Working with Configuration Change Management

This chapter describes how to use the Configuration Change Management feature on Cisco NX-OS devices.

The Configuration Change Management feature allows you to keep an archive of configurations from managed devices. You can view and compare configurations. You can roll back the configuration on a managed device to any archived configuration that Cisco DCNM has for the device.

This chapter includes the following sections:

Information About Configuration Change Management

The Configuration Change Management feature allows you to keep an archive of configurations from managed devices. You can view and compare archived configurations. You can roll back the running configuration of a managed device to any archived configuration version available for the device in Cisco Data Center Network Manager (DCNM).

Note Beginning with Cisco Release 5.2(1), Cisco DCNM supports the Cisco IOS platform.

Note Beginning with Cisco DCNM Release 5.2(1), this feature supports Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series, Cisco Nexus 1000 Series, Cisco Nexus 1010 Series, Cisco Nexus 3000 Series, Cisco Nexus 4000 Series, Cisco Nexus 5000 Series, and Cisco Nexus 7000 Series devices.

This section includes the following topics:

Version Browser

The Version Browser feature allows you to see information about archived configurations, view and compare specific configuration versions, and merge changes from one configuration version to another version. After you modify a configuration by merging changes, you can save the modified configuration as a text file on a file system that is available to the computer that you are using to run the Cisco DCNM client.

From the Version Browser, you can initiate a configuration rollback for a managed Cisco Nexus 7000 Series device, using any of the archived configurations available in Cisco DCNM for the device. Cisco DCNM uses the rollback feature available in Cisco IOS and Cisco NX-OS. For more information about the Cisco NX-OS rollback feature, see the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS System Management Configuration Guide, Release 5.x.

Archival Jobs

The Archival Jobs feature allows you to control the automated archival of the running configuration on managed devices. You can add, edit, and delete custom archival jobs. A job consists of settings that determine when the job runs and a list of managed devices included in the job. You can choose to archive configurations at a regular interval, at a scheduled time on selected days, or whenever Cisco DCNM detects configuration changes on a device. You can also comment on a job.

The Default archival job always exists. You cannot delete it. By default, it is disabled.

Devices can be assigned to one archival job only. If you assign a device to an archival job, Cisco DCNM removes the device from the job that it was previously assigned to.

If a managed device is not assigned to a custom archival job, Cisco DCNM automatically assigns it to the Default archival job.

Archival Settings

The Archival Settings feature allows you to configure settings related to configuration change management, including the number of configuration versions that Cisco DCNM stores for each managed device, how many rollback and archival history entries Cisco DCNM stores for each managed device, and which file server Cisco DCNM uses during a configuration rollback.

Switch Profiles

Note The Switch Profiles feature is supported only on the Cisco Nexus 5000 series switches.

Several applications require consistent configuration across Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches in the network. For example, with a virtual port channel (vPC), you must have identical configurations. Mismatched configurations can cause errors or misconfigurations that can result in service disruptions. The configuration synchronization (config-sync) feature in Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0(2)N1(1) allows you to configure one switch profile and have the configuration be automatically synchronized to the peer switch.

A switch profile provides the following benefits:

  • Allows configurations to be synchronized between switches.
  • Merges configurations when connectivity is established between two switches.
  • Provides control of exactly which configuration gets synchronized.
  • Ensures configuration consistency across peers through merge and mutual-exclusion checks.
  • Provides verify and commit semantics.
  • Supports configuring and synchronizing port profile configurations.
  • Provides an import command to migrate existing vPC configurations to a switch profile.

Switch Profile Configuration Modes

The Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0(2)N1(1) switch profile feature includes the following configuration modes:

  • Configuration synchronization mode
  • Switch profile mode
  • Switch profile import mode

Configuration Synchronization Mode

Beginning with Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0(2)N1(1), the configuration synchronization mode (config-sync) allows you to create switch profiles. After entering the config sync command, you can create and name the switch profile that displays the switch profile mode. You must enter the config sync command on the local switch and the peer switch that you want to synchronize.

Switch Profile Mode

The switch profile mode allows you to add supported configuration commands to a switch profile that is later synchronized with a peer switch. Commands that you enter in the switch profile mode are buffered until you enter the commit command.

Switch Profile Import Mode

When you upgrade from an earlier release to Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0(2)N1(1), you have the option to enter the import command to copy supported running-configuration commands to a switch profile. After entering the import command, the switch profile mode (config-sync-sp) changes to the switch profile import mode (config-sync-sp-import). The switch profile import mode allows you to import existing switch configurations from the running configuration and specify which commands you want to include in the switch profile.

Because different topologies require different commands that are included in a switch profile, the import command mode allows you to modify the imported set of commands to suit a specific topology. For example, a dual homed Fabric Extender (FEX) topology requires that most of the configuration is synchronized. In other vPC topologies, the configuration that needs to be synchronized might be a much smaller set of commands.

You need to enter the commit command to complete the import process and move the configuration into the switch profile. Because configuration changes are not supported during the import process, if you added new commands before entering the commit command, the switch profile remains unsaved and the switch remains in the switch profile import mode. You can remove the added commands or abort the import. Unsaved configurations are lost if the process is aborted. You can add new commands to the switch profile after the import is complete.

Configuration Validation

Two types of configuration validation checks can identify two types of switch profile failures:

  • Mutual exclusion checks
  • Merge checks

Mutual Exclusion Checks

To reduce the possibility of overriding configuration settings that are included in a switch profile, mutual exclusion (mutex) checks the switch profile commands against the commands that exist on the local switch and the commands on the peer switch. A command that is included in a switch profile cannot be configured outside of the switch profile or on a peer switch. This requirement reduces the possibility that an existing command is unintentionally overwritten.

As a part of the commit process, the mutex-check occurs on both switches if the peer switch is reachable; otherwise, the mutex-check is performed locally. Configuration changes made from the configuration terminal occur only on the local switch.

If a mutex-check identifies errors, these errors are reported as a mutex failure and must be manually corrected.

The following exceptions apply to the mutual exclusion policy:

  • Interface configuration—An interface configuration can be partially present in a switch profile and partially present in the running configuration as long as there are no conflicts.
  • Shutdown/no shutdown
  • System QoS

Merge Checks

Merge checks are done on the peer switch that is receiving a configuration. The merge checks ensure that the received configuration does not conflict with the switch profile configuration that already exists on the receiving switch. The merge check occurs during the merge or commit process. Errors are reported as merge failures and must be manually corrected.

When one or both switches are reloaded and the configurations are synchronized for the first time, the merge check verifies that the switch profile configurations are identical on both switches. Differences in the switch profiles are reported as merge errors and must be manually corrected.

Software Upgrades and Downgrades with Switch Profiles

When you downgrade from Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0(2)N1(1) to an earlier release, you are prompted to remove an existing switch profile that is not supported on earlier releases.

When you upgrade from an earlier release to Cisco NX-OS Release 5.0(2)N1(1), you have the option to move some of the running-configuration commands to a switch profile. The import command allows you to import relevant switch profile commands. An upgrade can occur if there are buffered configurations (uncommitted); however, the uncommitted configurations are lost.

When you perform an In Service Software Upgrade (ISSU) on one of the switches included in a switch profile, a configuration synchronization cannot occur because the peer is unreachable.

VDC Support

Cisco DCNM treats each virtual device context (VDC) on a Cisco IOS and Cisco NX-OS device as a separate device; therefore, Cisco DCNM archives the running configurations of each VDC if that Cisco DCNM has successfully discovered the VDC and views it as a managed device.

Licensing Requirements for Configuration Change Management

The following table shows the licensing requirements for this feature:

 

Product
License Requirement

Cisco DCNM

Configuration Change Management requires a LAN Enterprise license. For information about obtaining and installing a Cisco DCNM LAN Enterprise license, see the Cisco DCNM Installation and Licensing Guide, Release 6.x.

Cisco NX-OS

Configuration Change Management requires no license. Any feature not included in a license package is bundled with the Cisco NX-OS system images and is provided at no extra charge to you. For an explanation of the Cisco NX-OS licensing scheme for your platform, see the licensing guide for your platform.

Prerequisites

The Configuration Change Management feature has the following prerequisites (for a full list of feature-specific prerequisites, see the platform-specific documentation):

  • The Configuration Change Management feature supports only devices that are managed by Cisco DCNM, which means that Cisco DCNM must have successfully discovered the device.
  • The Configuration Change Management feature supports only devices that you have added to the list of Cisco DCNM-licensed devices.
  • Devices must be reachable by Cisco DCNM when Cisco DCNM attempts to archive the configuration or to perform a configuration rollback. An archival job or configuration rollback fails if the device is unreachable by Cisco DCNM.

Guidelines and Limitations for Configuration Change Management

Configuration Change Management has the following configuration guidelines and limitations:

  • You can archive a maximum of 50 configuration versions per managed device.
  • Configure archival jobs and archival settings based upon the needs of your organization.
  • We recommend enabling the Default archival job and configuring the job to run at the lowest frequency that your backup policy tolerates.
  • A configuration rollback can be performed on managed Cisco Nexus 7000 Series devices only.
  • Access to archived configurations is supported through the Cisco DCNM client only. The client provides features for viewing, comparing, and deleting archived configurations. Each archived configuration is marked with the date and time that Cisco DCNM archived the configuration. For more information, see the “Working with the Version Browser” section.

Platform Support

The following platforms support this feature but may implement it differently. For platform-specific information, including guidelines and limitations, system defaults, and configuration limits, see the corresponding documentation.

 

Platform
Documentation

Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches

Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches Documentation

Cisco Nexus 1000V Series switches

Cisco Nexus 1000V Series Switch Documentation

Cisco Nexus 3000 Series switches

Cisco Nexus 3000 Series Switch Documentation

Cisco Nexus 4000 Series switches

Cisco Nexus 4000 Series Switch Documentation

Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches

Cisco Nexus 5000 Series Switch Documentation

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series switches

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series Switch Documentation

Working with the Version Browser

The version browser allows you to see information about archived configurations, view and compare specific configuration versions, merge changes from one configuration version to another, and roll back the running configuration on a managed device to a configuration version that you specify.

This section includes the following topics:

Viewing the Archival Status of a Device

You can view the archival status of a device. The archival status for a device includes the following information:

  • Whether the archival job that includes the device is enabled or disabled.
  • The schedule for the archival job that includes the device.
  • The job ID of the archival job that includes the device.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A managed device must be on the list of Cisco DCNM-licensed devices before you can use it with Configuration Change Management. Only licensed devices appear in the Version Browser.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Version Browser.

The Summary pane displays a table of devices.

Step 2 Click the device that has the archival status that you want to view.

The Details pane displays archive-related information about the device, including an Archival Status section.

If the archival job that includes the device is enabled, the View Schedule link appears.

If the archival job that includes the device is disabled, the Enable Archival Schedule link appears.

Step 3 (Optional) If you want to view the details of the archival job that includes the device, click the View Schedule link or the Enable Archival Schedule link. For more information, see the _mgmt/config_guide_lan/sys_mgmnt/sm_cfg_mgmt.html#20709">“Viewing Details of an Archival Job” section.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Viewing the Archival History of a Device

You can view the archival history of a device. The archival history records each attempt to create a new archival configuration version from the current running configuration of a device.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A managed device must be on the list of Cisco DCNM-licensed devices before you can use it with Configuration Change Management. Only licensed devices appear in the Version Browser.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Version Browser.

The Summary pane displays a table of devices.

Step 2 Click the device that has archival history that you want to view.

The Details pane displays archive-related information about the device, including an Archival History section.

Step 3 (Optional) If necessary, click the Archival History section to expand it.

The Archival History section displays a table that lists every attempt made to create a new archival configuration version for the device.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Browsing and Commenting on Configuration Versions

You can browse the archived configuration versions for managed devices. Browsing allows you to see information about all versions of an archived configuration.

You can also add, change, or delete comments on any version of an archived configuration.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A managed device must be on the list of Cisco DCNM-licensed devices before you can use it with Configuration Change Management. Only licensed devices appear in the Version Browser.

The archived configuration versions that you want to browse or comment on must exist in Cisco DCNM.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Version Browser.

The Summary pane displays a table of devices.

Step 2 Double-click the device that has archived configuration versions that you want to browse.

A list of archived configuration versions appears below the device that you double-clicked. For each version, the Summary pane shows the version ID, the date and time that Cisco DCNM created the version, the Cisco DCNM user who created the version, and comments about the version.

Step 3 (Optional) If you want to comment on a version, follow these steps:

a. Click the version that you want to update with comments.

The Details pane shows the Version Details tab, which contains the same information about the version that appears in the Summary pane, except that the Comments field is available for you to use.

b. Click in the Comments field and enter your comments.

c. From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to save your changes to the Cisco DCNM server.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Using Copy Run to Start

You can use the Copy Run to Start feature to copy the running configuration to the startup configuration.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Version Browser.

The available devices appear in the Summary pane.

Step 2 Right-click the appropriate device and from the drop-down list, choose Copy Run to Start. You can also press the F7 key to start the Copy Run to Start feature.

A flag appears at the end of the row to indicate that the copy process is in progress. The flag remains when the process is finished to indicate that a configuration change has been made to the device.

The running configuration is copied to the startup configuration.

 

Archiving the Current Running Configuration of a Device

You can archive the current running configuration of a managed device.

Archiving the current running configuration succeeds only if the most recent archived version in Cisco DCNM is different from the current running configuration.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

The device must be managed and reachable.

A managed device must be on the list of Cisco DCNM-licensed devices before you can use it with Configuration Change Management. Only licensed devices appear in the Version Browser.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Version Browser.

The Summary pane displays a table of devices.

Step 2 Click the device that has a running configuration that you want to archive now.

Step 3 From the menu bar, choose Actions > Archive Configuration.

Step 4 To confirm that Cisco DCNM successfully archived the configuration, view the list of archived configuration versions for the device. If necessary, double-click the device to open the list. The new version should appear at the top of the list.

Note If a dialog box notifies you that archiving the configuration was skipped, that means that Cisco DCNM did not detect differences between the current running configuration and the most recent archived configuration version for the device. To close the dialog box, click OK.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Viewing an Archived Configuration Version

You can view a version of an archived configuration.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A managed device must be on the list of Cisco DCNM-licensed devices before you can use it with Configuration Change Management. Only licensed devices appear in the Version Browser.

The archived configuration version that you want to view must exist in Cisco DCNM.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Version Browser.

The Summary pane displays a table of devices.

Step 2 Click the device that has an archived configuration version that you want to view.

Step 3 (Optional) If necessary, to view the list of archived configuration versions for the device, double-click the device.

Step 4 Click the version of the archived configuration that you want to view.

Step 5 From the menu bar, choose Actions > View Configuration.

In the Details pane, the Configuration tab displays the configuration version that you selected.

Tip You can search the text of the configuration by pressing Ctrl + F.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Comparing Configuration Versions

You can compare two configuration versions. The configurations that you can compare can be any two archived configuration version in Cisco DCNM, including archived configurations from different managed devices. You can also compare an archived configuration versions to the running configuration or the startup configuration of a managed device.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A managed device must be on the list of Cisco DCNM-licensed devices before you can use it with Configuration Change Management. Only licensed devices appear in the Version Browser.

If you are comparing archived configuration versions, the two versions must exist in Cisco DCNM.

If you are comparing an archived configuration version to a running configuration or startup configuration on a managed device, the device must be reachable by Cisco DCNM.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Version Browser.

The Summary pane displays a table of devices.

Step 2 Double-click the device that has an archived configuration version that you want to compare to another configuration version.

Step 3 (Optional) If necessary, to view the list of archived configurations for the device, double-click the device.

Step 4 Click the archived configuration version that you want to compare to another configuration version.

Step 5 Use to compare the selected version to the configuration version that you want.

Table 11-1 Comparing Configuration Versions

 

To Compare With
Follow These Steps

Most recent configuration version from the current device

Right-click the version and choose Compare with > Latest.

Next configuration version from the current device

Right-click the version and choose Compare with > Next.

Previous configuration version from the current device

Right-click the version and choose Compare with > Previous.

Another configuration version that you select

1. Press and hold the Ctrl key.

2. Click the archived configuration version that you want to compare the first selected version to, and then release the Ctrl key.

3. Right-click either selected configuration version and choose Compare with > Selected Versions.

The selected configuration versions appear in the two configuration panes on the Compare tab. The configuration version that is listed highest in the Summary pane appears in the left configuration pane.

Tip You can select archived configuration versions from different devices.

Current running configuration from the current device

Right-click the version and choose Compare with > Current Running Configuration.

Current startup configuration from the current device

Right-click the version and choose Compare with > Current Startup Configuration.

A configuration version from another device

1. Right-click the version and choose Compare with > Another Device Configuration Version.

In the Details pane, the Compare tab shows the selected configuration version in the left configuration pane.

2. From the Device list above the right configuration pane, choose the device that has the configuration version that you want to compare with the configuration in the left pane.

3. From the Version list, pick the configuration version that you want to compare. You can use any version archived by Cisco DCNM or you can use the running configuration or the startup configuration currently on the device.

4. Click the icon.

The right configuration pane displays the configuration version that you specified.

In the Details pane, the Compare tab displays the two configuration versions in side-by-side panes.

Step 6 Use the version comparison tools as needed. For more information, see the “Using the Version Comparison Tools” section.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Using the Version Comparison Tools

When you use the Version Browser to compare configuration versions, use the Compare tab in the Details pane to assist you with the comparison.

Note You must be comparing two configurations to use the version comparison tools. For more information, see the “Comparing Configuration Versions” section.

Use the options described to compare two configuration versions.

Table 11-2 Using the Comparison Version Tool

 

Option Icon and Name
How to Use the Option

Full vs. Delta View

From the list, choose the desired viewing option, as follows:

    • —Shows all of both configuration versions.
    • —Shows only the sections of each configuration that differ.

Next Diff

Click the icon to jump to the next difference between the two configurations shown.

Prev Diff

Click the icon to jump to the previous difference between the two configurations shown.

Bookmark

1. Click a line in one of the configuration panes.

2. Click the icon.

A bookmark icon appears beside the line number.

Next Bookmark

1. Click the configuration pane that has the bookmarked line that you want to view.

2. Click the icon.

The configurations in both panes jump to the next bookmarked line.

Prev Bookmark

1. Click the configuration pane that has the bookmarked line that you want to view.

2. Click the icon.

The configurations in both panes jump to the previous bookmarked line.

Compare

Use this option to choose the archived configuration version shown in the right configuration pane.

1. From the Device list, choose the device that has the configuration version that you want to compare with the configuration in the left pane.

2. From the Version list, pick the configuration version that you want to compare. You can use any version archived by Cisco DCNM or you can use the running configuration or the startup configuration currently on the device.

3. Click the icon.

The right configuration pane displays the configuration version that you specified.

Reset

Click the icon when you want to do the following:

  • Undo all configuration merges.
  • Remove all bookmarks.
  • Jump to the first line in both configuration panes.
  • Use the Full Configuration view.

Merge

Use this option to copy a difference from the configuration in the left configuration pane into the configuration in the right pane.

For detailed steps, see the “Merging Configuration Differences” section.

Save As

Click the icon to save the configuration in the right pane to a filename and location that you specify in the Save dialog box that appears.

RELATED TOPICS

Merging Configuration Differences

While you are comparing two configuration versions, you can merge lines that contain differences. The merge feature allows you to merge a whole line shown in the left configuration pane into the configuration that is shown in the right configuration pane.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

You must be comparing two configuration versions that have differences.

Ensure that the configuration version that you want to want to merge the changes into appears in the right configuration pane.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 Use the icon and the icon as needed to jump to the line that you want to merge from the left configuration pane into the right configuration pane.

Tip The icon becomes available only when you use the icon and the icon to locate differences.

Step 2 Click the icon.

The selected configuration line in the left pane replaces the selected line in the right pane.

Step 3 Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 as often as needed.

Tip If you want to undo all merges, click the icon.

Step 4 (Optional) If you would like to save a copy of the configuration in the left pane as an ASCII text file, click the icon and use the Save dialog box to save the configuration to a filename and location that you specify.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Performing a Configuration Rollback

You can roll back the configuration of a managed Cisco Nexus 7000 Series device to any previous version that is archived by Cisco DCNM. A rollback replaces the running configuration of the managed device with an archived configuration version that you specify.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A managed Cisco Nexus 7000 Series device must be on the list of Cisco DCNM-licensed devices before you can use it with Configuration Change Management. Only licensed devices appear in the Version Browser.

The archived configuration version that you want to use in the rollback must exist in Cisco DCNM.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Version Browser.

The Summary pane displays a table of devices.

Step 2 Click the Cisco Nexus 7000 Series device for which you want to perform a configuration rollback.

The Details pane displays archival information about the device, including a Rollback History section.

Step 3 (Optional) If necessary, to view the list of archived configurations for the device, double-click the device.

Step 4 Click the version of the archived configuration that you want to use as the running configuration on the device.

Step 5 Do one of the following:

    • If you want to save the configuration version that you selected as the startup configuration on the device, choose one of the following rollback options:

– If you want Cisco DCNM to restore the original running configuration of the device if any configuration command fails during the rollback, from the menu bar, choose Actions > Rollback and Save as Start-up > Restore Original Config on Error (Atomic).

– If you want Cisco DCNM to ignore configuration errors during a rollback, from the menu bar, choose Actions > Rollback and Save as Start-up > Skip Errors and Rollback (Best Effort).

– If you want Cisco DCNM to stop the rollback at the first configuration error, from the menu bar, choose Actions > Rollback and Save as Start-up > Stop Rollback at First Error.

    • If you want the rollback to proceed without affecting the startup configuration currently on the device, choose one of the following rollback options:

– If you want Cisco DCNM to restore the original running configuration of the device if any configuration command fails during the rollback, from the menu bar, choose Actions > Rollback > Restore Original Config on Error (Atomic).

– If you want Cisco DCNM to ignore configuration errors during a rollback, from the menu bar, choose Actions > Rollback > Skip Errors and Rollback (Best Effort).

– If you want Cisco DCNM to stop the rollback at the first configuration error, from the menu bar, choose Actions > Rollback > Stop Rollback at First Error.

Cisco DCNM begins the rollback operation.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Viewing the Rollback History of a Device

You can view the rollback history of a Cisco Nexus 7000 Series device.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A managed Cisco Nexus 7000 Series device must be on the list of Cisco DCNM-licensed devices before you can use it with Configuration Change Management. Only licensed devices appear in the Version Browser.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Version Browser.

The Summary pane displays a table of devices.

Step 2 Click the device for which you want to view the rollback history.

The Details pane displays archival information about the device, including a Rollback History section.

Step 3 (Optional) If necessary, double-click the Rollback History section to expand it.

In the Rollback History section, a table of rollback history events appears. If no configuration rollbacks have occurred on the device, the table is empty.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Deleting All Archived Configurations for a Device

You can delete all the archived configuration versions of a device.

Note You cannot delete a specific version of an archived configuration.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

Be certain that you do not want any of the archived configuration versions for the device. You cannot undo the deletion and the Cisco DCNM client does not confirm your choice to delete the archived configuration versions.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Version Browser.

The Summary pane displays a table of devices.

Step 2 Click the device that has archived configurations that you want to delete.

Step 3 Verify that you clicked the correct device.

Note The next step deletes the archived configuration versions without confirming your choice.

Step 4 From the menu bar, choose Actions > Delete All Versions.

The archived configurations for the selected device disappear from the Summary pane.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Configuring Archival Jobs

The Archival Jobs feature allows you to control the automated archival of the running configuration on managed devices.

This section includes the following topics:

Configuring an Archival Job

You can create an archival job or make changes to an existing archival job.

Note By default, a new archival job is enabled.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

A managed device must be on the list of Cisco DCNM-licensed devices before you can use it with Configuration Change Management. You can include only licensed devices in an archival job.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Archival Jobs.

The Summary pane displays a table of archival jobs.

Step 2 Do one of the following:

    • If you want to create an archival job, from the menu bar, choose File > New Job.
    • If you want to make changes to an existing archival job, in the Summary pane, click the job that you want to change.

The Details pane shows the Details tab and Archival History tab for the job.

Step 3 (Optional) If necessary, in the Details pane, click the Details tab.

Step 4 (Optional) In the Comments field, enter your comments about the job.

Step 5 (Optional) If you want the job to archive configurations at a specific time, follow these steps:

a. Click the Archive at Specified Time radio button.

b. In the row of Days check boxes, check the check box for each day that you want the archival job to be active.

c. Do one of the following:

– If you want the job to archive configurations at a regular interval, click the Archive Interval radio button and use the adjacent box and list to specify the interval. You can specify an interval in minutes or hours. The maximum interval is either 59 minutes or 23 hours.

– If you want the job to archive configurations once on each day that the job is active, click the Archive at radio button and use the adjacent box to specify the time that you want the job to start.

Step 6 (Optional) If you want the job to archive configurations at any time that Cisco DCNM detects a change to the configuration of a device included in the job, click the Archive whenever a Configuration Change is Detected radio button.

Step 7 (Optional) If you want to add one or more devices to the archival job, follow these steps:

a. Under Device, right-click in a blank area and choose Add New Device.

A dialog box shows available and selected devices.

a. For each device that you want to add, under Available Devices, click the device and click Add.

Tip To add all devices to the job, click Add All.

b. Click OK.

The devices that you added appear under Devices.

Step 8 (Optional) If you want to remove a device from an archival job, follow these steps:

a. Under Devices, click the device that you want to remove from the job.

b. Right-click the device and choose Remove Device.

The device that you removed no longer appears under Devices.

Step 9 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to save your changes to the Cisco DCNM server.

If you created an archival job, it is enabled by default. If you changed an existing archival job, whether it is enabled or disabled, the archival job information does not change.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Enabling and Disabling an Archival Job

You can enable or disable any archival job.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Archival Jobs.

The Summary pane displays a table of archival jobs. In the Job ID column, enabled jobs show a green triangle and disabled jobs show a red square.

Step 2 In the Summary pane, click the archival job that you want to enable or disable.

Step 3 Do one of the following:

    • To enable the job, from the menu bar, choose Actions > Enable. The icon in the Job ID column changes to show a green triangle.
    • To disable the job, from the menu bar, choose Actions > Disable. The icon in the Job ID column changes to show a red square.

You do not need to save your changes.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Deleting an Archival Job

You can delete an archival job but not the Default archival job. When you delete an archival job, any devices included in the deleted job are automatically added to the Default archival job.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

At least one custom archival job must exist in Cisco DCNM. You cannot delete the Default archival job.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Archival Jobs.

The Summary pane displays a table of archival jobs.

Step 2 In the Summary pane, click the archival job that you want to delete.

Step 3 From the menu bar, choose Actions > Delete.

The archival job disappears from the Summary pane.

Devices that were included in the deleted job are automatically added to the Default archival job.

You do not need to save your changes.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Viewing Details of an Archival Job

You can view the details of an archival job, which include the job ID, the owner of the job, comments about the job, the job schedule, and the devices included in the job.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Archival Jobs.

The Summary pane displays a table of archival jobs.

Step 2 In the Summary pane, click the archival job that has details that you want to view.

The Details pane displays information about the archival job, including a Details tab.

Step 3 (Optional) If necessary, in the Details pane, click the Details tab.

The Details pane displays information and settings for the archival job that you selected.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Viewing the History of an Archival Job

You can view the history of an archival job.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

The archival job must have occurred at least once; otherwise, there are no archival history entries to view.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Archival Jobs.

The Summary pane displays a table of archival jobs.

Step 2 In the Summary pane, click the archival job that has archival history that you want to view.

The Details pane displays information about the archival job, including an Archival History tab.

Step 3 In the Details pane, click the Archival History tab.

The Details pane displays a list of archival history entries, ordered by the date and time when the entry occurred.

Step 4 (Optional) To see additional details about an archival history entry, in the Status column, click the plus symbol (+) to expand the entry.

The expanded entry lists information for each device included in the entry.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Configuring Archival Settings

The Archival Settings feature allows you to configure settings related to configuration change management, including the number of configuration versions that Cisco DCNM stores for each managed device, how many rollback and archival history entries Cisco DCNM stores for each managed device, and which file server Cisco DCNM uses during a configuration rollback.

This section includes the following topics:

Configuring Version and History Settings

You can configure the following settings about configuration versions and history:

  • Maximum number of configuration versions that Cisco DCNM archives per managed device.
  • Maximum number of rollback history and archival history status entries that Cisco DCNM retains per managed device.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Archival Settings.

The Contents pane displays the Archival Settings fields.

Step 2 (Optional) Enter a value from 0 to 50 in the Maximum Version for a Device [0 - 50] field to configure the maximum number of configuration versions that Cisco DCNM should archive for each managed device.

Step 3 (Optional) Enter a value from 0 to 100 in the Max Rollback and Archival History Status [0 - 100] field to configure the maximum number of rollback history and archival history status entries that Cisco DCNM retains for each managed device.

Step 4 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to save your changes to the Cisco DCNM server.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Configuring the Rollback File Server Setting

You can configure whether Cisco DCNM uses a specific file server during a configuration rollback or whether it uses any available file server that you have configured.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

You must configure at least one file server in Cisco DCNM.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Archival Settings.

The Contents pane displays the Archival Settings fields.

Step 2 (Optional) If you want Cisco DCNM to use any available file server during a configuration rollback, under File Server for Configuration Rollback, click the Any File Server radio button.

Step 3 (Optional) If you want to specify a file server that Cisco DCNM should use during a configuration rollback, follow these steps:

a. Under File Server for Configuration Rollback, click the Use the following File Server radio button.

b. From the File Server drop-down list, choose the file server.

Step 4 From the menu bar, choose File > Deploy to save your changes to the Cisco DCNM server.

 

Configuring Switch Profiles

This section includes the following topics:

Configuring a Switch Profile

You can configure a switch profile using Cisco DCNM.

Note This feature is supported only on Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

You must create the switch profile with the same name on each switch and the switches must configure each other as a peer. When connectivity is established between switches with the same active switch profile, the switch profiles are synchronized.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Switch-Profile.

All Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches that are managed by Cisco DCNM are displayed in the Summary pane.

Step 2 Expand the Cisco Nexus 5000 switches to view the switch-profile information.

Step 3 Choose a specific switch-profile for the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch. The profile details is displayed in the detailed pane.

You can choose one of the following four options:

    • Sync Status—Displays the last session operation status on the switch profile.
    • Effective Configuration—Displays the most effective switch-profile configurations on the switch.
    • Buffered Configuration—Displays the non committed switch-profile configurations on the switch.
    • Events—Displays any events that are specific to the switch-profile.

 

Configuring the Switch Profile Wizard Between Two vPCs

Note This feature is supported only on the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches.

Switch profiles address the configuration conflicts between vPC peers in the network. By using Cisco DCNM, you can configure switch profiles between the vPC peers by selecting any one of the switches. Cisco DCNM configures the switch profiles on both the selected switch and its vPC peer switch with sync-peer IP addresses.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Switch-Profile.

All Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches that are managed by Cisco DCNM are displayed in the Summary pane.

Step 2 In the Summary pane, choose one of the vPC peer switches by right-clicking the vPC peer that you want.

Step 3 From the Context menu, click the New switch-profile with vPC peer tab.

Cisco DCNM checks if there is any vPC configuration available in the selected switch and if the vPC is active.

A dialog box is appears if the vPC is active.

Step 4 Click Yes to create the switch profile.

Step 5 (Optional) Edit the switch-profile name, and click Ok to proceed with the configuration.

Note If there is no active vPC in the selected switch, Cisco DCNM displays an error message and does not create the switch profile.

 

Configuring the Switch Profile Wizard Between Two Switches

Note This feature is supported only on the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Switch-Profile.

All Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches that are managed by Cisco DCNM are displayed in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose one of the switches.

Step 3 From the Context menu, choose the New switch-profile with any other switch tab.

Cisco DCNM launches the switch profile configuration wizard.

Note By default, the wizard displays the switch profile name and the source switch IP address. You can edit the preferred name and also choose the destination switch IP from the drop-down list.

Step 4 From the drop-down list, choose the destination switch IP address.

Step 5 Click Next.

The wizard configuration summary details appear.

Step 6 Click Finish to create the switch-profile configuration.

 

Configuring the Sync Network View

Note This feature is supported only on the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches.

The switch-profile network view captures all the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series vPC peers in the network. If a switch profile already exists in the peers, the corresponding switch profile sync status information displays in the configuration sync network view.

If no switch profile exists between the vPC peers, Cisco DCNM provides an option that allows you to configure the switch profile between the peers. If there are any dual-homed Fabric Extenders (FEXs) between the vPC peers, you can import the FEX host interfaces (HIF) configurations inside the switch profile.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Switch-Profile.

All Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches that are managed by Cisco DCNM are displayed in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose a switch by right-clicking the switch that you want. You can choose one of the following options:

    • Migration—This option is displayed only if there is no switch profile between the vPC Peers. Choose this option to launch the migration wizard using Cisco DCNM.
    • Manage Switch profile—Choose this option to go to the switch profile screen and choose the switch profile on the primary switch.

 

Configuring the Switch Profile Migration Wizard for Dual Homed FEXs

Note This feature is supported only on the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switches.

You can launch the migration wizard using any one of the following options:

  • Migration Context menu
  • Migration link provided in the switch-profile Name column.

Both options are active only when no switch profile is configured on both vPC peers.

DETAILED STEPS

Step 1 From the Feature Selector pane, choose Configuration Change Management > Switch-Profile.

All the vPCs in the Cisco Nexus 5000 Series switch peers that are managed by Cisco DCNM are displayed in the Summary pane.

Step 2 From the Summary pane, choose a row.

Step 3 Right-click the selected row.

Step 4 Choose the Migration option.

The Migration wizard appears with the vPC peers switches as primary and secondary with the default switch-profile name.

Step 5 A dual selector option with the FEXs that are present in the primary vPC switch is displayed in the Migration wizard.

Note If the FEXs are online, they are automatically selected for the host interfaces (HIF) import. Any pre-provisioned FEXs will not be automatically selected.

Step 6 Click Next.

Step 7 Click Finish.

The wizard creates a switch profile on both the vPC peer switches with appropriate sync-peer IP addresses and also import all the FEX-HIF ports into the switch profile.

 

RELATED TOPICS

Field Descriptions for Configuration Change Management

This section includes the field descriptions for the three features available in the Feature Selector drawer for Configuration Change Management:

Field Descriptions for the Version Browser

This section includes the following field descriptions for the Configuration Change Management feature:

Device: Details: Archival Status Section

 

Table 11-3 Device: Details: Archival Status Section

Field
Description

Status

Display only. Whether the archival job that the device is assigned to is enabled or disabled.

Schedule

Display only. When the archival job that the device is assigned to is scheduled to occur.

Job ID

Display only. Identification number of the archival job that the device is assigned to.

Device: Details: Rollback History Section

 

Table 11-4 Device: Details: Rollback History Section

Field
Description

Time

Display only. Date and time that the rollback occurred.

Version

Display only. Configuration version that became the running configuration as a result of the rollback.

User

Display only. Username of the Cisco DCNM user who initiated the rollback.

Status

Display only. Whether the rollback succeeded or failed.

Device: Details: Archival History Section

 

Table 11-5 Device: Details: Archival History Section

Field
Description

Time Stamp

Display only. Date and time that the archival event occurred.

Job Id

Display only. Identification number of the archival job that created the archival event.

Status

Display only. Whether the archival event succeeded, failed, or was skipped.

Reason

Display only. Cause of a skipped or failed archival event.

Version: Version Details Tab

 

Table 11-6 Version: Version Details Tab

Field
Description

Config Version ID

Display only. Version identification number for the archived configuration version. Each archived configuration for a device receives a unique version ID.

Creation Time

Display only. Date and time that an archival job created the configuration version.

Created By

Display only. Username of the Cisco DCNM user who created the archival job that created the configuration version or the Cisco DCNM user who manually initiated the archival event that created the configuration version.

Comments

Text entered by a Cisco DCNM user.

Version: Compare Tab

 

Table 11-7 Version: Compare Tab

Field
Description

Device

Name of the managed device that the configuration version came from. In the left configuration pane, this field is display only. In the right configuration pane on the Compare tab, this field is configurable and you can select any managed device that you have added to the Cisco DCNM license.

Version

Configuration version ID of the archived configuration. In the left configuration pane, this field is display only. In the right configuration pane on the Compare tab, this field is a drop-down list with the following options:

  • Configuration version IDs—The numbers of the archived configuration versions currently available in Cisco DCNM.
  • Running-Configuration—The running configuration currently on the managed device selected in the Device field.
  • Start-up Config—The startup configuration currently on the managed device selected in the Device field.

Field Descriptions for Archival Jobs

This section includes the following field descriptions for the Archival Jobs feature:

Archival Job: Details Tab

 

Table 11-8 Archival Job: Details Tab

Field
Description
General

Job ID

Display only. Identification number of the archival job.

Owner

Display only. Username of the Cisco DCNM user who created the archival job.

Comments

Text entered by Cisco DCNM users.
Settings

Enable Archival

Whether the archival job is enabled. By default, this check box is unchecked.

Archive at Specified Time

Archival job that occurs at the time specified by the Days and Archival Interval or Archive at fields.

Days

Days of the week that the archival job occurs. By default, the All check box is checked, which makes the individual day check boxes unavailable.

Archive Interval

Archival job that occurs at a regular interval, specified by the interval value box and the unit drop-down list, to the right of this radio button.

Archive at

Archival job that occurs once on each active day at the time specified in the box to the right of this radio button.

Archive whenever a Configuration Change is Detected

Archival job that occurs when Cisco DCNM detects that the running configuration of a device has changed.
Devices

Name

Name of devices that are assigned to the archival job.

IP Address

IP address that Cisco DCNM uses to connect to the device.

Archival Job: Archival History Tab

 

Table 11-9 Installation Job: Details: General Section

Field
Description

Time

Display only. Date and time that the archival job ran.

Status

Display only. Number of devices in the job for which the archival job run succeeded, failed, or was skipped. The numbers are shown after each status, in parentheses.

Device Name

Display only. Name of a device assigned to the job. This field is shown when you expand the status of an archival history entry.

IP Address

Display only. IP address that Cisco DCNM used to attempt to connect to the device. This field is shown when you expand the status of an archival history entry.

Status (per Device)

Display only. Whether the archival job run succeeded, failed, or was skipped for the device.

Reason

Display only. Explanation for the status. For example, if the device was skipped because the running configuration had not changed since the previous archival job run, the following text appears in the Reason field:

Archival skipped as there are no changes from the previous version

Field Descriptions for the Archival Settings Contents Pane

 

Table 11-10 Archival Settings Contents Pane

Field
Description

Maximum Versions for a Device

Largest number of archived configuration versions that Cisco DCNM retains for each device included in an archival job. Valid values are from 0 to 50, where 50 is the default value.

Max Rollback and Archival History Status

Largest number of rollback history and archival history status entries Cisco DCNM retains for each device.
File Server for Configuration Rollback

Any File Server

File server that Cisco DCNM selects to upload configurations to during a configuration rollback. Any file server that you have configured in Cisco DCNM may be used.

Use the following File Server

File server that Cisco DCNM uploads configurations to during a configuration rollback to the File Server drop-down list.

File Server

IP address or DNS name of the file server that Cisco DCNM uploads configurations to during a rollback. This field is available only when you select the Use the following File Server radio button.

Field Descriptions for the Switch Profiles Pane

Table 11-11 Switch Profiles Pane

Field
Description

Name

Name of the switch-profile.

Revision ID

Current revision number of the switch profile.

Peer IP Address

IP address of the peer switch for the selected profile.

Last Session Time

Start time of the last configuration session.

Last Session Status

Status of the last session action that was performed.

Sync Status

Overall sync status of that profile with the peer.

Field Descriptions for the Switch Profiles Network View Pane

Table 11-12 Switch Profiles Network View Pane

Field
Description

vPC

Hostname of the vPC primary and secondary switch.

Name

Name of the switch profile.

Revision ID

Current revision number of the switch profile.

Overall Sync Status

Switch profile status on the primary vPC switch.

Last Session Time

Start time of the last configuration session.

Last Session Status

Status of the last session action that was performed.

Additional References

For additional information related to configuration change management, see the following sections:

Related Documents

 

Related Topic
Document Title

Configuration rollbacks in Cisco NX-OS

Cisco Nexus 7000 Series NX-OS System Management Configuration Guide, Release 5.x

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.

—

Feature History for Configuration Change Management

Table 11-13 lists the release history for this feature.

 

Table 11-13 Feature History for Configuration Change Management

Feature Name
Releases
Feature Information

Configuration Change Management

5.2(1)

Support was added to the Cisco Nexus 3000 Series switches (except the Switch Profile feature).

Configuration Change Management

5.1(1)

You can use the Copy Run to Start feature to copy the running configuration to the startup configuration.

Configuration Change Management

5.0(2)

Support was extended to all managed Cisco Nexus Series switches.