Copying a configuration to a replacement board?

popcorrin · December 8, 2009, 2:08am

Does it work well to copy a configuration from one routerboard to another?
What if they aren’t the same model. i.e. RB450 to RB450G
What if they are even less similar. i.e. RB433 to RB600

fewi · December 8, 2009, 2:18am

You will have to adjust the parts that don’t work if it’s different hardware. Even between same models make sure you remove device specific things like mac addresses on Ethernet interfaces.

popcorrin · December 8, 2009, 2:48am

Thanks for the quick response. I don’t see how to remove mac addresses though?

fewi · December 8, 2009, 4:46am

Remove the mac-address= parameter from ‘/interface ethernet export’

normis · December 8, 2009, 8:33am

export all config from your device into a file:

/export file=somename.rsc

then download and open the file in a text editor, or spreadsheet program

edit what you want and save back as RSC

popcorrin · December 8, 2009, 2:59pm

Thanks for the info.

What’s the difference between a backup and an exported config file? What would happen if you loaded on backup on a replacement board?

popcorrin · December 8, 2009, 5:01pm

$50, I think I’ll pass. This is a forum for the exchange of information, not a place to peddle products. If you have the answer feel free to post it.

fewi · December 8, 2009, 5:22pm

An exported configuration is a script in text form. When imported, it gets executed line by line. It allows you to edit the configuration before importing it. A binary backup is just a dump of the database values. Importing that on a different device is a bad idea as it might not be compatible, or at the very least would - as indicated earlier - configure ethernet ports with the same MAC addresses. That’s bad.

siscom · December 8, 2009, 5:23pm

Right you are!!! Spot on

fewi · December 8, 2009, 5:25pm

All of this is covered in the wiki, though:
http://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Configuration_Management

popcorrin · December 8, 2009, 6:09pm

I read that before posting here. I didn’t see any information on loading a configuration or backup to a replacement board so I thought I would ask.

The main thing I was trying to protect against was if I had a routerboard fail, I didn’t want to have to reconfigure the replacement board. Also, when trying to reconfigure, chances are I would forget something. Fortunately I haven’t had a single routerboard fail since they are so darn dependable. (wish I could say the same thing for their wireless minipci cards, though the R5H series has been flawless)

jwcn · December 14, 2009, 5:16am

I think I’ll pass. This is a forum for the exchange of information, not a place to peddle products. If you have the answer feel free to post it.

I love it. Can I copy/paste your quote every time Dennis spams up the forum? Thats so awesome.