Quickest way to restore config to a new Netonix

[qlex]

Apologies if I missed this answer in another post, but some searching hasn't revealed much.

I was curious what is considered the quickest way to restore a failed Netonix switch?

In other words, lets say I have a Netonix switch fail for whatever reason in the field (and admittedly this is exceedingly rare in our experience!). Dispatchers roll out with a defaulted Netonix of the same model, and lets assume it also has the same firmware as the failed switch. However, the only backup config they have available is a .txt file generated from Unimus or similar. How does one import the config without a .ncfg file? Can it be done in SSH? Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

[Stephen]

Hello qlex,

I'm not familiar with Unimus but if it is getting the same config file as the one exported by the switches web UI (via menu option: Utilities->Backup) or with the Netonix Manager and it simply saves it as a txt file instead, you can just change the file extension from .txt to .ncfg and use it to restore the switch. However, if it is not the same format than it would not work.

However, if the switch went through a bad upgrade and has been bricked, you should be able to recover it quite easily with the Serial Recovery Tool
This won't restore any specific configuration, but it will restore the defaults and bring a switch back from the grave.

If you don't have a good backup I'm afraid it will have to be re-configured, but for future reference if you use the Netonix Manager and it can take continuous backup's for you so that you always have one on-hand for switches in the field.

I hope that helps.

[qlex]

Thanks, Stephen. One difference I notice in a .ncfg that was generated from a Netonix vs the backup config I get from Unimus, in a .txt, is that the .ncfg files have some cryptic stuff at the top (when I open the .ncfg in Note/Wordpad) -- it says things like:

"www/config.json 0000644 0000000 0000000 00000151575 14073600522 012662 0 ustar admin root "

whereas the Unimus generated backup (that it pulls from SSH) does not have this header info. I haven't gotten a chance to test this yet, but you're saying I should be able to take a .txt backup file, rename extension to .ncfg, and import it into a new Netonix (assuming matching model type and firmware version)? There's no concern over that "header" info that is in the .ncfg files made from the switch itself?

Also, I know you're very busy, but, is Netonix Manager due for any updates soon? Two issues I have with it at this time are that it keeps showing my switches in a flapping state (Green/yellow/red icons, just cycles through them) even though my connection to the switches is solid. That and the columns don't scale right so there's a lot of info that's just garbled together (temperatures, etc).

Thank you again.

[qlex]

Hey Stephen,

Just giving this bump a post if you get a chance to reply, please. Thank you.

[Stephen]

whereas the Unimus generated backup (that it pulls from SSH) does not have this header info. I haven't gotten a chance to test this yet, but you're saying I should be able to take a .txt backup file, rename extension to .ncfg, and import it into a new Netonix (assuming matching model type and firmware version)? There's no concern over that "header" info that is in the .ncfg files made from the switch itself?

Since it's not the same - it probably won't work. However if you want, feel free to send me one of the backups from Unimus and I will try it myself. I have a few WS's active in the lab that I could try it on.

...is Netonix Manager due for any updates soon? ...

Yes actually, I'm aware of the issue you're talking about - but haven't found a solution as of yet. I think the next update will add some new feature's for logging to give me better insight into the source of this issue. There is also an issue that occur's from time to time depending on the network that will cause the manager to crash and it seem's to always be the same error - according the logs coming in. So I want to put out a patch for that in the near future as well.