Dell Powerconnect running config change

Kris · Post by **Kris** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 5:25 am

Hiya all, and welcome to my next problem

I want to monitor if the running config of a Dell Powerconnect switch has changed.
Why? Sometimes techies make changes they forget to save to the startup config, and at the nexr reboot all is lost.

So I tried SNMP.
But I can't seem to find any OID representing anything useful.

Then some Dell techie pointed me to a possible solution:
Somehow get a dump from the running config and the startup config and compare the both.

Sounds like a plan to me.
Would any of you have done this before, I would welcome any suggestions to accomplish this in a efficient way.

Thanks!

KS-Soft · Post by **KS-Soft** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 4:13 pm

Then some Dell techie pointed me to a possible solution:
Somehow get a dump from the running config and the startup config and compare the both

Does Dell specialist knows how to make this dump file?
If they don't know, nobody knows.

Regards
Alex

Kris · Post by **Kris** » Wed Nov 13, 2013 10:57 am

OK, I think I found a way.

I need a test to do the following:

1) Rename a previously downloaded running-config file to something else
2) Start a telnet session to the switch
3) Run some commands to download the running-config again
4) Compare the downloaded file to the renamed file

This should return either true or false

I've got a working Shell script including some VBscript using SendKeys.
However, this is very dangerous.
If the Telnet session doesn't have focus, it will send the keystrokes to whichever window has focus.

So this is obviously not the way to go.

Any onter ideas?

Thanks!

KS-Soft · Post by **KS-Soft** » Wed Nov 13, 2013 1:21 pm

There is freeware telnet client that supports scripts like
--------------
192.168.1.100 23
SEND "\m"
WAIT "login:"
SEND "admin\m"
WAIT "Password:"
SEND "admin1\m"
WAIT "s1#"
SEND "co\m"
WAIT "s1(config)#"
SEND "show load; show cpu\m"
WAIT "s1(config)#"
--------------
http://jerrymannel.com/blog/wp-content/ ... /tst10.zip

Regards
Alex

Kris · Post by **Kris** » Fri Nov 15, 2013 4:50 am

I know.

However, it doesn't supoort slashes in the commands, which I need to save to tftp server....

Still tinkering....

KS-Soft Europe · Post by **KS-Soft Europe** » Fri Nov 15, 2013 8:04 am

Just checked. The following command:
SEND "cd FORUM\3333/a\m"
works well with HM Telnet Service.
As you can see, it contains slashes and backslashes.

Kris · Post by **Kris** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 6:38 am

Ah... I discarded it too soon.
However, I do get fluctuating results when I run it from the command prompt.

I don't quite understand your remark "works well with HM Telnet Service"

Could you please show met how to invoke tst10.exe using HM?

Thanks!

KS-Soft Europe · Post by **KS-Soft Europe** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 7:53 am

I don't quite understand your remark "works well with HM Telnet Service"

We do not have Dell Powerconnect switch. So we've tried how this tool works with HostMonitor Telnet Service. All commands were executed as expected.

Could you please show met how to invoke tst10.exe using HM?

You may use External test with command like the following:

Code: Select all

D:\tools\tst10.exe /r:D:\tools\script.txt /o:D:\tools\output.txt

Where D:\tools\script.txt file contains commands, and all output will be written to D:\tools\output.txt

Kris · Post by **Kris** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:23 am

Ah OK.

That's what I figured.
I kinda hoped I could embed the scriptfile within HM.

Going with your method now

Thanks!

KS-Soft Europe · Post by **KS-Soft Europe** » Mon Nov 18, 2013 8:56 am

You are welcome