Configuration snapshots

What it is

A snapshot is a copy of a device’s running configuration, captured over SSH and stored in CreaRack with a SHA-256 hash so config changes are easy to detect. Typical uses: audit what changed and when, keep a known-good config before maintenance, or hold separate configs for events (a convention-center switch with a “static” and an “event” setup).

Each snapshot stores the full config text, a name you choose, the capture date, the vendor, and who created it. Snapshots are listed with a Manual or Auto badge.

The device must have Network Management configured first (see [[crearack—racks—ssh-desde-rack]]). After that one-time setup, snapshots are hands-off: you are never asked for SSH credentials. For devices on private IPs the capture runs through the Local Agent, which fetches the credentials from the server by device ID — they never pass through your browser.

How to create a snapshot

1. Select the device in the Rack Editor and click SSH Backups in the properties panel.
2. The Configuration Snapshots modal opens.
3. Type a snapshot name.
4. Check the Command field. It is prefilled per vendor — show running-config for Cisco and Arista, show configuration for Juniper. Adjust it only if your device needs a different command.
5. Click Save Snapshot.

What happens next depends on the device IP:

• Public IP — the CreaRack server connects over SSH and captures the config directly.
• Private IP — the job is routed through the Local Agent on your PC. The Agent opens the SSH session (credentials resolved server-side), runs the command, and the result is saved back to CreaRack. The Local Agent must be running.

How to compare two snapshots (diff)

1. In the snapshot list, tick the checkboxes of exactly two snapshots.
2. Click Compare (2/2).
3. A diff viewer opens: added lines in green, removed lines in red.

This is the fastest way to answer “what changed on this switch since last month?”.

How to download or delete a snapshot

• Click Download on a snapshot row to save the config as a file.
• Click Delete to remove it. Deletion asks for confirmation and cannot be undone.

Restoring a configuration

One-click restore is not available yet. The Restore Now button exists in the interface, but the server currently rejects the operation with a “not implemented” response — pushing a config back to a live device is on the roadmap.

To roll back today: download the snapshot you want, open an SSH Terminal to the device, and apply the relevant lines manually.

Troubleshooting

“Local Agent not running. Please start CreaRackAgent first.”

• The device has a private IP, so the capture needs the Local Agent. Start CreaRackAgent and try again.

“No configuration received from device”

• The command produced no output. Check the Command field matches your vendor, and that the SSH user has permission to view the config.

Snapshot button does nothing

• A snapshot name is required — the form will not submit without one.

A large snapshot never shows up

• Snapshots above roughly 900 KB are uploaded through a separate channel by the Local Agent; if that upload cannot complete, the capture ends in an error that explains why instead of leaving the row blank. Check the Agent’s connection and try again.

Related

• [[crearack—racks—ssh-desde-rack]] — the one-time SSH setup snapshots rely on
• [[crearack—racks—dispositivos]] — add devices and their management config
• [[crearack—racks—port-mapping]] — read port-level config instead of full text
• [[crearack—terminal—local-agent]] — the Agent that captures configs on private networks
• [[crearack—network—gestion-red]] — network management overview

Véase también

• [[crearack—racks—ssh-desde-rack]]
• [[crearack—racks—dispositivos]]
• [[crearack—racks—port-mapping]]
• [[crearack—terminal—local-agent]]
• [[crearack—network—gestion-red]]