Issues cutting and pasting configs into routers

itdaddy

hey guys any tips on cutting and pasting configs from old model routers to new model routers for fast distribution. Cutting and pasting into a new router is sketchy. You don't really know if it pasted it right. I have see added entries in route-maps before like I would have never got that if I had not used Notepad++ compare plugin but even that is hard to look at and catch everything.Is there some tool or technique you guys have work with that is more solid of a copy over? is ftp a better copy or copy and past? I have not tried the ftp way but what do you think? is that a better copy than copy and paste from windows box to a cisco router?help I need it bad

jdballinger

Depending on the complexity and length of the config, I usually do one of two things. I will either TFTP the config on (copy TFTP running-config) or I will just increase my line buffer in SecureCRT to like 2 seconds and paste it in. It takes a bit longer the second way, but I've never had an issue.

RouteMyPacket

Copy and Paste is fine and I prefer that but I NEVER copy an entire config and paste it in. I break it up into sections, for instance

service timestamps log datetime localtime
service tcp-keepalives-in
service tcp-keepalives-out
no ip name-server x.x.x.x
ip name-server x.x.x.x
no ip http server
no ip http authentication local
no ip http secure-server
no ip http timeout-policy idle 60 life 86400 requests 10000
privilege exec level 5 show configuration
privilege exec level 5 show
!
!
no ntp server x.x.x.x
ntp server x.x.x.x prefer source GigabitEthernet0/0
!
!

Something like that, having the "!" in between gives me a break in the config so if a command is rejected it's easier to parse through and fix it.

Also, the example above is all done from config t so no worries about going back and forth. I would do my interfaces together something like

interface G0/0
ip address x.x.x.x x.x.x.x
no shut
exit
interface G0/1
ip address x.x.x.x x.x.x.x
no shut
exit
!
!

and on and on...something like that. I'm paranoid and try to keep it as simple as possible.

itdaddy

thanks guys, I will try the line buffer I think mine is too small. I have done the section pasting but still have issues. I will try the line buffer. Yeah they are somewhat complex configurations. Thanks men. I will let you how it turns out.

her.yang

Try this:
1.) TFTP the configuration from the old router into the flash on the new router (for simplicity's sake let's rename it old_config.cfg)
2.) From privileged exec mode, run this command: configure replace flash:old_config.cfg running-config

The configure replace command is different from completely overwriting the running-config. What it does is it compares the two configurations, then it generates and applies a list of CLI commands that will make them the same (from the old config to what's replacing it, that is). If you add the "list" command option at the end, it should actually show you the commands that it's going to apply. However, I'm not sure it's going to necessarily work, depending on the platforms and IOS versions of the two routers you're trying to do this on.

itdaddy

wow that would be nice. But this is what I have to do now. Cut and paste new tweak configuration text and then run it in a notepad++ compare and look visually. I don't like this method but this is all I got t make sure commands transferred well. I build a lot of builds to replace 100s and 1000s of routers for clients and I want to do the TFTP method not sure if my boss will. You would think so but sometimes he is resistant to change thanks man!