Backing up Cisco Router Config via SNMP

[Draco]

Yeah... so I've been looking around Cisco's site, and all their sample configs involve the use of HP Openview. I just have a Sun machine and a Cisco 2600. Any tips or suggestions? I know that's not much to go on, but I don't know much about SNMP and my boss just told me to do it (among other things I have no idea about).

 

[spidey07]

There are many ways to back up a cisco config.

You can use RPC, TFTP, TELNET, SNMP. Generally RPC is used or TFTP. Ciscoworks is a management platform that does all this and more. If you only have a single router then no biggie.

Next question. What are you trying to accomplish? For just a few routers I'd be doing it manually with RPC or TFTP. For hundreds I use ciscoworks.

 

[lamga]

Or if you want to do it the super-dumb and easy way, just plug your workstation into the router's console, log in using your terminal program, enable your Capture Text From Screen command, and from the IOS prompt just type "show running-config", and voila. The configs are all text anyway. Saves me pain if tftp isn't set up.

(Inversely, copying the running-config from a text file and pasting it into your terminal screen will automatically auto-execute your config script).

 

[Draco]

Originally posted by: spidey07
There are many ways to back up a cisco config.

You can use RPC, TFTP, TELNET, SNMP. Generally RPC is used or TFTP. Ciscoworks is a management platform that does all this and more. If you only have a single router then no biggie.

Next question. What are you trying to accomplish? For just a few routers I'd be doing it manually with RPC or TFTP. For hundreds I use ciscoworks.

I'd like to just use TFTP. Is there anyway to automate it though?

lamga, your suggestion doesn't really help, but thanks

 

[spidey07]

I'd like to just use TFTP. Is there anyway to automate it though?

write a program or go find some freeware. Ciscoworks does this automatically. but then again it is not freeware.

 

[Damaged]

I'd like to just use TFTP. Is there anyway to automate it though?

Since you'd only really need to issue a copy tfpt command from the router to a tftp server to save the config, you could write an expect script to do this.

I actually have the basics for one that could do this, though fairly simple, meaning it doesn't handle any errors very well, but, it works. I'd paste it in here, but the formatting would get all messed up.

 

[L3Guy]

You can also set the router to be a tftp server. Then you can use a tftp client on a pc to save the files, by using the NT (or equivelent) scheduler.

The one thing you need to know about the cisco tftp deamon is you have to specify the path and file name before the file is accessable.

Doug

 

[Damaged]

I couldn't remember that name of this tool last nigh, but you should check out RANCID

A config differ and more.

 

[Draco]

Thanks for the suggestions guys.