Compare a running config with the startup config

Use this tool to compare the running and startup (in NVRAM) configs of a Cisco router. If changes were made to the configuration but not committed to non-volatile memory, you can detect differences between the two configurations. Always compare running and startup configs before rebooting a router.

1. Confirm that your access list does not block SNMP queries.
2. Click Select Device, and then specify the host name or IP address of the device.
3. Select a community string or SNMP version 3 credentials.
4. To test the credentials, click Test.
5. Click OK.
6. If prompted, store the credentials you specified in the shared credentials database.
7. Click Compare Configs.

When you download a configuration file, the SolarWinds TFTP Server starts automatically if required. If the TFTP Server is running, an icon is displayed in the Windows System Tray.

To see the TFTP Server log, click the icon and click Status on the TFTP Server menu. The TFTP Server log displays any errors that occurred while transferring the configuration files.

Cisco routers stop responding to SNMP queries while they are requesting a file from a TFTP Server. They also stop responding to SNMP while sending files to a TFTP Server. If you instruct a Cisco router to upload or download a new configuration file and it cannot comply, the action is attempted numerous times – repeating up to a minute. During this time, the router stops responding to SNMP queries. You must wait until the previous router action times out, and then try again.

After downloading both configurations, the comparison is displayed in the Config Editor or Viewer.