Loading a configuration file

The load command loads the contents of a local or remote file into the candidate configuration. The command can only be executed at the top of the configure region when the MD-CLI session is in private, exclusive, or global configuration mode and does not result in a context change. The command can be issued regardless of whether uncommitted changes are present in the candidate configuration datastore.

Use the following syntax for the load command:

load [mode] [full-replace | merge] [url] filename

The full-replace option replaces the current candidate configuration with the specified file.

The merge option merges the contents of the specified file into the candidate configuration. If there are conflicts, the configuration statements in the specified file override the existing configuration statements.

The file to be loaded is not a CLI script to be executed and cannot include:

MD-CLI commands such as commit, delete, or tools
navigation commands such as exit, back, or top

See Executing commands from a file to perform such actions from a file.

If the loaded file encounters errors, parsing terminates at the first error. Statements before the error are loaded into the candidate configuration. Configuration statements in the loaded file are also subject to AAA command authorization. An authorization check failure also terminates the execution of further statements in the file.

Note: If the router fails to boot because of an invalid configuration syntax, it is recommended to correct the syntax and reboot the router, which also reloads persistent indexes. This procedure is preferred over using load full-replace to restore the configuration without a reboot.

Using info outputs in load files

The plain text output from the info full-context or info commands can be copied and pasted into a load file. Both the full-replace and merge options support this type of content.

Example: Output from the info full-context command

This output can be copied and pasted into a file; for example, cf3:\testbgp.cfg.

*[ro:/configure router "Base" bgp]
A:admin@node-2# info full-context
    /configure router "Base" bgp group "external" { }
    /configure router "Base" bgp neighbor "192.168.89.8" group "external"
    /configure router "Base" bgp neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 maximum 200
    /configure router "Base" bgp neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 log-only  true
    /configure router "Base" bgp neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4    threshold 80

A:admin@node-2# info full-context > cf3:testbgp.cfg

[/]
A:admin@node-2# file list

Volume in drive cf3 on slot A is .

Volume in drive cf3 on slot A is formatted as FAT32

Directory of cf3:\

10/24/2019  04:02a      <DIR>          .ssh/
01/01/1980  12:00a                 170 NVRAM.DAT
01/01/1980  12:00a                 679 bof.cfg
10/24/2019  04:02a                 314 nvsys.info
10/24/2019  04:02a                   1 restcntr.txt
10/27/2019  02:57p                 257 testbgp.cfg
               5 File(s)                   1421 bytes.
               1 Dir(s)                       0 bytes free.

Example: From the MD-CLI, the file show command displays the contents of the file

[/]
A:admin@node-2# file show cf3:testbgp.cfg
File: testbgp.cfg
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    /configure router "Base" bgp group "external" { }
    /configure router "Base" bgp neighbor "192.168.89.8" group "external"
    /configure router "Base" bgp neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 maximum  200
    /configure router "Base" bgp neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 log-only  true
    /configure router "Base" bgp neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 threshold 80

===============================================================================

Example: Using the load merge command

The load merge command can be used to merge the contents of the file into the candidate configuration. The following example shows no current candidate configuration changes for BGP before the command is executed. The compare command shows the candidate configuration changes after the file is merged.

[ex:/configure]
A:admin@node-2# load merge cf3:testbgp.cfg
Loaded 5 lines in 0.0 seconds from file cf3:\testbgp.cfg

*[ex:/configure]
A:admin@node-2# compare
    router "Base" {
        bgp {
+           group "external" {
+           }
+           neighbor "192.168.89.8" {
+               group "external"
+               prefix-limit ipv4 {
+                   maximum 200
+                   log-only true
+                   threshold 80
+               }
+           }
        }
    }

This output can also be copied into a file.

*[ro:/configure router "Base" bgp]
A:admin@node-2# info flat
    group "external" { }
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" group "external"
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 maximum 200
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 log-only true
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 threshold 80

*[ro:/configure router "Base" bgp]
A:admin@node-2# info flat > cf3:testbgp.cfg

*[ro:/configure router "Base" bgp]
A:admin@node-2# /file show cf3:testbgp.cfg
File: testbgp.cfg
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    group "external" { }
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" group "external"
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 maximum 200
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 log-only true
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 threshold 80

===============================================================================

Example: Adding a line to specify the context

An additional context line is added, through a manual edit, to specify the context /configure router ‟Base” bgp, as shown in the file display.

*[ro:/configure router "Base" bgp]
A:admin@node-2# /file show cf3:testbgp.cfg
File: testbgp.cfg
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/configure router bgp
    group "external" { }
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" group "external"
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 maximum 200
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 log-only true
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" prefix-limit ipv4 threshold 80

===============================================================================

Example: compare command shows candidate configuration changes

The file is merged and the compare command shows the resulting candidate configuration changes.

[ex:/configure router "Base" bgp]
A:admin@node-2# info

[ex:/configure router "Base" bgp]
A:admin@node-2# top

[ex:/configure]
A:admin@node-2# load merge cf3:testbgp.cfg
Loaded 6 lines in 0.0 seconds from file cf3:\testbgp.cfg

*[ex:/configure]
A:admin@node-2# compare
    router "Base" {
        bgp {
+           group "external" {
+           }
+           neighbor "192.168.89.8" {
+               group "external"
+               prefix-limit ipv4 {
+                   maximum 200
+                   log-only true
+                   threshold 80
+               }
+           }
        }
    }

Example: Output from the info command

To use the output in a load file, the context must be added through a manual edit, similar to the edit of the testbgp.cfg file in the preceding example, or use the output from the info full-context command.

*[ro:/configure router "Base" bgp]
A:admin@node-2# info
    group "external" {
    }
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" {
        group "external"
        prefix-limit ipv4 {
            maximum 200
            log-only true
            threshold 80
        }
    }

Example: Contents of the load file with the info output

/configure router "Base" bgp
    group "external" {
    }
    neighbor "192.168.89.8" {
        group "external"
        prefix-limit ipv4 {
            maximum 200
            log-only true
            threshold 80
        }
    }