Downloading Existing Network Configuration on New MX Offsite

[SD_Merak]

Hi All,

Can someone please let me know if there is a way we can download existing network configuration on the MX before its installed onsite?

Thank You.

[Nash]

Connect it to a wired access port in an environment with internet access and let it pull a config and update its firmware.

If you have a static IP at the destination, make sure you setup the static IP on the MX before shipping it off. I'll double-check on the local status page usually, before boxing up for shipping.

[SD_Merak]

Hi Nash,

Thank you very much for the reply!
Upgrading firmware is not the issue, my concern is downloading MX existing configuration from the cloud while the faulty device is still on network. Is it possible to download configuration on new device before its replaced with the faulty one?

Cheers

[Nash]

Ah, I see.

It depends on your scenario. 

Is this an RMA-type situation, where the remote firewall is dead and you're replacing it with the same model?

If so: Add replacement firewall to the network in a warm spare-type setup. Connect fw to internet, let it pull config, ship it off. Once it's in place, remove the faulty fw from the network.

[SD_Merak]

Thanks Nash.

[KRobert · Accepted solution]

Another option you could do is create a new network and clone the configurations from the existing network.

Go to Organization -> Inventory. Select your new appliance. Select Add To... and the choose New Network and copy the configuration from your network you want to replace. Except for Site-to-Site VPN settings and some appliance Name settings, every other setting will be exactly the same. Make sure the Internet port isn't using the same IP address until you are ready to migrate. Plug it in and have it access the internet like @Nash said, then when you are ready perform the swap.

I have done this when I we needed to upgrade our MX100 Firewall's with MX250s and wanted minimal down time. Keep in mind if you are doing this with appliances that use Public Static IPs, you may have you contact your ISP provide and have them clear the arp cache on that IP address.

[SD_Merak]

Thanks @KRobert and @Nash for helping me out. @Nash yes it was RMA situation and we wanted minimum downtime for customer for the replacement of the faulty device.

[KRobert]

Glad to hear everything worked out!