Documentation forKiwi CatTools

Device.CLI.Modify Config

The Device.CLI.Modify Config activity modifies the configuration of device or a selection of devices. CatTools logs in to each selected device in turn, executes the configuration changes, and logs any failures to the report file: ...\Reports\Device.CLI.Modify Config.txt

Whereas the Device.CLI.Send commands activity does this from the normal command line prompt, or Enable mode if that option is checked, this activity executes commands in the Config mode from the Config terminal.

A simple way to familiarize yourself with this activity is to do a change of interface description, using the commands in the example below:

int e0
description this is a test

Copy the above sample command and enter a different description of your choice. Run the commands in sequence and note the description change from one to the other. You can also combine the example with a Device.Backup.Running Config. You can see the changes in the config files, the email reports it generates, and so on.

Setting up the activity for Device.CLI.Modify Config

For information on setting up activities, see Add / Edit scheduled activity details.

Activity options

Configure the options specific to this activity in the Options tab.

Config commands to be entered into the device (Max 10,000 characters)

Enter commands to change the configuration of selected devices.

For example, for a Cisco IOS router, add the commands that you manually enter in config mode after entering "config term" at the Enable prompt. If you want to change the VTY login password for the Cisco IOS router, enter the following commands in this field:

Line vty 0 4
password mynewpassword

CatTools enters config mode and executes the commands exactly as written in this field. It is vital to write them exactly as if you were configuring the device manually via a telnet session. Each command must be entered on a separate line. If you enter a blank line between commands, this is applied just as if you pressed enter in a telnet session. The maximum limit is 10,000 characters.

Within the commands, you can use a number of variables that are replaced by actual values when the commands are presented to the device. See the section Command Variables for a list of variables you can use.

You may also enter meta commands in the list of commands. For more information, see Meta Commands.

Or, read commands from file

Reads commands from the specified text file entered.

This option and "Config commands to be entered into the device" are mutually exclusive. If you select this option, the config commands field is deactivated, and the commands are only read from the text file.

The rules for entering commands in the text file are the same as the config commands field. Every line is read as a command to be entered in the devices config mode. A blank line between commands is read as an <Enter>. However, the text file does not have a limit on the number of characters allowed.

Save device output to file

A device-specific record of each time the activity runs. All output from the device is recorded to a text file, exactly as it would appear in a telnet session. The file name is based on the device name and the date. Each device creates its own unique output file based on the %DeviceName% and %DateISO% variables.

Overwrite existing capture file

Overwrites the file created by the output from the last run of the Device.CLI.Modify Config activity.

If unselected, the existing file is appended. A new file is created only when the activity's run date is different.

Answer [yes] to any confirmation prompts

Some issued commands have confirmation prompts, such as: "Are you sure? Y or N". CatTools automatically answers such prompts in the affirmative, on the assumption that if you entered the commands you want them to be executed.

If this option is unchecked, then the activity will enter N(for "No") in response to any command confirmation prompts.

Stop on error The activity immediately quits the job and returns control to CatTools if an error is encountered at any stage of processing.
Save running config to start-up config when complete Copies the running configuration on the device to non-volatile memory, so that the modified config becomes the start-up config.