A3COM0469-BACKUP-AND-RESTORE: View SNMP OID List / Download MIB

This object is used to warn the user that any previous backup that they have taken may no longer be used to restore the configuration to this device. It is therefore imperative that the user takes a new backup. This object shall return true(1) if the user has taken a backup in the past and the current hardware configuration of the device does not match the configuration at the time of the previous backup. In such a case, the backup file will either contain commands that can not be executed on the current hardware or will not contain configuration data for additional hardware. The user needs either to take a new backup or to restore the original configuration. Note that if the user restores the original hardware configuration, this item shall (by definition) return to false(2).

This object is used to store the IP address of the TFTP Server which is being used to hold the backup and snapshot files. Before a user has programmed an address, this value shall return 0.0.0.0 Only valid class A, B or C IP addresses may be programmed into this object. This object shall be read-only when an operation is in progress. That is when a3ComBackupAction is not notActive(1)

The name of the backup or snapshot file on the TFTP Server. This may include directory information as appropriate to the TFTP Server being used. This value shall contain a zero length string until the user specifies a particular value. This object shall be read-only when an operation is in progress. That is when a3ComBackupAction is not notActive(1)

This object contains the header comment that the agent prepends to the backup and snapshot files. By default, it will contain a zero length string. It shall also be set to a zero length string by the agent when any operation is started. As the operation proceeds, this object shall be set to the generated string for backup and snapshot operations and to the received string for restore operations. The string shall then remain unchanged until the next operation commences. If the file being restored does not contain a header, this object shall contain the zero length string when the operation has completed. This object shall be read-only when an operation is in progress. That is when a3ComBackupAction is not notActive(1)

This object is similar to the agent comment object above but it allows the user to add their own notes to the backup or snapshot file. This object shall default to a zero length string. Before a user starts a backup or snapshot operation, they should set their comments in this object (or clear it if they have no comments). For restore operations this object shall be cleared as the restore commences and shall be loaded with the user comment from the restored file's header when it is received. If the file being restored does not contain a header, this object shall contain the zero length string when the operation has completed. This object shall be read-only when an operation is in progress. That is when a3ComBackupAction is not notActive(1)

This object actually starts the operation. The user's parameters MUST have been entered into the preceeding objects before a command is started. The objects SHOULD all be set using a single SNMP packet. This reduces the liklihood of one user altering another user's parameters inadvertantly. This object shall return notActive(1) when no operations are in progress. While an operation is in progress, it will return the enumeration for the operation that is in progress. When that operation finishes, this object shall return to notActive(1). The user may set this object to abortAction(2) at any time. This will abort any operation that is currently in progress. While the operation is being aborted, this object shall return abortAction(2). When the abort is complete, this value shall return to notActive(1). The a3ComBackupStatus shall be set to backupAbortedByUser(23) to indicate that the command was aborted. The user may only start any of the other operations when the state is notActive(1). Once an operation is in progress, this object shall return the enumeration for the operation until it completes. The outcome of the operation may be read from a3ComBackupStatus below. A device may refuse to carry out an operation if it is currently unable to carry out the operation or if the operation is not supported. In this case a bad value response shall be returned. The cliSave(3) operation saves the configuration as a list of CLI commands. If these commands are played back to the device, then the resultant configuration of the device would be that of the device when the backup was taken. The cliVerify(4) operation checks that a backup file contains the commands that the current configuration of the device would generate. The binarySave(5) and binaryVerify(6) operations are similar to the CLI operations. The difference being that the configuration is stored in a binary format rather than the CLI command format. The restoreConfig(7) operation will read the configuration from the specified file and apply it to the current device. It is assumed that the configuration file will have been generated by this device or by a device of identical configuration. If this is not the case, then the operation shall be aborted and the a3ComBackupStatus shall be set to backupWrongHardwareType. If any of the commands fail to execute, then the operation is aborted and a3ComBackupStatus is set to backupBadCommand or backupCommandFailed. The details of the failed command shall be stored in a3ComBackupFailedCommand and a3ComBackupFailureReason. The preceeding is a deliberate protection mechanism. It ensures that a user does not accidentally restore the wrong configuration to a device. However, there may be times when a user wants to copy the configuration from one type of device to another. The user may edit the file to remove commands that the new device does not understand. This could be a time consuming process. We therefore also allow the user the restoreIgnoringErrors(8) operation. This is similar to the restoreConfig(7) operation above with the exception that all errors are ignored and the restore passes onto the next configuration item in the backup file. The objects a3ComBackupFailedCommand and a3ComBackupFailureReason will contain details of the last error which occurred. As an additional protection mechanism, the user may also load just the comment fields from the backup file. These can then be displayed to the user so that they can confirm that they have selected the correct operation. In this case the user would select the loadDescriptionOnly(9) operation; wait for it to complete; display the comments to the user and ask for confiirmation; if the user is happy that it is the correct file it is then loaded using the restoreConfig(7) operation. Note: It is possible for another user to overwrite the parameters while the confirmation is awaited. The user SHOULD therefore set the parameters to the same values as were used for the loadDescriptionOnly(9) operation in the same SNMP packet as the setting of the restoreConfig(7) operation. The final operation is takeSnapshot(10). A snapshot creates a file which contains the current status of the device. This includes dynamic details such as what addresses have been learned on a port as well as the configuration details. This file is intended for human reading and contains the detail in a tabular format. A snapshot is similar to the output that would be created by running all of the display and summary commands on the device. Enumeration: 'cliVerify': 4, 'binaryVerify': 6, 'binarySave': 5, 'restoreIgnoringErrors': 8, 'cliSave': 3, 'loadDescriptionOnly': 9, 'notActive': 1, 'restoreConfig': 7, 'abortAction': 2, 'takeSnapshot': 10.

This returns the status of the current or the previous operation. See the top of this MIB for a list of all of the possible values that this object may take.

The number of bytes of the configuration data that have been transferred between the device and the TFTP Server. This may be used by the user interface to provide an indication of the progress of the operation.

If any restore command fails, then this object shall contain the command line that caused the failure. It shall be cleared when the next restore operation commences. Where the failures are being ignored, it shall contain the details of the last command that was ignored.

If a3ComBackupFailedCommand contains a failed command, then this object contains the error message that the failed command produced. Where the failures are being ignored, it shall contain the details of the last command that was ignored.

This object is used to inform management stations such as 3NS that the device must be reset to factory defaults before a backup file may be restored. It shall return true(1) if the device must first be returned to factory defaults. Note that the basic IP parameters are not to be returned to the factory defaults otherwise communication with the device would be lost. These IP parameters are not saved in the backup file.

This object returns the last operation that was performed by the user. This is used for display purposes so that a suitable message may be displayed to the user. Enumeration: 'cliVerify': 4, 'binaryVerify': 6, 'binarySave': 5, 'noCommandIssued': 1, 'restoreIgnoringErrors': 8, 'cliSave': 3, 'loadDescriptionOnly': 9, 'restoreConfig': 7, 'takeSnapshot': 10.