Configuration Change Notification and Logging

First Published: November 3, 2003
Last Updated: May 4, 2009

Prior to the introduction of this feature, the only way to determine if the Cisco IOS XE 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

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 for Configuration Change Notification and Logging" section.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco IOS XE software image support. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to http://www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Contents

•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

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

To configure the Configuration Change Notification and Logging feature, you must understand the following concepts:

•Configuration Log

•Configuration Change Notifications and Config Change Logging

Configuration Log

The Configuration Change Notification and Logging feature tracks changes made to the Cisco IOS XE 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:

•Commands that result in a syntax error message

•Partial commands that invoke the router help system

For each configuration command that is executed, the following information is logged:

•The command that was executed

•The configuration mode in which the command was executed

•The name of the user that executed the command

•The time at which the command was executed

•A configuration change sequence number

•Parser return codes for the command

You can display information from the configuration log through the use of the show archive log config command, with the exception of the parser return codes, which are for use by internal Cisco IOS XE 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 XE 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 XE software running configuration, and identify the user that made that change.

How to Configure the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature

This section contains the following procedures:

•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.

SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable

2. configure terminal

3. archive

4. log config

5. logging enable

6. logging size entries

7. hidekeys

8. notify syslog

9. end

DETAILED STEPS

 
Command or Action
Purpose

Step 1 

enable

Example:

Router> enable

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

•Enter your password if prompted.

Step 2 

configure terminal

Example:

Router# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3 

archive

Example:

Router(config)# archive

Enters archive configuration mode.

Step 4 

log config

Example:

Router(config-archive)# log config

Enters configuration change logger configuration mode.

Step 5 

logging enable

Example:

Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging enable

Enables the logging of configuration changes.

•Logging of configuration changes is disabled by default.

Step 6 

logging size entries

Example:

Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging size 200

(Optional) Specifies the maximum number of entries retained in the configuration log.

•Valid values for the entries argument range from 1 to 1000. The default value is 100 entries.

•When the configuration log is full, the oldest entry is deleted every time a new entry is added.

Note If a new log size is specified that is smaller than the current log size, the oldest log entries is immediately purged until the new log size is satisfied, regardless of the age of the log entries.

Step 7 

hidekeys

Example:

Router(config-archive-log-config)# hidekeys

(Optional) Suppresses the display of password information in configuration log files.

Note Enabling the hidekeys command increases security by preventing password information from being displayed in configuration log files.

Step 8 

notify syslog

Example:

Router(config-archive-log-config)# notify syslog

(Optional) Enables the sending of notifications of configuration changes to a remote syslog.

Step 9 

end

Example:

Router(config-archive-log-config)# end

Exits to privileged EXEC mode.

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 show archive log config command.

SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable

2. show archive log config number [end-number]

3. show archive log config all provisioning

4. show archive log config statistics

5. exit

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 enable

Use this command to enable privileged EXEC mode. Enter your password if prompted. For 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 


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: 

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: 

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: 

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 logging size command, or the configuration log can be disabled and then reenabled with the logging enable command.

This section contains the following procedures:

•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 logging size command.

SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable

2. configure terminal

3. archive

4. log config

5. logging size entries

6. logging size entries

7. end

DETAILED STEPS

 
Command or Action
Purpose

Step 1 

enable

Example:

Router> enable

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

•Enter your password if prompted.

Step 2 

configure terminal

Example:

Router# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3 

archive

Example:

Router(config)# archive

Enters archive configuration mode.

Step 4 

log config

Example:

Router(config-archive)# log config

Enters configuration change logger configuration mode.

Step 5 

logging size entries

Example:

Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging size 1

Specifies the maximum number of entries retained in the configuration log.

Note Setting the size of the configuration log to 1 results in all but the most recent entry being purged.

Step 6 

logging size entries

Example:

Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging size 200

Specifies the maximum number of entries retained in the configuration log.

Note The size of the configuration log should be reset to the desired value after clearing the configuration log.

Step 7 

end

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 logging enable command.

SUMMARY STEPS

1. enable

2. configure terminal

3. archive

4. log config

5. no logging enable

6. logging enable

7. end

DETAILED STEPS

 
Command or Action
Purpose

Step 1 

enable

Example:

Router> enable

Enables privileged EXEC mode.

•Enter your password if prompted.

Step 2 

configure terminal

Example:

Router# configure terminal

Enters global configuration mode.

Step 3 

archive

Example:

Router(config)# archive

Enters archive configuration mode.

Step 4 

log config

Example:

Router(config-archive)# log config

Enters configuration change logger configuration mode.

Step 5 

no logging enable

Example:

Router(config-archive-log-config)# no logging enable

Disables the logging of configuration changes.

Note Disabling the configuration log results in all records being purged.

Step 6 

logging enable

Example:

Router(config-archive-log-config)# logging enable

Enables the logging of configuration changes.

Step 7 

end

Example:

Router(config-archive-log-config)# end

Exits to privileged EXEC mode.

Examples

The following example clears the configuration log by disabling and then reenabling 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

This section provides the following configuration example:

•Configuring the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature: Example

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 XE releases, and feature sets, use Cisco MIB Locator found at the following URL:

http://www.cisco.com/go/mibs


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.

http://www.cisco.com/techsupport


Feature Information for Configuration Change Notification and Logging

Table 1 lists the features in this module and provides links to specific configuration information.

Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and software image support. Cisco Feature Navigator enables you to determine which Cisco IOS XE software images support a specific software release, feature set, or platform. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to http://www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.

Note Table 1 lists only the Cisco IOS XE software release that introduced support for a given feature in a given Cisco IOS XE software release train. Unless noted otherwise, subsequent releases of that Cisco IOS XE software release train also support that feature.

Table 1 Feature Information for Configuration Change Notification and Logging 

Feature Name
Releases
Feature Information

Configuration Change Notification and Logging

Cisco IOS XE Release 2.1

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 Cisco IOS XE Release 2.1, this feature was introduced on Cisco ASR 1000 Series Routers.

The following sections provide information about this feature:

•Configuration Change Notifications and Config Change Logging

•Configuring the Configuration Change Notification and Logging Feature

•Displaying Configuration Log Entries and Statistics

The following commands were modified by this feature: archive, hidekeys, log config, logging enable, logging size, notify syslog, show archive log config.


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