26 | Configuration Fundamentalsw w w . d e l l . c o m | s u p p o r t . d e l l . c o mCLI ModesDifferent sets of commands are available in each mode. A command found in one mode cannot beexecuted from another mode (with the exception of EXEC mode commands preceded by the command do;for more information, refer to The do Command and EXEC Privilege Mode commands). You can set useraccess rights to commands and command modes using privilege levels; for more information aboutprivilege levels and security options, refer to Security.The FTOS CLI is divided into three major mode levels:• EXEC mode is the default mode and has a privilege level of 1, which is the most restricted level. Onlya limited selection of commands is available, notably the show commands, which allow you to viewsystem information.• EXEC Privilege mode has commands to view configurations, clear counters, manage configurationfiles, run diagnostics, and enable or disable debug operations. The privilege level is 15, which isunrestricted. You can configure a password for this mode. For more information, refer to Configure theEnable Password.• CONFIGURATION mode allows you to configure security features, time settings, set logging andsimple network management protocol (SNMP) functions, and static address resolution protocol (ARP)and MAC addresses on the system.Beneath CONFIGURATION mode are sub-modes that apply to interfaces, protocols, and features.Figure 2-2 shows this sub-mode command structure. When configuring the chassis for the first time, thefollowing two sub-CONFIGURATION modes are important:• INTERFACE sub-mode is the mode in which you configure Layer 2 and Layer 3 protocols and IPservices specific to an interface. An interface can be physical (management interface, 10-GigabitEthernet, or 40-Gigabit Ethernet) or logical (Loopback, Null, port channel, or VLAN).• LINE sub-mode is the mode in which you configure the console and virtual terminal lines.Note: At any time, entering a question mark (?) displays the available command options. For example,when you are in CONFIGURATION mode, entering the question mark first lists all the availablecommands, including the possible sub-modes.
