avoid names that are ambiguous or misleading.

CCP Hostname Change Workflow

1. Select the Managed Router

Open the CCP community or device list and select the router that should be renamed. The router must be present in the inventory before its configuration features can be opened.

2. Open Configure

With the correct router selected, use the Configure control. CCP then displays configuration categories for that device. The left-side feature navigation is where you locate the relevant configuration area.

3. Navigate to Router Options

In the feature navigation, open Router and then select Router Options. This section contains basic router-level settings, including the hostname.

4. Edit the Hostname

Choose Hostname from the Router Options list. CCP opens the Device Properties dialog, which is the dialog used to edit device identity information.

Enter Branch-Router-01 in the Host field. Confirm the change in the dialog. At this point, the edit has been accepted by the CCP workflow, but it is not necessarily active on the router yet.

5. Deliver the Configuration

CCP edits must be delivered to the selected device before they take effect on the router. Select Deliver Configuration to Device and follow the delivery workflow.

During delivery, choose the option to save the current running configuration into the startup configuration. After deployment, review the completion or status screen. A successful status indicates that CCP finished the delivery process; it is still good practice to verify the result on the device.

Running Configuration Versus Startup Configuration

The running configuration is the active configuration held in memory and used by the router immediately. A hostname delivered successfully through CCP should appear in the running configuration.

The startup configuration is the saved configuration retained for use when the router starts or reloads. A change that exists only in the running configuration can be lost when the device restarts.

For example, if the hostname is delivered but the save option is not selected, the router may display Branch-Router-01 immediately. After a reboot, however, it can return to the older hostname because the startup configuration did not contain the new value.

Equivalent IOS CLI Configuration

The same basic task can be performed directly through IOS. The hostname command is entered from global configuration mode.

enable
configure terminal
hostname Branch-Router-01
end

To preserve the active configuration across a restart, copy the running configuration to the startup configuration:

copy running-config startup-config

The CLI equivalent matters because CCNA Security study requires familiarity with IOS command modes and command-based configuration. It also provides a useful fallback when CCP is unavailable or when a feature is easier to troubleshoot from the command line.

Verification Commands

Use the following commands from IOS privileged EXEC mode to compare the active and saved hostname values:

show running-config | include hostname
show startup-config | include hostname

The running configuration should show the hostname currently in use. The startup configuration should show the same hostname if the change was saved successfully. If the values differ, the router can use the older value after a reload.

Troubleshooting CCP Hostname Changes

The New Hostname Does Not Appear

• Confirm that the correct router was selected before the configuration workflow was opened.
• Check that the Host field was edited and that the Device Properties dialog was confirmed.
• Confirm that Deliver Configuration to Device was completed.
• Review the delivery status screen for an error or incomplete operation.
• Verify the active hostname through the router interface or with show running-config | include hostname.

The Hostname Returns After a Reboot

This usually means the running configuration changed but the startup configuration was not updated.

• Confirm that the save-running-to-startup option was selected during CCP delivery.
• Compare the running and startup configurations with the verification commands.
• If the startup configuration lacks the intended hostname, save the configuration with copy running-config startup-config.

The Router Options Page Is Unavailable

• Confirm that the router has been added to the CCP community or device inventory.
• Make sure the intended router, rather than another device, is selected.
• Open the router's configuration view with Configure.
• Use the left-side navigation to locate Router and Router Options.

Limits of This Example

Changing a hostname is a basic example of CCP functionality. Many router settings can be configured through CCP, but this workflow does not represent a complete router management or security process.

For certification and operational work, continue practicing IOS command modes, configuration commands, verification, and secure management. Related study topics include passwords on IOS devices, enabling SSH on a Cisco router, and saving and backing up router configurations.

Exam-Relevant Summary

• CCP is a graphical interface for configuring and managing supported Cisco routers.
• A router must be present in the CCP community before it can be configured.
• Select the router, choose Configure, and navigate to Router > Router Options > Hostname.
• Enter the new name in the Device Properties Host field and confirm it.
• Use Deliver Configuration to Device to apply the prepared edit.
• Save the running configuration to startup configuration if the change must survive a reboot.
• Know the IOS equivalent: hostname in global configuration mode, followed by copy running-config startup-config.