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GNS3 - How to save labs with router configs
Posted by Josh under Cisco , Cisco Routers , Dynamips , GNS3 , PEMU -If you have used GNS3 for any amount of time at all, you have encountered this situation. It’s late and you have been working on your lastest lab for hours. You decide to save your work. Logically, you go to File > Save. Unfortunately, the topology is saved but the router configs are gone.
Follow these steps to save your project. When the project is re-opened, router configurations will be in tact.
- Open GNS3
- Start a lab with objects (routers, pix, switches, etc)
- Click ‘File > New Project’ instead of ‘File > Save’.
- Make sure ‘Export Router Configuration Files’ and ‘Keep working directory files’ are checked.
- Click ‘Yes’ to Apply project settings to the current topology.
That’s it!
In the video below, I created a small lab with a single router. I changed the hostname and domain name just to demonstrate config changes will remain when the project is re-opened.
July 8th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
[...] GNS3 - How to save labs with router configs 1 views [...]
July 9th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
the working directory is needed to save labs? I just click the “export all startup-config” and save. When i reopen the lab all looks fine, including startup-configs.
Something is missing when gns3 dont reopen working directory? and in this case, using the same directory dont get me any trouble with other labs? I guess so, cause “automatically clean working directory” is default setting.
tks
sry for my english
July 12th, 2008 at 12:27 am
thx mate..keep posting..currently fall in love with GNS3..cheers…
July 13th, 2008 at 1:30 am
@WingChunBR - You don’t necessarily “need” the working directory to save the startup configurations for the routers, but the working directories contain the flash and nvram as well as other files.
If you clean out the working directory, the flash and nvram files are gone after you close the lab. It becomes important to keep the working directory if you are working on a lab for … say …. call manager express or sdm. Both store files in flash.
I hope this answers your question.
Josh
July 13th, 2008 at 2:05 am
Plz send the Layer 3 switch IOS
i don’t have any switch ios’s
and explain the process how to install the ios
July 13th, 2008 at 8:32 am
@akula - gns3 does not emulate a switch. The only way to do switch labs is with a 3640 or 3745 image and the nm-16esw network module.
Josh
July 14th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Hi Josh,
I was able to save the Lab following the steps you provided, however, when I tried to open the Lab (after I saved it), my server just crashed
I’ve got GNS-3 running on Ubuntu Server 7.10, and the Lab I was running was the Frame-Relay lab with 3 Routers.
The server has 1.5GB RAM and it’s a Dual Processor P3 Server.
Any ideas??
Rgrds,
Ayo
July 14th, 2008 at 7:40 am
Never mind Josh…….I restarted the server and tried to re-open the Lab. It’s working O.K this time.
Thx,
Ayo
July 14th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Hi Josh,
I’ve got another query:
I’ve saved my config and I’ve run it again successfully.
Could you please advise how I can save again once I’ve made more changes?
I tried to follow the same steps you prescribed for saving the first time, but it doesn’t seem to work.
Thanks a lot!!!
Rgrds,
Ayo
July 16th, 2008 at 9:31 am
@Ayo - After you have created a project, you can just click File > Save.
Josh
July 16th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
ah ok. I dont need flash here(ccna labs), so i can erase my workingdir.
But if u use another lab with different settings (that stored in flash) they will not overwrite each other?
thanks josh
July 17th, 2008 at 2:28 am
Love the tips and info!!! THANKS!!!
July 28th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
I followed the demo to the “T” the only thing different is that I used a different path (C:\My Networks\MPLS Development\) and for some reason it does not pull my config’s back. The project loads but the configs are still blank.
Not there is an error in my IOS when booting but not sure:
Cisco IOS Software, 3700 Software (C3745-ADVENTERPRISEK9-M), Version 12.4(19b),
RELEASE SOFTWARE (fc1)
Technical Support: http://www.cisco.com/techsupport
Copyright (c) 1986-2008 by Cisco Systems, Inc.
Compiled Fri 13-Jun-08 10:20 by prod_rel_team
BIST FAILED…
Unknown file system detected.
Use format command to format the card as DOS File System.
Or use erase command to format the card as Low End File System.
I am running 0.5 GNS3 with 12.4 IOS Code. Anyone able to help here.
Is it the spaces in the path or something else?
Andrew
July 28th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Andrew,
You might try to save to a project folder that does not have a space in it…maybe c:\My_Networks\MPLS_Development\ .
Can you post your .net configuration file?
Josh
August 5th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Hey, thanks for this blog post. I was getting all frustrated trying to use “File >> Save” instead of New Project.
August 7th, 2008 at 12:34 am
Does any one have hints on how to bring down the utilizations of ones PC while running GNS3, or better still calculate the best idlepc values.
cheers
August 12th, 2008 at 7:15 am
[...] - bookmarked by 2 members originally found by acmul on 2008-07-20 GNS3 - How to save labs with router configs http://www.blindhog.net/gns3-how-to-save-labs-with-router-configs/ - bookmarked by 1 members [...]
August 16th, 2008 at 2:05 am
i am able to save the topology but when i drag the switch and save……..switch is not save nor its connections. that’s the problem
August 27th, 2008 at 10:42 am
thx for your videos.but i need help on GSN 3.0.5
when i try to get access a router console i get the message “the system cannot find the file speciefied”. i followed your videos but noway to it work.plz help
August 31st, 2008 at 12:44 am
napsteur,
You are probably running windows Vista. The error is telling you that GNS3 cannot find the telnet command.
I would suggest using putty for console access.
http://www.blindhog.net/gns3-how-to-use-putty-for-console-access/
Josh
August 31st, 2008 at 11:20 am
I use the export command in gns3, in the command window or whatever you call it.
export “routername” “foldername”
and you can right click on the router and type the startup-configs name. if you export stuff working then the config will be named stuff and it will be in the working directory.
anything in the working directory you can just type the name of the config file under the router option. otherwise you have to put the foldername\config name in the options.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:14 am
I have the same problem as post 13. I can save the configs and they are stored in the right working dirs etc. When i load the project, the topology loads but the configs do not.
I also see the same error during the IOS bootload and am using the same IOS.
September 5th, 2008 at 7:31 am
hi all , i m tanveer . thankx to buddy . i tried the same . fir the first time it didnot work , but after a few tries it has strated workig for 2 routers . see what happens next when i m going for a bit big labs .
regards
tanveer
September 18th, 2008 at 4:16 pm
thx for your videos.but i need help on GSN 3.0.5
when i try to get access a router console i get the message “the system cannot find the file speciefied”. i followed your videos but noway to it work.plz help
September 23rd, 2008 at 4:30 am
I ran the GNS3 on my computer and it is running well. but when i save the any topology (as *.net file) I can’t load it again for completing the lab. It says “can’t set the working directory to E:\program files\GNS3\GNS on the server local host:7200″. I changed the working directroy inPreferences> Dynamips>working directory to any other path and nothing happens. what can i do?… know that i setup my GNS3 on the E:\program files\GNS3
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Greg,
Thanks for sharing your experience and another way of saving configs and projects.
Josh
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:51 pm
Mark,
Can you post your .net configuration file?
Josh
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Jose,
Please read comment 20.
Josh
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Timaz,
Try creating a folder called GNS3 at the root of your c:\ drive.
Then, save your project to c:\gns3\
Let me know if it still doesn’t work.
Josh
October 11th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
thk for your great video.
I’m using Vista. I followed all the steps in your tutoril. It worked just fine until I tried to reopen the project. I did the telnet by putty. Putty did open, but nothing happened.
I have no idea what happened.
Hope you can help me, thk in avance
October 13th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Slump,
Not sure what happened. What happens when right click on the routers and attempt to start them. Do they actually start?
Josh
October 13th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Now it works. Actually, after open .net file and start the routers, I have to wait a while before starting putty.
October 16th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Thank you so much for the help, in the begining i had problem with vista OS, but everything is cool and thanks to you.
mna
November 11th, 2008 at 9:48 am
hello,
i have GNS3.0.5. i have created .net file nd save configurations. when i close and i reopen the lab, i cannot see the configuration from the console.
November 17th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Dbenattou,
Are you just going to ‘File > Save’ or ‘File > New Project’ ?
‘File > Save’ will not save the whole project.
Josh
December 26th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Do you have to create a new project each time you wish to save the config/working environment or after it is created as a project you are fine to just click save?
December 27th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Martin,
Once you have created a project, you should be able to simply click ’save’ to save the project.
Josh
December 27th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Very much thanks mate for your precious help,
but still i get the problem with 3700 series of router how to save the configuration???
can u pls help me in that it is not show the chassis when i try for save in the net file pls help
Atish
January 3rd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
There are some consistent symptoms the happen when one is unable to read back an exported config file on starting a router. Failure to do the following, I’ve found by experimentation, means the router will not boot from the exported config, the second (nth time).
1. you must set preferences to clean up the working directory (on vista)
2. the working directory configuration must point to the actual working directory
3. start then stop then start a router using dynampis - without exiting gns3/dnamips (which executes the cleanup) - seems to confuse the persisted nvram from working directory storage with the nvram created upon loading the exported config. The net result is the router ignores the loaded config file, defaulting to initial config wizard.
4. do not reload a router from CLI.
5. If you must stop and restart a router in a single GNS3/dynampips session, delete the working files of the router before re-starting.
I have not played with suspend, which I’ll now try to dominate.
This is 1 of about 20 gotchas with GNS 3.06 (on vista). They all have workarounds.
January 5th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Thanks for this great list Peter!
March 13th, 2009 at 4:55 am
[...] GNS3 - How to save labs with router configs [...]
May 28th, 2009 at 11:09 am
Excellet Mike,
I was really indeed of this.
Thnx
June 3rd, 2009 at 8:45 pm
Hello
im new to GNS3 ,i have this proplem and plz help
my OS is vista 32 bit
im using pytty for telnet
i can creat a lap and telnet every thing is excellent put when i save it and try to open it later ,it just simply open a blank page and stop there.
i have used the way explained here with no use plz help