Configuring local settings that do not overwrite global settings

The overwriting property of local.cfg

The non-editable system default local configuration file, local.cfg, is the last-applied file on your appliances. Its settings consist of any settings you have made on the local appliance through either the Appliance Manager or the CLI. The configuration values in the local.cfg file overwrite the values of any matching configurations in global configuration files applied previously. This presents a problem to administrators who want to implement local settings that merely append to, not overwrite, settings in global configuration files.

Creating a local configuration file with appendable settings

You can configure an appliance with local settings that do not overwrite matching settings in previously applied global configuration files. Avoid making those settings on the local appliance through the Appliance Manager or CLI. Instead create an appendable local configuration file consisting of local settings that append to, not overwrite, previous global settings.

To create a local configuration file with appendable settings, complete the following steps.


clear config.autosupport.recipients.note
config.autosupport.recipients.note += barry@xyz.com
config.global.acl += allow client ip 10.10.22.3
cp {ftp|http}://[usr:pw@]/srvr/path/sfile 
/nc_path/nc_file
set config.admin.config.list \\
default.cfg
ftp://serverA//cfg/bypassauth.cfg
/tmp/localappends.cfg
local.cfg
\\
config -n

Step	Action
1	At the appliance where you want to apply local settings that append to, rather than overwrite, global settings, make sure that no local values have been configured for those settings through the Appliance Manager or the CLI. If local settings have been set, use the `clear` command to reset that configuration to default. For example: `clear config.autosupport.recipients.note`
2	At a source server, create an appendable local configuration file containing appendable settings that you want to apply to that local appliance only. For example: `config.autosupport.recipients.note += barry@xyz.com config.global.acl += allow client ip 10.10.22.3` Note The `+=` characters in the preceding example indicate that the values that follow will be appended to, rather than overwrite, any existing values for those settings. For details, see Editing the configuration file settings to append rather than overwrite.
3	Use the `cp` command to save each appendable local configuration file to a local directory on the target appliance. Use the following syntax: cp {ftp\|http}://`[usr`:pw@]/srvr/path/sfile /nc_path/nc_file Note Enter the preceding syntax on one line with a space separating the /sfile and /nc_path variables. usr:pw is the login name and password, if any, necessary to access the source server where the appendable local configuration file was created. srvr/path/sfile is the host name, directory, and file name of the configuration file on the source server. nc_path/nc_file is the target directory location and file name on the appliance where you want the local appendable configuration file copied. For example: `cp ftp://usrA:pw@srvrA//cfg/localappends.cfg /tmp/localappends.cfg`
4	At the CLI console of the target appliance, use the `config.admin.config.list` setting to add this file to the local appliance's active configuration. Remember to do the following: Include a local directory path. List the appendable local configuration file just before the local.cfg file. For example, the following command line directs the local appliance to apply the settings in the localappends.cfg file just before the local.cfg settings: `set config.admin.config.list \\ default.cfg ftp://serverA//cfg/bypassauth.cfg /tmp/localappends.cfg local.cfg \\`
5	To apply your configuration immediately, enter config -n

Modifying local appendable configuration settings

If you need to modify local appliance settings specified in an appendable local configuration file, you can do so by editing the text of that file directly.

Caution
Never use the Appliance Manager or the CLI to modify your local appliance settings specified by the appendable local configuration file. Doing so enters those settings into the local.cfg file and consequently will cause the appliance to apply the modified settings in overwrite rather than appendable mode.