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airnet
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RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:49 am

<rant>

I am sure this has been ranted about many times before but here goes again:

WHY WHY WHY is MT STILL using a binary .backup system ?
Why do we not have a good old startup-config.txt and running-config.txt based system yet ?
*most of the time* a generic .backup file breaks wireless so this means a remote site visit.

Mass upgrades are EXTREMELY COMPLICATED and NEAR IMPOSSIBLE with the existing .backup compiled binary backup system.

Many of you will say, 'but my upgrades work fine'. Yes that is true MOST of the time. But the problem is due to the fact that new versions always have something broken, so most of the time it ends up getting rolled back.
Try doing that to 1000 remote wireless CPE's automatically.
There seems to be a race to add new features whilst accidentally breaking existing features in the process. It happens with almost every release.

The other huge problem we see is upgrading from 2.9 to 3.x. Approx 20% of the units upgraded have a 100% CPU issue post-upgrade. The ONLY solution is to system reset and manually reconfigure. End config / net result is the same but no high CPU drain this time. The binary .backup thing is utter and total junk and subject to corruption between upgrades / downgrades.

If we had a .txt based system none of this would be a problem, and I could automatically push out a mass upgrade to 1000 CPE's in under 5mins, AND get some sleep for once.


</rant>
 
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normis
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:54 am

this is why you have the wonderful Export.rsc files, that can be:

- human edited
- generated by excel/calc
- scripted
- used as "default config" after "system reset"
- etc ;)
 
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janisk
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:13 am

What's new in 3.0rc3:
*) ftpd - automatically execute uploaded scripts that have name *.auto.rsc;

meaning - you have to upload script file using ftp (no other upload will work) and it will be automatically executed

script looks exactly as if you did export of configuration.

for example:
 /ip address add address=192.168.1.1/24 interface=ether1
will add an ip address to router you upload that file.
 
airnet
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Wed Dec 10, 2008 11:28 am

What's new in 3.0rc3:
*) ftpd - automatically execute uploaded scripts that have name *.auto.rsc;
I guess I should retract most of my rant...

Thanks.
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:06 pm

it wasnt mentioned here, but typing "export" at any node in the CLI will export that configuration in plain text.

type export at the main level and everything will be exported.

type export file=config it will export to a file called config.rsc.

Sam
 
airnet
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:52 pm

this is why you have the wonderful Export.rsc files, that can be:

- human edited
- generated by excel/calc
- scripted
- used as "default config" after "system reset"
- etc ;)
Normis - Please elaborate on how to do execute .rsc after system reset when no remote comms is possible due to system being reset...

I cannot find any documentation on this.
 
airnet
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:56 pm

ChangeIP, full exports are a good text reference only. I have never had any luck importing a full export - only small export 'snippets' work 100%.

Or what am I missing here ?

Cheers
 
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normis
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:08 am

ChangeIP, full exports are a good text reference only. I have never had any luck importing a full export - only small export 'snippets' work 100%.

Or what am I missing here ?

Cheers
you have to modify them, remove all things that you don't need to import. leave only important stuff, and in logical order.
Normis - Please elaborate on how to do execute .rsc after system reset when no remote comms is possible due to system being reset...
currently you can give Netinstall an RSC file when installing/reinstalling RouterOS, and that will be used when doing system reset.
 
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janisk
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:39 am

also, if you use xen (highly experimental) you can see, that when you create new guest you can supply rsc file, that way you can see, how it will look like, when you use it in normal RouterOS install (to test out script)

or import that script into clean router and see result.
 
airnet
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Thu Dec 11, 2008 1:05 pm

currently you can give Netinstall an RSC file when installing/reinstalling RouterOS, and that will be used when doing system reset.
Bummer... we're talking LOTS of 133's already deployed remotely and wirelessly. The nearest is 1km away. The farthest is 500km away. Netinstall is out of the question. They are all running 2.9.x

The objective is to upgrade them all to 3.02 in a CLEAN MANNER. Eg system-reset then upgrade then configure.
3.02 is actually labelled 3.2 - this is the only stable version 3 that runs on 133's we have found from experience.
ALL later 3.x versions are broken when running wireless and PPPoE client on a 133. It's the PPPoE client that kills the 133. Not only does PPPoE client overload the CPU, but NAT is also broken in all the latest releases.
The reason that 3.x is required is for WMM. Yes, WMM works fantastic too. But it only works without nstreme.

Back on topic..

I guess my rant still stands then:
There is no simple CLEAN way to automate the upgrade of already deployed wireless 133 CPE's for the purpose of activating WMM ?

Plan B: How about the MT guys create a WMM backport for 2.9 ?
eg wireless-test-2.9.51.npk that includes WMM ?
As I understand WMM is done in the Atheros chipset. The O/S only has to set a 'flag' to enable it. Surely this is possible ?
 
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janisk
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Thu Dec 11, 2008 2:00 pm

i wondwer - how you imagined to access the board after you clear all the configuration that is there? If you have other routerboard near by in same ethernet network you can reset-configuration and then connect using mac-telnet from that box and set up configuration.
 
airnet
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Thu Dec 11, 2008 11:44 pm

i wondwer - how you imagined to access the board after you clear all the configuration that is there? If you have other routerboard near by in same ethernet network you can reset-configuration and then connect using mac-telnet from that box and set up configuration.
Thats the exact purpose of this thread. I want to be able to completely reset, reconfigure and upgrade in one hit WITHOUT having local access.

The reason this is a rant is because industry standard dictates a startup-config and running-config text based configuration system, to avoid all of the problems we are discussing here.
This is a fundamental feature that MT should have, but currently does not.
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:19 am

I would love to see the export command export only the values that are changed from their default value.

At the very least have the export be able to be imported back into a defaulted router without having to edit it.

It's very frustrating to say the least how it is handled right now.

-Gerard
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:58 am

I agree with Gerard. I have spent days in editing rsc and txt.
 
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normis
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:51 am

If the router hardware is different, it's very hard for ROS to know which addresses need to be applied to which interface, which wireless cards should be used etc. And then there are different drivers and so on.

Although I agree, we need to improve this function so that at least it could be imported back to the same router.

But actually there is no "import" it just executes all the commands in the file.
 
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janisk
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:12 pm

also, i would like to note, that you had a chance to set up default load configuration before you installed router in place in some obscure place using netinstall tool as noted before in this thread.

as normis said - that functionality could be improved.
 
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normis
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Fri Dec 12, 2008 1:34 pm

Thats the exact purpose of this thread. I want to be able to completely reset, reconfigure and upgrade in one hit WITHOUT having local access.
Would a "/system reset-configuration file=name.rsc" do what you want? It would reset, and then apply the config in the RSC file so that your CPE could connect to the AP for example.
 
airnet
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:15 am

Would a "/system reset-configuration file=name.rsc" do what you want? It would reset, and then apply the config in the RSC file so that your CPE could connect to the AP for example.
Normis - yes this would be perfect in the long run. In fact, I was just about to suggest this in an email to support@mikrotik....

The downside for us right now is:
1) Most of our CPE's are 133's and the only known 'reliable' v3 build is 3.2 (3.02) on this platform. So I think this is our only option*
2) They are already deployed and would need to be upgraded to get this feature if it was to be added.... it's a catch 22.

*how about a backported system_with_restore_config_patch-3.2-mipsle.npk :D ?

Cheers
 
airnet
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:19 am

also, i would like to note, that you had a chance to set up default load configuration before you installed router in place in some obscure place using netinstall tool as noted before in this thread.
All MT Routerboards arrive from factory with RouterOS pre-installled.

However, in knowing what we know now, we would have indeed re-installed using netinstall prior to deployment...
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Sat Dec 13, 2008 1:17 pm

Thats the exact purpose of this thread. I want to be able to completely reset, reconfigure and upgrade in one hit WITHOUT having local access.
Would a "/system reset-configuration file=name.rsc" do what you want? It would reset, and then apply the config in the RSC file so that your CPE could connect to the AP for example.
That would be a great feature!
 
gbh
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Sun Dec 14, 2008 2:02 am

that feature would have made my life much more enjoyable if implemented recently..
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Mon Dec 22, 2008 2:47 pm

Would a "/system reset-configuration file=name.rsc" do what you want? It would reset, and then apply the config in the RSC file so that your CPE could connect to the AP for example.
That would be a BIG improvement over the current status!
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Mon Dec 22, 2008 8:53 pm

Would a "/system reset-configuration file=name.rsc" do what you want? It would reset, and then apply the config in the RSC file so that your CPE could connect to the AP for example.
+1, this could be great feature.

M.
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Mon Dec 22, 2008 9:44 pm

Would a "/system reset-configuration file=name.rsc" do what you want? It would reset, and then apply the config in the RSC file so that your CPE could connect to the AP for example.
Sorry to just join the bandwagon, but I know this feature would be loved by several of our customers. Not having to do a netinstall to change that file would be wonderful.
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Fri Feb 27, 2009 11:21 pm

Would a "/system reset-configuration file=name.rsc" do what you want? It would reset, and then apply the config in the RSC file so that your CPE could connect to the AP for example.
Any news about this "feature" ?
Im very interested on this particulary situation, many of my nodes are very hard to get there .. some of them are on the top of buildings that i dont have the key :P , in fact right now im facing this situation with one of my rb133 :?
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Mon Jun 08, 2009 11:34 am


Would a "/system reset-configuration file=name.rsc" do what you want? It would reset, and then apply the config in the RSC file so that your CPE could connect to the AP for example.
Would love this, but still nothing?
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Mon Jun 08, 2009 2:41 pm

Would a "/system reset-configuration file=name.rsc" do what you want? It would reset, and then apply the config in the RSC file so that your CPE could connect to the AP for example.
We still dream about this future, Normis!

or I have alternative elegant solution. You can simply implement to run files:

auto-after-reboot.rsc
auto-after-reset-configuration.rsc

is it really hard to code this?

femur
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:11 pm

auto-after-reset-configuration.rsc
Silly question, but wouldn't this value be reset along with the rest of the unit? If not, how does one make sure it is reset if one so desires?
 
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normis
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:13 pm

anyway, it's being worked on, don't worry
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Mon Jun 08, 2009 4:41 pm

auto-after-reset-configuration.rsc
Silly question, but wouldn't this value be reset along with the rest of the unit? If not, how does one make sure it is reset if one so desires?
Files in
/file print
menu are not deleted while doing
/system reset-configuration
so you can store any full or partial "persistent" configuration in such name.rsc file. I do this that way everytime.

But when you are logged into radio device by wireless link, and when you perform
/system reset-configuration
you loose connection and no chance to connect again. Then drive your car, knock to the customer door, connect your laptop by ethernet wire and
/import name.rsc
to restore configuration.

So we ask Mikrotik for special rsc file making possible to
/import special-name.rsc
automagically after
/system reset-configuration

You can call this "green technology", because we will save a lot of fuel and a lot of amazonian jungle that way :).
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:10 pm

Files in
/file print
menu are not deleted while doing
/system reset-configuration
Yes, I understand that (the posts above make this point very clear). My question was that if you have a value stored which dictates what file should be run on reset, why (and how) won't that value itself be reset?

If (by whatever means) it isn't reset, then how does one perform a reset such that the value itself is reset?

Consider a hypothetical scenario. Let's say I give you a router. I've written a script which does:
/system console disable 0
/ip firewall filter add chain=input action=drop
/ip firewall filter add chain=forward action=drop
/ip firewall filter add chain=output action=drop
(very simple, I'd probably do more if I were being difficult!!) and I have set the value 'run-script-on-reset' to run that script.

How do you get access to the box, or is it effectively permanently bricked?

That's what I was asking.
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Mon Jun 08, 2009 5:47 pm

My question was that if you have a value stored which dictates what file should be run on reset, why (and how) won't that value itself be reset?
It is not our problem :). But seriously speaking... there is default configuration script working just now.
/system default-configuration print
and this default script runs after
/system reset-configuration
so I imagine, that our friends from Lativia know trick to run any script after reset.
Our suggestion is simply to extend functionality allowing us writing additional default scripts or eventually a way to edit existing default script (using netinstall for setting own default script I know, but it is useless without using a car and without wasting fuel). I rather mean editing straight from menu.
/system console disable 0
/ip firewall filter add chain=input action=drop
/ip firewall filter add chain=forward action=drop
/ip firewall filter add chain=output action=drop
It is of course possible even now. You can simply change password and forget it :).
Both reasons you can resolve by netinstall.
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Tue Jun 09, 2009 11:29 am

It is of course possible even now. You can simply change password and forget it
Except that resetting the box will reset the password anyway.
 
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Tue Dec 22, 2009 11:04 am

For reference, this feature was added to RouterOS from 3.30 onwards.

Syntax is: /system reset-configuration run-after-reset=base_config.rsc

where base_config.rsc is the script you want to run after reboot.
 
telepro
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Re: RANT - Configuration management: .backup is a joke

Thu Aug 22, 2013 8:12 pm

Does this feature - running a .rsc file automatically after a /system reset-configuration
work in the latest 6.03 revisions?

i have placed a file in the files window (x.rsc) and executed the command:
/system reset-configuration run-after-reset=x.rsc

The configuration is executed, the router reboots, but the x.rsc file is not executed.

What am i missing?

thanks in advance

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