Managing Device Configurations And Firmware; Saving Baseline Configuration Files In The Configuration Manager - Extreme Networks EPICenter Guide Manual

NOTE
Removing a device from all device groups does not remove the device from the database. The device is
automatically placed back in the Default device group. if it is removed from all other device groups.

Managing Device Configurations and Firmware

EPICenter provides two features that can help you manage the configuration files and the firmware
versions on your devices.
• The Configuration Manager provides an interface for uploading and saving backup configurations
from your devices. You can upload configuration files from your devices on an "as needed" basis, or
on a regular schedule. You can also save configuration files as "baseline" files for your devices, and
then compare those baselines against newly uploaded configuration files to determine if changes
have been made. The Configuration Manager also provides an interface you can use to download a
saved configuration to a device.
• The Firmware Manager helps you manage the versions of firmware installed on your devices.
EPICenter will check the Extreme Networks web site to find the most current versions of the device,
slot and bootROM software, and will download it to the EPICenter server if you so choose. It can tell
you if the software on your devices is the most current versions, and can also manage the process of
the upgrading the images on your devices, through its Upgrade Wizard. Since there are multiple
versions of software for different device and module types, and the software images and bootROM
versions must also be compatible, the Firmware Manager can warn you if you attempt a download
that may not be compatible with the device you have selected.
Once you have added your devices to the EPICenter Inventory Database, it is a good idea to save a set
of baseline configuration files to use as a reference for identifying configuration changes to your
devices. It is also a good idea to set up a regular schedule for uploading configuration files for
archiving.
Periodically it is also a good idea to check for newer releases of the software and bootROM images for
your Extreme devices. You can then download them to the EPICenter server, where they will be
available for download to your devices when you decide to upgrade those devices.

Saving Baseline Configuration Files in the Configuration Manager

You can use the Configuration Manager to upload configuration files for backup purposes, or to create
baseline configurations for your devices.
You can create baseline configurations in three ways:
• By uploading a configuration and designating it as a baseline configuration
• By scheduling a baseline configuration upload
• By selecting an existing saved configuration file to be used as a baseline configuration.
To upload a configuration as a baseline configuration file, you click Upload form the Config menu or
from the toolbar to open the Upload Configuration from Devices window. Leave the Upload File
Options set to Archive to Default Location, and also check the Baseline checkbox, as shown in
Figure 8.
EPICenter Concepts and Solutions Guide
Managing Device Configurations and Firmware
37