Cisco Exclusive Configuration Editing
In larger IT shops it is common to have several people who make configuration changes on your network devices. Cisco provides an exclusive editing option so that only one user or session can make configuration changes on a device at a time, by implementing configuration mode exclusive.
One thing that can happen is that they start tripping over each other in making the changes. Nothing can be more annoying than starting to make a configuration change that someone else is in middle of making. This can lead to a lot of confusion, and worse, corrupt the configuration.
To avoid this problem, Cisco provides an exclusive editing option so that only one user or session can make configuration changes on a device at a time, by implementing configuration mode exclusive.
The configuration mode exclusive system operates in either Manual or Automatic mode. In Automatic mode, exclusive access is granted automatically to the first user who enters Configuration mode using the configure terminal command. In Manual mode, the user needs to issue the command configure terminal lock. To enable Automatic mode, use these commands:
Router1#enable Password: Router1#configure terminal Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. Router1(config)#configuration mode exclusive auto Router1(config)#end Router1#configure terminal Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. Router1(config)# *Apr 22 19:31:44.825: Configuration mode locked exclusively. The lock will be cleared once you exit out of configuration mode using end/exit Router1(config)#exit Router1# *Apr 22 19:32:09.617: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console
In the following code, notice that after enabling the Manual mode, you can still enter Configuration mode without engaging the lock. Enable the Manual mode as follows:
Router1#enable Password: Router1#configure terminal Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. Router1(config)#configuration mode exclusive manual Router1(config)#end Router1#configure terminal Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. Router1 (config)#hostname NewRouter1 NewRouter1(config)#exit NewRouter1# *Jun 24 20:20:44.079: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console NewRouter1#configure terminal lock Enter configuration commands, one per line. End with CNTL/Z. NewRouter1(config)# *Jun 24 20:21:04.051: Configuration mode locked exclusively. The lock will be cleared once you exit out of configuration mode using end/exit NewRouter1(config)#hostname Router1 Router1(config)#exit Router1# *Jun 24 20:21:31.567: %SYS-5-CONFIG_I: Configured from console by console
Cloud Computing Glossary
