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Before you start using the Configuration Archive features, make sure devices are configured according to the settings in Configure Devices So They Can Be Modeled and Monitored.
By default, Cisco EPN Manager saves device configuration files to the archive when:
Users with Administrator privileges can change those settings.
Step 1 | Choose , then choose . | ||||||||
Step 2 | Adjust the
archiving settings depending on the following criteria.
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Step 3 | To schedule
regular archiving for groups of devices (or single devices):
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By default, Cisco EPN Manager backs up a device’s configuration file whenever it receives a change notification event. This function will work only if devices are configured properly; see How Often Is Inventory Collected? For example, for devices running Cisco IOS XR and Cisco IOS XE, the following setting must be configured:
logging server-IP
When Cisco EPN Manager receives a configuration change event, it waits 10 minutes (by default) before archiving in case more configuration change events are received. This prevents multiple collection processes from running at the same time. To check or change this setting, choose , then choose and adjust the Hold Off Timer.
Note | The Hold Off Timer may be set to a shorter period for certain events, called expedited events. For more information, see Change the Behavior of Expedited Events. |
To turn off event-triggered archiving, choose Archive configuration on receiving configuration change events? check box.
, then choose and uncheck theSome lines in device configuration files should be excluded when Cisco EPN Manager compares different versions to identify changes. Cisco EPN Manager excludes some lines by default, such as clock settings for routers and switches. If you have Administrator privileges, you can check which lines are excluded, and add more lines to be excluded.
By default, Configuration Archive operations such as archiving, rolling back, and fetching configurations from devices will time out if a device does not respond for 6 minutes (360s). To adjust this setting, choose Timeout field.
, then choose and change the setting in theWhen you choose Cisco EPN Manager lists the configuration archives that it has collected. This summary data is updated whenever a new archive is collected. It is also updated by default at least every 30 minutes according to a summary refresh timer. You can change the time setting by choosing , then choose and adjust the Summary refresh hold-off time.
,Cisco EPN Manager uses 10 thread pools for copying configuration files to the archive. A larger number may be helpful when archiving of changes involving more than 1,000 devices; however, making the number too large can negatively impact system performance. To change this number, choose , then choose and adjust the Thread Pool Timer.
Cisco EPN Manager supports exporting startup and running configuration files to a local file system. By default, the contents of these files are masked when they are exported. To export configuration files, see Export Configuration Files to a Local File System. If you want to change the mask setting, choose , then choose and adjust the Mask security content while exporting option.
Device configuration files cannot be manually deleted from the database; they can only be purged by Cisco EPN Manager . Users with Administrator privileges can adjust when configuration files are purged as follows. If you do not want any configuration files purged, follow this procedure but leave both fields blank.
Step 1 | To find out the most recent date when device running configuration files were backed up to the archive, choose choose Inventory > Device Management > Configuration Archive and click the Devices tab. The Latest Archive column lists the archiving time stamp for each device with the most recent archive listed first. The Created By column displays the archive trigger (for example, a syslog). |
Step 2 | To view the contents of a device’s most recently-archived running configuration file, click the time stamp hyperlink. The Running Configuration window displays the contents of the file. |
Step 3 | To view the changes that were made between archives for a device, see Compare Device Configuration Files. |
The configuration archive maintains copies of device configuration files, storing them in the database. Most configuration files are stored in readable format as received from the device and can be compared with earlier versions. Device configurations can be restored to earlier states using the files saved in the archive.
If the running and startup configurations on a device are the same, Cisco EPN Manager copies only the running configuration to the database. This is why in some cases, when you view the image repository, you will only see an archive for the running configuration.
If a configuration file has not changed since its last backup, Cisco EPN Manager does not archive the file. Cisco EPN Manager will report that the job was successful and the job result will display Already Exists.
Cisco EPN Manager collects and archives the following device configuration files.
Device/Device OS |
What is Backed Up |
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---|---|---|---|
Cisco IOS and Cisco IOS XE |
Latest startup, running, and VLAN configuration. |
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Cisco IOS XR |
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Cisco NCS |
Database configuration (binary file)
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When a configuration file is backed up, Cisco EPN Manager fetches a copy of the configuration file from the device and copies (backs it up) to the configuration archive (database). Before saving a copy to the archive, Cisco EPN Manager compares the fetched file with the last version in the archive (of the same type—running with running, startup with startup). Cisco EPN Manager archives the file only if the two files are different. If the number of archived versions exceeds the maximum (5, by default), the oldest archive is purged.
For devices that support both a running and startup configurations, Cisco EPN Manager identifies out-of-sync (unsynchronized) devices during the backup process by comparing the latest version of the startup configuration with the latest version of the running configuration file. For more information on out-of-sync devices, see Synchronize Running and Startup Device Configurations.
The following table describes the supported backup methods and how they are triggered. To check or adjust the default settings, see Control How Archiving is Triggered.
When you archive a Cisco NCS 2000 database, if you receive an error message saying the database or flash is busy, it is likely caused by one following:
You are performing the archive operation in parallel with other Configuration Archive or Image Management operations. You should retry the operation after a short period of time.
Multiple users are performing the same operation at the same time. You should retry the operation after a short period of time.
The device has a software download alarm that has not been cleared. You should clear the alarm.
Backup Method |
Description |
Notes |
---|---|---|
On-demand manual backup |
Choose Inventory > Configuration Archive, choose devices, and click Schedule Archive (run the job immediately or at a later time). |
N/A |
Regular scheduled backups |
Choose Inventory > Configuration Archive, choose devices, and click Schedule Archive. In the scheduler, specify a Recurrence. |
N/A |
Inventory collection backups |
Cisco EPN Manager automatically performs backup if changes are detected during inventory collection. |
Disabled by default |
New device backups |
Cisco EPN Manager automatically performs backup for new devices. |
Enabled by default |
Event-triggered backups (device change notifications) |
Cisco EPN Manager automatically performs backup when it receives a syslog from a managed device. |
Enabled by default |
To view the configuration files that are saved in the database, choose Inventory > Device Management > Configuration Archive. Click the Archives or Devices tabs depending on where you want to start:
By default, Cisco EPN Manager saves up to 5 versions of a file, and deletes any files that are older than 7 days; device configuration files cannot be manually deleted from the database. (To check the current purging settings, see Control When Device Configuration Files are Purged from the Database.)
Note | If you only see a running configuration file and not a startup file, that is because the two files are the same. Cisco EPN Manager only backs up the startup configuration when it is different from the running configuration. |
Use this procedure to view the startup, running, and (if supported) VLAN, database, and admin configuration files that have been saved to the configuration archive. You can choose versions according to time stamps and then compare them with other versions.
To quickly view a device's currently-running configuration, perform a show run from the Device 360 view. See View a Device's Running Configuration File (Raw Content).
Note | For Cisco NCS 2000 and Cisco NCS 4000 devices, the database is backed up as a binary file. Because it is not a text file, you cannot view it or compare it with other versions, instead, you can export the file directly. |
To view the contents of a running configuration file stored in the configuration archive:
Step 1 | Choose Devices tab. , then click the | ||
Step 2 | Click a device name hyperlink. Cisco EPN Manager lists archived files according to their timestamps. | ||
Step 3 | Expand a time stamp to view the files that were archived at that time. You will see the details for Running Configuration, Startup Configuration, Admin Configuration, VLAN Configuration, and Database Configuration. Click the Details hyperlink under these categories, to see more information.
| ||
Step 4 | Click a file under Configuration Type to view its raw data. The Raw Configuration tab lists the file contents, top to bottom. | ||
Step 5 | To compare it with another file, click any of the hyperlinks under the Compare With column. The choices depend on the device type and number of configuration files that have been backed up to the archive. Color codes indicate what was updated, deleted, or added. |
To view a device's running configuration, execute a CLI sh run command from the Device 360 view Actions menu.
Assigning tags to configuration files is a clear method for identifying important configurations and convey critical information. The tag is displayed with the list of files on the Configuration Archive page. Tags can also be edited and deleted using the following procedure.
Devices that have startup configuration files and running configuration files may become out-of-sync (unsynchronized). A device is considered out-of-sync if its startup file (which is loaded when a device is restarted) is different from its running configuration. Unless a modified running configuration is also saved as the startup configuration, if the device is restarted, the modifications in the running configuration will be lost. The overwrite operation synchronizes the files by overwriting the device’s startup configuration with its current running configuration.
Note | This device configuration file synchronize operation is different from the Sync operation which performs an immediate inventory collection for a device. That Sync operation is described in Collect a Device's Inventory Now (Sync). |
Step 1 | Identify the devices that are out-of-sync: |
Step 2 | To synchronize
the devices:
|
Step 3 | To check the job details, choose Administration > Job Dashboard to view details about the overwrite job. |
You can download the Startup and Running configuration files of up to a maximum of 1000 devices at a time, to your local system.
Step 1 | Choose Inventory > Device Management > Configuration Archive. |
Step 2 | From the
Export
drop-down list, select one of the following options to
download the configuration files:
This option downloads all supported configuration from the device as a csv file. To specifically download only the Startup or the Running configuration from the device, use the alternate steps below. The Unsanitized option appears based on the user permission set in Role Based Access Control (RBAC). You can also download the configuration files by doing the following:
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The comparison feature displays two configuration files side by side with additions, deletions, and excluded values indicated by different colors. You can use this feature to view the differences between startup and running configuration files for out-of-sync devices, or to find out if similar devices are configured differently.
Cisco EPN Manager excludes a small set of commands by default, such as the NTP clock rate (which constantly changes on a managed network element but is not considered a configuration change). You can change the excluded commands list as described in Specify Items to Be Excluded When Configuration Files Are Checked for Changes.
Note | File comparisons are not supported on the Cisco NCS 2000 devices because the files are saved in binary format. Only text-based files can be compared. |
Step 1 | Choose Inventory > Device Management > Configuration Archive. |
Step 2 | Under the Devices tab, locate the device with the configuration you want to compare and click its device name hyperlink. |
Step 3 | Expand a time stamp to view the files that were archived at that time. |
Step 4 | Launch a
comparison window by clicking any of the hyperlinks under the Compare With
column. The choices depend on the device type and number of configuration files
that have been backed up to the archive. Color codes indicate what was updated,
deleted, or added.
In the Configuration Comparison window, you can peruse the configuration by looking at the raw files or by looking at certain portions of the files (configlets). Use the color codes at the bottom window to find what was updated, deleted, or added. |
The Schedule Deploy operation updates a device’s configuration file with an external file. The difference between Rollback and Schedule deploy is that the Rollback uses an existing file from the archive, while Schedule Deploy uses an external file.
Depending on the type of device, you can specify the following settings for the deploy job:
Overwrite the current startup configuration with the new version and optionally reboot the device after the deploy.
Merge the new file with the current running configuration and optionally archive the file as the new startup configuration.
Schedule the deploy of database configuration files in .tgz format.
Make sure you have the location of the file on your local machine.
Step 1 | Open the device’s Device Details page, from which you will execute the deploy operation. | ||
Step 2 | Open the device’s Configuration Archive page by clicking the Configuration Archive tab. For Cisco NCS 2000 and Cisco ONS devices, this choice is displayed on the right when you click the Chassis View tab. | ||
Step 3 | Click Schedule Deploy to open the deploy job dialog box. | ||
Step 4 | Choose the file
you want to deploy by clicking
Browse, navigating to the file’s location, and
choosing the file.
| ||
Step 5 | Configure the
job parameters, depending on the type of file you are deploying:
| ||
Step 6 | Schedule the deploy job to run immediately or at a future time, and click Submit. | ||
Step 7 | Choose Administration > Job Dashboard to view details about the image activation job. |
The overwrite operation copies a device’s running configuration to its startup configuration. If you make changes to a device’s running configuration without overwriting its startup configuration, when the device restarts, your changes will be lost.
Note | Do not use the Overwrite button in the Archives tab (shown when you choose ) because it only allows you to select a device but not select a configuration file. |
Step 1 | Choose . |
Step 2 | Click the device name hyperlink to open the device’s details page, then click the Configuration Archive tab. For Cisco NCS 2000 and Cisco ONS devices, this choice is displayed on the right when you click the Chassis View tab. |
Step 3 | Click Schedule Overwrite and set the job to run immediately or at a future time, then click Submit. |
Step 4 | Choose to view details about the image activation job. |
The rollback operation copies files from the archive to devices, making the new files the current configuration. You can roll back running, startup, and VLAN configurations. By default, the operation is performed by merging the files. If you are rolling back a running configuration, you have the option to perform it using overwrite rather than merge. To roll back a configuration file to a previous version.
Step 1 | Choose Inventory > Device Management > Configuration Archive. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 2 | Click the Archives tab and check the device that has the configuration file you want to roll back, and click Rollback. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 3 | Choose the file types you want to roll back. In the Schedule Configuration Rollback dialog box: | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 4 | Click the specific configuration file version that you want to roll back to. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Step 5 | Click
Schedule
Rollback
and complete the following:
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Step 6 | Click Submit. |
You can export running configuration files, startup configuration files. By default, the contents of device running config files are masked when they are exported (see Control Whether Configuration File Content Is Masked During Exports).
Note | For Cisco NCS 2000 devices, you can export database configurations as binary files to a file system on your local machine. With Cisco NCS 4000 devices, you can export database configurations as .tgz files. When you export it, your browser will prompt you to save or open the file. |
Step 1 | Choose Inventory > Device Management > Configuration Archive. |
Step 2 | Under the Devices tab, locate the device with the archive you want to export, and click its device name hyperlink. |
Step 3 | Locate the configuration version you want to export and expand it. |
Step 4 | Under the Configuration Type column, click the hyperlink for the file you want to export (Running Configuration or, if supported, Startup Configuration, or Database Configuration). |
Step 5 | In the file viewer page, click Export and save the file to your local machine. |
To get historical information about device software image changes, check the Network Audit.
Step 1 | Choose
Inventory
>
Network
Audit. To filter the results to show only image
management operations, enter
archive in the
Audit Component field.
| ||
Step 2 | Expand an event
drawer to get details about a device change. For example, if you expand the
drawer highlighted in the Network Audit Event—Configuration Archive figure,
given in step 1, you can see that the device’s running configuration file was
successfully backed up to the archive at that time.
For more information on the Network Audit feature, see Audit Configuration Archive and Software Management Changes (Network Audit). |