MARS Seed-File Export

[ryansylvia]

Hi, I was wondering if it is possible to have MARS export a seed-file of the devices it currently has configured.

The reason I want to do this is for an upgrade - when we upgrade to a new version, it looks like we will have to re-enter all of the devices individually (or create a seed file).

If I could export the seed file from MARS, then we would be saved this burden!

Thanks for your help!

[mhellman]

An upgrade doesn't require you to re-enter all of the devices. However, there currently isn't a way to export any part of your configuration, including the devices.

[Farrukh Haroon]

But be ready for Version 6.0 due in August. All Generation 1 MARS appliances will have to be re-imaged to use that new version. However the good news is that starting with version 6.x both Generation appliances will be running the same version. For that one would have to backup all MARS configurations to a NFS archive and then restore it.

Regards

Farrukh

[ryansylvia]

Ok, but if I backup the data, I thought I read that I can only restore that data to the version of MARS it was backed up with?

[Farrukh Haroon]

Yes you information seems to be accurate :)

"Caution The version of MARS software running on the appliance to be restored must match the version recorded in the archive. For example, if the data archive is for version 4.1.4, you must reimage the MARS Appliance to version 4.1.4, not older or newer, before using the pnrestore command to recover the system configuration and events. "

http://ciscosystems.com/univercd/cc/td/doc/product/vpn/ciscosec/mars/5_3/ig/admin.htm#wp1127842

Regards

Farrukh

[ryansylvia]

Is there a way to ask for the next code revisions to allow the device list to be exported in the seed-file format MARS expects as an import?

If I am upgrading to 6.0, I would really like to be able to export and import my 200+ devices and not have to enter them 1 by 1.

[mhellman · Accepted solution]

I believe the new version will have the ability to export some config information (parsers for sure, and I *think* other stuff too) outside of the normal pnarchive/pnrestore process. Maybe there will be a way to export the devices. It seems reasonable to me that we could create a seed file just like we import. AFAIK, the format of the seed file hasn't changed through the versions.

[ryansylvia]

Great to hear, sounds like 6.0 will be a great thing for MARS!

[Farrukh Haroon · Accepted solution]

Yes I totally agree, they ought to provide some workaround for loyal customers like us who bought these gen-1 MARS appliance before it got famous, hehe :)

Just to confirm this is from the release notes:

"Cisco Security MARS Release 6.0 is targeted for release August 2008 and will support both first-generation and second-generation hardware platforms at this time. The first-generation platform, which was supported under 4.x releases, will require reimaging to the Release 6.0 images. The second-generation platforms may move through a standard upgrade process to upgrade to this new release."

Regards

Farrukh