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Configuration backups give you a stored view of router configuration over time. Use them before change windows, after policy or script rollout, and during incident review.

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Prerequisites

Before you work with backups, make sure:
  • You have permission to view or request backups.
  • The site is online if you need a fresh backup.
  • You know which site and time window you are investigating.

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What Backups Are For

Use backups to:
  • Review static router configuration.
  • Compare before and after states.
  • Validate what changed during a maintenance window.
  • Prepare rollback or recovery steps.
  • Investigate configuration drift without running live commands.
For static configuration review, backups are usually a better first stop than the synchronous API. Use live commands when you need current runtime state.

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Request a Fresh Backup

1

Open the site

Go to Sites, open the target site, and select Configuration Backups.
2

Request a backup

Select the action to request a fresh backup.
3

Wait for completion

SDX queues backup work for the router. The site must check in and complete the job before the backup appears.
4

Review the result

Open the backup and confirm it reflects the expected router and timestamp.

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Compare Backups

Use backup comparison when you need to understand drift or validate a change.
  1. Open the site’s backup list.
  2. Choose the earlier backup as the baseline.
  3. Choose the later backup as the comparison.
  4. Review additions, removals, and changed lines.
  5. Record important differences in the change ticket or site notes.

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Restore Carefully

Backups are reference material for recovery. Treat any restore-like operation as a production change:
  • Confirm you are using the correct site.
  • Confirm the backup predates the unwanted change.
  • Review site-specific values such as IPs, interfaces, credentials, and customer settings.
  • Schedule a maintenance window.
  • Keep out-of-band access available where possible.
Do not apply old configuration blindly. A backup can include values that are no longer safe for the current network state.

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Troubleshooting

If a requested backup does not appear:
  • Confirm the site is online.
  • Check whether other queued jobs are blocking progress.
  • Check the site job or orchestration history for errors.
  • Confirm the router has enough time and resources to export configuration.
  • Retry after the site is stable.
If a backup looks incomplete:
  • Confirm you opened the intended timestamp.
  • Compare it with adjacent backups.
  • Use a live command only if you need to confirm current runtime state.