Dell EMC Networking OS10 How to use Transaction-Based Configuration Mode

Transaction based configuration mode is a feature available in OS10. When transaction-based configuration mode is activated the configuration commands made by users are stored in candidate configuration. The configuration change will not take effect until the child configuration is applied to running configuration.
 

 By default transaction-based configuration mode is disabled. (as of 10.4.x)

Default Behavior

• User implements a command into running configuration. Switch executes configuration immediately
• User can save the running configuration to startup configuration

Transaction based configuration mode

• User configuration saved to candidate configuration. The command is not executed by switch.
• User can review the configuration before executing. We can also discard the change.
• User commits the configuration to implement a command into running configuration. The switch executes the command.
• User can save the running configuration to startup configuration

Advantages of using transaction based configuration mode over default behavior

• User can review a configuration before its implemented.
• User can decide if the change needs to be implemented or discard it

How to use Transaction based configuration mode

1  Change to transaction-based configuration in EXEC mode.

    OS10# start transaction

2  Make any configuration changes.

3  Show difference between candidate and running configuration

     OS10# show diff candidate-configuration running-configuration

4  If you need to discard the candidate configuration, use discard

    OS10# discard

5  If the candidate configuration needs to be saved in running configuration, use commit

    OS10# commit
 

Command Syntax

Recommendations and Expected Behaviors

• Commit command is executed to save changes to the candidate configuration, the session switches back to the default behavior of automatically saving the configuration changes to the running configuration
• When a session terminates while in the transaction-based configuration mode, and you have not entered the commit command, the changes are maintained in the candidate configuration.
• We can start a new transaction-based configuration session and continue with the remaining configuration changes.
• All sessions in the transaction-based configuration mode update the same candidate configuration.
• When we enter the commit command on any session in the transaction-based configuration mode or make configuration changes on any session in the nontransaction-based mode, We also commit the changes made to the candidate configuration in all other sessions running in the transaction-based configuration mode. This implies that inconsistent configuration changes may be applied to the running configuration.
• Dell EMC recommends to make configuration changes on a single CLI session at a time.

Example

As an example the configuration we are planning to implement is change description of a interface et 1/1/1

OS10# start transaction =====================>Enable transaction based configuration mode
 

Configuration we are trying to implement

OS10# configure terminal
OS10(config)# interface ethernet 1/1/1
OS10(conf-if-eth1/1/1)# description TEST

View the difference between candidate and running configuration. Here we can review our configuration

OS10(conf-if-eth1/1/1)# do show diff candidate-configuration running-configuration
!
interface ethernet1/1/1
description TEST

Discard change if necessary

OS10(conf-if-eth1/1/1)# do discard
OS10(config)# do show diff candidate-configuration running-configuration ================>The configuration is discarded if "discard" is executed

Commit change (Write to running configuration)

OS10(conf-if-eth1/1/1)# do commit
OS10(conf-if-eth1/1/1)# do show running-configuration interface ethernet 1/1/1 =========>After commit the configuration is implemented to running configuration
!
interface ethernet1/1/1
description TEST
no shutdown

Save configuration to startup configuration

OS10(conf-if-eth1/1/1)# do write memory ===================>Save the configuration to startup configuration