Use HTTP to Store Router Configurations on Web Server

It's been possible for a long time to use HTTP to download information from a web server to a router. In IOS release 12.3(2)T, integrated in 12.4 release, Cisco has introduced the ability to store local information (for example, router configurations) on a web server. To use this feature, configure the username and password giving you write access to the web server with:
ip http client username web-user
ip http client password secret-password
After the username and password have been configured, you can use copy running http: to copy router's configuration to a web server.
Note: on the web server, you have to configure the target virtual directory for write access (default: disabled) and allow file-system write access to the underlying physical directory for the target user.
Alternatively, you can specify the username and password in the URL using the copy running http://user:password@host/file syntax.
router#copy running http://student:[email protected]/router-config
Address or name of remote host [192.168.0.2]?
Destination filename [router]?
Storing http://student:[email protected]/router-config !!
4231 bytes copied in 0.864 secs (4897 bytes/sec)
router#

2 comments:

  1. Note however that IOS does *not* support (to my knowledge) digest authentication methods, only basic.The username/password will be sent over the network as cleartext.
  2. You're very probably correct (I don't have the time to test it :). If that's an issue, you can always use HTTPS, which is a good idea anyway if you're worried about passive interception. After all, you're transmitting router configurations (including passwords) over the HTTP session.
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