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stmx38
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Difference between backup and export-how to monitor changes

Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:39 pm

Hello.
I try to do a backup to of my RB configuration to Subversion repository.
I want to know how I can expect if config is changed. Now I use comparison of precedent and current export.
But as I see this is not very good, because I can't see any changes in export after I created user under
/users add
Also i noticed that backup is changed in time. I made 2 backups without changing any configuration but they are different.
What information is stored in export and what in in backup ?
And how I can verify if my config is changed ?

Export:
The configuration export can be used for dumping out complete or partial MikroTik RouterOS configuration to the console screen or to a text (script) file, which can be downloaded from the router using FTP protocol. The configuration dumped is actually a batch of commands that add (without removing the existing configuration) the selected configuration to a router.
/export /import is "partial"
export is not exporting any decrypted certificate, as well /user passwords are not exported by /export.

Backup:
The configuration backup can be used for backing up MikroTik RouterOS configuration to a binary file, which can be stored on the router or downloaded from it using FTP for future use. The configuration restore can be used for restoring the router's configuration, exactly as it was at the backup creation moment, from a backup file. The restoration procedure assumes the cofiguration is restored on the same router, where the backup file was originally created, so it will create partially broken configuration if the hardware has been changed.
/system backup is only reliable within the same hardware

Manual:Configuration Management
Backup Mikrotik config to Subversion repository via SSH
Last edited by stmx38 on Tue Jan 24, 2012 3:32 pm, edited 4 times in total.
 
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nest
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Re: Difference between backup and export - how to expect cha

Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:52 am

But as I see this is not very good, because I can't see any changes in export after I created user under
Using export creates a 'plain language' text file and therefore exporting user details (especially their passwords) is too high a security risk so this information is never exported. Therefore in turn, adding a new user will not change the size of the export file.
 
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stmx38
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Re: Difference between backup and export - how to expect cha

Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:09 am

nest
Thank you for reply.
Only user information or anything else ?

As I remember backup also contain certificates that is installed on the router.
 
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nest
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Re: Difference between backup and export - how to expect cha

Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:47 am

The problem with backups is that if you have a hardware failure and you need to swap out the routerboard for a new one, perhaps even worse a different model, the backup will usually fail to restore. The only way to be sure that you can get a new board to have the same config as the old one that failed, is to use the export command.

Backups are good for fast restore of a config where you think you messed up a change to the config and want to quickly put it back how it was ( when it was still working :-) ).

Certificates, the Dude and Usermanager are also NOT exported or backed up fully and should be backed up separately.

See also http://forum.mikrotik.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=48045
 
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Re: Difference between backup and export - how to expect cha

Sat Jan 14, 2012 3:45 am

My experience of backup function Is that disabled interfaces become written as 'unknown' in the config script. Therefore I would always recommend an export as a backup. Further to that, - would backup each section individually incase of problems when restoring. Only if you are running it at home -if 1-4@ you know what you are doing ;).

Tony
 
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Re: Difference between backup and export - how to expect cha

Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:00 pm

I gave up on backup/restore years ago. Except for when I am making changes and 'playing' with new configs as then it is a fast way to go back a stage. Our network backups every night using export. We still need to edit the text file created to remove MAC addresses and such like if we are going to restore to new hardware. But that system works very well, especially as the exported text files take up hardly any space on the ftp server.
 
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stmx38
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Re: Difference between backup and export-how to monitor chan

Wed May 23, 2012 4:10 pm

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