Configuring a router on the fly?

John Blakley · ‎11-04-2008

Is this possible? We have several locations, and it's been asked if there's a possible way of sending a blank router (no config) to a site, have it boot up and automatically configure itself.

While this part probably isn't possible, I've thought of a scenario that might work and I was wondering if any of you have done this.

Have a tftp server onsite with the config of their existing router. Configure the new router to boot from a network image. Does this work? I would need a configuration for every router that we have.

How do you handle down sites? Do you have "automatic" methods to be able to deal with down branches aside from sending a preconfigured router for storage?

Thanks!

John

HTH, John *** Please rate all useful posts ***

John Blakley · ‎11-04-2008

Oh, more background.

At each remote location we use frame. The local branch has their own dhcp server onsite. We use bgp between locations to keep our routing tables updated. Every location comes through us for internet access.

In general we set up a loopback, their internal interfaces, and serial interfaces manually. This is the process that we want automated.

Thanks!

John

HTH, John *** Please rate all useful posts ***

lffrwatson · ‎11-05-2008

You can have a fresh router boot up and send a TFTP config request and have it pull a configuration image from a TFTP server and boot from that. Nothing special there.

To handle Down sites depends on what the failure is. If the frame is down there is nothing you can do. If its a hardware problem this is why I would get SMARTNET. I have rarely seen a cisco piece of equipment fail under normal operating conditions. I have seen sites go down all the time due to ISP and telco issues.

hasmurizal · ‎11-05-2008

hi,

why not you try to this several ways:

1)copy the old router config into flash; "copy run flash", then after switch off the router, move the old flash card into the newer ones. Then after booting up, just "copy flash start" or "copy flash run". But be careful in selecting the correct file for the config.

2)always keep a backup config of every devices

3)assign someone to be a field technician/engineer and do the t'shoot for you.