1. Discovering Devices with CDP and LLDP

“Automate network topology mapping and device discovery using CDP and LLDP protocols for real-time insights”

2. Synchronizing Time with NTP

“Ensure precise time synchronization across network devices with NTP for accurate log correlation.”

3. Monitoring Devices with SNMP

“Monitor network performance and automate alerts using SNMP for proactive device management.”

4. Capturing Logs with Syslog

“Centralize network logging with Syslog for comprehensive visibility and rapid troubleshooting.”

5. Managing Configurations and Backups

“Automate network configuration backups and version control for consistency and disaster recovery.”

This Post

6. IOS Image Management and Recovery

“Manage network device software versions with proper testing and recovery mechanisms for upgrades.”

A Practical Guide to Discovering, Maintaining, and Monitoring Your Network

Managing Configurations and Backups

In networking, being proactive about configuration backups is more than a best practice, it’s a safeguard against unexpected failures, misconfigurations, and upgrade hiccups. A single misconfigured command or failed upgrade can bring down critical network services, making robust backup strategies essential for maintaining network availability.

The Cost of Poor Configuration Management

Real-world scenario:

– 3 AM network outage
– Configuration corrupted during upgrade
– No recent backup available
– 4-hour restoration time

Cisco IOS Configuration Management

Essential File System Commands

Command	Purpose	Example
show file systems	List available file systems	Shows flash, nvram, tftp, etc.
dir [filesystem:]	List directory contents	dir flash:
cd [directory]	Change directory	cd flash:/configs/
pwd	Show current directory	Display current path
delete [filename]	Delete file	delete flash:/old-config.txt
mkdir [directory]	Create directory	mkdir flash:/backups/

Backup Methods and Examples

1. TFTP Backup (Most Common)

               
                # Save running config to TFTP server
copy running-config tftp://192.168.1.100/router01-config-2024-07-09.txt

# Restore from TFTP
copy tftp://192.168.1.100/router01-config-2024-07-09.txt running-config

2. USB Drive Backup

                
                # Check USB drive availability
show file systems

# Backup to USB
copy running-config usbflash0:/router01-backup-20240709.txt

# Restore from USB
copy usbflash0:/router01-backup-20240709.txt running-config
            

3. Local Flash Storage

                
                # Save multiple configuration versions
copy running-config flash:/configs/daily-backup-07-09-2024.txt
copy startup-config flash:/configs/startup-backup-07-09-2024.txt

# Create organized backup structure
mkdir flash:/backups/
mkdir flash:/backups/daily/
mkdir flash:/backups/monthly/
            

4. SCP/SFTP (Secure Methods)

# Enable SCP server (IOS 12.4+)
ip scp server enable

# Copy via SCP
copy running-config scp://[email protected]/backups/router01.cfg

Terminal Emulator Method

For quick manual backups, use terminal emulators with logging:

Tera Term Configuration

1. Setup → Terminal → Log to file

2. Choose filename: router01-config-2024-07-09.txt

3. Execute: show running-config

4. Save and close log file

PuTTY Configuration

1. Session → Logging → Session logging: All session output

2. Log file name: router01-&Y&M&D-&T.log

3. Execute: show running-config

Multi-Vendor Configuration Management

Command Comparison Table

Function	Cisco IOS	Juniper JunOS	HP/Aruba	Fortinet	Dell OS10
Show Config	`show running-config`	`show configuration`	`show running-config`	`show full-configuration`	`show running-configuration`
Save Config	`copy run tftp`	`save config`	`copy config tftp`	`backup config tftp`	`copy running-configuration`
File Copy	`copy source dest`	`file copy source dest`	`copy source dest`	`backup config`	`copy source dest`
Directory List	`dir`	`file list`	`dir`	`fnsysctl ls`	`ls`
Config Rollback	`Manual restore`	`rollback`	`config restore`	`restore config`	`rollback`

Backup Methods and Examples

Network Device Backup Commands

Juniper Junos Examples

Configuration Backup and Management

                # Save configuration
admin@router> save config juniper-backup-2024-07-09.conf

# File operations
admin@router> file copy /config/juniper.conf.gz ftp://192.168.1.100/
admin@router> file show /config/

# Automatic rollback (built-in feature)
admin@router# commit confirmed 5    # Auto-rollback in 5 minutes if not confirmed
            

HP/Aruba Examples

Switch Configuration Backup

                # Save configuration
HP-Switch# copy running-config tftp 192.168.1.100 hp-switch-backup.cfg

# USB backup
HP-Switch# copy running-config usb backup-20240709.cfg

# Startup config management
HP-Switch# copy running-config startup-config
            

Fortinet Examples

FortiGate Configuration Backup

                # GUI backup: System → Configuration → Backup
# CLI backup:
FortiGate# backup config tftp filename backup-20240709.conf 192.168.1.100

# SCP backup
FortiGate# backup config scp backup-20240709.conf 192.168.1.100 admin scp-path
            

Automated Backup Solutions

1. Simple Bash Script (Linux/TFTP)

                #!/bin/bash
# backup-network.sh

DATE=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)
BACKUP_DIR="/var/lib/tftpboot/backups"
DEVICES=("192.168.1.1" "192.168.1.2" "192.168.1.3")

for device in "${DEVICES[@]}"; do
    echo "Backing up $device..."
    # Use expect or similar tool to automate CLI interaction
    timeout 30 ./backup-device.exp $device $BACKUP_DIR/$device-$DATE.cfg
done
            

2. Python with Netmiko

                from netmiko import ConnectHandler
from datetime import datetime

devices = [
    {
        'device_type': 'cisco_ios',
        'host': '192.168.1.1',
        'username': 'admin',
        'password': 'password',
        'hostname': 'router01'
    }
]

for device in devices:
    connection = ConnectHandler(**device)
    config = connection.send_command('show running-config')
    
    filename = f"{device['hostname']}-{datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d')}.cfg"
    with open(filename, 'w') as f:
        f.write(config)
    
    connection.disconnect()
            

3. Commercial Solutions

Solution	Features	Best For
SolarWinds NCM	Automated backups, change detection, compliance	Enterprise networks
ManageEngine OpManager	Config backup, change alerts, rollback	Mid-size networks
Oxidized	Open-source, Git integration, multi-vendor	DevOps environments
RANCID	Legacy but proven, CVS/SVN integration	Traditional networks

Best Practices for Configuration Management

1. Backup Frequency Strategy

Automated Backup Solutions

2. File Naming Convention

                # Device-YYYY-MM-DD-HH-MM-Type.cfg

Examples:
- router01-2024-07-09-14-30-daily.cfg
- switch02-2024-07-09-09-15-preupgrade.cfg
- firewall01-2024-07-09-16-45-postchange.cfg
            

3. Storage and Retention

                # Organize backups by date and type
/backups/
├── daily/
│   ├── 2024-07-09/
│   └── 2024-07-08/
├── weekly/
│   ├── 2024-W28/
│   └── 2024-W27/
├── monthly/
│   ├── 2024-07/
│   └── 2024-06/
└── emergency/
    ├── pre-upgrade/
    └── incident-response/
            

4. Version Control Integration

                # Git-based configuration management
git init /network-configs
cd /network-configs

# Daily backup script adds and commits
git add router01-config.cfg
git commit -m "Daily backup: router01 - $(date)"
git push origin main

# Track changes over time
git log --oneline router01-config.cfg
git diff HEAD~1 router01-config.cfg
            

Disaster Recovery Procedures

Emergency Restoration Steps

Assess the situation – Determine scope of configuration loss
Locate latest backup – Check backup repositories and timestamps
Prepare for restoration – Ensure network connectivity to backup source
Execute restoration – Use appropriate copy command
Verify functionality – Test critical services and connectivity
Document incident – Record what happened and lessons learned

Automated Backup Solutions

Quick Recovery Commands

                # Emergency config restore (Cisco)
copy tftp://backup-server/emergency-config.cfg running-config

# Partial config restore (specific sections)
copy tftp://backup-server/acl-backup.cfg running-config
copy tftp://backup-server/routing-backup.cfg running-config

# Verify restoration
show running-config | include [critical-settings]
            

Testing Your Backup Strategy

Regular Testing Checklist

Monthly: Verify backup automation is working
Quarterly: Test restore procedures in lab environment
Annually: Full disaster recovery exercise
After changes: Validate backup integrity

Automated Backup Solutions

Backup Validation Script

                #!/bin/bash
# validate-backups.sh

BACKUP_DIR="/var/lib/tftpboot/backups"
TODAY=$(date +%Y-%m-%d)

echo "Validating today's backups..."
for backup in $BACKUP_DIR/*-$TODAY.cfg; do
    if [ -f "$backup" ] && [ -s "$backup" ]; then
        echo "✓ $(basename $backup) - Valid"
    else
        echo "✗ $(basename $backup) - Missing or empty"
    fi
done
            

Conclusion

Effective configuration management is the foundation of network reliability. By implementing automated backup procedures, maintaining proper file organization, and regularly testing restoration processes, network administrators can significantly reduce downtime and simplify troubleshooting.

Remember: The best backup strategy is one that’s consistently executed and regularly tested. Start with simple manual backups, then gradually automate and enhance your processes as your network grows.

0 0 votes

Article Rating

1. Discovering Devices with CDP and LLDP

2. Synchronizing Time with NTP

3. Monitoring Devices with SNMP

4. Capturing Logs with Syslog

5. Managing Configurations and Backups

6. IOS Image Management and Recovery

Network Management

A Practical Guide to Discovering, Maintaining, and Monitoring Your Network

Managing Configurations and Backups

The Cost of Poor Configuration Management

Cisco IOS Configuration Management

Essential File System Commands

Backup Methods and Examples

Terminal Emulator Method

Multi-Vendor Configuration Management

Network Device Backup Commands

Juniper Junos Examples

HP/Aruba Examples

Fortinet Examples

Automated Backup Solutions

Best Practices for Configuration Management

1. Backup Frequency Strategy

Disaster Recovery Procedures

Emergency Restoration Steps

Testing Your Backup Strategy

Regular Testing Checklist

Conclusion