Hello!
I want to ask if someone of you ever restored a Mikrotik Router successfully in the first run without problems?
The last time I had to restore one was a few years ago when I started my Mikrotik journey. Exemplary I did Backups with the - so called - Backup button in the File menu and thought, well yeah, I though I just did a backup lol
Everyone that already tried to restore a backup that has been done with the Backup tool (lol) will know that it will fail. I don’t even ask questions anymore about this process..
However, today I got me a new hap ac 2 and did a very basic configuration, just to make a backup with - the not so called - “real” backup function: export verbose show-sensitive
And then I tried to restore it because I was curious. The first hour I had to find out how to move a file to the flash folder - yes, for real, there is no move function lol So I had to use the fetch tool with a completely insane command only autists would come up with but ok it worked. The reason why i had to move the file to the flash folder was because otherwise it’s not persisted after boot just for info.
Ok, so i restored it using the official method: system reset-configuration run-after-reset=path/to/the.exported.file.rsc no-defaults=yes
and guess what? It failed. After some trail and error I came up with the solution to just run the commands from thr rsc file in the terminal, just copy & paste. Most of them failed but at least it ran the whole stuff. So in the end I had like 95% of the config restored and had to do the rest manually.
I really wonder if this is it? I mean.. could it be? Is this really how this is supposed to work because the named backup tool isn’t a backup and the official solution isn’t a solution?
How do you guys do it? Also I would really like to know how Mikrotik staff is doing this on a day to day basis.
Being quite a bit autistic myself … (I learned to deal with it )
Backup / restore does work perfectly if done on the same device.
Did it again this morning when toying with AX3. I can not remember a single type of Tik-device where I have not at least done it once.
(just counted, I already had 15 different types in my hands)
Export config and restore, that’s something else.
Done that quite a bit of times as well and yes, it’s not a simple set-and-forget process (most of the time something is wrong in the sequence of things) but to be honest, with a text editor and keeping winbox/terminal in a window next to it, it usually doesn’t take more then 15 minutes.
Moving file from ram to flash is actually easy.
You just need to select and drop it on the right place in Files.
PS I always move such files out of the device. I trust my own computer storage (and Onedrive) just a bit more then Mikrotik storage.
As far as I know the moving of files using drag and drop is only working in Winbox and that’s kind of an issue in Linux. Although I have a couple of devices in my house none of it is running Windows so that is a bit annoying.
Ok, so since I did it on the same device and it wasn’t working, please tell me your secret?
But in general, this process shouldn’t be like this. There should be an easy way of doing this in 2023. And if that’s not possible, at least the docs should be correct.
Having a Mikrotik Router like being married, yeah its a pain in de ass but cheaper than the alternatives. I just wish there was a safe mode…
You have had all the choices in the world to understand and learn how to do backups properly. Its not clear you do yet, nor is it clear you have really tried.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” quote from not AE.
Yeah I know this and I love my Mikrotik devices haha
And yes, I was that naive to believe a Backup button would actually do a backup. But since the lazy implementation of OpenVPN I should have known better lol
But today I really tried it in many ways, I just wanted to keep my post short (which I failed anyway).
However, me as a nerd would have give the same answers like yall one year ago but then I found something called UX - and in fact it’s a thing. I know many nerds really don’t care about it but it’s ignorant and wrong and won’t help to improve Mikrotik neither. This backup function is something very crucial and should work as intended, I will definitely not step down from that point even when I love Mikrotik devices.
Will try that again now. Maybe there was an issue with different Firmware version, package versions or whatever. Will take care now that it’s exactly the same.
Here you need to specify what is meant by backup (.backup) and export (.rsc).
(ignoring if it is an export with hide-sensitive in v6 NOT specified or in v7 with show-sensitive set)
If backup means to save the current complete configuration of the device (except the files in… /files…),
to then restore it after you bungled and/or reinstalled the software THE SAME OS VERSION AS BEFORE,
here is what is meant by backup.
If by backup instead you intend to save the configuration and then import it on a DIFFERENT device, or ANOTHER OS version, well, that is NOT a backup…
Export for working as expected must not be verbose (is another question) and have not hide-sensitive or have show-sensitive as previously wroted.
Export do not export all.
Just visualize the changes from the default configuration and NO certificates / ssh keys / users certs / the dude / (full) user-manager / etc.
If by export you mean a system for exporting the configuration (except for the aforementioned other components)
in order to modify it BY HAND(***) to import it on a DIFFERENT machine (or also the same with same or another OS version)
without ANY CONFIGURATION (reset with no-default), it is exactly what is intended.
If by export you mean a method to have a configuration file to MODIFY BY HAND to create a template for mass configuration, that’s correct.
(***) not /import on terminal
Any other expectation from backup or export is inaccurate.
(and I may still have forgotten something)
Thanks, I really appreciate your time to write this explanation, will bookmark it. But in the same answer you've proved my point that it's a pain in the ass and need a lot improvement at least in the docs. I mean this isn't some open source product (nothing against open source, I love open source), this is a billion dollar company. Despite all the other stuff that I really think is absolutely great about Mikrotik, this for sure is not.
Well, that works and I’m really glad about it (Y)
So I just need to remember to always make a backup before and after FW/package upgrades.
Now if only Mikrotik finds a way to get this done from a device to another device that easy..
THANKS! I searched for so long on Google to find exactly this! I even used search words like “mikrotik export terse” to find this page but no luck. Will bookmark this forever!
I wouldn’t call it a “real backup”. At the end of the day, export and import are just tools for managing config, not a backup/restore method alone. (See post directly above for a “complete” backup using export and more…)
On same device, as noted, .backup file/“Button” maybe best approach. And restore, to same device, should just work.
Where there is room for criticism is an “upgrade” in a typical home user case: e.g. “I have an hAPac2 and got a hAPax2 to replace it”. A .backup file will likely break when used on different device/verison, so not really usable. And an “export” file almost certainly requires “tweaks” to work on a new device before import. The latter involves a fair bit about how RouterOS manages config to perform – obviously possible but not “user friendly”. So “pain-in-the-ass” seems fair if editing config files is required to just moving from “ac” to “ax” hardware and just wanted keep everything else the same…
When you start managing multiple Mikrotik, the config system make a lot more sense since it’s very flexible. But flexibility makes it complex…
When is all blank with wifiwave2 installed (with reset no-defaults)
rename the wlan1 with the same previous name (is readable on .rsc)
open with “notepad” the .rsc, import section by section except the /interface wireless items,
and you can use the “wireless” section for see previous config and do the same things on winbox or webfig on wifiwave2 section.
@badroute432
If you are creating backups often / scheduled, maybe consider mounting external drive (usb flash drive, network drive…) and put backups there instead on flash to avoid flash wear out, also copy that backup on local computer or some other backup drive to always have backup copy if that mounted external drive fails.
)
