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This article describes a set of commands used for configuration management.

Configuration Undo

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and Redo

Any action done in GUI or any command executed from the CLI is recorded in /system history.  You can undo or redo any action by running undo or redo commands from the CLI or by clicking on Undo, and Redo buttons from the GUI. 

A simple example to demonstrate the addition of the firewall rule and how to undo and redo the action:

[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /ip/firewall/filter> add chain=forward action=drop 

[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /ip/firewall/filter> print 
Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid; D - dynamic 
0 X chain=input action=drop protocol=icmp src-address=10.155.101.1 log=no 
log-prefix=""

1 chain=forward action=drop

[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /ip/firewall/filter> /system/history/print 
Flags: U - undoable, R - redoable, F - floating-undo
Columns: ACTION, BY, POLICy
ACTION BY POLIC
F filter rule added admin write
U --- write
[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /ip/firewall/filter>

We have added a firewall rule and in /system history we can see all what that is being done.

Let's undo everything:

[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /ip/firewall/filter> /undo 
[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /ip/firewall/filter> print 
Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid; D - dynamic 
0 X chain=input action=drop protocol=icmp src-address=10.155.101.1 log=no 
log-prefix=""

[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /ip/firewall/filter>

As you can see firewall rule disappeared.
Now redo the last change:

[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /ip/firewall/filter> /redo 
[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /ip/firewall/filter> print 
Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid; D - dynamic 
0 X chain=input action=drop protocol=icmp src-address=10.155.101.1 log=no 
log-prefix=""

1 chain=forward action=drop 

[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /ip/firewall/filter>

System history is capable of showing exact CLI commands that will be executed during Undo or Redo actions even if we perform the action from GUI, for example, detailed history output after adding TCP accept rule from WinBox:

[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /system/history> print detail 
Flags: U - undoable, R - redoable, F - floating-undo 
 F redo=
      /ip firewall filter add action=accept chain=forward disabled=no log=no \
          log-prefix="" protocol=tcp
    undo=/ip firewall filter remove *4 action="filter rule added" by="admin" 
    policy=write time=oct/10/2019 18:51:05 

 F redo=/ip firewall filter add action=accept chain=forward 
    undo=/ip firewall filter remove *3 action="filter rule added" by="admin" 
    policy=write time=oct/10/2019 18:49:03 


U redo="" undo="" action="---" by="" policy=write time=sep/27/2019 13:07:35 
[admin@v7_ccr_bgp] /system/history> 

Safe Mode

Sometimes it happens that the router's configuration is changed It is sometimes possible to change router configuration in a way that will make the router inaccessible (except from local console). Usually, this is done by accident, but there is no way to undo the last change when the connection to the router is already cut. Safe mode can be used to minimize such risk.

Safe mode is entered by pressing Ctrl-X. To save changes and quit safe mode, press Ctrl-X again. To The "Safe Mode" button in the Winbox GUI allows you to enter Safe Mode, while in the CLI, you can access it by either using the keyboard shortcut F4 or pressing [CTRL]+[X]. To exit without saving the made changes in CLI, hit Ctrl-D

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 [CTRL]+[

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D].

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[admin@MikroTik] ip route>[CTRL]+[X] 
[Safe Mode taken]

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[admin@MikroTik] ip route<SAFE>

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Message Safe Mode taken is displayed and prompt changes to reflect that session is now in safe mode. In WinBox safe mode is enabled by toggling the Safe Mode toggle button on the left side of the toolbar. All configuration changes that are made (also from other login sessions), while the router is in safe mode, are automatically undone if the safe mode session terminates abnormally. You can see all such changes that will be automatically undone and tagged with an F flag in the system history:

[admin@MikroTik] /ip/route> 

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[Safe Mode taken]

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[admin@MikroTik] /ip

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/route<SAFE> add 
[admin@MikroTik] /ip

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/route<SAFE> /system

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/history/print 

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Flags: U

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F - 

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FLOATING-

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UNDO 
Columns:
 ACTION, BY, POLICY ACTION BY POLICY 
F route 0.0.0.0/0 added admin 

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Now, if telnet connection, WinBox terminal (if the safe mode was enabled on WinBox terminal window), or WinBox connection is cut, then after a while (TCP timeout is 9 minutes) all changes that were made while in safe mode will be undone. Exiting session by Ctrl-D also undoes all safe mode changes, while /quit does not.

If another user tries to enter safe mode, he's given the following message:

[admin@MikroTik] >
Hijacking Safe Mode from someone - unroll/release/don't take it [u/r/d]:

• [u] - undoes all safe mode changes, and puts the current session in safe mode.
• [r] - keeps all current safe mode changes, and puts the current session in a safe mode. The previous owner of safe mode is notified about this:

 
     [admin@MikroTik] ip firewall rule input
     [Safe mode released by another user]

• [d] - leaves everything as-is.

If too many changes are made while in safe mode, and there's no room in history to hold them all (currently history keeps up to 100 most recent actions), then the session is automatically put out of the safe mode, no changes are automatically undone. Thus, it is best to change the configuration in small steps, while in safe mode. Pressing Ctrl-X twice is an easy way to empty the safe mode action list.

System Backup/Restore

System backup is the way to completely clone routers configuration in binary format. The backup file contains not just configuration, but also statistics data, logs, etc. The backup file is best used to save and restore configuration on the same device, for moving configuration to other devices, use export files instead.

Restoring backup files should be done only on the same router or on a similar router when the previous router fails. A backup must not be used to clone configuration on multiple network routers.

Example to save and load backup file:

[admin@MikroTik] > system backup save name=test password=123
Configuration backup saved
[admin@MikroTik] > file print
# NAME TYPE SIZE CREATION-TIME
0 test.backup backup 12567 sep/08/2004 21:07:50
[admin@MikroTik] >
[admin@MikroTik] > system backup load name=test password=123
Restore and reboot? [y/N]:
y
Restoring system configuration
System configuration restored, rebooting now

Import/Export

RouterOS allows to export and import of parts of the configuration in plain text format. This method can be used to copy bits of configuration between different devices, for example, clone the whole firewall from one router to another.

An export command can be executed from each individual menu (resulting in configuration export only from this specific menu and all its sub-menus) or from the root menu for complete config export.

Following command parameters are accepted:

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For example export configuration from /ip address menu and save it to file:

    [admin@MikroTik] > /ip address print
    Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid, D - dynamic
    #   ADDRESS            NETWORK         BROADCAST       INTERFACE
    0   10.1.0.172/24      10.1.0.0        10.1.0.255      bridge1
    1   10.5.1.1/24        10.5.1.0        10.5.1.255      ether1
    [admin@MikroTik] > /ip address export file=address
    [admin@MikroTik] > /file print
    # NAME                            TYPE         SIZE       CREATION-TIME
    0  address.rsc write 

Now, if the telnet connection (or winbox terminal) is cut, then after a while (TCP timeout is 9 minutes) all changes that were made while in safe mode will be undone. Exiting session by [Ctrl]+[D] also undoes all safe mode changes, while /quit does not.

If another user tries to enter safe mode, he's given the following message:

[admin@MikroTik] >
Hijacking Safe Mode from someone - unroll/release/don't take it [u/r/d]:

• [u] - undoes all safe mode changes, and puts the current session in safe mode.
• [r] - keeps all current safe mode changes, and puts the current session in a safe mode. The previous owner of safe mode is notified about this:

[admin@MikroTik] ip firewall rule input
[Safe mode released by another user]

• [d] - leaves everything as-is.

If too many changes are made while in safe mode, and there's no room in history to hold them all (currently history keeps up to 100 most recent actions), then the session is automatically put out of the safe mode, and no changes are automatically undone. Thus, it is best to change the configuration in small steps, while in safe mode. Pressing [Ctrl]+[X] twice is an easy way to empty safe mode action list.

System Backup and Restore

System backup is the way to completely clone router configuration in binary format.

More information about Backup and Restore is found here.

Configuration Export and Import

RouterOS allows exporting and importing parts of the configuration in plain text format. This method can be used to copy bits of configuration between different devices, for example, clone the whole firewall from one router to another.

An export command can be executed from each individual menu (resulting in configuration export only from this specific menu and all its sub-menus) or from the root menu for complete config export and is available for CLI only.

Configuration Export

The following command parameters are accepted:

For example, export configuration from /ip address the menu and save it to a file:

    [admin@MikroTik] > /ip address print
    Flags: X - disabled, I - invalid, D - dynamic
    #   ADDRESS            NETWORK         BROADCAST       INTERFACE
    0   10.1.0.172/24      10.1.0.0        10.1.0.255      bridge1
    1   10.5.1.1/24        10.5.1.0        10.5.1.255      ether1
    [admin@MikroTik] > /ip address export file=address
    [admin@MikroTik] > /file print
    # NAME                            TYPE         SIZE       CREATION-TIME
    0  address.rsc                     script       315        dec/23/2003 13:21:48
    [admin@MikroTik] >

By default, export command writes only user-edited configuration, RouterOS defaults are omitted.

For example, the IPSec default policy will not be exported, and if we change one property then only our change will be exported:

    [admin@rack1_b4] /ip ipsec policy> print
    Flags: T - template, X - disabled, D - dynamic, I - inactive, * - default
    0 T * group=default src-address=::/0 dst-address=::/0 protocol=all
          proposal=default template=yes
     [admin@rack1_b4] /ip ipsec policy> export
    # script    apr/02/1970 17:59:14 by RouterOS 6.22
   315 # software id = DB0D-LK67
   dec/23/2003 13:21:48 #
    [admin@MikroTikadmin@rack1_b4] >
/ip ipsec policy>  

By default export command writes only user-edited configuration, RouterOS defaults are omitted.

For example, IPSec default policy will not be exported, and if we change one property then only our change will be exported:

set 0 protocol=gre
    [admin@rack1_b4] /ip ipsec policy> printexport
    Flags: T - template, X - disabled, D - dynamic, I - inactive, * - default
    0 T * group=default src-address=::/0 dst-address=::/0 protocol=all
          proposal=default template=yes
    [admin@rack1_b4] /ip ipsec policy> export
    # apr/02/1970 17:59:14 by RouterOS 6.22
    # software id = DB0D-LK67
    #
    [admin@rack1_b4] /ip ipsec policy> set 0 protocol=gre
    [admin@rack1_b4] /ip ipsec policy> export
    # apr/02/1970 17:59:30 by RouterOS 6.22
    # software id = DB0D-LK67
    #
    /ip ipsec policy
    set 0 protocol=gre

Notice the * flag, it indicates that entry is system default and cannot be removed manually.

Here is the list of all menus containing default system entries

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Configuration Import

Root menu command import allows running configuration script from the specified file. Script file (with extension ".rsc") can contain any console command including complex scripts.

For example, load saved configuration file

    [admin@MikroTik] > import address.rsc
    Opening script file address.rsc

    Script file loaded and executed successfully
    [admin@MikroTik] >

Import command allows to specify following parameters:

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Auto Import

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# apr/02/1970 17:59:30 by RouterOS 6.22
    # software id = DB0D-LK67
    #
    /ip ipsec policy
    set 0 protocol=gre

Here is the list of all menus containing default system entries

Configuration Import

Root menu command import allows running configuration script from the specified file. Script file (with extension ".rsc") can contain any console command including complex scripts.

For example, load saved configuration file

[admin@MikroTik] > import address.rsc
Opening script file address.rsc

Script file loaded and executed successfully
[admin@MikroTik] >

Import command allows to specify the following parameters:

Auto Import

It is also possible to automatically execute scripts after uploading to the router with FTP or SFTP. The script file must be named with the extension *.auto.rsc. Once the commands in the file are executed, a new *.auto.log file is created which contains import success or failure information.

Import troubleshooting

Configuration parts to watch out for in exported .rsc files

Things that should be removed from export files that were created with "/export", before attempting import on a new device.

• Interface renaming is in conflict with the default ethernet naming scheme.

/interface ethernet
set [ find default-name=ether5 ] auto-negotiation=no name=ether1-gateway
set [ find default-name=ether6 ] name=ether2
set [ find default-name=ether7 ] name=ether3
set [ find default-name=ether8 ] name=ether4
set [ find default-name=ether1 ] name=ether5
set [ find default-name=ether2 ] name=ether6
set [ find default-name=ether3 ] name=ether7
set [ find default-name=ether4 ] name=ether8

• In older version exports default entries might show with "add" instead of the "set" command. That should be edited before import to avoid errors.
• Check if the total number of physical interfaces count matches the new and old devices. If there will some missing that will end up in error during .rsc import.

In case of problematic import, attempt the following:

• Reset the configuration on that device.
• Run the import command again with the "verbose=yes" argument. It will stop also stop the import process on a problem that you already encountered, but will also show the place where the export failed. That way showing you the place where things need to be edited in the .rsc import file.

Startup delay

If your configuration relies on interfaces that might not yet have started up upon command execution, it is suggested to introduce delays or to monitor until all needed interfaces are available. This example script allows you to set how many interfaces you are expecting, and how long to wait until they become available:

{
:local i 0
#Number of interfaces. It is necessary to reconfigure this number for each device (/interface print count-only)
:local x 10
#Max time to wait
:local t 30
while ($i < $t && [:len [/interface find]] < $x) do={
:put $i
:set $i ($i + 1)
:delay 1
}
if ($i = $t) do={
:log warning message="Could not load all physical interfaces"
} else={
#Rest of your script
}
}

The above script will wait until there are 10 interfaces visible, or 30 seconds. If there are no 10 interfaces at this time, it will put a message in the log. Modify the variables according to your needs.

Configuration Reset

RouterOS allows resetting configuration with /system reset-configuration command

This command clears all configuration of the router and sets it to the factory defaults including the login name and password ('admin' with an empty password or, for some models, check user and wireless passwords on the sticker). For more details on the default configuration see the list.

After the configuration reset command is executed router will reboot and load the default configuration.

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It is possible to override the default reset behavior with the parameters below:

For example hard reset configuration without loading default config and skipping backup file:

[admin@MikroTik] > /system reset-configuration no-defaults=yes skip-backup=yes
Dangerous! Reset anyway? [y/N]: y

And the same using Winbox:

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