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Regular configuration backups are your most critical safety net, protecting against accidental misconfiguration, hardware failure, or other unexpected events. Altostrat SDX streamlines this process by providing a fully automated backup system. Every configuration snapshot is a human-readable .rsc script file, stored securely in the cloud for up to 12 months. This versioned history gives you the tools to quickly compare changes, troubleshoot issues, and restore your network to a known-good state with confidence.

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How It Works: The Asynchronous Backup Process

Backups in SDX are asynchronous jobs, ensuring reliability without interrupting your workflow. The platform uses a secure, temporary SFTP user to transfer the configuration file from your device directly to encrypted cloud storage.
  1. Initiation: A backup is triggered either automatically by the daily schedule (at approximately 02:00 UTC) or manually when you click Backup Now.
  2. Job Dispatch: SDX sends a job to the target device.
  3. Execution on Device: The device receives the job on its next check-in. The job payload contains a script with unique, time-limited SFTP credentials.
  4. Secure Upload: The device runs the /export command to generate the .rsc file and immediately uploads it via SFTP to a secure, private S3 bucket. The temporary SFTP user is valid only for this single transaction.
  5. Confirmation: The backup file, named with a Unix timestamp (e.g., 1672531200.rsc), appears in your dashboard.

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How-To Guides

All backup operations for a device are managed from its Site Overview page.

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How to View and Manage Backups

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1. Navigate to the Site

From your SDX Dashboard, click Sites, then select the site you want to manage.
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2. Open the Config Backups Tab

On the site’s overview page, click the Config Backups tab. This displays a versioned list of all available backups, with the most recent at the top. From here, you can perform several key actions:
  • Backup Now: Trigger an immediate, on-demand backup. This is highly recommended before making significant configuration changes.
  • Download: Save a local copy of any .rsc script file.
  • Compare: Select two backups to see a line-by-line comparison of the changes.

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How to Compare Configurations (Diff View)

The comparison tool (or “diff view”) is essential for auditing changes or understanding what was modified between two points in time.
  1. In the Config Backups list, check the boxes next to the two backups you want to compare.
  2. A diff view will automatically appear, highlighting the differences:
    • Lines highlighted in red and prefixed with - were removed.
    • Lines highlighted in green and prefixed with + were added.

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How to Restore a Configuration

Restoring a configuration allows you to revert a device to a previously known-good state. This is a manual, multi-step process designed for safety.
Restoring a configuration will overwrite the device’s current settings. This action will likely cause a reboot or a temporary loss of connectivity. Always create a fresh on-demand backup before performing a restore.
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1. Download the Backup File

From the Config Backups list in SDX, find the backup you want to restore and click the Download icon to save the .rsc file to your computer.
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2. Upload the File to the Device

Connect to your router using WinBox and open the Files window. Upload the downloaded .rsc file to the root directory of the device.
The easiest way to upload is to simply drag and drop the .rsc file from your computer directly into the WinBox Files window.
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3. Run the Import Command

Once the upload is complete, open a New Terminal in WinBox. Type the import command followed by the name of your uploaded file and press Enter.For example, if your file is named 1672531200.rsc, you would run:
import 1672531200.rsc
The router will execute the script, apply the configuration, and likely reboot. Once it comes back online, it will be running the restored configuration.

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Best Practices

Backup Before Changes

Always trigger an on-demand backup before performing major upgrades or reconfigurations. This gives you an immediate and precise rollback point.

Compare Before Restoring

Before restoring, use the diff tool to confirm you are rolling back the exact changes you intend to. This prevents accidental reversion of other important updates.

Audit with the Orchestration Log

Use the Orchestration Log to see a complete history of all backup jobs, including their status (Completed/Failed) and timestamps.