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Table Of Contents
Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Prerequisites for Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Restrictions for Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Information About Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Benefits of the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Contextual Configuration Diff Utility Output Format
How to Use the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Using the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Configuration Examples for the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Incremental Diff Operation: Example
show archive config differences
show archive config incremental-diffs
Feature Information for Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
First Published: November 2003Last Updated: August 2007 (for Release 12.2SX)
The Contextual Configuration Diff Utility feature provides the ability to perform a line-by-line comparison of any two configuration files (accessible through the Cisco IOS Integrated File System [IFS]) and generate a list of the differences between them. The generated output includes information regarding configuration lines that have been added, modified, or deleted, and the configuration modes within which a changed configuration line exists.
Finding Feature Information in This Module
Your Cisco IOS software release may not support all of the features documented in this module. To reach links to specific feature documentation in this module and to see a list of the releases in which each feature is supported, use the "Feature Information for Contextual Configuration Diff Utility" section.
Finding Support Information for Platforms and Cisco IOS Software Images
Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and software image support. Cisco Feature Navigator enables you to determine which Cisco IOS and Catalyst OS software images support a specific software release, feature set, or platform. To access Cisco Feature Navigator, go to http://www.cisco.com/go/fn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
Contents
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Prerequisites for Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
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Prerequisites for Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
The format of the configuration files used for the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility feature must comply with standard Cisco IOS configuration file indentation rules as follows:
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The router must have a contiguous block of memory larger than the combined size of the two configuration files being compared.
Restrictions for Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
If the router does not have a contiguous block of memory larger than the combined size of the two configuration files being compared, the diff operation fails.
Information About Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Before using the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility feature, you should understand the following concepts:
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Benefits of the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
The Contextual Configuration Diff Utility feature provides the ability to perform a line-by-line comparison of any two configuration files (accessible through the Cisco IOS File System [IFS]) and generate a list of the differences between them. The generated output includes information regarding the following items:
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Contextual Configuration Diff Utility Output Format
Diff Operation
The Contextual Configuration Diff Utility feature uses the filenames of two configuration files as input. A diff operation is performed on the specified files and a list of differences between the two files is generated as output. Interpreting the output is dependent on the order in which the two files are configured (show archive config differences command). In this section, we assume that the filename of the file entered first is file1 and the filename of the file entered second is file2. Each entry in the generated output list is prefixed with a unique text symbol to indicate the type of difference found. The text symbols and their meanings are as follows:
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Incremental Diff Operation
Some applications require that the generated output of a diff operation contain configuration lines that are unmodified (in other words, without the minus and plus symbols). For these applications, an incremental diff operation can be performed, which compares a specified configuration file to the running configuration file (show archive config incremental-diffs command).
When an incremental diff operation is performed, a list of the configuration lines that do not appear in the running configuration file (in other words, configuration lines that only appear in the specified file that is being compared to the running configuration file) is generated as output. An exclamation point (!) with descriptive comments is used to identify order-sensitive configuration lines whose location is different in the specified configuration file than in the running configuration file.
How to Use the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
This section contains the following procedure:
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Using the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
This task describes how to use the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility feature.
SUMMARY STEPS
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or
show archive config incremental-diffs [file]3.
DETAILED STEPS
Configuration Examples for the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
This section contains the following configuration examples:
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Diff Operation: Example
In this example, a diff operation is performed on the running and startup configuration files. Table 1 shows the configuration files used for this example.
The following is sample output from the show archive config differences command. This sample output displays the results of the diff operation performed on the configuration files in Table 1.
Router# show archive config differences running-config startup-config+ip subnet-zero
+ip name-server 10.4.4.4
+voice dnis-map 1
+dnis 111
interface Ethernet1/0
+no ip address
+shutdown
+ip default-gateway 10.5.5.5
+ip classless
+access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.1
+access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.2
+access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.3
+snmp-server community private RW
-no ip subnet-zero
interface Ethernet1/0
-ip address 10.7.7.7 255.0.0.0
-no ip classless
-snmp-server community public RO
Incremental Diff Operation: Example
In this example, an incremental diff operation is performed on the startup and running configuration files. Table 2 shows the configuration files used for this example.
The following is sample output from the show archive config incremental-diffs command. This sample output displays the results of the incremental diff operation performed on the configuration files in Table 2.
Router# show archive config incremental-diffs startup-configip subnet-zero
ip name-server 10.4.4.4
voice dnis-map 1
dnis 111
interface Ethernet1/0
no ip address
shutdown
ip default-gateway 10.5.5.5
ip classless
access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.1
access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.2
access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.3
snmp-server community private RW
Additional References
This section provides references related to the Contextual Configuration Diff Utility feature.
Related Documents
Information about managing configuration files
"Managing Configuration Files" chapter in the Cisco IOS Configuration Fundamentals and Network Management Configuration Guide, Release 12.2
Commands for managing configuration files
The Cisco IOS Configuration Fundamentals Command Reference appropriate to your software release version.
Standards
No new or modified standards are supported by this feature, and support for existing standards has not been modified by this feature.
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MIBs
RFCs
No new or modified RFCs are supported by this feature, and support for existing RFCs has not been modified by this feature.
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Technical Assistance
Command Reference
This section documents modified commands only.
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show archive config differences
To perform a line-by-line comparison of any two configuration files (accessible through the Cisco IOS File System [IFS]) and generate a list of the differences between them, use the show archive config differences command in user EXEC or privileged EXEC mode.
show archive config differences [file1 [file2]]
Syntax Description
file1
(Optional) The filename of the first configuration file.
file2
(Optional) The filename of the second configuration file.
Command Default
If the file1 and file2 arguments are not specified, the first configuration file is assumed to be the running configuration file and the second to be the startup configuration file.
If only the file1 argument is specified, the second configuration file is assumed to be the running configuration file.
Command Modes
User EXEC
Privileged EXECCommand History
Usage Guidelines
Interpreting the output of the show archive config differences command is dependent on the order in which the two files are configured. Each entry in the generated output list is prefixed with a unique text symbol to indicate the type of difference found. The text symbols and their meanings are as follows:
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Examples
In this example, a diff operation is performed on the running and startup configuration files. Table 3 shows the configuration files used for this example.
The following is sample output from the show archive config differences command. This sample output displays the results of the diff operation performed on the configuration files in Table 3.
Router# show archive config differences running-config startup-config+ip subnet-zero
+ip name-server 10.4.4.4
+voice dnis-map 1
+dnis 111
interface Ethernet1/0
+no ip address
+shutdown
+ip default-gateway 10.5.5.5
+ip classless
+access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.1
+access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.2
+access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.3
+snmp-server community private RW
-no ip subnet-zero
interface Ethernet1/0
-ip address 10.7.7.7 255.0.0.0
-no ip classless
-snmp-server community public RO
Related Commands
show archive config incremental-diffs
To perform a line-by-line comparison of a specified configuration file to the running configuration file and generate a list of the configuration lines that do not appear in the running configuration file, use the show archive config incremental-diffs command in user EXEC or privileged EXEC mode.
show archive config incremental-diffs file
Syntax Description
Command Modes
User EXEC
Privileged EXECCommand History
Usage Guidelines
When an incremental diff operation is performed, a list of the configuration lines that do not appear in the running configuration file (in other words, configuration lines that only appear in the specified file that is being compared to the running configuration file) is generated as output. An exclamation point (!) with descriptive comments is used to identify order-sensitive configuration lines whose location is different in the specified configuration file than in the running configuration file.
Examples
In this example, an incremental diff operation is performed on the startup and running configuration files. Table 4 shows the configuration files used for this example.
The following is sample output from the show archive config incremental-diffs command. This sample output displays the results of the incremental diff operation performed on the configuration files in Table 4.
Router# show archive config incremental-diffs nvram:startup-configip subnet-zero
ip name-server 10.4.4.4
voice dnis-map 1
dnis 111
interface Ethernet1/0
no ip address
shutdown
ip default-gateway 10.5.5.5
ip classless
access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.1
access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.2
access-list 110 deny ip any host 10.1.1.3
snmp-server community private RW
Related Commands
Feature Information for Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Table 5 lists the release history for this feature.
Not all commands may be available in your Cisco IOS software release. For release information about a specific command, see the command reference documentation.
Cisco IOS software images are specific to a Cisco IOS software release, a feature set, and a platform. Use Cisco Feature Navigator to find information about platform support and Cisco IOS software image support. Access Cisco Feature Navigator at http://www.cisco.com/go/cfn. An account on Cisco.com is not required.
Note
Table 5 Feature Information for Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
Contextual Configuration Diff Utility
12.3(4)T,
12.2(25)S,
12.2(27)SBC,
12.2(33)SRA,
12.2(33)SXHThe Contextual Configuration Diff Utility feature provides the ability to perform a line-by-line comparison of any two configuration files and generate a list of the differences between them. The generated output includes information regarding configuration lines that have been added, modified, or deleted, and the configuration modes within which a changed configuration line exists.
In 12.3(4)T, this feature was introduced.
In 12.2(25)S, support was added for a Cisco IOS 12.2S release.
In 12.2(27)SBC, support was added in a Cisco IOS 12.2SB release.
In 12.2(33)SRA, support was added in a Cisco IOS 12.2SR release.
In 12.2(33)SXH, support was added in a Cisco IOS 12.2SX release.The following sections provide information about this feature:
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The following commands were modified by this feature: show archive config differences, show archive config incremental-diffs.
Any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses used in this document are not intended to be actual addresses. Any examples, command display output, and figures included in the document are shown for illustrative purposes only. Any use of actual IP addresses in illustrative content is unintentional and coincidental.
© 2003 - 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.
