System Management Configuration Guide for Cisco 8000 Series Routers, Cisco IOS XR Releases

PDF

System Management Configuration Guide for Cisco 8000 Series Routers, Cisco IOS XR Releases

Auto-save configurations

Updated: June 12, 2026

Want to summarize with AI?

Log in

Explains the auto-save configurations feature for Cisco routers, including its key attributes, functionality, and configurability.

A auto-save configuration is a router backup feature that

  • automatically saves a backup of the running configuration to a specified location after each commit,

  • supports storage both locally on the router and remotely via secure file transfer protocols, and

  • provides flexible parameters for password encryption, file limits, wait-time, and timestamping backups.

The auto-save configurations feature enhances router reliability and disaster recovery by creating consistent, automated backups of all configuration changes. Once enabled, each committed change is saved without manual intervention, protecting against data loss and configuration errors.

Starting with Cisco IOS XR Software Release 7.10.1, auto-save supports public-key authentication for remote configuration backups.

Key configurable attributes:

  • scp and sftp protocols : Save configuration backups to remote servers using Secure Copy Protocol (SCP) or Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). SCP is a secure protocol for general file copying; SFTP is recommended for transferring large files.

  • password : You can save encrypted passwords for both remote and local locations to secure backup file transfers.

  • maximum : Define the maximum number of auto-saved files to retain. Once the limit is reached, older files are overwritten by newer ones. The default is 1, with a maximum limit of 4,294,967,295 files.

  • timestamp : Append a timestamp to each auto-saved file name, using the router’s configured time and timezone. Example:test_123.autosave.1.ts.Tue_Jan_31_15-15-51_805_IST

  • wait-time : Specify the interval to wait before the next auto-save occurs (in days, months, or hours after a commit). Default is zero

Restrictions for auto-save configuration

Observe these restrictions to ensure correct operation of auto-save configuration.

  • The maximum number of configuration lines currently supported on the Cisco 8000 Series routers is 1Million.

  • Use only local paths, SCP, and SFTP paths for auto-save configuration; other paths are not supported.

Configure auto-save for configuration commits

Enable auto-save for configuration commits so all changes are automatically preserved as you make modifications.

In environments where frequent configuration changes are made, configuring auto-save ensures all changes are recorded and reduces the risk of losing updates due to unexpected events.

Before you begin

  • Identify the desired protocol, username, server, and file path for storing configuration backups.

  • Prepare credentials if secure options (e.g., encrypted password) are needed.

Procedure

1.

Enable auto-save for configuration commits:

Example:

Router(config)#configuration commit auto-save
2.

Optionally, specify the destination file for auto-saved configurations using the protocol, username, host, and file path:

Example:

Router(config-cfg-autosave)#configuration commit auto-save filename sftp://user1@server1://test-folder/test_123
3.

Set the password (clear or encrypted):

Example:

Router(config-cfg-autosave)#password clear encryption-default cisco
4.

Enable timestamping for saved files:

Example:

Router(config-cfg-autosave)#timestamp
5.

Set the maximum number of saved configurations.

Example:

Router(config-cfg-autosave)#maximum 10
6.

Configure the wait-time between successive auto-saves.

Example:

Router(config-cfg-autosave)#wait-time days 0 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds 5
Router(config-cfg-autosave)# commit
7.

Verify the running configuration to ensure auto-save is enabled.

Example:

Router#show running-config configuration commit auto-save
configuration commit auto-save
 filename sftp://user1@server1://test-folder/test_123
 password encrypted encryption-default <password for above user>
 timestamp
 maximum 10
 wait-time days 0 hours 0 minutes 0 seconds 5
!

All configuration commits are automatically saved based on the settings you specify, ensuring backups are properly maintained.