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March 2005
CLI Basics
35
Offline Configuring
You can configure OmniSwitch 7700/7800 switches using an
ASCII-based text file. This is referred to as
offline configur-
ing
. With offline configuring, CLI commands may be typed
into a text document (referred to as a
text-based configuration
file
) and then uploaded and applied to the switch.
An ASCII-based configuration file can be viewed or edited at
any time using a standard text editor (e.g., WordPad). The
switch also offers its own text editing buffer, so a file can be
edited in the flash file directory without having to be down-
loaded to a workstation.
Because they are portable, stand-alone documents, configura-
tion files allow users to easily clone switch configurations.
Moreover, the ability to store a broad range of network infor-
mation in a single text file facilitates troubleshooting, testing,
and overall network readability.
Syntax Checking
Offline configuration includes a syntax check feature. This
function will report syntax errors or typos that might cause a
command to be rejected by the switch when a configuration
file is applied.
Scheduling a Configuration File to be
Applied at a Later Time
You can apply a file to the switch immediately, or you can
schedule a file to be applied either at a specific date and time
or after a specific amount of time has passed. Timer sessions
can greatly facilitate maintenance tasks such as synchronized
batch updates.
Generating Snapshots of the
Current Configuration
A generated snapshot captures the switch’s current configura-
tion settings in a single text file. Captured configuration
settings can then be viewed or edited offline at any time. Trou-
bleshooting is greatly facilitated, as aggregate network infor-
mation can be read at a glance.
Snapshot files can be used as configuration files for a single
switch or for multiple switches. This allows easy cloning of
switch configurations for networks requiring multiple, simi-
larly-configured switches. Simply place the snapshot file in the
appropriate directory of the switch(es) you want to configure
and use the CLI to apply the file.
For detailed information on offline configuring and the
features described above, refer to the
Switch Management
Guide
.