Oxidized: Advanced Network Backup Automation (Expert Guide)
You have installed Oxidized, it is retrieving your configurations, and everything is going well. But in a professional environment, that’s not enough. If a router fails and you don’t have a change history, how do you know which command broke the network last night? Welcome to the world of NetDevOps.
[IMAGE: Oxidized Dashboard displaying a list of Cisco and Juniper routers with backup status – Alt: Oxidized web interface Cisco network backup]
Multi-Vendor Configuration: The nodes.csv file
Oxidized is not limited to Cisco. It supports over 130 vendors (Juniper, Huawei, Fortinet, Aruba, etc.). To manage this properly, use groups in your data source. Here is an example of an effective nodes.csv structure:
hostname;model;group;username;password
sw-core-01;ios;core;admin;secret
fw-edge-01;fortios;security;apiuser;apipass
ap-office-01;aruba;wifi;netadmin;netpassThe Power of Git: Effortless History Tracking
Oxidized can store configurations in a local Git repository. But the real strength lies in the automatic push to a GitLab or GitHub server. This allows for off-site backups and the use of the GitLab web interface to compare versions (diff). This way, you can see that at 10:04 PM, the admin modified ACL 101, causing the outage.
[IMAGE: Screenshot of a “git diff” showing a configuration change on a Juniper switch – Alt: Oxidized network configuration Git diff]
Alerting and Webhooks: Be Proactive
Nothing is more frustrating than discovering that a backup hasn’t worked for 3 months just when you need it. Configure a Webhook in your config file:
hooks:
slack_notify:
type: exec
events: [node_fail]
cmd: 'curl -X POST -H "Content-type: application/json" --data "{\"text\":\"Oxidized Backup FAILED for node %s\"}" https://hooks.slack.com/services/XXXX'Why migrate from RANCID to Oxidized in 2024?
RANCID has served for decades, but it is based on Perl and complex expect scripts. Oxidized is written in Ruby, is much lighter, has a REST API for integration with your other tools (like NetBox or LibreNMS), and natively handles Git storage without additional scripts.
By pairing Oxidized with an IPAM tool like NetBox, you reach the Holy Grail: a dynamic inventory where every new piece of equipment is automatically backed up without manual intervention.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Learn more: To master the basics of electronics, don’t miss our guide on Ohm’s Law.
🧠 AI Selection: Related Topics (Vector RAG)
Our algorithm has found these articles that share a strong thematic proximity with your current reading:
- 🔗 Rancid vs Oxidized: Which NCM tool to choose for your network configurations? (Affinity: 88%)
- 🔗 OXIDIZED – Installation and Configuration (Affinity: 87%)
- 🔗 Rancid vs Oxidized: Which NCM tool to choose for your network backups? (Affinity: 85%)
🧠 AI Selection: Related Topics (Vector RAG)
Our algorithm has found these articles that share a strong thematic proximity with your current reading:
