Another comment about what is most challenging part configuring for my point of view is that there isn’t an option to both download and upload plain text format configuration of the running system.
There has been at least one customer in this chat asking something related to this and which I commented about then.
RutOS does have API that can be used to download parts of configuration, but not a single API GET call that would export complete running configuration at once. That would be extremely useful for being able to periodically poll routers (like any other network active elements) to a management station, which will check if configuration has changed and if true save changes in version control system. Saving configurations in version controls (GIT, etc) provides benefits both for network operations perspective and security monitoring and auditing can be built to top of that feature too. Also when needing to make changes just some devices among many devices, you can easily write script that searches from version control repository which devices would need to be changed. And likewise there are many more similar benefits alike you will find useful when operating a great number of devices. Which all configurations in same version control system regardless of the brand or make of those equipment.
Above “export complete running configuration at once” is in principle same as what those familiar with Cisco IOS in enable mode Cli command would do when “show run” was issued, or when JunOS in similar context “show configuration” would produce.
It does not matter if output is JSON/XML or any other text format, but to be easy to used outside systems it would be important to use only printable characters only.
The problem with binary (backup) formats, were they some proprietary formats, .bin, .zip, .tar.gz or any some network devices provide as backup-method is problematic because those can be restored usually only exactly same model, os-version. Worst case that is not even any more available or if it is shipping takes time and brining back service takes much much more time than if you could try to resolve downtime issue with some other devices you had in hand. With binary backups that’s either impossible or much more harder than if configuration would have been human readable textual format.
Just for those who didn’t know it before. Cisco IOS text based configuration was in early days of internet which made it so popular. Many other manufacturers like HP, 3Com, Cabletron, Bridge, etc. did not get why we wanted and complained “give us textual configuration format like IOS has”. It took quite long before for example HP understood and switched text formats right after turn of century. Juniper seemed to understood right from beginning. But some like Fore, Nortel, Alcatel (ATM-switch makers) and many others did not understand before going out of business. When you have thousands to even tens of thousands of network devices in use as we had where I were working you need to be rely that even when you encounter device failure and you don’t have same model any more available, you are able to adapt and find working fix configuring something else doing what is needed.
Binary and any non textual configurations may fit the purpose in home user category devices, but when network grows even bit larger and configurations more complex there isn’t anything better than text base configs as far as us humans will need to configure and maintain those devices.
So now once I’ve written benefits of just getting the configuration out of device in human readable textual format, be it these days JSON or XML I will add suggestion how to get Teltonika moving that direction.
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First add your Teltonika Web-API GET config and let us get all (preferably changed from defaults) configuration at once. It would be easier for us to rely that all included than relying each customer to check self made management scripts after all new software releases whether something has been added or removed and also try to figure out how that script would be able to understand different versions still being used.
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Second make a plan at some future time to provide means to upload a downloaded configuration in same downloaded format. That would a bonus and make easier making larger changes in network or to recover (do rollback) from version control saved configuration. While doing that you will encounter question what should we do if text file includes something the device being uploaded does not support or understand? The answer is same what web-browsers do, they ignore anything not supported or what browser doesn’t understand. That is all fine, with network devices in question but they usually write log entry or output console short warning message.
To understand better how you migrate from not any more avail device to another model. It’s great help to be able to get new replacing device as close configured with that perhaps different model device config. But to make sure everything works, you then download that config and compare it (diff) to what old had and add yourselves manually rest to new system where that functionality is needed to be configured.
Large manufacturers and network management systems vendors always when hearing this kind of talk propose why not get us a proper network management system that does that all to you. Right, the problem is that there isn’t any single NMS that supports well enough different vendors system. Each support that manufacturers own and perhaps some partner systems too they have good relationship. But anything else is hit and miss, doesn’t work and isn’t even expected to work any foreseeable future. That what it has been past three decades and I don’t expect it to change going forward also.
So as long as there would be some kind of open standard configuration language which systems would well support there isn’t much other choices to that network management is quite dependent readable configurations and have to themselves implement or buy consulting who comes and bridges gaps between different vendors systems, building working system that can be enough trusted.
ps. Sorry about long comment (a rant really), but this is a matter of most frustration with networking for a very long time. And given a chance feedback I thought it would be worth writing what’s wrong about binary configs and why.