"copy tftp running-config" unavailable on 2848?

[David Pugliese]

I'm trying to update the VLAN configuration of a pair of remotely-managed Procurve switches without cutting off my connectivity in the process. Per page A-18 of the 2600-series Management and Config. guide (the one to which the 2848 product page directs me), "copy tftp running-config" seems like just the ticket. My configuration gets changed transactionally, and I can roll back with just a reboot if needed.

Problem is, I can't execute this command. I get "invalid input" when attempting it. Checking the CLI help, I see that I can only copy from TFTP to the startup-config. This will work, but isn't as fail-safe.

I've upgraded the firmware to the latest version (I.08.105), but that makes no difference.

Uploading a command file is apparently another option, but whatever command file I try to upload, I get the message "command files are limited to access list commands," which suggests I can't make network config changes?

[bergonz]

I am afraid that your understanding of the situation is correct. I had to reconfigure some switches, enabling 802.1q taggind on the links I was using to connect to them, and I found myself in a very similar situation.

I found out that configuration commands in "conf t" are executed just as you hit return, while menus are executed and saved as you "save" the configuration screen you are changing. This allows you to transactionally cnahge the VLAN config, and to transacionally change the IP config, but not both at the same time, and not fail-safe.

Maybe someone else knows more, but I believe that you are correct.

Regards,
Bergonz

[OLARU Dan]

1. Save your present config in the tftp server.
2. Put the new config in the startup nvram, then reboot to have it running
3. Put the present config from tftp in the startup nvram.

[Mohieddin Kharnoub · Accepted solution]

Hi

What you are looking for which is : copy tft running-config, is called merging an external saved configuration into running configuration running in the DRAM

And i'm afraid its not allowed, in ProCurve Switches, maybe for the 9300, 9400, and its available for the ProCurve Secure Router 7000 series.

The only allowed thing is to to copy to startup config, and in regards to copy from tftp to command file, it for configuring or replacing an ACL only that you offline edited or created it then you upload by tftp.

I wish if ProCurve switches has something like commit command with time interval, so if you are managing a switch remotely and after you commit, you got disconnected, then the switch will wait for an interval time then roll back the last committed commands, and you get connected again :)

Good Luck !!!

[stieven struyf]

did you disable ssh filetransfer?
you can't have tftp and scp (ssh filetransfer)
enabled.
commands to do this is(from config):
no ip ssh filetransfer
tftp server

[David Pugliese]

Dan,

Once I figured out what the CLI context help was telling me, I saw I could do that. the only reason I was hesitant about updating the startup config vs the running config is that, if I mangled the configuration, a simple reset would restore a working configuration. That's something the onsite people at the remote center could handle without issue. If the startup config was bad, it would require someone onsite to connect a serial console, which would be commensurately awful, at least from a time-to-recovery standpoint.

[Mohieddin Kharnoub]

Hi David

What you are saying is something we suffer everyday.

Anyway, i try to keep my self always connected by avoiding doing any changes to my current Vlan that i use for managing the switch, either on site or remotely.

Say I'm remotely connect to a switch or group of them, i try to simulate what will happen if i entered some commands, and thats difficult ofcourse, and if i have an ACL i would try it on a Test Vlan before implement it where it should be.

I think we all Appreciate ProCurve's effort to give us their best.
Copy or merge to running config, and roll back after an interval time, and such great ideas are used long time by other Vendors and we HOPE that we can get such things in the near future, even we know that ProCurve guys are the most busy people on the earth :)

Good Luck !!!

[David Pugliese]

Mohieddin,

I figured out those things through trial and error. We also have some GbE2 Blade switches in the same installation, and they fully support transactional changes, multiple roll-back configurations, et cetera. Making the needed changes to those was trivial.

What's particularly irritating is that the 2600-series user manual, which also covers the 2800 and 4100 series, specifically says this command will work. There are no limitations specified by switch model.

I was able to find another, essentially failsafe way to make the changes I wanted. Each of the core switches is connected to a separate firewall, and the firewalls are in what amounts to a cluster. The switches have a dedicated crosslink. I created a temporary VLAN and subnet between the switches. I connected via telnet to the primary switch, and from within that session connected via telnet to the secondary switch. I made the connections to the secondary switch and logged off. I then disabled the firewall uplink port on the primary switch. This disconnected me, but the master firewall detected the link failure and rolled over to the slave. I was then able to connect to the secondary switch, and repeat the above procedure for the primary. It was something of a tightrope-walk, but it worked.