Where are MAC address tables stored?

MAC address tables, also called CAM tables, are always built and stored temporarily in RAM. When the switch is turned off or the clear command is issued, the table no longer exists. Flash is used to store the Internetwork Operating System (IOS) for the switch or router. The CPU registers, also called the configuration registers, explain to the switch how to boot. The nonvolatile random access memory (NVRAM) is where the configuration is stored; it is similar to flash and usually much smaller.