[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "I%27m%20working%20on%20a%20customer%27s%20site%20wiht%20two%20Cisco%20routers%20installed.%20How%20do%20I%20see%20which%20is%20the%20primary%20device%20and%20which%20is%20the%20secondary%3F%20What%20are%20some%20commands%20I%20could%20use"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "That depends a bit on *how* the two Cisco routers are set up: are they in an active/standby (failover) pair like with Cisco ASA, or running a redundancy protocol like HSRP / VRRP, or are they two route processors in a chassis (IOS-XR)? The commands differ based on the setup. Below are the likely scenarios and commands you can use to determine which router is primary (active) and which is secondary (standby).\n\n---\n\n## Scenario A: HSRP/VRRP (First Hop Redundancy between routers/switches)\n\nIf the two routers are serving as redundant gateways via HSRP or VRRP, you can use:\n\n- `show standby [interface]`  \n  This shows HSRP status: which router is **active** (serving traffic) and which is **standby**. It also shows priority, timers, virtual IP, etc. ([cisco.com](https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/ios/ipapp/command/reference/iap_s4.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n- `show standby brief`  \n  Gives you a compact view of all interfaces with HSRP groups and status. ([oreilly.com](https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/cisco-ios-cookbook/0596527225/ch22s11.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n- `show hsrp [interface]` (on platforms using newer IOS / NX-OS syntax)  \n  Similar to `show standby`, especially on Nexus, Catalyst, IOS XE, etc. ([developer.cisco.com](https://developer.cisco.com/docs/cisco-nexus-9000-series-nx-api-cli-reference/latest/hsrp-commands/?utm_source=openai))\n\n- For VRRP, use `show vrrp` commands. They show which router is Master/Active in the VRRP group, priority, and timers. (Not strictly HSRP, but analogous.)\n\n---\n\n## Scenario B: Cisco ASA Failover / Active-Standby Pair\n\nIf these are ASA firewalls (or similar appliances) in a primary/secondary setup:\n\n- `show failover`  \n  On both units, this will display roles (primary/secondary) and which unit is **currently active**. Also shows status of interfaces, link states, etc.\n\n- `show version` (on each ASA)  \n  Sometimes indicates role or can help correlate which one is active if not obvious.\n\n- On the active ASA, you might see in the CLI prompt something like `(Active)` or an LED indicator on the hardware. ([manualsdir.com](https://www.manualsdir.com/manuals/743833/cisco-asa-5585-x-asa-5555-x-asa-5545-x-asa-5525-x-asa-5515-x-asa-5512-x-asa-5580-asa-5550-asa-5540-asa-5520-asa-5510-asa-5505-asa-5500-series.html?page=1308&utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## Scenario C: Redundant Route Processors in Chassis (IOS-XR, CRS, ASR)\n\nIf both devices are route processors (RPs) in a Cisco chassis with redundancy:\n\n- `show redundancy summary`  \n  This shows the current active RP and the standby RP, plus whether standby is ready and its status (NSR-ready, etc.). ([cisco.com](https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/xr12000/software/xr12k_r3-9/system_management/command/reference/yr39xr12k_chapter7.html?utm_source=openai))\n\n- `show redundancy` or `show redundancy detail`  \n  Provides more information: boot history, reload cause, health. ([cisco.com](https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/crs/software/crs-r6-7/system-management/configuration/guide/b-system-management-cg-crs-67x/b-system-management-cg-crs-66x_chapter_0110.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n- Also, the physical slot LEDs: active RP usually has a \u201cPrimary\u201d LED lit. CLI prompt might include \u201cRP/\u2026/CPU\u201d to indicate which RP you're on. ([cisco.com](https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/td/docs/routers/crs/software/crs-r6-7/system-management/configuration/guide/b-system-management-cg-crs-67x/b-system-management-cg-crs-66x_chapter_0110.pdf?utm_source=openai))\n\n---\n\n## Other Helpful Commands (General)\n\n- `show ip interface brief` / `show interfaces`  \n  Check which interfaces are up/down; sometimes the standby has interfaces or links that are down or disconnected.\n\n- `show running-config | include standby` / `| include failover` / `| include redundancy`  \n  Look for configuration that defines roles, priorities, preemption, etc.\n\n- On ASA specifically:  \n  `show interface <name>` often shows which interfaces are used for failover, and you can trace which unit owns them live. Also, `show monitor` for link monitoring between units.\n\n---\n\nIf you tell me the exact model of the routers (IOS, IOS-XR, ASA, etc.) and how they\u2019re connected (do they share a link for a failover or redundancy protocol?), I can give you **vendor/model-specific commands** to run. Do you know those details?"
    }
]