- Managing Configuration Files
- Exclusive Configuration Change Access Configuration Lock and Access Session Locking
- Configuration Replace and Configuration Rollback
- Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
- Configuration Change Notification and Logging
- Configuration Logger Persistency
- Configuration Partitioning
- Finding Feature Information
- Restrictions for Configuration Change Notification and Logging
- Information About Configuration Change Notification and Logging
Configuration Change Notification and Logging
Prior to the introduction of this feature, the only way to determine if the Cisco IOS software configuration had changed was to save a copy of the running and startup configurations to a local computer and do a line-by-line comparison. This comparison method can identify changes that occurred, but does not specify the sequence in which the changes occurred, or the person responsible for the changes.
The Configuration Change Notification and Logging (Config Log Archive) feature allows the tracking of configuration changes entered on a per-session and per-user basis by implementing an archive function. This archive saves 'configuration logs' that track each configuration command that is applied, who applied the command, the parser return code (PRC) for the command, and the time the command was applied. This feature also adds a notification mechanism that sends asynchronous notifications to registered applications whenever the configuration log changes.
- Finding Feature Information
- Restrictions for Configuration Change Notification and Logging
- Information About Configuration Change Notification and Logging
- How to Configure the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature
- Configuration Examples for the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature
- Additional References
- Feature Information for Configuration Change Notification and Logging
Finding Feature Information
Your software release may not support all the features documented in this module. For the latest feature information and caveats, see the release notes for your platform and software release. To find information about the features documented in this module, and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, see the Feature Information Table at the end of this document.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
Restrictions for Configuration Change Notification and Logging
- Only complete commands input in a configuration mode are logged.
- Commands that are part of a configuration file applied with the copy command are not logged.
Information About Configuration Change Notification and Logging
Configuration Log
The Configuration Change Notification and Logging feature tracks changes made to the Cisco IOS software running configuration by maintaining a configuration log. This configuration log tracks changes initiated only through the command-line interface (CLI) or HTTP. Only complete commands that result in the invocation of action routines are logged. The following types of entries are not logged:
For each configuration command that is executed, the following information is logged:
- The command that was executed
- The name of the user that executed the command
- A configuration change sequence number
- Parser return codes for the command
 Note |
In some environments the configuration mode and the time of the executed command may also be logged. |
You can display information from the configuration log through the use of the showarchivelogconfig command, with the exception of the parser return codes, which are for use by internal Cisco IOS applications only.
Configuration Change Notifications and Config Change Logging
You can configure the Configuration Change and Notification Logging feature to send notification of configuration changes to the Cisco IOS software system logging (syslog) process. Syslog notifications allow monitoring of the configuration log information without performing polling and information gathering tasks.
The Configuration Change Notification and Logging feature allows the tracking of configuration changes entered by users on a per-session and per-user basis. This tool allows administrators to track any configuration change made to the Cisco IOS software running configuration, and identify the user that made that change.
Config Logger Enhancements for EAL4+ Certification
Further enhancements to the Configuration Change Logging process were implemented in Cisco IOS Release 12.3(14)T. These enhancements support an effort to ensure the logging process meets the requirements set forth in the Conformance to Common Criteria, Evaluation Assurance Level 4+ (EAL4+) Firewall Protection Profiles. These enhancements include changes to meet the following requirements:
- If you change any logging parameters, those changes are logged. This is effected by the sending of a syslog message for each change to the running-config from a copy operation (for example, on copysourcerunning-config).
- Modifications to the Group of Administrative Users are logged; failure attempts for access to privileged EXEC mode ("enable" mode) are logged.
Note |
EAL Certification is not claimed by Cisco for Cisco IOS Release 12.3(14)T. These enhancements provide the groundwork for future Certification. |
The above logging actions are disabled by default. To enable these logging characteristics, perform the task described in the "Configuring the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature" section.
How to Configure the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature
- Configuring the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature
- Displaying Configuration Log Entries and Statistics
- Clearing Configuration Log Entries
Configuring the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature
Perform this task to enable the Configuration Change Notification and Logging feature.
DETAILED STEPS
Displaying Configuration Log Entries and Statistics
Perform this task to display entries from the configuration log or statistics about the memory usage of the configuration log.
To display configuration log entries and to monitor the memory usage of the configuration log, the Configuration Change Notification and Logging feature provides the showarchivelogconfig command.
DETAILED STEPS
| Step 1 | enable Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For example" Example:
Router> enable
|
| Step 2 | show archive log config number [end-number] Use this command to display configuration log entries by record numbers. If you specify a record number for the optional end-number argument, all log entries with record numbers between the values entered for the number and end-number arguments are displayed. For example:
Router# show archive log config 1 2 Example: idx sess user@line Logged command 1 1 user1@console logging enable 2 1 user1@console logging size 200 This example displays configuration log entry numbers 1 and 2. Valid values for the number and end-number argument range from 1 to 2147483647. |
| Step 3 | show archive log config provisioning Use this command to display all configuration log files as they would appear in a configuration file rather than in tabular format. For example: Example:
Router# show archive log config all provisioning
archive
log config
logging enable
logging size 200
This display also shows the commands used to change configuration modes, which are required to correctly apply the logged commands. |
| Step 4 | show archive log config statistics Use this command to display memory usage information for the configuration. For example: Example:
Router# show archive log config statistics
Config Log Session Info:
Number of sessions being tracked: 1
Memory being held: 3910 bytes
Total memory allocated for session tracking: 3910 bytes
Total memory freed from session tracking: 0 bytes
Config Log log-queue Info:
Number of entries in the log-queue: 3
Memory being held in the log-queue: 671 bytes
Total memory allocated for log entries: 671 bytes
Total memory freed from log entries:: 0 bytes
|
| Step 5 | exit Use this command to exit to user EXEC mode. For example: Example:
Router# exit
Router> |
Clearing Configuration Log Entries
Entries from the configuration log can be cleared in one of two ways. The size of the configuration log can be reduced using the loggingsize command, or the configuration log can be disabled and then re-enabled with the loggingenablecommand.
- Clearing the Configuration Log by Reducing the Log Size
- Clearing the Configuration Log by Disabling the Configuration Log
Clearing the Configuration Log by Reducing the Log Size
Perform this task to clear entries from the configuration log using the loggingsizecommand.
DETAILED STEPS
| Command or Action | Purpose | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Example: Router> enable |
Enables privileged EXEC mode. |
||
|
|
Example: Router# configure terminal |
Enters global configuration mode. |
||
|
|
Example: Router(config)# archive |
Enters archive configuration mode. |
||
|
|
Example: Router(config-archive)# log config |
Enters configuration change logger configuration mode. |
||
|
|
Example: Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging size 1 |
Specifies the maximum number of entries retained in the configuration log.
|
||
|
|
Example: Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging size 200 |
Specifies the maximum number of entries retained in the configuration log.
|
||
|
|
Example: Router(config-archive-log-config)# end |
Exits to privileged EXEC mode. |
Examples
The following example shows how to clear the configuration log by reducing the log size to 1, then resetting the log size to the desired value:
Router# configure terminal Router(config)# archive Router(config-archive)# log config Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging size 1 Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging size 200 Router(config-archive-log-config)# end
Clearing the Configuration Log by Disabling the Configuration Log
Perform this task to clear entries from the configuration log using the loggingenablecommand.
DETAILED STEPS
| Command or Action | Purpose | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Example: Router> enable |
Enables privileged EXEC mode. |
||
|
|
Example: Router# configure terminal |
Enters global configuration mode. |
||
|
|
Example: Router(config)# archive |
Enters archive configuration mode. |
||
|
|
Example: Router(config-archive)# log config |
Enters configuration change logger configuration mode. |
||
|
|
Example: Router(config-archive-log-config)# no logging enable |
Disables the logging of configuration changes.
|
||
|
|
Example: Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging enable |
Enables the logging of configuration changes. |
||
|
|
Example: Router(config-archive-log-config)# end |
Exits to privileged EXEC mode. |
Examples
The following example clears the configuration log by disabling and then re-enabling the configuration log:
Router(config)# archive
Router(config-archive)# log config
Router(config-archive-log-config)# no logging enable
Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging enable
Router(config-archive-log-config)# end
Configuration Examples for the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature
Configuring the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature Example
The following example shows how to enable configuration logging with a maximum of 200 entries in the configuration log. In the example, security is increased by suppressing the display of password information in configuration log records, and syslog notifications are turned on.
configure terminal archive log config logging enable logging size 200 hidekeys notify syslog
Additional References
The following sections provide references related to the Configuration Change Notification and Logging. feature:
Related Documents
| Related Topic |
Document Title |
|---|---|
| Information about managing configuration files |
Managing Configuration Files |
| Commands for managing configuration files |
Cisco IOS Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference |
Standards
| Standards |
Title |
|---|---|
| No new or modified standards are supported by this feature, and support for existing standards has not been modified by this feature. |
-- |
MIBs
| MIBs |
MIBs Link |
|---|---|
| No new or modified MIBs are supported by this feature, and support for existing MIBs has not been modified by this feature. |
To locate and download MIBs for selected platforms, Cisco IOS releases, and feature sets, use Cisco MIB Locator found at the following URL: |
RFCs
| RFCs |
Title |
|---|---|
| No new or modified RFCs are supported by this feature, and support for existing RFCs has not been modified by this feature. |
-- |
Technical Assistance
| Description |
Link |
|---|---|
| The Cisco Support website provides extensive online resources, including documentation and tools for troubleshooting and resolving technical issues with Cisco products and technologies. To receive security and technical information about your products, you can subscribe to various services, such as the Product Alert Tool (accessed from Field Notices), the Cisco Technical Services Newsletter, and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) Feeds. Access to most tools on the Cisco Support website requires a Cisco.com user ID and password. |
Feature Information for Configuration Change Notification and Logging
The following table provides release information about the feature or features described in this module. This table lists only the software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that software release train also support that feature.
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
| Table 1 | Feature Information for Configuration Change Notification and Logging |
| Feature Name |
Releases |
Feature Information |
|---|---|---|
| Configuration Change Notification and Logging |
12.3(4)T 12.2(25)S 12.2(27)SBC 12.2(33)SRA 12.2(33)SXH 12.2(33)SB |
The Configuration Change Notification and Logging (Configuration Logging) feature allows the tracking of configuration changes entered on a per-session and per-user basis by implementing a configuration log. The configuration log tracks each configuration command that is applied, who applied the command, the parser return code for the command, and the time the command was applied. This feature also adds a notification mechanism that sends asynchronous notifications to registered applications whenever the configuration log changes. In 12.2(33)SB, this feature was implemented on the Cisco 10000 series. The following sections provide information about this feature: The following commands were modified by this feature: archive, hidekeys, log config, logging enable, logging size, notify syslog, show archive log config. |
| Config Logger Enhancements for EAL4+ Certification |
12.3(14)T 12.2(27)SBC |
Further enhancements to the Configuration Change Logging process were implemented in Cisco IOS Release 12.3(14)T and 12.2(27)SBC. These enhancements support an effort to ensure the logging process meets the requirements set forth in the Conformance to Common Criteria, Evaluation Assurance Level 4+ (EAL4+) Firewall Protection Profiles. The following section provides information about this feature: |
Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. To view a list of Cisco trademarks, go to this URL: www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. (1110R)
Any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and phone numbers used in this document are not intended to be actual addresses and phone numbers. Any examples, command display output, network topology diagrams, and other figures included in the document are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any use of actual IP addresses or phone numbers in illustrative content is unintentional and coincidental.
Feedback