Summary
This manual introduces you with commands which are used to perform the following functions:
- system backup;
- system restore from a backup;
- configuration export;
- configuration import;
- system configuration reset
Description
The configuration backup can be used for backing up MikroTik RouterOS
configuration to a binary file, which can be stored on the router or
downloaded from it using FTP for future use. The configuration restore
can be used for restoring the router's configuration, exactly as it was
at the backup creation moment, from a backup file. The restoration
procedure assumes the cofiguration is restored on the same router, where
the backup file was originally created, so it will create partially
broken configuration if the hardware has been changed.
The configuration export can be used for dumping out complete or
partial MikroTik RouterOS configuration to the console screen or to a
text (script) file, which can be downloaded from the router using FTP
protocol. The configuration dumped is actually a batch of commands that
add (without removing the existing configuration) the selected
configuration to a router. The configuration import facility executes a
batch of console commands from a script file.
System reset command is used to erase all configuration on the
router. Before doing that, it might be useful to backup the router's
configuration.
System Backup
Submenu level:
/system backup
Description
The
backup save command is used to store the entire router
configuration in a backup file. The file is shown in the /file submenu.
It can be downloaded via ftp to keep it as a backup for your
configuration.
Important! The backup file contains sensitive information, do
not store your backup files inside the router's Files directory,
instead, download them, and keep them in a secure location.
To restore the system configuration, for example, after a
/system reset-configuration, it is possible to upload that file via ftp and load that backup file using load command in
/system backup submenu.
Command Description
- load name=[filename] - Load configuration backup from a file
- save name=[filename] - Save configuration backup to a file
Warning:
If TheDude and user-manager is installed on the router then backup
will not take care of configuration used by these tools. Therefore
additional care should be taken to save configuration from these. Use
provided tool mechanisms to save/export configuration if you want to
save it.
Example
To save the router configuration to file test:
[admin@MikroTik] system backup> save name=test
Configuration backup saved
[admin@MikroTik] system backup>
To see the files stored on the router:
[admin@MikroTik] > file print
# NAME TYPE SIZE CREATION-TIME
0 test.backup backup 12567 sep/08/2004 21:07:50
[admin@MikroTik] >
To load the saved backup file test:
[admin@MikroTik] > system backup load name=test
Restore and reboot? [y/N]:
y
Restoring system configuration
System configuration restored, rebooting now
Exporting Configuration
Command name:
/export
The
export command prints a script that can be used to
restore configuration. The command can be invoked at any menu level, and
it acts for that menu level and all menu levels below it. The output
can be saved into a file, available for download using FTP.
Command Description
- file=[filename] - saves the export to a file
Example
[admin@MikroTik] > ip address print
Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid, D - dynamic
# ADDRESS NETWORK BROADCAST INTERFACE
0 10.1.0.172/24 10.1.0.0 10.1.0.255 bridge1
1 10.5.1.1/24 10.5.1.0 10.5.1.255 ether1
[admin@MikroTik] >
To make an export file:
[admin@MikroTik] ip address> export file=address
[admin@MikroTik] ip address>
To see the files stored on the router:
[admin@MikroTik] > file print
# NAME TYPE SIZE CREATION-TIME
0 address.rsc script 315 dec/23/2003 13:21:48
[admin@MikroTik] >
Compact Export
Starting from v5.12 compact export was added. It allows to export
only part of configuration that is not default RouterOS config.
For example compact OSPF export:
[admin@SXT-ST] /routing ospf> export compact
# jan/02/1970 20:16:32 by RouterOS 5.12
# software id = JRB7-9UGC
#
/routing ospf instance
set [ find default=yes ] redistribute-connected=as-type-1
/routing ospf interface
add disabled=yes interface=wlan1 network-type=point-to-point
/routing ospf network
add area=backbone network=10.255.255.36/32
add area=backbone disabled=yes network=10.5.101.0/24
add area=backbone network=10.10.10.0/24
[admin@SXT-ST] /routing ospf>
Compact export introduces another feature that indicates which part
of config is default on RouterOS and cannot be deleted. As in example
below '*' indicates that this OSPF instance is part of default
configuration.
[admin@SXT-ST] /routing ospf instance> print
Flags: X - disabled, * - default
0 * name="default" router-id=0.0.0.0 distribute-default=never
redistribute-connected=as-type-1 redistribute-static=no
redistribute-rip=no redistribute-bgp=no redistribute-other-ospf=no
metric-default=1 metric-connected=20 metric-static=20 metric-rip=20
metric-bgp=auto metric-other-ospf=auto in-filter=ospf-in
out-filter=ospf-out
Importing Configuration
Command name:
/import
The root level command
/import [file_name] executes a
script, stored in the specified file adds the configuration from the
specified file to the existing setup. This file may contain any console
comands, including scripts. is used to restore configuration or part of
it after a /system reset event or anything that causes configuration
data loss.
Note that it is impossible to import the whole router
configuration using this feature. It can only be used to import a part
of configuration (for example, firewall rules) in order to spare you
some typing.
Command Description
- file=[filename] - loads the exported configuration from a file to router
Automatic Import
Since RouterOS v3rc it is possible to automatically execute scripts - your script file has to be called anything
.auto.rsc - once this file is uploaded with FTP to the router, it will automatically be executed, just like with the Import command.
Example
To load the saved export file use the following command:
[admin@MikroTik] > import address.rsc
Opening script file address.rsc
Script file loaded and executed successfully
[admin@MikroTik] >
Configuration Reset
Command name: /system reset-configuration
Description
The command clears all configuration of the router and sets it to the
default including the login name and password ('admin' and no
password), IP addresses and other configuration is erased, interfaces
will become disabled. After the reset command router will reboot.
Command Description
- keep-users: keeps router users and passwords
- no-defaults: doesn't load any default cofigurations, just clears everything
- skip-backup: automatic backup is not created before reset, when yes is specified
- run-after-reset: specify export file name to run after reset
Warning:
If the router has been installed using netinstall and had a script
specified as the initial configuration, the reset command executes this
script after purging the configuration. To stop it doing so, you will
have to reinstall the router.
Example
[admin@MikroTik] > system reset-configuration
Dangerous! Reset anyway? [y/N]: n
action cancelled
[admin@MikroTik] >
