Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.10.x: Managing Configuration Files

Overview of Configuration Management

This guide provides instructions for creating, loading, and maintaining configuration files on Cisco routing devices running Cisco IOS XE Gibraltar 16.10.x. Configuration files allow users to customize device functionality by defining software commands that are parsed during system startup or via the command-line interface (CLI).

Types of Configuration Files

• Startup Configuration (startup-config): Used during system boot to configure the software.
• Running Configuration (running-config): Contains the current active configuration of the software.

Managing Configuration Files

Users can copy configuration files between the router and network servers (TFTP, FTP, rcp) to restore backups, standardize configurations across multiple routers, or load new settings. The guide details specific commands for these operations, including handling files larger than NVRAM through compression and using the Parser Cache to improve load times for large configurations.

Configuration Performance and Locking

The guide introduces features to enhance performance, such as the Configuration Generation Performance Enhancement, which caches interface configuration data to speed up retrieval. Additionally, it covers the Exclusive Configuration Change Access feature (Configuration Lock), which prevents concurrent configuration changes by multiple users, and Access Session Locking, which prioritizes commands from the lock owner.

Configuration Replace and Rollback

The Configuration Replace and Configuration Rollback features allow administrators to revert the running configuration to a previously saved state. By using a configuration archive, users can create checkpoints and perform rollbacks if configuration changes cause issues. The guide also explains the Configuration Rollback Confirmed Change feature, which requires manual confirmation of changes within a set time frame to prevent accidental loss of connectivity.

Configuration Logging and Partitioning

The Configuration Change Notification and Logging feature tracks changes made via CLI or HTTP, providing an audit trail of who applied specific commands and when. Configuration Partitioning allows for modular access to the running configuration, improving performance on high-end systems by retrieving only the specific parts of the configuration needed.

Software Maintenance Upgrades (SMU)

SMUs are packages used to provide patch fixes or security resolutions to a released image. The process involves adding the SMU to the filesystem, activating it, and committing the changes to ensure persistence across reloads. The guide provides detailed workflows for adding, activating, rolling back, and removing SMUs.