3Com 4800G Series, Configuration Manual

Page: 985 / 1246

Configuration File Management 985
Configuration File
Management
The device provides the configuration file management function with a
user-friendly operating interface for you to manage the configuration files
conveniently.
This section covers these topics:
■
“Configuration File Overview” on page 985
■
“Saving the Current Configuration” on page 986
■
“Erasing the Startup Configuration File” on page 987
■
“Specifying a Configuration File for Next Startup” on page 988
■
“Backing up/Restoring the Configuration File for Next Startup” on page 988
Configuration File
Overview
A configuration file saves the device configurations in command lines in text
format. You can view configuration information conveniently through the
configuration files.
Types of configuration
The configuration of a device falls into two types:
■
Saved configuration, a configuration file used for initialization. If this file does
not exist, the default parameters are used.
■
Current configuration, which refers to the user’s configuration during the
operation of a device. This configuration is stored in the flash. It is removed
when the device is rebooting.
Format of configuration file
Configuration files are saved as text files. They:
■
Save configuration in the form of commands.
■
Save only non-default configuration settings.
■
List commands in sections by view in this view order: system, interface, routing
protocol, and so on. Sections are separated with one or multiple blank lines or
comment lines that start with a pound sign (#).
■
End with a return.
Main/backup attribute of the configuration file
A main configuration file and a backup configuration file can exist simultaneously
if the device supports main/backup configuration file attribute. As such, when the
main configuration file is missing or damaged, the backup file can be used
instead. This increases the safety and reliability of the file system compared with
the device that only supports one configuration file. You can configure a file to
have both the main and backup attributes, but only one file of either main or
backup attribute is allowed on a device.
The following three situations are concerned with the main/backup attribute:
■
When saving the current configuration, you can specify the file to be a main or
backup or normal configuration file.